Author: KIFI

Hadley Bodell

DOWNEY, Idaho (KIFI) – The “Best little fair in Idaho” is back in Downey all week long with activities for families, cowboys and little ones. Many of the people who work to make the fair happen every year are Downey local volunteers like Brittanie Goodwin.

“It just brings the people, there aren’t a lot of people here so it just brings them,” Goodwin said. “And brings the love of Downey.”

Wednesday was kids’ day in the park with a dunk tank and water toys, plus a hypnotist performance in the evening. The parade for the fair and rodeo began at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday night, followed by a street dance for dancers of all ages.

There’s also an inflatable park open with bouncy houses, bumper boats, and inflatable toys for kids all week from noon to 8 p.m. There are also raffles to enter to win prizes and boothes for face painting.

“There’s also a bunch of vendors for you to shop,” Goodwin said. “There’s T-shirts you can buy, a hat you can make, and so much food.”

Goodwin said the Monday and Tuesday of the fair are usually the slowest of the week, but during the evenings she said the fairgrounds have been packed with both locals and visitors.

The Bannock County Fair and Rodeo kicks off Thursday evening at 7 p.m. Goodwin says the rodeo brings the most people to Downey, featuring events like bronc and bull riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing and more fan favorites.

“I live here, so it’s been a part of growing up. I come here every year, I volunteer with the inflatables and my mom has a booth,” Goodwin said. “It brings everything for town.”

A full schedule of events is available on the Bannock County Fair and Rodeo Facebook page.

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Maile Sipraseuth

WILSON, Wyo. (KIFI) — Residents from both sides of Teton Pass came together Monday night to discuss ways to make one of the region’s busiest roads safer following a series of serious and deadly crashes.

Drivers discussed several potential solutions, including building a port of entry, staffing the weigh station, improving signage, restricting large vehicles, increasing education and even building a tunnel.

During the discussion, a trucking company owner, a former Wyoming Highway Patrol officer and a former Wyoming legislator shared their perspectives on the challenges facing Teton Pass and offered potential solutions for improving safety.

The meeting was organized by a group of seven community members, including Gary Kofinas, whose friend was killed when a dump truck lost control on Teton Pass.

RELATED: Highway Patrol: Equipment failure likely caused deadly crash on Teton Pass

“We are all concerned and feel the need to do something. And so we agreed that probably the first step was to bring our community together, let them express their concerns, give them some basic information, and start the conversation about what are the possible solution,” Kofinas said.

Corey Milligan, another organizer advocating for safety measures on Teton Pass, said Monday’s meeting is only the beginning. Organizers plan to continue conversations over the next month before recommending any changes.

“The plan is to spend 30 days engaging with all the stakeholders and really hearing more deeply what everyone thinks are the best solutions. And then for us to decide and make a plan of what we think are the best solutions and what we’re going to then start advocating for,” Milligan said.

Representatives from the Wyoming Highway Patrol and Wyoming Department of Transportation attended the meeting to hear public feedback and answer questions about safety on the pass.

“We hear complaints of people saying ‘there’s this vehicle traveling after this hour,’ and ‘we want to see more enforcement. We want to see more rules,’ and those are all things we’re listening for because we want people to understand that this is their road as well. We want them to feel safe traveling it,” Arron Healy with the Wyoming Highway Patrol said.

Kofinas and Milligan said Monday’s meeting was intended to begin a larger community conversation, with the goal of working alongside transportation officials and lawmakers to find solutions that could reduce crashes and save lives on Teton Pass.

“I lost a friend that was at my house one minute and ten minutes later, he passed away. And it’s pretty powerful to have that experience. And so my small part is to try and raise awareness and get a response,” Kofinas said.

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Kaelyn Blessinger

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — The Blackfoot City Council has approved an ordinance banning the sale of kratom within city limits, making it illegal for businesses to sell the substance beginning this month.

The move follows a similar ban recently approved in Idaho Falls.

The ordinance applies only to the sale of kratom and does not prohibit individuals from possessing or using it.

Kratom is derived from the leaves of a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. It contains compounds that can produce stimulant effects at lower doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses.

City officials said the decision comes after multiple deaths in Bonneville County were linked to kratom, raising concerns about public safety and the availability of the substance in local stores.

Blackfoot Police Chief Wes Wheatley said the city felt it was important to take action to reduce access to kratom and address the potential risks associated with its sale.

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Par Kermani

UPDATED Aug. 6, 2026 10 a.m.

MADISON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — The Byrne Side burning south of Rexburg has been fully contained, according to the Madison Fire Department.

Madison Fire Department reported late Wednesday evening that the fire had been stopped and no further growth was expected.

The fire burned approximately 150 acres.

According to Madison Fire, repair work was being done on a railroad bridge when a spark from grinding operations started a fire in nearby vegetation. Railroad workers attempted to extinguish it, but the fire quickly spread into a grain field before reaching sagebrush on the hillside.

Madison Fire Department crews worked alongside resources from the nearby Big Rock Fire and mutual aid partners. Air resources, bulldozers, and local farmers were helping with firefighting effort

Officials said approximately 60 to 70 personnel, 25 apparatus and numerous tractors helped minimize the spread of the fire.

ORIGINAL STORY:

MADISON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Fire crews are responding to a new wildfire burning on the southern portion of the bench in Madison County.

The Byrne Side Fire is currently being fought by multiple fire agencies, law enforcement and local farmers working to get ahead of the flames.

The south end of the bench, from approximately 8000 South 2300 East to 1600 East, is closed to traffic. Deputies are in the area turning drivers away.

Officials are asking people to avoid the area and not attempt to get closer to watch the fire. Additional traffic could interfere with firefighting operations.

Multiple planes and helicopters are also working the fire. Officials are warning people not to fly drones in the area because they can interfere with firefighting aircraft and potentially force aerial operations to stop.

People in the area are asked to follow all directions from firefighters and law enforcement.

Additional information on the fire’s size and containment was not available.

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Par Kermani

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI) — The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help identifying and locating a person and vehicle connected to an incident in Island Park.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened Monday, Aug. 3. Officials did not provide details about the nature of the incident.

The Sheriff’s Office released photos of the person and vehicle in hopes that someone may recognize them.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help identifying this vehicle in connection with an incident in Island Park on Monday, Aug. 3.

Anyone who recognizes the person or vehicle, or has information about their identity or whereabouts, is asked to contact Fremont County Dispatch at 208-624-4482 and select option 1.

Information can also be sent through a private message to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

Officials are asking people not to post accusations or personal information in the comments on social media.

The Sheriff’s Office said any information provided will be handled appropriately.

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Dylan Carder

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI)- The Idaho High School Activities Association voted 10-0 on Wednesday to update its policy regarding transgender students in girls’ sports. The change to Rule 11-3, which included one abstention, aligns the association with the state’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.

The move brings association policy into compliance with Idaho Code Title 33, Chapter 62. The previous version of the rule followed federal executive order #14201, which was signed Feb. 5, 2025.

The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act requires athletic teams sponsored by public primary or secondary schools and public institutions of higher education to be designated based on biological sex. This also applies to any school or institution whose teams compete against public schools. Teams must be categorized as males, men or boys; females, women or girls; or coed or mixed.

Under the law, any athletic team or sport designated for females, women or girls is not open to students of the male sex. The update to Rule 11-3 was designed to ensure the Idaho High School Activities Association complies with these specific state requirements regarding transgender student participation.

Disputes regarding a student’s sex must be resolved by the school through a health examination. The institution must request that the student provide a health examination and consent form or a statement signed by a personal health care provider. This document must verify the student’s biological sex.

Health care providers may verify biological sex as part of a routine sports physical examination. According to the statute, the provider may rely only on the student’s reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup or normal endogenously produced testosterone levels to make the verification.

The Idaho State Board of Education will promulgate rules for schools and institutions to follow regarding the receipt and timely resolution of sex disputes. These rules must remain consistent with the requirements for health care provider verification.

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Dylan Carder

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI)- The Idaho Department of Health & Welfare announced the contract for the Idaho Wednesday’s Child recruitment program will end on Sept. 30. Internal state teams will take over recruitment and intensive services for foster children starting Oct. 1.

The program has operated for more than 25 years in partnership with Eastern Washington University and other community organizations to find homes for children in foster care. The state is reorganizing how it manages these cases to modernize recruitment practices and address safety concerns related to public profiles.

The program website will stop accepting inquiries for youth on Aug. 24. The Family Resource and Training Center, which has operated the program for the past 10 years, scheduled the site to close on Sept. 1. Families are encouraged to complete inquiries as soon as possible to ensure they are processed before the end of the month.

Jean M. Fisher, administrator of the Division of Youth Safety & Permanency, said the landscape of foster care adoption has changed. In a letter to community partners, Fisher noted that advances in technology and social media have increased risks for youth featured in public profiles.

“The Idaho Department of Health & Welfare is in a position to innovate practices for child-specific recruitment while demonstrating fiscal responsibility,” Fisher said. The department has already adjusted how it manages cases by having permanency workers coordinate earlier with family services staff.

The state also added a Family Find team to help identify previously unknown relatives or connections for children in care. These changes aim to achieve timely placement for children who cannot return to their homes. During the transition, the state will use the AdoptUSKids website to ensure recruitment efforts for waiting children continue.

Internal Youth Safety & Permanency team members will begin providing recruitment services on Oct. 1. The Department of Health & Welfare will also develop an updated website for children and families while the current platform remains unavailable.

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David Pace

SALMON, Idaho (KIFI) — The Salmon community celebrated a ribbon cutting for a new Salmon Two Rivers K-8 public school Wednesday, marking the completion of a $28 million project years in the making.

Gov. Brad Little attended the ceremony along with local lawmakers and school officials.

After 20 years and 13 prior attempts to pass a school bond, voters approved a $20 million bond to fund the school in May 2024.

Salmon is the only school district in the state to support a school bond since 2024.

“They tried to pass the bond in 13 times. But what you heard today were all the people that were part of it. They went out and solicited support from all the businesses,” Gov. Little said. “R&M Steel, it’s an enormous gift that they’ve given to this school in the steel for the structure, the superstructure.”

The gap to reach the total cost was filled after a massive community fundraising effort – combined with additional state funds from House Bill 338 and House Bill 521 – totaling $8 million to bring the project to completion.

The district provides education for 600 students, with up to 425 spots available at the new school, said Salmon School District 91 Superintendent Jill Patton.

“Thank you, thank you for supporting us. Thank you for the time and effort everybody put in to make this happen,” Patton said. “And thank you for the ongoing commitment, because every single time [the patrons] pay their taxes, they are showing support for our schools. We appreciate that.”

The new building features 30 classrooms and a beautiful gymnasium and playground area.

The new school comes after years of discussion over aging school facilities in Salmon and across Idaho.

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Curtis Jackson

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – An Arizona woman was injured when her car rolled on US 20 near the Idaho National Laboratory site on Tuesday morning.

Idaho State Police said the 67-year-old woman was driving west in a 2025 Toyota Camry. Troopers said she lost control of the Camry, went into the eastbound lane, off the right shoulder, and rolled.

The crash occurred at 9:22 a.m. at milepost 278 on US 20 in Bingham County.

The woman was wearing a seatbelt and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.

The accident remains under investigation.

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Kaelyn Blessinger

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – The Community Food Basket announced that their Executive Director, Ariel Jackson, will be stepping away from her role August 21st.

She has been the Executive Director for over 6 years and has been a part of the organization for nearly 9 years. She is now relocating to Boise.

“We are deeply grateful for Ariel’s leadership, creativity, and the heart she brought to this organization,” said Callie Hatch, Board Chair of the Community Food Basket. “The foundation she helped build will continue to serve this community well.”

The Community Food Basket Board of Directors confirmed that a transition is already underway to find their next Executive Director.

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