Author: KIFI

Noah Farley

WEST YELLOWSTONE, Montana (KIFI) — Yellowstone National Park opened its west entrance Friday, April 18.

The north and northeast entrances at Yellowstone are open year-round. The park will continue to open through May with the east entrance opening May 2, the south entrance opening May 9, and the Dunraven Pass opening May 23.

The west entrance’s visitor’s center staff say numbers are picking up. They’re excited for even more people to come see the mountains, canyons, and geysers.

“My favorite part of working here is just seeing people from all around the world and being able to help them see one of the best places in the world,” said West Yellowstone Visitor Center Informational Specialist, Emily Thody.

Thody says she’s been visiting Yellowstone since she was six years old. She loves to help people plan out how to have the best time in the beautiful area.

The park has seen about 4 million visitors for each of the last few years. Thody says those numbers could surpass 5 million in 2025.

“Each day, in our visitor center alone, we average maybe about 1,100 – 1,200 people a day. It can be exhausting, but it’s a lot of fun in the end.”

Thody recommends visiting earlier in the day or later in the evening to avoid the big crowds. She also shared what people should not do when they visit.

“Not getting off the boardwalk. Definitely stay in designated areas that’s always preferred.”

Remember to never touch the animals and keep a good distance away from them. Stay at least 25 yards away from bison and 100 yards away from bears. They might look cute and fluffy, but they are still wild and dangerous.

Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)–  Samantha Carrell, of Pocatello, is one of 88 youth ambassadors from the USA chosen to represent the nation at the 2025 Osaka World Expo in Japan this summer.

The youth ambassadors were chosen in partnership with Sister Cities International, a global organization which coordinates relationships between cities across the US with their sister cities abroad.

“Each country gets to show off some of their culture, some of the cool things they’re doing in science, in the arts,” said Carrell. “Then people get to interact both with those exhibits and with each other. So it’s a really great chance for connection, for kind of meeting people from all over the world.”

The six-month-long Osaka World Expo features pavilions showcasing countries from around the world. For more information, you can visit the websites of Sister Cities International and the 2025 Osaka World Expo.

Seth Ratliff

The following is a press release from the City of Idaho Falls:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Contractors will be in the intersection of Anderson and Holmes Avenue beginning Monday April 21 as they work on a waterline improvement project. 

During this phase of work, contractors will be working to improve a fire suppression line to support nearby businesses. While every effort is made to minimize impacts on drivers, the location of work sometimes necessitates impacts on lanes. 

Businesses in the area will remain accessible during construction.

During construction, detours will be in place as traffic shifts around the work zone. Traffic lane shifts on Anderson and North Boulevard will vary throughout the construction as work progresses. 

Please reduce speeds, obey posted traffic control signage, and watch for construction crews throughout the work zone.

The Anderson Waterline project involved the installation of a new waterline in the Ronald Avenue right-of-way to connect existing waterlines in Boge Avenue and North Holmes Avenue, as well as replace the existing waterlines in Anderson Street and North Boulevard.  

For additional information about this project or any other planned construction project in Idaho Falls, click HERE to view the 2025 interactive construction map.

Seth Ratliff

The following information comes from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services:

MONTANA (KIFI) – Health officials are responding to the first cases of measles in the state of Montana in over 30 years.

The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and regional health officials are investigating five confirmed cases of measles in Gallatin County, Montana. All five cases involve adults or children who are either unvaccinated or whose vaccine status is unknown.

“While it is unfortunate to have cases of measles after 35 years of disease inactivity in Montana, we have been working diligently with our local partners to prepare,” said DPHHS Public Health Physician, Dr. Maggie Cook-Shimanek in a written statement. “We are confident that our public health and clinical partners will work together and address this situation as quickly as possible. It is important for everyone to know their vaccination status and to visit with their health department or health care provider if they are unsure.”

The individuals were exposed to the virus while traveling outside the state, according to DPHHS. Regional and State health officials are working to asses potential exposures from when the infected individuals were contagious and are contacting anyone who may have been exposed.

The measles virus can stay in the air for up to 2 hours after the infected person leaves the area. Gallatin City-County Health Department has determined several points of exposure to the general public. Click HERE for the full list.

“We are actively working with individuals who are experiencing symptoms,” Lori Christenson, Gallatin City-County Health Officer, said in a written statement. “We greatly appreciate the cooperation of those involved in helping mitigate further exposures. We encourage anyone who is not vaccinated or unsure of their vaccination history to consider vaccination and to contact your health care provider or GCCHD. By getting vaccinated, we protect ourselves and others around us from infection.”

People who are immune to measles through vaccination, laboratory evidence of immunity, laboratory confirmation of disease, or were born before 1957 are not considered at risk for infection, according to the Department of Public Health and Human Services. People without prior measles infection or vaccination have a 90% likelihood of contracting the disease if exposed.

“Measles is highly contagious and highly preventable with vaccination, and ensuring people are immunized remains our best defense. If people are unable to find their vaccine records, there are no contraindications to receiving an additional dose,” said Dr. Peter Bulger, GCCHD Medical Director in a written statement.

If you are unsure of your vaccination status, here are a few places you can review:

Call your old high school, college, or university and ask if they have vaccination records.

Contact your doctor’s office, urgent care, or pediatrician. Even if you have not been there in years, they may still have records.

Reach out to the health department where you grew up.

Check your home state immunization registries.

For more information about measles and the measles vaccine, click HERE. Additional information can also be found on the CDC’s website.

Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, REXBURG (KIFI)–  While many people may have spoken with a dispatcher once or twice in their lives, most likely, you’ve never actually met one.

From April 14 to 18, law enforcement and communities across the nation recognize the unsung heroes behind 911 during National Dispatchers Week.

“In the family tree of law enforcement, I would say we’re probably the great-grandmother everyone kind of forgets about and doesn’t really check on later,” said Emergency Communications Officer Jordan Larsen. “Just because we’re just in the background and we get everything started, and then people come to us for information or advice. But we never really get to hear the ending of how the call ends.”

Working in dispatch requires speed, effective communication, multitasking, patience, and compassion. The level of stress that comes with this line of work is not for the weak-hearted. At times, dispatchers lose touch of their worth.

“They make a bigger difference than they think they do in the outcome of calls,” said Tyson Beckley, Dispatch Sergeant for the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. “And that’s sometimes when you’re looking at a screen, is very easy to forget that you’re dealing with the lives of real people and these real outcomes. And just because you don’t see the outcome doesn’t mean that you’re not making a difference.”

Dispatchers work around the clock, with never-ending calls of crisis. They listen to hundreds of calls but never hear a thank you. Aside from getting very little appreciation, they say that’s not why they do it.

“I just always really want to help people. I really admire those who can go out and deal with it and see it in person. And I don’t think I could ever do that. But I really love still serving my community and helping in a way that I can, even if it’s not physically going out there,” said Larsen.

But this week, their effort are finally being honored. 

“We had a lot of outreach from community partners and also local businesses, where they brought food, snacks, and other items. We even had a local massage therapist come and do little massages for the dispatchers just to kind of help them relax,” said Beckley.

Sergeant Beckley tells Local News 8 that there’s a bill called the ‘9-1-1 Saves Act’, and it’s to reclassify all 9-1-1 dispatchers as first responders nationally. 

They’ll still be working behind the scenes, but now they won’t be forgotten.

If a dispatcher has made a difference in your life, the Madison County Sheriff’s dispatch would love to hear your story shared on their Facebook page.  

Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Pocatello Animal Services Department and Friends of the Pocatello Animal Shelter will host the 28th annual ‘Run with the Big Dogs’ marathon event on Saturday, April 19.

The event will have a 2k walk/run and 5k run available for people (and their pets) along with vendors, raffle prizes, a silent auction, splash pools for dogs, and refreshments for participants and dogs.

Registration for the races is $40 per person, with proceeds going to support the Pocatello Animal Shelter. For more information, or to register for the event, you can visit the Friends of the Pocatello Animal Shelter website.

Sam Ross

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) – The 37-year-old driver of a 2018 Oshkosh Cement Mixer is now in the hospital after losing control of her vehicle on Interstate 15.

Around 9:35 AM, the female driver was traveling southbound on Interstate 15 near mile marker 94 when she lost control of the cement truck and went off the right shoulder. The driver reportedly overcorrected, and the vehicle rolled, according to the Idaho State Police.

The Cement mixer came to a rest on its side and blocking both southbound lanes of travel, spilling about 10 yards of concrete on the roadway.

Idaho State Police is investigation a single vehicle rollover which occurred on Friday, April 18, 2025, at 9:35 AM, Interstate 15 at mile marker 94, just north of Blackfoot.

The driver was wearing her seatbelt and was transported to a local hospital.

ISP reports that southbound lanes are still blocked, as crews work to turn the concrete mixer upright and clear the scene.

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) – A crash is blocking both southbound lanes of I-15 at milepost 94, just south of the Snake River Bridge outside of Blackfoot.

Traffic will be diverted off at Exit 108, according to the Idaho Transportation Department. Drivers are being told to expect delays and consider an alternate route.

There have been no reports of injuries or the cause of the crash at this time. Local News 8 will update this story as we learn new details.

Jeff Roper

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Tonight at 8pm, the Bonneville County courthouse will set the stage for the moments that ignited our country’s fight for freedom.

Around midnight on April 18-19th 1775 Paul Revere undertook a perilous midnight ride to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock of the impending British troop movements, a pivotal moment that helped ignite the American Revolution. Two lanterns will be hung in the country courthouse, as the countdown to the 250th birthday of America in 2026 is launched, as we remember Revere’s ride, as a Son of Liberty.

In addition, the Bonneville County Commissioners have proclaimed Saturday as “Day of Community Service”, asking citizens, businesses, and local governments to display 2 lights and get involved in education of Revere’s ride and its significance.

Bonneville County Commissioner, Karl Casperson joined Jeff Roper and Kailey Galaviz this morning to share the excitement for tonight ride reenactment at the courthouse.