Author: KIFI

Danielle Mullenix

We continue to observe dry northwest winds as we wrap up the final days of 2025. A high-pressure ridge will remain in control through the middle of the week, keeping conditions dry overall. However, we’ll occasionally see high- and mid-level clouds drifting through the region.

On Tuesday, sunshine takes the spotlight as temperatures rise slightly, with afternoon highs near 36 degrees. Winds will remain light from the north-northeast at approximately 5 mph, resulting in a calm but agreeable day.

Wednesday will bring slightly more cloud cover, especially in the afternoon and evening, but dry weather will continue. High temperatures will climb to approximately 40 degrees, and winds will be light, starting from the east-northeast at around 5 mph before becoming calm later in the day.

By Thursday, the pattern begins to shift as high pressure weakens and wetter weather approaches from the west. Skies will be mostly cloudy, with a chance of rain and snow developing during the afternoon. Highs will top out near 39°. That chance for mixed precipitation continues into Thursday night, mainly before 11 PM, with mostly cloudy skies and overnight lows falling to around 29°. The probability of rainfall during this period rises to approximately 30%.

Looking ahead to Friday, there remains a chance of rain and snow, with highs in the lower 40s.

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Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho grass and plants normally lie dormant under the snow this time of year; however, this warm weather is causing some confusion, even for our plants. 

Some people are reporting that their tulips and irises are starting to pop up.  Homeowners are wondering if they need to start mowing their lawns. Gardening experts are telling people not to worry and just let nature take its course. 

“Just be patient. It’s winter, and January is usually the coldest time of the year around here. Stay off the lawns. No heavy traffic on lawns. And try not to water anything. Just wait and be patient,” said Sheri Ellis, owner of Four Seasons Garden Design.

Ellis says do not water or mow your lawn right now, as that will cause it to grow more. She says there is a risk of damage to early-blooming ornamental trees and shrubs, but nothing can be done about it until spring. 

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Curtis Jackson

UPDATE:

SWAN VALLEY, Idaho (KIFI) – The owner of a mobile home in Swan Valley that went up in flames yesterday is speaking out today. Dwayne Christiansen says he and his son did enter the side of two connected mobile homes that was not on fire because they were trying to retrieve items that could be saved. 

After the items were out, Christiansen says he used a ladder to climb on the roof with some tools to separate the materials connecting the two mobile homes. Christensen claims foam or water from the fire hoses caused him to fall off the roof.

Fire Chief Travis Crystal says at that point, an altercation ensued, and Christiansen punched one of the firefighters in the face. 

Christensen says he doesn’t recall punching anyone but may have fallen on someone.

Fire Chief Crystal told Local News 8 that Christiansen was warned to stay away from the burning mobile home, but he refused.

“They said, you can’t go in there. And said heck I can’t, I said, I’m gonna go save some stuff,” said Christiansen. “And I grabbed my bear head, my lion rug – ha, to me that’s irreplaceable, you know – and a computer, and threw some suitcases out. Tracen, my kid, and another guy who was with him, helped carry them out. They [Tracen and friend] got a bunch of guns out, and all I think they said 57 guns. They’re collectors. And they took them and pulled all those out. And then we called it good, cause you know, pretty much good because they got what they pretty much wanted out of there, I guess.”

According to the Swan Valley Fire Department, they were called to a trailer house fire on Monday afternoon, where they found flames coming from a bedroom window.

The fire started around 12:50 p.m. at 3481 Swan Valley Highway. Firefighters quickly arrived. But as they started fighting the fire, the homeowners tried to go back into the burning trailer to recover items. Firefighters had to physically stop them.

Crystal said the homeowners attempted to re-enter the buildings several times after being told to stay back for their own safety.

Fire Chief Travis Crystal said two mobile homes were joined together. Crystal said at one point, one of the homeowners climbed a ladder and was on the roof with an ax, trying to keep the fire from spreading to the attached house. Firefighters were attempting to spray water on the buildings at the time. There are conflicting reports on whether or not the man was knocked off the building or if he jumped.

When he was on the ground, he was restrained by firefighters. Chief Chrystal says that during that altercation, one of the firefighters was punched in the face. The firefighter was treated on the scene and released. The homeowner who was on the house is being treated at a local hospital for injuries he sustained in the fall.

Bonneville County officers are contacting all parties, including eyewitnesses, to determine what happened.

After their investigation is complete, they will talk with the prosecuting attorney to determine if any charges will be filed.

“In all of my 26 years as a firefighter, I’ve never had someone try to impede firefighting efforts like this by causing a physical disturbance and assaulting a firefighter,” Travis Crystal, Swan Valley Fire Chief, said.

The fire caused $100,000 damage to the structure and another $30,000 for the contents.

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Curtis Jackson

UPDATE: This year’s two, $1,000,000 winning numbers, in the order drawn, are:

3 2 6 2 0 0 and 1 2 5 5 7 9

This year’s Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle game offered over 21,500 prizes, the most of any Raffle game, 500 prizes of $100, 1,000 prizes of $50, 5,000 prizes of $25, and 15,000 prizes of $15.

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BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – The Idaho Lottery’s 19th annual $1,000,000 Raffle sold out all 500,000 tickets in just 52 days, marking the 11th time the game has sold out before Christmas.

Tonight at 5:59 p.m. MT, two lucky tickets will each win $1 million. Additional prizes include $100,000, $50,000, and more than 21,500 other prizes, making this the largest prize pool in Raffle history.

Players can check results at idaholottery.com, via the Lottery app, by calling 208-334-4656, or visiting a retailer. Winning numbers for the two $1 million prizes will be posted on the Raffle Results banner online, with a downloadable list available.

Unclaimed $1,000 winning tickets from this year’s earlier raffles include:035429, 099040, 122908, 149710, 158289, 173160, 192289, 450000.

Prizes of $1,000 or more must be claimed at Lottery offices in Boise within 180 days. This year’s game generated $1.7 million for Idaho public schools and buildings.

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Curtis Jackson

AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) – The city of Ammon will once again hold its annual Christmas Tree Bonfire on Saturday, Jan. 17.

Residents are urged to drop off their undecorated Christmas trees on the southwest corner of McCowin Park, located at Targhee and Williams, until Jan. 17.

Organizers said Ammon firefighters will then light the fire at 6:30 p.m. and fireworks will begin when the fire is at full burn.

There will be music, food and prizes for participants.

The Icy Inferno Christmas Tree Bonfire and Fireworks Show is sponsored by Lookout Credit Union.

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Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – This has been an unusual Idaho winter, and many local shops depend on snow to keep business going. 

Local News 8 reached out to the owners of Idaho Mountain Trading in Idaho Falls, who tell us they are feeling the impact of this light winter. The shop sells snow skis, snowboards and sports gear, and when the weather isn’t cooperating with the season, it has an impact on sales. While sales may be slowing, store owners remain optimistic. 

“It’s tough because no doubt about it, we are first to know that if there’s no snow in the valley, it’s difficult to think, ‘Hey, I need a new parka or I need new gloves.’ But when we get up to the resorts, which finally Targee is getting some snow, we had the unfortunate event where Kelley’s opened and had to close. Hopefully, it will drop in temperature and will get them back open. And, you know, we can get off to a good season.”

Due to the lack of snow, customers will find some pricing drops on snow gear. 

Kelley Canyon did open on Monday, according to their Facebook page.

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Curtis Jackson

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The Bannock County Coroner’s office and Pocatello Police have identified the woman who was killed in an accident Saturday night.

Lena Phelps, 29, of Pocatello was injured when a pickup ran a red light and hit the car she was riding in.

It happened around 7 p.m. at the intersection of North Arthur Avenue and West Clark Street. A man was also injured in the accident. His condition is unknown.

Officers said Guy Guerrero, 25, of Chubbuck, is facing an aggravated DUI charge for causing the accident.

Guy Guerrero

Guerrero and his passenger suffered minor injuries.

Guerrero was booked into Bannock County Jail.

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Curtis Jackson

AMERICAN FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – A missing Montana man may have been traveling in Idaho.

Kee Ray Begay, Jr. has been missing since December 21, 2025 when he last spoke to his wife in Gallatin County, Montana.

Power County Sheriff’s office said agencies have pinged Begay’s phone and it showed it to be on I-86 around milepost 28 near Massacre Rocks State Park.

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s office said Begay is driving a black 2014 Dodge Avenger with Arizona license plates. They said Begay is diabetic and does not have his medication.

Begay is described to be 53 years old, with brown hair and eyes. He is 5 feet 9 inches tall and approximately 220 pounds.

If you have seen Begay or know of his whereabouts, you’re asked to contact either the Power County Sheriff’s Office at (208) 226-2319, the Jerome County Sheriff’s office at 208-595-3300, or the Gallatin Sheriff’s office at (406) 582-2100.

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Curtis Jackson

HEYBURN, Idaho (KIFI) – An Idaho meat processing company is recalling about 2,855 pounds of ground beef for possible E.coli contamination.

The U.S. Department of Agricultures’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Friday that Mountain West Food Group is recalling the raw ground beef that was produced on Dec. 16, 2025.

The 16-ounce or 1-pound packages contain the words “FORWARD FARMS GRASS-FED GROUND BEEF” with “USE OR FREEZE BY 01/13/26 EST 2083” printed on the side of the packaging.

The product was distributed to stores in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

The problem was discovered during routine FSIS testing and the sampling results showed the presence of E. coli O26.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products.

E. coli O26, like the more common E. coli O157:H7, is a serovar of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). People can become ill from STECs 28 days (average of 34 days) after exposure to the organism.

Most people infected with STEC O26 develop diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting. Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe. Infection is usually diagnosed by testing of a stool sample. Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care is the usual treatment; antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended. Most people recover within a week, but, rarely, some develop a more severe infection. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, is uncommon with STEC O26 infection. HUS can occur in people of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old, older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature, https://www.fsis.usda.gov/safetempchart.

Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Jeremy Anderson, CEO of Mountain West Food Group, LLC, at 208-679-3765 or info@mountainwestfoodgroup.com.

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Danielle Mullenix

After much wet weather and fluctuating warm temperatures across the region, our skies have cleared, and temperatures have dropped below freezing for the final days of 2025. Cooler Arctic winds are giving residents across Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming a slight chill as we close out the year and enter 2026.

Sunday will remain sunny, with a high of 27 degrees, followed by a chilly Monday morning with a low of 8 degrees. This will be the week’s coldest day, with highs holding below freezing. High temperatures at the start of the final week of the year will be in the lower 30s. While temperatures will be cooler, drier weather should provide a welcome pause after several days of unsettled holiday weather.

Looking ahead, high temperatures will gradually rise through the middle of next week, but overnight lows will remain in the teens after Monday. Some high-pressure ridging will support these dry conditions we’ll experience, only light winds, and a gradual warming trend will occur by New Year’s Day. No weather hazards or impacts are currently expected. Be aware of patchy ice on the roads in the mountain passes near the Island Park area.

There is a chance of mixed rain and snow returning to our area by New Year’s Day on Thursday, and moisture will continue to move into the weekend.

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