Author: KIFI

News Release

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

POCATELLO, Idaho — The City of Pocatello continues to make progress on the Center Street Underpass project, a key investment to improve safety, accessibility, and connectivity for pedestrians and motorists.

This project is a complex effort taking place in a unique environment, with construction occurring adjacent to an active railroad line. Work is being closely coordinated with Union Pacific Railroad and carried out under strict safety standards. Because of the active rail line, certain work must be carefully timed around rail operations, which can affect sequencing and progress.

Crews are also navigating typical challenges associated with underground construction in the Historic Downtown area, including large boulders and other obstructions. These conditions require adjustments in construction methods, but work continues to move forward safely.

While the City had anticipated opening the underpass to one lane of traffic at this stage, current conditions require continued evaluation to ensure any traffic changes can be made safely. Opening one lane remains a priority and will occur as soon as it is safe for the public and construction crews.

“We know this project is important to our community, and we appreciate everyone’s patience as work continues,” said Mayor Mark Dahlquist. “This is a complex project, but the end result will be a safer, more connected Pocatello that serves residents for generations to come.”

“We are committed to delivering this project safely and efficiently,” said Public Works Director Tom Kirkman. “Our crews are making solid progress every day, and working diligently to keep things moving forward.”

The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Once completed, the underpass will enhance pedestrian safety and improve connectivity while preserving the historic link between neighborhoods. The project remains on track, though timelines may adjust due to construction conditions.

The City of Pocatello appreciates the continued patience and will provide updates as work progresses.

For more information about the Center Street Underpass project, please visit pocatello.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/2448.

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Linda Larsen

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Civil rights attorneys will host a public vigil on April 4 to honor Victor Perez, a non-verbal autistic teen who was shot and killed by Pocatello Police nearly one year ago. The memorial vigil will take place at 11:00 a.m. at 703 N. Harrison Ave. in Pocatello.

The vigil, organized by the law firms Burris Nisenbaum Curry & Lacy and Snake River Criminal Defense, marks the anniversary of the fatal shooting. Perez, who also had cerebral palsy, died after four officers responded to a domestic disturbance call at his family’s home.

Organizers say the vigil is intended not only to honor Victor’s life, but also to show the Perez family that the community has not forgotten him and continues to stand with them.

The vigil program will include a moment of silence and a series of speakers close to the family and the case. Participants are invited to bring items to contribute to a memorial at the 703 N. Harrison Ave. site.

Shooting and Legal Background

The shooting happened only seconds after officers arrived at a Perez family barbecue. Perez, who was known to have violent outbursts due to his condition, had gotten hold of a large kitchen knife and was swinging it at family members as they attempted to take it from him. A neighbor called 911 to report the incident, mistakenly telling dispatchers that Perez was drunk.

Attorneys with Burris Nisenbaum Curry & Lacy highlighted the impact of the tragedy on the Perez family. “Victor was shot by Pocatello police on April 5, 2025,” the firm stated in a news release. “In the year since, his family has continued to live with the profound loss of his presence in their daily lives.”

The Idaho Attorney General’s Office investigated the incident and determined the four officers involved would not face criminal charges, noting it is legally bound to consider only the facts “known or reasonably believed” by the officers at the time of the shooting.

“None of the four shooting officers were aware of Perez’s age or his disabilities at the time of the shooting,” Deputy Attorney General Jeff Nye wrote in a letter to the press. “The officer’s knowledge was limited to what dispatch reported, and dispatch’s knowledge was limited to what the 911 caller reported.”

RELATED: Officers in Victor Perez Shooting will not face criminal charges, Pocatello Mayor responds

In June 2025, attorneys representing the Perez family filed a civil lawsuit not only for the life of Victor Perez, but also a civil suit for the endangerment of the lives of two members of the family, Victor’s sister and mother, who were standing nearby at the time he was shot.

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Seth Ratliff

RUPERT, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho State Police is investigating a deadly crash that claimed the life of a 20-year-old Rupert man on Tuesday night.

ISP Troopers say the crash happened on State Highway 24 near milepost 2, just north of Heyburn.

A gray 2024 Toyota Camry was driving northbound on W 200 S when the 22-year-old driver attempted to turn west onto Highway 24. According to ISP investigators, a 22-year-old driver in a gray 2024 Toyota Camry was traveling northbound on W 200 S and attempted to turn west onto the highway. At the same time, a motorcyclist was traveling east on a 2025 Kawasaki motorcycle.

During the turn, the Camry and motorcycle collided. While the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet, he died of his injuries at the scene. Police say the driver of the Camry and his 49-year-old passenger were both wearing their seatbelts.

The crash is still under investigation by ISP.

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KIVI Staff

By: Joey Martin

Originally Posted 3:51 PM, Mar 24, 2026

JEROME COUNTY, Idaho — A new law in Idaho will allow semi-trucks and passenger vehicles to travel at the same top speed of 80 mph on the state’s interstates.

Gov. Little signed House Bill 664 into law, and the measure will take effect on July 1.

According to the bill, the difference in speed between vehicles is more dangerous than speed itself. Supporters argue that a 10 mph speed difference can increase dangerous vehicle interactions by up to 227%.

As your Magic Valley neighborhood reporter, I spoke with a long-haul trucker and local drivers along Interstate 84 in Jerome County about the change.

Arvel, a truck driver who drives over 3,000 miles a week on his route from Ohio to Idaho, said allowing truckers to match other drivers’ speeds has a huge effect on the overall flow of traffic.

“I’m doing 70, he’s doing 65— I go to get over—and this car is coming up probably doing 80, 85 [mph]. Now, they’re hopping in the right lane to go around you because they think you cut them off,” explained Arvel of the interstate dynamic.

“In the states that I’m driving through that have everybody doing the same speed limit. It’s much smoother,” Arvel said.

Arvel said the majority of slower trucks on the interstate are limited by what is being hauled, with many companies installing engine governing systems that put a cap on maximum speeds.

“Some of these trucks are governed to about 65 to 68 miles an hour. The guys who are stuck at those governed miles, they pretty much stay in the right lane— and then everybody else who’s able to do the speed limit, they’re able to just go past them,” added Arvel. “I don’t believe any of the trucks should be going over 80 miles per hour. I feel like 80 should be the cap.”

While the state and truck drivers seem to agree on this issue, everyday motorists are singing a different tune. I asked Idaho drivers on Facebook what they think about the speed limit change.

“Don’t think it is a good idea! They usually go over the speed limit anyways, but it is very scary when they go that fast,” one person said.

“I really hope they rethink what they are about to do. It will be a dangerous choice to be on the road with a fully loaded trailer doing 80mph coming up on you from any direction. I’ve been in their blind spot— at 80 you lose big reaction time. I’ll pray for everyone,” another person said.

“So now a truck doing 79 is going to be passed by a truck doing 80. The problem with the speed difference is pulling out to pass and camping in the left lane. Keep the trucks in the right lane and enforce their speed limit,” a third person said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Seth Ratliff

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — The family of a BYU-Idaho student killed in a rollover crash near Preston last weekend has identified him as John “Jay” Mills. Mills, a Georgia native, had recently returned to Idaho after serving an LDS Church mission.

Mills, originally from Cumming, Georgia, was the passenger in a 2005 Toyota Highlander heading south on US 91, according to Idaho State Police. Police say the driver went off the roadway and overcorrected, causing the SUV to roll over the guardrail near mile marker 13.

According to his online obituary, Mills was a Marine Biology student. He had recently completed a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Pocatello area.

Family friend Phillip Smith described the impact Mills had on those around him in a statement on a memorial fundraiser: “Jay touched the lives of many, and his memory will be cherished by all who knew him. The Mills family is facing unimaginable heartbreak, and their friends and community are coming together to support them in any way possible.”

The family created a GoFundMe account to assist with travel and funeral expenses, which as of Wednesday has raised more than $23,000. For more information, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — What began as a routine traffic stop on Tuesday, March 24, ended in a felony arrest after deputies discovered a cache of drugs, cash, and a handgun in a Colorado man’s car.

H. K. Gregersen, 41, is facing felony drug and firearm charges. According to the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, just after 3:30 PM, a Deputy spotted Gregersen driving near Anderson and N. Boulevard and pulled him over knowning he was wanted on an outstanding Felony Warrant in Bingham County.

During the stop, the Deputy’s K-9 partner responded to the smell of illegal narcotics hidden in the vehicle. A subsequent search allegedly uncovered:

A small amount of methamphetamine

Injection needles and other drug paraphernalia

A handgun

$8,000 in cash

During the investigation, Deputies learned Gregersen had several prior felony convictions, which made it illegal for him to own a firearm.

Gregersen was taken to the Bonneville County Jail, where he was booked on his existing Bingham County warrant. He now faces additional felony charges for Possession of Methamphetamine and Felon in Possession of a Firearm, alongside a misdemeanor charge for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

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Sean Dolan

By: Sean Dolan

Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on March 25, 2026

Union leaders in Idaho say a new requirement to start the school day with a moment of silence is just another way that the Legislature is micromanaging public school classrooms and taking away local control.

Teachers are rolling their eyes at the new mandate, said Brian Coffey, president of the Nampa Education Association.

“No serious person in education thinks a moment of silence is going to achieve anything,” Coffey told EdNews.

The short, one-page law prohibits teachers from providing any instruction on the purpose of the minute of silence beyond what is stated in the law.

“So we just have to tell them, ‘Because we said so, you’re going to be quiet for a minute,’” said Shelly Johnson, president of the West Ada Education Association.

Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa

Gov. Brad Little last week signed into law House Bill 623. It passed 51-17 in the House and 18-15 in the Senate. Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, and Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, sponsored the bill.

Beginning next school year, each classroom at every grade in all public schools will be required “at or near the beginning” of each school day to provide 60 seconds of silence. Five-year-old kindergarteners and 18-year-old seniors alike will have to remain silent for the minute.

During those 60 seconds, students may reflect, meditate, pray or engage in another silent activity. No other activities shall take place, according to the law.

“This isn’t a sneaky way to get prayer into school,” Skaug said earlier this month.

Teachers shall require all students to remain silent during the minute and “make no distracting display” that would interfere, distract or impede other students, the bill states.

Coffey said the Legislature can require all sorts of things. The question is, what happens when people don’t comply?

Brian Coffey

“Who’s going to monitor?” he said. “And are we going to suspend kids who continually interrupt the moment of silence? Like, what are you going to do about it?”

Similarly, Johnson said teachers that try to implement the minute of silence with fidelity will start out by fighting with their students to be quiet, or punishing their students.

“Are they going to have to call home?” Johnson said. “Are they going to have to write them up for discipline because they refuse to follow the directions of the teacher?”

The Legislature has recognized the lack of enforcement mechanisms in some Idaho laws.

The House on Friday passed a bill that would allow the attorney general to go to court to force public officials, public employees and state or local government entities to follow state laws. House Bill 896 now heads to the Senate.

Johnson mentioned that bill in an interview. If it passes, she said she wonders if not complying with the moment of silence will have a financial stipulation.

“If someone says, ‘Hey, you’re not doing it,’ now we’re going to fork over how much money?” she said.

There is a general sense of disappointment with the new law, said Jess Waltrous, president of the Idaho Falls Education Association. She said it’s one more thing to add to an already overfull plate.

“Instead of focusing on meaningful and impactful changes that would benefit every student in our state, such as better funding and support for students, our legislature chose to prioritize what many see as a nonissue,” Waltrous wrote in a text message to EdNews.

There are also concerns about implementation.

Johnson said she used to teach music. Students would come into her first period class and get ready, but now teachers will have to figure out how to incorporate the moment of silence.

“Teachers are expected to teach bell to bell,” she said. “So does that mean that we need to add one minute to every first period and change bell schedules so that we’re not taking a minute away from all the other classes in the day?”

Coffey mentioned another mandate that the Legislature placed on public schools last year: Requiring teachers to show students in grades 5-12 a high-definition, ultrasound video during instruction on human growth and development.

As EdNews reported last year, schools can choose one of seven videos to show classrooms to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 1046. One of those videos is referred to as the “Baby Olivia” video.

Coffey said, in his opinion, anyone who worries about freedom should be worried about these new laws from the Idaho Legislature.

“They can be clever and try to be neutral, like with this fetal development video,” Coffey said. “You know, everybody understands what’s happening.”

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Danielle Mullenix

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — In Idaho Falls, Alturas Preparatory Academy has welcomed a new member to their school resource officer team, and she is quickly becoming the “paw-sitively” most popular pup on campus.

Students are falling in love with Molly, a two-year-old golden retriever and therapy dog-in-training with the Idaho Falls Police Department. While she may not wear a badge, Molly has quite the job to do.

Officer Lyke and Molly outside of Alturas Preparatory Academy

Paired up with School Resource Officer Eric Lyke, Molly spends her days padding through hallways, popping into classrooms, and soaking up attention anywhere she goes. And if you ask students, she’s already the most popular face in the building.

“She has no clue about any of it. To her, this is just another regular day,” Officer Lyke says while looking at the gallery wall of student art in his office with Molly. “She just goes about, but she has really made an impact with a lot of people who just love her.”

Officer Lyke’s office, where he regularly updates his walls with the latest artwork dropped off by students of he and his partner, Molly.

From excited greetings of “Hi, Molly!” to quick stops for pets between classes, her presence brings an instant lift to the school day. For some students, that connection goes even deeper—offering comfort during stressful moments or simply a reason to smile.

Molly, of course, takes it all in stride.

With a wagging tail and boundless energy, she greets everyone like an old friend—completely unaware of the impact she’s making.

And that impact is real.

Officer Lyke says Molly has a special way of breaking down barriers, which helps students feel more at ease around law enforcement.

“She kind of takes away that scare factor,” he said. “She helps students realize we’re here for them.”

Before arriving at Alturas Academy, Molly was already making a difference—working with juveniles in a detention facility, where she began her therapy training and earned a basic certification.

Now, she’s settled into a new routine with Officer Lyke. The two start their days together, head to school side by side, and rarely leave each other’s company.

“She is absolutely amazing,” Officer Lyke said. “You can’t ask for a better partner.”

Whether she’s rolling over for belly rubs, brightening someone’s day, or quietly sitting beside a student who needs it most, Molly is proving that sometimes the best kind of policing starts with connection.

She’s still in training, with the goal of becoming a fully certified therapy dog—but around Alturas Academy, it’s safe to say she’s already earned her place.

After all, it’s hard not to trust someone who leads with kindness… and a wagging tail.

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Danielle Mullenix

Gusty winds will continue to pick up throughout the region this Wednesday, with an advisory stretching from the Gallatin National Forest and Salmon down into the Upper Snake River Plain past Idaho Falls. Record-high temperatures do remain in play, though, with some areas seeing afternoon forecasts climbing up into the upper 70s. A cold front on Thursday will quickly drop these numbers back down.

High clouds will drift through the region and push North as we jump into Wednesday morning and afternoon. No weather hazards or impacts are expected beyond potential dust-blowing from high wind speeds. Winds in the Upper Snake Plain could bring a small amount of blowing dust today, but not nearly as much as we saw two weekends ago. Wind speeds will range from 25-35 mph and possibly gust to 50+ mph.  This possibility begins at 9 am and will last until 9 pm. 

Highs will reach the mid- to upper 70s this afternoon, breaking records and creating seasonal serotonin (for those who prefer warmer seasons). This time of year usually puts us around the 50s for highs, which we will see briefly on Thursday. Low temperatures tonight will fall below freezing across the central mountains, but be warmer in Southeastern Idaho.

Following these high wind speeds on Wednesday, a small cold front will push through Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming on Thursday, dropping temperatures back into the lower 50s during the afternoon. Wind speeds decrease, settling back into the teens and 20s. Little to no precipitation is expected across Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming.

Winds ease up by Friday, with warmer temperatures slowly making their way back into the forecast to close out the weekend.

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David Pace

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho is boosting its support for families of public safety officials who are killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty.

“These events really never get easier,” said Gov. Brad Little. “But that’s all right. We are here to remember people.”

Less than one year ago, two Idaho firefighters were killed on Canfield Mountain, and others seriously injured when they were ambushed while responding to a fire in Coeur d’Alene.

Gov. Brad Little signed a new law today providing additional benefits to the families of Idaho public safety officers who are killed or severely injured in the line of duty.

Family members of multiple fallen public safety officers attended the ceremony.

The Governor affixed his signature to House Bill 642 at the five-acre Idaho Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park in Boise.

“We are here to remember people, and in this particular piece of legislation – their families – [at] this hallowed piece of real estate here, where we remember those people that have sacrificed in the past,” Little said. “But more importantly, [we honor] the people that put their lives on the line every day.”

The law covers police and firefighters and ensures that the “spouse of a public safety officer who sustained a catastrophic injury that results in death” will receive a $75,000 annual pension and a one-time $500,000 payment.

If there is no surviving spouse, the one-time payment will be distributed evenly among the officer’s dependent children.

“Today’s bill signing represents an important step forward for Idaho’s public safety officers and their community,” said Professional Firefighters of Idaho Vice President Matthew Smith. “House Bill 642 addresses the gap between catastrophic line of duty injury and catastrophic line of duty death benefits for public safety officers. This legislation helps correct that imbalance and provides meaningful support and peace to the families who have given everything in service of Idaho and their people.”

The bill passed the Idaho Legislature with unanimous support.

The benefit will be funded by public safety officer pension contributions. Each employee will pay $110 every year per $100,000 in annual earnings.

“It reflects a simple but powerful commitment that when tragedy strikes, those left behind will not stand alone,” Smith said. “This legislation ensures their legacy will endure. It stands as a lasting promise written into law that their families will be cared for and that we as a community, as a brotherhood and sisterhood, will continue to stand together in their memory and in their honor.”

Gov. Brad Little joins Idaho first responders to honor fallen firefighters and police officers Tuesday in Boise. | Courtesy Joan Varsek

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