Author: KIFI

David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The artificial intelligence arms race is on — and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) researchers are helping support the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Genesis Mission to create the world’s most intelligent, scientific instrument ever constructed.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visited INL on Monday and spoke about the powerful combination of artificial intelligence and nuclear power.

“AI is this tool talked about when I was in college, but now it’s coming to fruition. It can massively enhance the productivity of each and every one of us,” Wright said. “It’s not going to replace us. It’s going to make all of us just massively more productive.

Announced in an executive order by President Donald Trump on November 24, the Genesis Mission will “connect the world’s best supercomputers, AI systems, and next-generation quantum systems,” according to a DOE press release.

The project will connect federal scientific datasets, “the world’s largest collection of such datasets,” with AI systems “to train scientific foundation models and create AI agents to test new hypotheses, automate research workflows, and accelerate scientific breakthroughs,” the executive order states.

Nuclear AI applications in Idaho

Secretary Wright highlighted the lab’s initiatives harnessing artificial intelligence in nuclear operations.

“Also learned today about the use of artificial intelligence to not only run existing reactors today better, but to develop a system that can design a reactor, that can operate a reactor, that can optimize a reactor, that can comment on the fuel cycle and the future progress, future pathway of where those fuels might go, and also enable the rapid monitoring licensing of a nuclear reactor,” Wright said.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and INL Director John Wagner tour the Materials and Fuels Complex at Idaho National Laboratory on Monday.

During his tour, Secretary Wright was briefed on how Idaho National Laboratory is supporting the Genesis Mission with its advanced AI and digital engineering capabilities.

“Project Genesis is a really exciting mission that unites all of our 17 laboratories and many industry partners that many have heard of — think of Amazon, Microsoft and Nvidia — together to build a unique scientific platform that connects all of our data, all of our AI technologies together to realize new scientific discoveries, to realize new developments for national security, and to solve problems for energy innovation,” said INL Director of Scientific Computing and AI Chris Ritter.

Idaho Governor Brad Little emphasized that the AI boom is fueling tech companies’ interest in small modular reactors.

“The demands, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, is just going to require, pick your number — a 12, 20, 25 percent increase in energy, ” Little said.

Nuclear is a natural fit for tech companies with the resources required to invest in advanced reactor technology.

“What’s fantastic about nuclear technology is the high energy density, small amount of land, small amount of fuel, large amount of energy, weather independent,” Wright said. “It doesn’t matter if the sun is shining, or the wind is blowing, or what the weather is — you can get reliable, dependable power.”

Across the United States, the ambitious Genesis Mission project aims to “double the impact of U.S. scientific research and engineering in one decade,” the release states.

INL will continue to lead the way in AI research, Ritter said, finding new applications for advanced fission and nuclear energy.

INL Director John Wager, U.S. Representative Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Governor Brad Little (left to right) stand next to the DOME microreactor test bed at INL on Monday.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The Friends of the Marshall Public Library are excited to open their Holiday Store on the first floor of the Marshall Public Library in Pocatello. The store features discounted books, games, movies, stocking stuffers and more.

The Holiday Store is open throughout the month of December during the library’s winter hours: Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

All the proceeds go directly towards funding the Friends of the Marshall Public Library to help keep their programs and projects running. The store can help local people find meaningful gifts on a budget this holiday season. Items start as low as 25 cents and most are $5 or less. The store also has several antique collectible items at discounted prices.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Dr. Robert Wagner hosted his faculty and staff today at the alumni center on the Idaho State University Pocatello campus to celebrate the successful fall semester.

The annual event is an opportunity for the staff to interact with colleagues from across the campus. All faculty and staff were welcome to attend, including professors from all ISU colleges and ISU services like the career center. Guests enjoyed a catered meal and desserts.

President Wagner bragged about the success ISU has seen this fall, telling Local News 8 that enrollment for both graduate and undergraduate students is the highest since 2011. He also mentioned the student performances and historic success by ISU athletic teams this semester. He says the faculty and staff are the ones who truly make the university shine.

“We all share the same mission in Idaho State University. That’s to serve our students, to serve the communities that we are in,” said Wagner. “And when we get together like this, we really sense and feel that shared purpose. It’s such a great time to be a Bengal, and there’s much that we can celebrate.”

The president will also be hosting holiday parties in the coming week at the ISU Idaho Falls campus and the Meridian campus.

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Curtis Jackson

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)—Idaho State Police is marking its ninth year of the “10 counties of Christmas.” It’s a charity drive to provide holiday meals across ten counties.

Troopers partner with local businesses to help families in need.

The program delivered 53 bags of food in its first year.

This year, they’re on track for 731.

“And all of us have come together to be able to put these meals together, that we go to our very remote areas here in our District six, and we cover ten counties and we deliver those meals for about the next two weeks,” said ISP District 6 Captain Chris Weadick.

Donations are easy. You can buy a meal kit at the ISP table at the front of Broulim’s in Idaho Falls. 

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Maile Sipraseuth

SHOSHONE, Idaho (KIFI)– Shoshone Ice Cave is looking for donations after their bridge collapsed in September, leaving multiple visitors injured.

“We have been working diligently to remove our old walkway, and working with some great engineers to design a new replacement walkway. This will be a great upgrade for all of our future tourists, but with such a major unforeseen upgrade for the Shoshone Ice Cave it does have a major expense aswell,” the Shoshone Ice Cave Facebook post said.

In September, Local News 8 interviewed two of the victims of the bridge collapse. One of the victim’s fathers had to be airlifted from the scene to the hospital after suffering from six fractured ribs and a collapsed lung.

“My first reaction… I was in shock,” said Jacqueline García, one of the victims in the collapse, “I was worried about my daughter because I knew I had her with me. And I was worried about handing her to my husband.”

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Michael Coats

Unseasonably warm conditions will continue across the region this week, keeping daytime highs well above normal for December. While temperatures remain mild, we should brace for windy conditions that will persist through Friday. Rain and snow chances will shift north tonight and into Wednesday, leaving most of our area dry but under mostly cloudy skies.

For Tuesday night, expect a slight chance of rain before early morning hours. Skies will stay mostly cloudy, and temperatures will dip to around 40°. Winds from the south-southwest will range near 20 mph, with gusts approaching 35 mph.

On Wednesday, a brief chance of light rain is possible before mid-morning, but otherwise, the day will remain mostly cloudy. Highs will reach about 55°, and southwest winds will stay strong at 25 mph, with gusts near 35 mph. Wednesday night will stay cloudy with lows around 40° and continued breezy winds near 20 mph.

Looking ahead, Thursday brings a mix of clouds and sun with highs near 50°. Winds will ease slightly but remain noticeable at around 15 mph, gusting to 30 mph. Thursday night will be mostly cloudy with lows near 35°. By Friday, expect partly sunny skies and highs close to 50°, keeping the mild trend intact as we head into the weekend.

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Curtis Jackson

The following is a news release from the City of Pocatello.

POCATELLO, Idaho – Beginning today, December 9, portions of the Monte Vista to Pocatello Creek Road Pathway will be temporarily closed as crews complete the final phase of construction on the new multi-use pathway. The closure is necessary to perform erosion and sediment control improvements, specifically addressing water runoff from I-15 into the pathway.

This work is expected to limit public access for several days, with crews aiming to complete enhancements as quickly as possible. The City anticipates minimal disruption to the community, and the pathway will reopen once the final improvements are finished.

The pathway project is nearing substantial completion. Construction has included excavation and backfill, asphalt and concrete paving, installation of retaining walls, storm drainage systems, and a new rectangular rapid flashing beacon with ADA-accessible ramps to improve safety and connectivity on the south side of Monte Vista Drive.

Once completed, the pathway will operate independently of vehicle traffic, greatly improving safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists. It is designed to connect to Pocatello’s existing pathway network and enhance mobility between nearby residential neighborhoods and surrounding commercial areas.

Funding for the project is provided through a Transportation Alternatives Program Grant, administered by the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council. The required 7.34% local match is being fully funded by community nonprofit partners, including the Portneuf Health Trust and the Portneuf Greenway Foundation, resulting in no financial burden to the City of Pocatello for construction.

For additional information on City of Pocatello projects, visit projects.pocatello.gov.

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Ariel Jensen

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) – The cold season is a difficult time for many people, especially senior citizens. Winter weather brings joint pain, illnesses, depression, and more.

“They seem to stay more isolated, and they deal with depression,” says Melissa Hope, Executive Director of the Madison County Senior Citizen Center. “They don’t go out because it’s cold. So it is very easy for seniors to become depressed, isolated, and they don’t take care of themselves as well because they’re not out.”

Hope says this is an important time to check on your neighbors. She says just last week, a senior volunteer fell and was calling for help for over 45 minutes before someone noticed.

Hope says the holidays are an excellent time to volunteer at the Senior Center as well. They need help from the community to provide meals and a checkup for the isolated seniors in Madison County. Right now, the number of seniors needing help is up, and donations are down.

For more information on how to help, visit here.

 

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Maile Sipraseuth

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– Owner of Sage Raceway, Rubin Burkett, was arrested last week after a 17-year-old reported to police that he was sexually assaulted while driving a tractor mower doing yard work on the raceway.

According to court documents, the victim told officers that he had been sexually assaulted and harassed by 54-year-old Burkett between June and July.

During an interview with detectives, Burkett repeatedly made several sexual remarks to the victim.

The victim said he had tried to get away from Burkett, but was unable to.

According to court records, Burkett began touching the teen’s face and hair.

Then, Burkett began to sexually assault the victim.

On Oct. 14, Burkett’s attorney stated that he is invoking his 5th amendment right, and will cooperate with court proceedings.

Burkett was released after posting a $50,000 bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 23. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

Sage Raceway responds to charges against owner

In an online statement, Sage Raceway addressed the charges, stating that while the allegations had come to light, “these events will not impact the operations or schedule of the upcoming racing season.”

“The racers and community are our top priority,” said Operations Manager Ralph Perea. “Our team is fully prepared to maintain smooth, professional operations throughout the season. We deeply appreciate the continued support from our racing community and look forward to delivering the high-quality racing experience everyone expects.”

The raceway also confirmed that all planned events will move forward as planned.

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 08 DEC 25 15:46 ET

By Peter Rosen, KSL

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    SALT LAKE CITY (KSL) — Bryan Flanders thought he was going to die. He ended up teaching circus arts instead.

His story begins with a small bump on his shoulder that grew bigger and more painful. He went to a doctor who he said diagnosed it as terminal cancer.

“It was a type of cancer that the life expectancy was anywhere from about one to five years, and there just wasn’t any treatment for it at the time,” his wife, Chantel recalled. At the time, they had been married for two years.

“I mean they (his doctors) said that essentially that in the next couple years large chunks of your body would be cut off and until you would be done,” Bryan Flanders said.

A month later, he found out he did not have cancer and was not going to die. But the experience already had him thinking.

Flanders had been on track for a career in public policy. He was working full-time to put himself through graduate school, and he had an internship, as well.

“It just kind of felt like, why was I doing all this for if I was going to die,” he said. “What was the point of this, you know, meat grinder lifestyle of just working myself to death, and it made me want to choose happiness.”

Happiness for Flanders turned out to be taking his shoes off and becoming a yoga instructor.

Until he was diagnosed with cancer, yoga was “something for older people,” not him, he said.

“Bryan was bullet bike-riding, rock climbing, tough guy,” Chantel Flanders said.

But during that month, he tried yoga, took to it and found himself teaching at studios up and down the Wasatch Front.

He learned acroyoga (acro, as in acrobatic) and then more circus arts and opened the Salt Lake City Circus Arts Center at Trolley Square.

“It really shifted my thinking into helping people feel better in their bodies and helping people become physically fit,” he said.

“When I was dating Bryan, he always said, ‘My ultimate goal is I want to be a college professor. That’s what I want do. I want to teach,'” Chantel Flanders said.

“And this is not what he foresaw himself teaching, but he’s a very good teacher. It’s amazing how he can look at someone and know the intricacies about what they need to change in their body to make something more successful.”

You can see how thoroughly Bryan and Chantel Flanders have steeped themselves in acroyoga and circus by flipping through their family photos – a long series of the couple and now their 3-year-old daughter Eleanor and dog, Archimedes, in perfectly-balanced acrobatic poses.

“Bryan and my photos are very ‘OK, what are we going to wear? What heels is Chantel wearing? What new outfit should we go get? How can we match?’ I think everybody thinks that that’s me. It’s actually Bryan,” Chantel said.

“Ninety-five percent of the time Bryan is down on the ground on his belly. He’s framing the shot. I’m the one that’s standing in in frame so he can focus on something,” Chantel said. “And then he sets the timer, he runs over and we’ve got no more than 20 seconds from the time that he leaves and we strike a few poses, try to listen for the camera going off and then we go back and see if we got anything.”

Bryan Flanders says he is grateful for the cancer he didn’t have.

“Everything that happens to us helps (us) become who we are, and I for sure wouldn’t change it,” he said.

“A little face face-to-face with death changes how you view life.”

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by KSL’s editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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