Author: KIFI

Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — An Idaho Falls native and his teenage son died last month after being attacked by a swarm of Asian giant hornets—often dubbed ‘murder hornets’—while zip-lining in Laos, in Southeast Asia.

Daniel Owen, 47, and his 15-year-old son, Cooper, died following the incident on October 15th, as reported by USA Today. The father and son were stung by hundreds of the aggressive insects during their vacation before being rushed to the Phakan Arocavet Clinic for emergency care.

Phanomsay Phakan, a doctor at the clinic, described the scene to the U.K. newspaper The Times: “Their whole bodies were covered in red spots. It was very, very painful. A lot of stings, more than 100, over the whole body. I thought already that it’s a very dangerous situation because I had never seen it as bad as that.”

Daniel Owen worked as the Director of QSI International School of Haiphong in Northern Vietnam. His career spanned nearly two decades in international education, across multiple schools.

QSI International School of Haiphong shared their grief on social media: “We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Dan Owen, Director of QSI International School of Haiphong, and his son Cooper, due to a tragic accident. Dan dedicated 18 years to QSI, serving in five different schools and touching countless lives with his warmth, leadership, and unwavering commitment to education. He was deeply loved across our community and will be profoundly missed. Our sincere condolences go out to the Owen family and all who knew and loved them.”

Local News 8 is attempting to reach out to Owen’s extended family in the area and will update this story accordingly.

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News Team

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI) — Fremont County Coroner Brenda Dye has officially released the names of two men who disappeared while fishing on Henry’s Lake. The victims have been identified as James Morey, 55, of Carey, and Stephen Marx, 64, of Idaho Falls.

Coroner Dye confirmed the cause of death for both men was drowning.

The two men were reported missing after failing to return home Saturday evening, November 1st. A search began around midnight Saturday. Their bodies were recovered from Henry’s Lake around 5:30 p.m. two days later, on November 3rd.

RELATED: Bodies of missing fishermen found in Henry’s Lake

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Seth Ratliff

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI) — The Island Park community is mourning the unexpected passing of Fire Chief Nathanael Brandemihl, who died at his home on Saturday, November 1st, at the age of 45.

Born in Bozeman, MT, on April 20th, 1980, Brandemihl moved to Island Park at the age of three, growing up to become a pillar of the local community. He went on to attend Ashton Elementary and North Fremont High School.

According to his online obituary by Baxter Funeral Home, Chief Brandemihl dedicated 24 years to public service, joining the Island Park Fire Department in 2001 at age 21. He rose through the ranks, proudly serving as Fire Chief since 2016.

His passing has left a deep impact on the greater Island Park community. The North Fremont Fire District posted to Facebook: “Our hearts are with the Island Park Fire Department and the family of Fire Chief Nathanael Brandemihl during this incredibly difficult time. We extend our deepest condolences and support as you navigate this loss. The fire service community stands with you in strength, compassion, and remembrance.”

He is survived by his wife, Brianne Brandemihl; his sons, Dashael and Titan Brandemihl; stepsons Lane and Masson Klink; his mother, Korre Thompson; and his father, Dale Brandemihl, along with many siblings, in-laws, and extended family.

Visitation will be held on November 13, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Baxter Funeral Home in Ashton. A Celebration of Life will take place on November 15, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. at the TroutHunter in Island Park.

Funeral services are as follows: Visitation for Chief Brandemihl will be held on Thursday, November 13, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Baxter Funeral Home in Ashton. Following this, a Celebration of Life service will take place on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. at the TroutHunter in Island Park.

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Stephanie Lucas

IDAHO FALLS, (Idaho) — East Idaho cities are no strangers to run-off elections, and there is a reason for that.

With the prospect of run-offs in our current local elections, Local News 8 spoke to Secretary of State Phil McGrane. He says out of just a handful of cities that require run-off elections, four are in the eastern part of the Gem State.

Not every city in Idaho requires a run-off for close elections, but it is up to each city to decide if a runoff should be part of its election process.

“The city has to actually adopt an ordinance saying they’re going to have a runoff. So the majority of cities do not have runoff provisions, but those cities that have elected to do it, they can elect to do it for mayor, and they can elect to do it for city council.”

Idaho Falls is one city that requires a run-off not only for mayoral, but also for close city council elections.

“The majority of cities in Idaho [are] whoever gets the most votes wins. There are less towns that have a runoff provision. The runoff is not the norm. It’s only in these few exceptions where a runoff will take place,” says Idaho’s Secretary of State, Phil McGrane.

Population can play a role in a city’s decision to have run-offs as part of its election protocol.

“The big cities are the ones that have the runoff provisions, which make sense to you because you’re going to get in the bigger population areas, you’re likely to get more candidates, more interest compared to some of the smaller communities. So this very much fits.”

As far as how the run-offs for close elections work, Secretary McGrane says, “So the top two candidates that finish tonight in any of these cities will advance to a runoff election where it’s head-to-head by the top two. That way, those people who voted for candidate three, four or five, however many candidates are, have a chance to recast the ballot for one of the other candidates.”

McGrane went on to add, “I will note there’s plenty of studies on runoffs in overwhelmingly the majority of the time, whoever the winner was on election night will typically be the runoff winner by a pretty healthy majority. But still, it gives voters that opportunity to cast their ballot and have a voice, where when you have a lot of different choices, you never know.

December 2nd will be the voting date for any run-offs in the state.

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Phillip Willis

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — The election in Madison County has it’s results. A bond that would have been used to cover the cost of construction for a new Rexburg police station facility failed to reach the supermajority 66.67% of approval needed to pass, only gaining 62.6% approval.

Rexburg Police Chief Rhodes had previously informed Local News 8 that the current station is severely outdated and plagued with numerous facility issues.

Mayor Jerry Merrill acknowledged the strong community support for the station but noted the hurdle the supermajority requirement presented.

“We had 63% almost that voted in favor of it, which tells you that’s a majority. But unfortunately, we needed that supermajority,” said Merrill. “So we’ve just got to, educate folks and, see what our options are and go from here.”

Merrill says the failure means city officials must now evaluate alternative plans for addressing the outdated infrastructure.

In the race for Rexburg City Council, Colin Erickson stood apart from seven other candidates, securing a seat with 21% of the votes.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATED: NOV 5th, 2:20 PM

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Pocatello is headed for a high-stakes mayoral runoff on December 2, 2025, guaranteeing that the city will have a new leader in 2026. The final tally from Bannock County confirmed that incumbent Mayor Brian Blad failed to secure a majority, or even a spot in the top two, effectively ending his current term.

Mark Dahlquist led the field, cruising to a first-place finish with 5,135 votes, representing a strong 40.21% of the total. He will face Greg Cates, who secured the second spot with 3,938 votes (30.83%).

Mayor Blad Concedes, Congratulates Runoff Candidates

Mayor Blad finished a close third, earning approximately 1,830 votes, falling short of the runoff. In a gracious concession shared on Facebook, the outgoing mayor offered his best wishes to the candidates moving forward.

“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve Pocatello. I want to extend my sincere congratulations to Mark Dahlquist and Greg Cates as they move forward in the mayoral runoff. Running for office is no small task, and I know firsthand the time, energy, and heart it takes to campaign for the city you love. I wish them both the very best as they continue to share their visions for Pocatello’s future.”

He added, “To everyone who supported me… thank you from the bottom of my heart… Serving as your mayor has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. Pocatello will always be home… No matter who leads next, I have faith in this community’s strength, resilience, and kindness.”

City Council Race

In the race for the Pocatello City Council, incumbent Dakota Bates will retain his seat. Meanwhile, Stacy Satterfield and Ann Swanson took a simple majority, securing city council seats 5 and 6, respectively.

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Seth Ratliff

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — The official results are finalized for the Bingham County 2025 municipal elections, confirming a tight victory for Scott D. Stufflebeam, who narrowly secured the position of Blackfoot Mayor. Stufflebeam won with 55.59% of the local vote.

In a nail-biting contest for the Blackfoot School District 55 Trustee for Zone 1, Taryn J. Shoyo clinched the victory by a razor-thin margin, earning 85 votes to opponent Kevin Callahan’s 83.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATED:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — As the final tallies are processed from Idaho Falls’ municipal election, the results show two City Council seats have been secured, while the highly contested Mayoral race and City Council Seat 2 are officially heading to a runoff election.

In the tight mayoral race, Jeff Alldridge took a narrow lead going into the runoff with 5,599 votes, or 47.17%, while Lisa Burtenshaw secured 5,537 votes, or 46.65%. Alldridge and Burtenshaw will now face off in the final runoff election scheduled for December 2, 2025.

Local News 8 caught up with Jeff Alldridge at a celebration event held at Guns N Gear in Idaho Falls as the results were finalized.

“We’re in the lead!” Alldridge excitedly told reporters to cheers of applause. “All we have to do now is the runoff. The top two. Here we go. So all we have to do is finish it out!”

Local News 8 also met with Lisa Burtenshaw at Smitty’s diner during a celebratory event.

“Well, I just super want to thank everybody who came out to support tonight and people who have supported me throughout my campaign…” said Burtenshaw. “We’re just going to gear up and get our vision and our message out there, and we’re going to work hard towards the December 2nd election.”

Idaho Falls City Council Elections

In the race for the Idaho Falls City Council seat 2, candidates Brandon Lee and Teresa Dominick head to a runoff election after neither candidate received the necessary simple majority to secure the seat. Lee ended the night with 3,671 votes, or 33.08%, with all precincts reporting. Meanwhile, Dominick trailed in second place with only 2,276 votes, or 20.51%.

Voters delivered decisive victories in two other council races, ensuring incumbents Jim Francis and Jim Freeman will retain their seats.

City Council Seat 4: Incumbent Jim Francis secured re-election, capturing 6,848 votes

City Council Seat 6: Incumbent Jim Freeman will also return to the council, earning 7,642 votes

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Two drivers fortunately walked away without injury after a late-afternoon crash Tuesday at the intersection of Broadway and Park Avenue near the Celt in downtown Idaho Falls.

According to the Idaho Falls Police Department, the incident took place around 5:00 PM. Police say the first driver was traveling westbound on Broadway and attempted to turn left onto Park Avenue but failed to yield to oncoming traffic. The turning vehicle was struck by a car traveling in the opposite direction.

The force of the impact sent the second vehicle careening into a nearby light pole.

The driver cited for failure to yield has not been publicly identified. Neither driver was transported for injuries. The incident blocked traffic along a section of Broadway for about an hour as crews cleared the scene.

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Seth Ratliff

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — As engineers continue to assess the damage and necessary repairs on Riverton Road Bridge, the Idaho Department of Transportation has taken further steps to restore the flow of traffic along Interstate 15 near Blackfoot.

After a tanker truck crash late Thursday night, October 30th, that critically damaged a support pillar, ITD partially reopened the interstate to single-lane traffic underneath the bridge. Now, as of Tuesday, ITD has shifted lanes to provide travelers with two northbound lanes and one southbound lane, separated by a temporary median, spanning I-15 between Exit 89 and Exit 93.

In the days since the accident, ITD’s contractor, Cannon Builders, put up temporary support structures made of wood and concrete to allow vehicles to safely pass underneath.

Looking ahead, ITD engineers anticipate the southbound lane underneath the structure will remain a single lane. They also expect that the Riverton Road Bridge will not fully reopen until next spring as extensive repairs are conducted.

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