Author: KIFI

KIVI Staff

Originally Published: 03 SEP 26 10:34 ET

By Greenlee Clark

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    STAR, Idaho (KIVI) — For the Young family of Star, Dolly Parton was never just a country music star. She was a role model. A constant in their lives. And eventually — a Make-A-Wish dream come true.

Kristi Young said Dolly Parton’s music was woven into the family from the very beginning.

“All the kids were born to Dolly Parton music. It was the first sound they ever heard in the world,” Kristi said.

Her daughter Faith, now 15, laughed, recalling the detail.

“There was just Dolly Parton playing in the delivery room apparently,” Faith said.

“There was!” Kristi said.

Faith said Dolly taught her something she carries with her every day.

“To be kind and treat others respectfully,” Faith said.

Kristi said Dolly’s outlook on faith and kindness shaped the way their family moves through the world.

“She’s taught us to live our faith, but don’t make others feel uncomfortable if they, you know, don’t maybe share it. Leave the judging the Lord and live your faith,” Kristi said.

Inside their Star home, years of memories fill a Dolly Parton scrapbook that Kristi gave Faith as a surprise on her 11th birthday — along with a trip to Dollywood. The first half of the scrapbook is filled with memorabilia the family collected over the years. The second half documents their journey to meet Dolly. Each page tells the story of a family who grew up admiring Dolly’s music, kindness, and message. Kristi said Dolly’s belief that you can be anything and dream big was another lesson that stuck.

Kristi said Dolly’s words carried a particular weight for Faith.

“When Dolly says that you can dream more and you can do anything and you can be anything, those are words that mean something to Faith, like she just took it to heart, like this person’s talking to me. Just to me,” Kristi said.

In 2022, the family’s life changed after Faith was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. Kristi said the family had spent years believing Faith had cerebral palsy before further testing during her teenage years led to a new diagnosis.

“Faith has a rare genetic disorder, and it’s a neuromuscular progressive condition, so it is life-impacting and limiting, and so we qualify for wish through that,” Kristi said.

Kristi said qualifying for Make-A-Wish came with complicated emotions.

“You want your child to have everything they ever dreamed of, but the reality of qualifying is pretty hard one,” Kristi said.

Through Make-A-Wish, Faith had the opportunity to choose one special experience. The family talked through the options — a puppy, backstage passes for other artists — but one wish stood apart. Dolly was not touring, which meant getting to meet her would require something special.

“What’s the one thing you can never do?” Kristi recalled asking her daughter.

“Dolly Parton,” Faith said.

The family joined the waitlist and kept busy in the meantime — participating in polar plunge fundraising for Make-A-Wish and staying connected to the community. When the call finally came, it arrived earlier than expected. Kristi said she found out about the wish about two weeks before telling Faith, keeping the secret until the 30-day mark so the family could do a countdown.

Because celebrity wishes do not follow a traditional planning timeline, the family had told their employers upfront that when Dolly called, they would go. Dolly’s team kept details tightly guarded — the family did not receive their itinerary until about 30 hours before they were set to meet her.

“They don’t tell anyone where Dolly is gonna be at any given moment ever,” Kristi said.

Kristi said Dolly was known for keeping her Make-A-Wish visits quiet, not wanting the publicity for herself.

“Dolly always kept it very quiet. She didn’t want the PR from Make A Wish. She wanted it to just be the kid. She was famous for saying keep a little bit back for yourself, something her mother had taught her, and so she just wanted that for the kids,” Kristi said.

The morning of the meeting, the family enjoyed a breakfast buffet before heading to meet Dolly. When they arrived, Dolly did group wishes so she never had to turn a child down. The Young family was there alongside three other families, each seated at a table with activities while Dolly worked her way around to visit with each family.

When Dolly walked into the room, Kristi said the energy shifted immediately.

“It was a very busy room. And increasing security, increasing and increasing, and then she walks in and all of the air just felt so much lighter. And she said, well, hello there. And her big voice, and immediately it was just joy,” Kristi said.

Before the visit, when the family found out the wish was going to be granted, Faith thought of bringing Dolly flowers. They picked up a vase of yellow, pink, and red roses from Star’s local Albertson’s. Faith explained that yellow and white are Dolly’s two favorite colors — yellow makes her happy and white makes her calm.

Faith had one specific hope for the visit — to play her fingernails and sing with Dolly. She got exactly that. Before the trip, the family visited a nail salon so Faith could have her “9 to 5” nail moment ready.

“We got to sing with Dolly because Faith had never been able to see a Dolly Parton concert. She wasn’t touring anymore and it was our little private concert,” Kristi said.

Kristi said Dolly’s kindness extended to every child in the room. At one point, Dolly let a child with visual impairments feel her buttons, pins, and hair.

Faith said the experience confirmed everything she had believed about Dolly.

“When I sang with her, like, there wasn’t auto-tune or anything. It was all real voice,” Faith said.

Kristi said Dolly was everything the family had hoped she would be.

“Getting to know her through her family and then getting to spend a little time with her and she’s everything that you would have ever thought she was. She was very genuine. Everything you saw was 100% real,” Kristi said.

The two also talked about the family’s Dolly Parton parties — a tradition the Youngs hold whenever there is a Dolly special.

“Like bake Duncan Hines and watch Dolly movies,” Faith said.

Dolly asked about the tradition herself during the visit. After the meeting, the family received free tickets to spend the afternoon at Dollywood. The morning after, the feeling of missing her had already set in.

“The next morning we were loading up and we looked at each other and went, I miss her. I wonder what she’s doing,” Kristi said.

Faith said the experience was everything she had hoped for.

“I was happy. It was magical, and it felt like I was dreaming. Dolly is this magical person that you don’t even feel like it’s just, you don’t even feel like it’s actually real,” Faith said.

The Young family’s connection to Dolly’s world extended beyond the Make-A-Wish visit. On Faith’s 11th birthday trip to Dollywood, the family met Shelly, Dolly’s cousin, who works at the park. Faith was so overwhelmed by being close to Dolly’s family that she went nonverbal and sank to the ground. Shelly sat through her entire dinner break waiting for Faith to feel comfortable enough to take a photo. Shelly still stays in touch with the family.

The family left blank pages at the back of the scrapbook — because there is still more to come. Dolly recorded an album set to be released in 2046, when she would have been 100 years old.

“We left blank pages in because there’s still hope,” Kristi said.

“We are all learning to live in a world without Dolly, but there’s still more to come,” Kristi said.

When Dolly Parton passed away, the day hit the Young family hard. Kristi said she was at her job when a wave of texts from unrelated groups of people started coming in, all offering condolences. She asked a colleague to check on the news for her rather than read it herself online.

Kristi said she immediately called Faith’s school to let them know. The school understood and went tech-free in some classes that afternoon to prevent pop-up ads from catching Faith off guard. Faith’s teacher also suggested she change into her volleyball jersey so no one would recognize her Dolly shirt and inadvertently say something before Kristi could tell her in person.

Kristi left work early and worked with the school counselor on the right moment to break the news. It was decided she should be told before the volleyball game rather than risk Faith hearing it elsewhere.

“She was shattered,” Kristi said.

Faith said volleyball was the one thing that brought her any happiness that week.

“The only time she saw me happy and smiling was when we won our first two games,” Faith said.

Faith’s school gave her bereavement leave. That Friday, the family honored Dolly the way she would have wanted — with a Dolly Parton party. This time, they made Duncan Hines blondies with chocolate chips after discovering a new recipe, watched Dolly movies, and set aside time to grieve together.

The family later learned through one of Dolly’s nieces that Dolly had been laid to rest that same Friday — the same day the Youngs had taken their bereavement day.

“We set aside time to pray for her family and we were praying for them when they were having their funeral,” Kristi said.

The outpouring of support from the Star community brought Faith comfort during those first difficult nights. Kristi said her phone was flooded with messages from people across the community who knew their story.

“That first night when we got home, that was a really rough night and it brought Faith a lot of comfort to read those messages. It was the one thing that really was comforting in those moments,” Kristi said.

Kristi said the unity she has witnessed in the wake of Dolly’s passing reminded her of something she had not felt in a long time.

“I haven’t seen our country, our world this united since 9/11. It doesn’t matter what side of the political fence you’re on, it doesn’t matter whether you’re religious or you’re part of more liberal communities, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you came from,” Kristi said.

“We are all learning to live in a world without Dolly together,” Kristi said.

“I think it would have brought her a lot of joy to see the world united. She wanted to be remembered for everything that she had done and who she was, and I think we’re all doing a really good job of that,” Kristi said.

In the end, Kristi said the best memorial anyone could offer is a simple one.

“I think the only thing that Dolly would really love. If she had to put up with all these articles is to be kind to one another. And to carry forth and not to lose the unity that we have found right now,” Kristi said.

“I think that would mean more to her than any memorial, if we, if we were just decent people to each other and kept being decent people,” Kristi said.

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Curtis Jackson

BANNOCK COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) – Two Power County men are in custody after an early morning shooting and hours-long standoff near Trail Creek on Thursday, according to the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s deputies were called to the Trail Creek area at about 2 a.m. after receiving reports that two men were firing shots into a motorhome parked at a campsite. The motorhome’s owner was not injured, but the suspects had left the immediate area before deputies arrived.

According to the Sheriff’s Office news release, deputies quickly secured the area, issued a temporary shelter-in-place order for nearby residents, and launched a drone to help search for the suspects. Within about 20 minutes, deputies located two armed men in a ravine north of Trail Creek.

Investigators said the men discharged firearms during the search and may have fired in the direction of the drone.

The Southeast Idaho Special Tactics and Response (STAR) Team was requested to assist. Before the team arrived, deputies were able to communicate with one of the suspects and persuade him to put down his weapon. He surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody at 3:12 a.m., according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Following the surrender of two armed suspects, law enforcement vehicles from assisting agencies line Trail Creek Road. A Bannock County Sheriff’s Office drone captured this image while deputies and special response teams were processing the scene. Courtesy: Bannock County Sheriff

The second suspect remained armed and refused to surrender. The STAR Team continued negotiations with the man at 3:25 a.m. After continuous communication efforts, combined with the use of police canines and drone-mounted spotlights, the man finally surrendered. He was taken into custody at 3:55 a.m., according to the report.

No injuries were reported.

The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspects as William W. Cronon, 58, and Gavin R. Scollard, 44, both of Power County. Both men were booked into the Bannock County Detention Center on preliminary charges of felony aggravated assault and felony unlawful discharge of a firearm at an occupied dwelling.

“This was a best-case scenario for a high-risk call,” Sheriff Tony Manu said in the news release. “I’m exceptionally proud of our deputies, the STAR Team, and our regional partners. Their professional coordination and patience brought a potentially dangerous situation to a peaceful resolution.”

The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Pocatello Police Department, Chubbuck Police Department, Idaho State Police, Bannock County Ambulance District, and the Southeast Idaho STAR Team.

Authorities have lifted the shelter-in-place order. However, West Trail Creek Road from the cattle guard to the county line remained closed Thursday morning while investigators continued processing the scene, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

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Seth Ratliff

WILSON, Wyo. (KIFI) — A Colorado man died Wednesday evening following a rollover crash on Teton Pass that forced a full closure of Wyoming Highway 22.

Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Deputy Chief Brian Coe reported that dispatchers were paged just before 8 PM with a warning of a crash involving flames and fire near milepost 7, located between Jackson and the Idaho state line. When first responders reached the scene, they did not find any flames but found a pickup truck pulling a flatbed trailer that had overturned in the roadway.

Javier De Luna Chavez, of Colorado, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Teton County Coroner Brent Blue. First responders transported a second individual by ambulance to St. John’s Health in Jackson; their condition has not been released.

The crash completely blocked traffic until just before 11 pm Wednesday.

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Danielle Mullenix

Chances of precipitation continue into the Central Mountains this Thursday, with mainly dry conditions throughout the rest of Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming. A flash flood watch warning is in effect for the Wapiti Burn Scar and part of the Central Mountains as isolated thunderstorms continue to pass through from the Northwest Pacific. We will all continue to experience breezy conditions heading into the weekend, making for a nice launch into the summer/fall transition period of early September.

Expect clouds and a chill this Thursday morning, as mid- to high-level precipitation clouds loom over the region. It will remain breezy this Thursday across the Snake River Plain but not as windy as Wednesday. Temperatures will also be slightly warmer today, with highs back in the mid-upper 70s for the valleys and plains and the upper 60s for the mountainous Highland areas.

Precipitation chances are around 15% in the valleys and plains this afternoon, with a contrast in the Central Mountains, which do expect on-and-off rain showers later this afternoon and humidity around 50%. Wind gusts could pick up to around 20-30 mph later as these storms begin to pass through.

Wet weather will trend for the next few days around the Central Mountains. Central Idaho could see thunderstorms developing late Thursday night into early Friday. Heading into the holiday weekend, we could see rain shift slightly toward more of Eastern Idaho, so plan alternative indoor activities for your family and friends on Monday, should precipitation stretch into the plains and valleys and Eastern Highlands. Temperatures will also gradually warm heading into the weekend.

Partly sunny skies are expected on Friday, along with a chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. High temperatures across the Snake River Plain will reach the upper 70s and lower 80s.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to increase areawide on Sunday and Monday. Partly cloudy skies are forecast for Sunday, with high temperatures reaching the upper 70s and lower 80s.

Red Flag Warning issued September 2 at 9:22 AM MDT until September 3 at 9:00 PM MDT by NWS Riverton WY

The National Weather Service in Riverton has issued a Red FlagWarning, which is in effect from noon to 9 PM MDT Thursday.

* IMPACTS: Low Humidities…Unseasonably Warm Temperatures…andstrong, gusty winds could cause erratic fire behavior.

* AFFECTED AREA:In Central WY Fire Zones…280…283…285…288…289…300.In North Central WY Fire Zones…275…276…281…282…287.In Northwest WY Fire Zone….286.In Southwest WY Fire Zones…277…279.In West Central WY Fire Zone….278.

* COUNTIES AFFECTED:In Central WY…Fremont…Natrona.In North Central WY…Big Horn…Hot Springs…Johnson…ParkWashakie.In Southwest WY…Sweetwater…Uinta.In West Central WY…Lincoln…Sublette.

* WIND: Southwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 35 to 45 mph.

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Madagascar’s largest carnivore and the Nēnē, the world’s rarest goose, are coming to an incredible new “Islands” exhibit opening Thursday at the Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park.

“Bringing new animals to the zoo is always fun. The fossa, Hawaiian geese – it’s just fun being introduced to new animals, and providing that to our community is a big deal,” said Idaho Falls Zoo Executive Director David Pennock.

Exhibit donors and offered a sneak peek at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday.

Guests will experience exciting new habitats – featuring lemurs, tortoises, and a couple surprises.

“My favorite part is about seeing all of the animals, and my favorite animal is the armadillo,” said Junior Zookeeper Leo Scherr.

The exhibit gives guests an opportunity to come face-to-face with wild animals in an immersive island experience.

“This exhibit has been a long time coming. This is something we’ve been working on for about seven years now. So this is huge progress for us,” said the zoo’s Animal Care Supervisor Erika Alderette. “It’s a really big step forward for the zoo and the community as a whole.”

Visitors will learn about the animals’ unique adaptations, as well as the challenges facing native island animals.

“We have some new species and some species that you saw in our zoo in past years, such as our ringtail lemurs,” said the zoo’s Curator of Education Bethanie West. “However, their new exhibit is exciting and new and fun to watch them interacting in their new space.”

Such encounters are increasingly rare and important. The World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet 2024 study estimates the population of wild animals in the world has declined 73 percent in the last 50 years, Pennock said.

Zoo guests can catch the island magic through September, before the zoo moves to a three-day weekend schedule in October.

One young guest was excited to see the lemurs in their new habitat.

“Cause they wait to move inside there,” explained Lucy Elsethagen-Tate.

The Idaho Falls Zoo’s newest carnivore, the fossa, eats lemurs in Madagascar.

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Maile Sipraseuth

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI) — A Ririe man is facing charges in connection with the Teton Pass crash that killed two people in July. 22-year-old Laiton George McMinn is facing two counts of homicide by vehicle. 

Court records say a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper determined that McMinn was going too fast, overused the brakes, and did not use the runaway truck escape ramp. The probable cause affidavit stated that McMinn has held a commercial driver’s license for three years and “should have never gotten himself in this situation in the first place.”

The trooper said the crash was not the result of a mechanical error.

The crash killed two men and seriously injured three others. Homicide by vehicle is a high misdemeanor in Wyoming, punishable by up to one year in jail, a two-thousand-dollar fine, or both.

RELATED: Coroner releases names of two men killed in tragic Teton Pass crash

In response, local advocates, the “Make Teton Pass Safer Steering Committee,” say the new charges do not solve the underlying dangers on Teton Pass.

“We appreciate the new signage WYDOT has installed on the eastbound approaches. It is a real step, and it is not enough. We are asking for additional warning signage, particularly on the eastbound descent grade; a vehicle checkpoint at the Wyoming–Idaho state line; and better messaging…” states the group.

The group is also urging GPS apps like Google Maps and Waze to join Apple in adding navigation alerts for drivers approaching the steep pass.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – A mosquito pool in South Bannock County in the Swan Lake area tested positive for West Nile Virus, but no humans have contracted the disease. The Bannock County Mosquito Abatement Office has increased its efforts in the area where the positive pool was found and will continue working to contain the population through the end of September.

Officials say they have traps set and test mosquitoes from all over the county.

“When we found the positive, we ramped up our larvicide efforts with both the drone and our backpack sprayers with our seasonal employees,” said Buddy Romriell, Public Works Director with the Mosquito Abatement Office. “We also do adulticide, which is the fogging that we do at night.”

Romriell said they’ll continue monitoring that pool carefully until the freeze eliminates the mosquito population. The department works to control the population through fogging efforts and zoning the county Mondays through Thursdays.

With only one positive case found in Bannock County, Romriell says there’s no need for concern.

“I wouldn’t stress too much about it,” he said. “Just kind of do the normal things, keep bug spray on you. If you’re in an area of water where there are mosquitoes, it’s not a bad idea to wear long-sleeved shirts and pants to avoid contact.”

Gino, mosquito tester expert in Bannock County, sometimes tests 1,000 insects per day for the virus. If the sample gauges at 50 or higher on the machine, the sample is shipped off to Boise for further testing and confirmation.

Romriell said this positive case was in the 500s on the scale, meaning an immediate positive West Nile case. The past few years have had limited positive cases, but officials say the particularly dry and hot year we’ve had in Eastern Idaho could lead to more West Nile Virus.

“The water pools are more stagnant and dirty and sandy,” Romriell said. “Mosquitoes prefer dirty water, so we usually do see an uptick in most cases.”

The team has already seen a decrease in mosquito numbers in their traps in the past week as the season draws to a close.

For more information on WNV, contact SIPH’s Epidemiologists, or click HERE. For information about Bannock County Mosquito Abatement, click HERE.

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Kaelyn Blessinger

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idahoans are making a difference far beyond our nation’s borders.

The Life Together Alliance has made it its mission to support girls in Kenya by teaching them sustainable life skills.

What began as a mission to distribute much-needed reusable feminine hygiene kits to these girls in need became a journey of teaching sewing and other sustainable skills to support them.

During their prior visit to Kisii, they distributed 200 of dignity kits. During this previous visit, they quadrupled the number of these kits. 75% of these kits were handmade by their sewing students.

“We brought with us again another 200 reusable feminine hygiene kits donated from Girls Matter Period in Arizona,” Laura Kelley, Life Together Alliance’s leader, said. “And our girls had sewn 600 reusable feminine hygiene kits. And so we did four events where we distributed 200 dignity kits at each event. when we did these events our girls kind of took the lead.”

Each Dignity Kit comes with:

10 reusable pads

2 waterproof holders

A washcloth

Soap

And a bag

The organization says these kits can last upwards of 5 years. Creating a dignity kit costs only $5 USD.

The kits aren’t the only thing making an impact, Laura has noticed a very positive change with the girls.

“These girls last year they didn’t have the confidence. They couldn’t look you in the eyes. They weren’t seen, they weren’t heard. They were invisible. And now they’ve been given the voice. They’ve been given the confidence; they are empowered. You see the difference in them, and you see them grow to become the queens that they are.”

As these girls continue to grow in their learning, they are also beginning to teach other young girls the art of the trade. Inspiring a more stable and sustainable community.

“They’re not only supplying the kits to help other girls,” Laura said. “They’re also training other girls to be, you know, be the heroes in their own story.”

The Life Together Alliance’s ultimate goal is to ensure this community of young women won’t have to rely on foreign aid someday. They want to give these women the much-needed hand-up to empower their community and all of the other women in it.

“Kenya is a very patriarchal society. And for a long time even, I think up until maybe last year, they weren’t even allowed to own land,” Laura said. “To be able to show girls their worth and that they have value and they matter and they are seen and they are heard and their voices matter. I don’t take lightly. I actually feel very honored to be able to do that.”

Laura doesn’t know when their next trip to Kenya will be, but they are extremely grateful for the local communities’ continued support of their mission. They could not have made the impact they have without the love and support.

“I just want to thank our community because like I have said, every dollar, every penny, everything goes directly to our programs.”

If you are interested in supporting their mission, here is their Linktree. If you are interested in purchasing a handmade bag, headband, or skirt made by the students to support their mission, they will be featured at area craft fairs, including the upcoming Boutique in mid-September.

Laura will also update their social media with more information on where to purchase.

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Curtis Jackson

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — In a continuing debate over Proposition 1, the group behind the ballot initiative is back in court to challenge the language that will appear on the November ballot.

Idahoans United for Women and Families asked the Idaho Supreme Court to review the wording that would appear on the ballot for Prop 1.

The group argues the proposed ‘yes’ and ‘no’ statements are biased and misleading, particularly the ‘no’ statement, which it says goes beyond a simple explanation and could influence voters.

The statement reads: “A no vote would make no change to Idaho’s current law, which protects the life of the unborn while allowing abortion in reported cases of rape or incest, or when necessary to protect the life of the mother.”

“We propose that a no vote statement that would be compliant would simply truncate the respondents’ proposed language. It would read: ‘A no vote would make no change to Idaho’s current law.’ Period.”

Attorneys defending the ballot language argued the wording complies with state law, which requires an explanation of a vote’s effect.

“The petitioners’ proposed language would reduce the effect statements to a little more than vote yes and if the proposition passes to vote no and the law will not change. That doesn’t tell voters anything. It tells them virtually nothing. It doesn’t tell them anything about what their vote will be. That cannot be what the legislature intended.”

The court did not indicate when it would issue a ruling.

Under federal and state law, ballot content must be finalized by September 11 to give county clerks enough time to meet absentee ballot mailing deadlines.

Attorney General Raul Labrador said in a written statement after the hearing, “Our duty under the law is straightforward: to provide a clear and concise statement of the effect of a vote on an initiative. We do not tell Idahoans how to vote; we tell them what their vote will do. The Yes statement reflects the sponsors’ own initiative language, and the No statement reflects Idaho law as it stands today. The sponsors are entitled to advocate for their initiative, but they are not entitled to dictate the official ballot language. Idaho voters deserve a fair description of both choices so they can decide for themselves. That is what we provided.”

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Curtis Jackson

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – A fire destroyed a shop northwest of Idaho Falls on Wednesday morning.

The Idaho Falls Fire Department responded to the two-story building near 129 North around 9:45 a.m.

According to fire officials, the shop was heated by a waste-oil stove that had been used earlier that morning. The shop manager believes the stove may have started the fire, but the cause remains under investigation.

Firefighters removed sections of siding to reach the flames and eventually brought the fire under control.

The fire department said the shop and everything inside were destroyed. Damage is estimated at about $100,000.

A shop destroyed by a fire Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Courtesy: Idaho Falls Fire Department

A father and son on the Idaho Falls Fire Department help extinguish a shop fire in September 2, 2026. Courtesy: Idaho Falls Fire Department

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