Author: KIFI

Ashley Chilcutt

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho law enforcement and the Idaho Transportation Department are bracing themselves for the 100 Deadliest Days, marking the most dangerous time to be on Gem State roads.

“Historically, there are more fatalities that happen in that time between Memorial Day and Labor Day than a lot of times the rest of the year,” said Kelly Campbell with the Office of Highway Safety.

By this time last year, 57 people died on Idaho roads. As of May 12, 2025, there has already been 74 deaths. The Idaho Transportation Department records several factors that contribute to this statistic.

“We know that speed and distractions are two of the most common factors when it comes to fatalities in Idaho,” said Britt Rosenthal, spokesperson for ITD.

In general, people tend to drive more often and at higher speeds when the roads are nice.

“The most common fatality is during daylight hours and on dry roads,” Campbell explained. “People are out on the road a lot more during the summer months. They’re out doing fun things, and they’re not necessarily as focused as they should be when they’re driving on the road.”

The good news is your car’s existing safety features can reduce your risk of car crash death.

“At this point in time, we know that 86% of Idahoans buckle up,” Rosenthal said. “The Office of Highway Safety and the Idaho Transportation Department would love to see that number at 100%.”

ITD publishes a crash report, detailing crash statistics on Idaho roads, every year. For more information, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATE:

As of 5:10 PM, May 12, 2025, 11-year-old Christopher has been found safe, according to a post on the Rexburg Police Department’s Facebook page.

UPDATE:

According to Rexburg PD, Christopher was spotted on Maple Drive near Lincoln Elementary School around 4:15 pm.

If you see or have seen him since, police are asking you to contact dispatch immediately at 208-372-5001.

ORIGINAL:

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — Police in Rexburg are asking for help searching for a missing 11-year-old with a history of mental health concerns.

According to a post on the Rexburg Police Department Facebook page, 11-year-old Christopher was last seen wearing a Roblox shirt, black sweatpants, and bright green shoes. The youth has blue eyes and brown hair with spikes on the front.

He reportedly left his apartment in the area of 5th W and University Blvd and may have a green scooter.

If you see or have seen him, police are asking you to contact dispatch immediately at 208-372-5001.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATE:

CUSTER COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — The disappearance of 47-year-old Patrick Shelton has officially been deemed a homicide, according to the Custer County Sheriff’s Office.

The Custer County Sheriff’s Office has taken a suspect into custody. The Investigation is ongoing at this time.

On May 10th at approximately 3 pm, the Custer County Sheriff’s Office was notified that Patrick Ray Shelton, age 47, of Challis, Idaho, had not returned from a wood gathering trip in the Mountains around Challis, Idaho. He was expected to return on Wednesday, May 8th.

“Phone pings were initiated for phone location history of Patrick’s cell phone,” writes the Custer County Sheriff’s Office in a press release. “Deputies responded to locations where Patrick was known to search for wood. Deputies from the Custer County Sheriff’s Office located his vehicle and his dog in the Big Hill Area, west of the city of Challis May 10th, approximately 8:30 PM.”

Morning of May 11, Challis Search and Rescue teams were active to locate the missing 47-year-old. That evening, Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue joined the search as well, using canine teams and thermal imaging drones.

All Search and Rescue Operations have been suspended as of 3:26 PM, May 12, 2025. The Search and Rescue operation has been updated to a Recovery Operation, according to the Custer County Sheriff’s Office.

The body of Patrick Shelton has not yet been recovered at this time.

ORIGINAL:

CUSTER COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Search and Rescue crews in Custer County are looking for a 47-year-old man who has been missing since last Thursday.

According to the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, 47-year-old Patrick Shelton was last seen May 8, 2025, in the Challis area heading into the mountains to cut firewood. Two days later, he was reported to be overdue in returning.

The evening of May 10, deputies located his red 2001 Dodge Ram flatbed pickup, but were unable to locate Shelton. The following evening, Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue joined the search efforts.

The Sheriff’s office has confirmed that their teams are utilizing thermal imaging drones and canine units in their search efforts. Search and Rescue crews are requesting that the public stay away from the search area to help maintain the integrity of the search patterns.

In a post on the Custer County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, search crews requested anyone with information about Shelton’s whereabouts to contact the Sheriff’s deputies. For more information, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — The Blackfoot Community Dinner Table is receiving a helping hand in its fight against food insecurity. Monday, Bingham Ag Services announced a generous donation of over $81,000 to the Bingham County non-profit organization.

This contribution will enable the Community Dinner Table to expand its services and assist more individuals and families in the Blackfoot area who are struggling to put food on the table.

“No one in our community should go hungry,” said Jared Wolfley, President of Bingham Ag Services. “As an agricultural business, ensuring that local families have access to nutritious meals aligns perfectly with our company values. We’re honored to support the incredible work being done by the Community Dinner Table.”

Jackie Young, the President of the Community Dinner Table, expressed gratitude for the donation, stating that it would have an immediate impact on their ability to serve vulnerable populations.

The donation comes at a critical time when many families continue to face economic pressures affecting their ability to put food on the table. In 2023, approximately 250,260 residents of Idaho, or 12.7%, experienced food insecurity, marking a notable increase from the previous year, according to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap.

Local officials praised the partnership between the backfoot non-profit and Bingham Ag Services as a model for how businesses can meaningfully address community challenges.

“Our success is intertwined with the community’s wellbeing,” Bingham Ag Services’ service coordinator, Diane Carey, explained. “Supporting organizations like the Community Dinner Table isn’t just charitable giving—it’s an investment in the health and stability of our hometown.”

The Community Dinner Table offers warm meals weekly during winter and organizes various food distribution programs year-round. The organization depends significantly on community partners and volunteers to achieve its mission.

For more information, click HERE.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Salvation Army Pocatello Corps is asking people in the area to help them buy a new box truck, after a recent breakdown left them without the necessary equipment for their community support programs.

The Pocatello Salvation Army lost their last treasured truck when an engine failure ground the 15-foot vehicle, and the programs it helps support, to a halt.

“It is totally unusable, and it’s really caused issues for us to continue to do what we do on the day to day basis here,” said Mareah Makowski, ministry leader for the Salvation Army Pocatello Corps. “From food collections and picking things up, bringing things in, taking things out––we’re really worried about when Christmas time comes around, how we’re going to get things like our kettles out to the locations, how we’re going to pick up toys and bring them into us so we can pass them out.”

The Pocatello Salvation Army serves around 50 local people daily through their soup kitchen, food pantry, and clothing donations.

During Christmas, Salvation Army leaders coordinate dozens of volunteers for their Red Kettle donation drives from the Pocatello headquarters, and last year, the Salvation Army Pocatello Corps brought Christmas gifts to over 600 area kids during their Christmas Angel program.

Pocatello Salvation Army leaders say their box truck has been a vital resource in helping them fulfill their mission to serve people in the Portneuf Valley, and now they are asking people to help them raise the $25,000 they need to replace their vehicle.

“We would really appreciate the community’s help,” said Makowski. “…It is very important for the Pocatello area to have programs like this because that’s what community is: we take care of each other, we look out for each other, and that’s all that we try to do here is we try to serve our community and love on our community the best that we can––we just need the necessary tools to do that.”

Makowski said they would like to have a new box truck ready for action by the end of June. For more information, you can visit the Salvation Army Pocatello Corps website.

To support the Salvation Army’s box truck fund, you can mail or deliver donations to the Pocatello headquarters at 400 N. 4th Ave.

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Seth Ratliff

BONNEVILLE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — The driver killed in Friday afternoon’s head-on collision along the Lewisville Highway has been identified.

The driver has been identified as Doris Prine, a 61-year-old resident of Terreton, Idaho. Bonneville County Coroner Shante Sanchez confirmed that Prine’s next of kin has been notified.

The accident occurred shortly before 3 PM on Friday, May 9. Initial reports suggest that a pickup truck traveling southbound crossed the center line and collided with a smaller sedan, according to the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO).

When emergency personnel arrived at the scene, they found both vehicles overturned in the yard of a house next to the highway. According to the BCSO, both drivers had been ejected from their vehicles due to the crash. But the victim’s husband tells Local News 8 Prine had to be cut out of her seatbelt when emergency responders arrived. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the pickup, a 21-year-old male, was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with severe injuries.

The investigation into the crash is still ongoing.

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Zach Glancy

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been corrected from a previous version:

SWAN VALLEY, Idaho (KIFI) – A semi-truck accident closed down the US-26 westbound lane near Rainey Creek, west of Swan Valley, Monday morning.

According to Idaho State Police, the semi veered off the highway around 4:30 am and hit a tree and the side of a mountain, causing dozens of bottled water containers to spill across the road.

Credit: Swan Valley Fire Chief Travis Crystal

Credit: Swan Valley Fire Chief Travis Crystal

Swan Valley Fire says the lane could be closed for the next few hours as crews work to clean up the crash.

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Noah Farley

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — Mothers throughout Idaho were wished a “bear-y” happy Mother’s Day when Yellowstone Bear World celebrated the holiday.

Mothers got to visit Yellowstone Bear World for free after buying a regular admission. Hundreds of people, even several from around the world, filled the park to see bears, bison, and animatronic dinosaurs.

“We’re just really excited to be able to share these opportunities with the community and to be a little part of the Mother’s Day weekend here,” said Yellowstone Bear World President, Courtney Ferguson.

Ferguson says the park’s Mother’s Day Special has become an annual tradition for many families.

The mother bears were also enjoying the cool day—climbing trees and relaxing in the water, while the cubs jumped around and played with each other.

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Chris Nestman

A rise in heat, humidity, and an unstable atmosphere is creating the perfect environment for severe thunderstorms in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming this afternoon.

The Storm Predication Center (SPC) has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 8pm. Meaning strong to severe thunderstorms with microburst winds are possible this afternoon.

Strong to severe wind gusts of 60 mph is the most likely threat from these storms. The best thing to do is secure your property to avoid flying debris (see patio umbrellas, trampolines, tree branches, etc.)

Some pockets of hail within these storms is also a possibility. Finally, while its a very small chance, we will be on the lookout for a brief tornado. Strong tornados in Idaho are very rare, but quick moving weaker ones do happen on occasion. These kinds of tornadoes are still dangerous as they can cause some exterior damage to buildings and are a risk for injury to those outside due to flying debris.

The SPC, the branch of the National Weather Service that specializes in severe weather forecasting, has highlighted eastern Idaho for this afternoon for storm risk. Specifically, the I-15/Hwy 20 corridor has a “slight” risk (tier 2 out of 5) for strong storms compared to surrounding regions that are under a “marginal” risk (tier 1 out of 5).

Storms already started firing up around 1 p.m. today and we expect some risk for strong thunderstorms through about 9 p.m. this evening. Keep your phones charged in case of any power outages so you can still receive warnings.

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Kailey Galaviz

RIGBY, Idaho (KIFI) – For many students, high school sports are more than just a competitive outlet – they’re a source of teamwork, discipline and growth. But some families don’t have the luxury to cover the costs of these programs. That’s where Rigby Free Soccer kicks in.

What started eight years ago with only five players, the nonprofit has grown to help more than 1,000 young athletes aim high and shoot for the stars. Their mission is to motivate students through soccer to achieve success both in the classroom and on the field at no cost to families.

Rigby Free Soccer Founder Alex Greenfield says, “We noticed with these kids – the same kids that were underperforming by the time they got to the high school during soccer season – when they were part of the program, they were doing fine. Clearly, it was because they realized, ‘I have to pay to play.'”

These student athletes are noticing improvements in themselves too, helping them reach for the stars. 8th grader Riggin says, “Because I’ve seen more improvement in myself, I’m starting to believe in myself a little more every day. So I will want to eventually build up to playing in high school.”

A national study from Project Play says students who participate in sports are 15% more likely to attend college, less likely to do drugs and have less risk of developing health problems down the road.

None of this would be possible without Mr. Greenfield’s original vision for inclusion, achievement and opportunity. He says, “Not much makes a person happier than knowing you’ve impacted the life of a child and their families.”

For many students, Greenfield is a pivotal role model. 8th grader Brandon says, “He encouraged me to do the soccer program and stuff like that. So yeah, I think he’s a good… figure in my life.”

In the future, Greenfield is hopeful programs like this will expand. He says, “The dream is for middle schools throughout Idaho to have this, because it is it’s a win-win.”

Thanks to a sponsorship from Madison Memorial this year, the program has been able to thrive.

Rigby Free Soccer teams are gearing up for intense games, and they want the community to come cheer them on.

On May 13 and 20 from 4:00-5:00 p.m., the middle school team will compete at the Jefferson District Office fields. There will be food trucks, live music and, of course, a great soccer game.

The game on May 20 is for the coveted Jim Wilson Cup. This game will celebrate the life of long-time Jefferson County School District custodian Jim Wilson, who took a bullet protecting students during the tragic Rigby Middle School shooting four years ago. Wilson died a few years later.

On May 22 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. the elementary school team will compete at Roberts Elementary School, where they will have live music and food trucks as well.

All games are free to attend.

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