Author: KIFI

Curtis Jackson

CASSIA COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Firefighters are battling a 3,000-acre fire in eastern Cassia County. The Coldwater Fire was reported Thursday evening, Aug. 28, located approximately 15 miles northeast of Malta on BLM land.

Officials said the fire remained active overnight, particularly along its southwest flank. Despite continued fire activity, crews reported that roads and dozer lines successfully held through the night, helping contain the fire’s spread.

The fire is burning in fuels consisting primarily of grass, juniper and brush, which can support rapid fire spread under favorable weather conditions.

At this time no evacuations or road closures have been reported.

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Curtis Jackson

BEAR LAKE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — A 71-year-old Ovid man died after an ATV crash Thursday morning west of Ovid, according to Idaho State Police.

The crash occurred at about 11:12 a.m. Aug. 27 on North Road west of Johnson Road.

Idaho State Police said the man was riding a 2014 Polaris Sportsman eastbound on North Road when he abruptly swerved to avoid a westbound 2021 GMC Savana driven by a 22-year-old man from Nibley, Utah.

According to ISP, the ATV rider lost control after swerving. The Polaris traveled off the south side of the roadway, struck a concrete barrier and overturned.

The Ovid man was transported by ground ambulance to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Police said the ATV rider was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. The driver of the GMC was wearing a seat belt.

The crash remains under investigation by Idaho State Police.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATED: 10:55 a.m.

CUSTER COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — The Custer County Coroner has identified the man killed Thursday morning after rolling his semi-truck on U.S. Highway 93 east of Challis as 51-year-old William Park.

The crash happened around 10:37 a.m. at milepost 154. Investigators say Park was driving a northbound 2005 Peterbilt semi-truck hauling a gravel-loaded trailer when the vehicle veered off the right shoulder and into the borrow pit.

When Park attempted to steer back onto the highway, the trailer remained in the pit, and the tractor and trailer broke apart. The tractor rolled once before landing upright, while the trailer flipped onto its roof.

The driver was not wearing a seatbelt and died from his injuries at the scene. Idaho State Police is continuing to investigate the crash.

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Danielle Mullenix

YELLOWSTONE, Wyo. (KIFI) – Good news for anglers heading into the final holiday weekend of summer.

Yellowstone National Park is lifting full fishing closures on the Firehole, Madison and Gibbon rivers beginning Friday, August 28.

The National Park Service says anglers can now fish those rivers and their associated tributaries from sunrise until 2 p.m. each day.

The rivers had been completely closed to fishing since July 15 because of low water flows and high water temperatures. Water temperatures exceeding 68 degrees Fahrenheit can be dangerous and potentially deadly for fish.

According to the park, cooler weather, lower water temperatures and precipitation in the current forecast have allowed the full closures to be lifted.

However, partial restrictions remain in place. Fishing on the Firehole, Madison and Gibbon rivers is prohibited from 2 p.m. until sunrise the following day.

The National Park Service says it will continue monitoring water temperatures and other conditions. Restrictions could be lifted further, or additional closures could be put in place depending on conditions.

Anglers are encouraged to fish during the coolest parts of the day, land fish quickly, and avoid playing hooked trout to exhaustion. The park also recommends keeping fish in the water as much as possible and allowing them to recover before release.

With Labor Day weekend approaching, the change gives local anglers and families another chance to enjoy Yellowstone’s rivers while helping protect the park’s fisheries.

For the latest fishing regulations, anglers should check Yellowstone National Park’s 2026 Fishing Regulations HERE before heading out.

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CNN

Originally Published: 28 AUG 26 04:00 ET

Updated: 28 AUG 26 11:02 ET

By Bryan Mena, CNN

Washington (CNN) — Inflation is the Federal Reserve’s biggest problem, but investors are going to have to figure out for themselves when officials will step in, Chairman Kevin Warsh said Friday in remarks prepared for his speech at Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The US economy is at “full employment,” Warsh said in the remarks for the prominent gathering of central bankers, finance ministers and policymakers from around the world, but inflation figures “are more concerning.”

For more than two decades, the Fed’s sitting leader has signaled where interest rates are heading in their keynote address at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s annual economic symposium.

Warsh’s break from tradition on Friday reinforces one of his biggest changes at the Fed: dialing back on communications to markets and the public about the Fed’s future plans. That, in turn, has left traders figuring out how to operate in a new era of US monetary policy, even as global pressures from government debt, the rise of AI and a war-driven inflation spike rattle financial markets.

“A quieter Fed, more purposeful in its communications, is better able to meet its objectives,” Warsh said Friday.

Meanwhile, inflation has moved higher, and some of Warsh’s colleagues are already calling to raise borrowing costs for the first time since July 2023.

While Warsh didn’t signal where rates are heading — or what would move the need for him — his view that inflation is the greater problem is telling.

But that might not provide enough clarity for markets.

Shortly after Warsh’s post-meeting news conference last month — in which he stayed quiet about interestrates — long-term bond yields surged in a potential sign that traders are concerned the Fed won’t do enough to tame stubbornly elevated inflation.

Rising government deficits and the increased supply of corporate bonds, among other factors, have pushed up bond yields in recent months. That means the federal government will continue to make massive interest payments that will only add to its $40 trillion pile of debt.

Guessing Warsh’s ‘reaction function’

Warsh hasn’t provided what’s known as a “reaction function.”

A reaction function is when a central bank explains “what it is watching, how it interprets the economy, how it weighs competing risks, and what developments would change its judgment,” the Brookings Institution explained in an analysis last month. Warsh has repeatedly refused to describe his reaction function when asked by reporters.

This is different from “forward guidance,” which is a more explicit projection of the path for the Fed’s interest rate if the economy evolves as expected. In his Friday speech, Warsh defended his decision to not provide either.

“I wish our understanding of the economy were so precise as to provide a mechanical, tried-and-true answer,” Warsh said. “But our knowledge just doesn’t extend that far—at least not yet—and the factors most relevant to the proper conduct of monetary policy change over time.”

“The bond market is really looking to the Fed for clues on their reaction function,” said Ian Kresnak, senior investment strategist at Vanguard. “What’s driving a lot of the volatility in the rates market is uncertainty around how the Fed is going to respond to inflation.”

A CNBC survey of 31 economists, strategists and investors this week showed that 80% respondents said Warsh should explain his economic views in more detail. Investors view the Jackson Hole event as Warsh’s best opportunity to do just that.

Fed officials are grappling with the current uptick in inflation, driven by tariffs, war and companies’ massive spending on AI infrastructure on prices — and whether they should step in with interest rate hikes soon.

But the US jobs market has been in a lackluster, “low hire, low-fire” state during much of the past two years, complicating the Fed’s dual mandate of reining in price increase while buoying employment.

And those recent job gains were possibly even more tepid than previously thought, according to a new report released Friday.

The US economy likely added 79,000 fewer jobs than initially estimated between April 2025 and March 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary annual benchmark review of recent employment data. If the estimates were to hold, it would reduce the job growth during that period to 194,000 from 273,000.

Friday’s report, however, does not result in the adjustment of jobs data. It’s the first in a two-step annual process of the BLS squaring past jobs data from monthly surveys with unemployment insurance quarterly tax filings in attempts to get a near-complete employment count.

Warsh said on Friday that people without investments are the ones who pay the price whenever the Fed gets it wrong.

“If the Fed gets inflation wrong and judges the economy wrong, who gets the worst of it? Not the financial high-fliers,” he said. “Hard-working Americans are the ones left to deal with inflation that is too high or jobs that suddenly appear less secure.”

Investors currently see a roughly 34% chance Fed officials will raise rates at their September 15-16 meeting, according to CME FedWatch. But those odds are higher in subsequent meetings.

“It’s a close call whether or not they hike at all this year,” said Jim Caron, chief investment officer of portfolio solutions at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

CNN’s Alicia Wallace contributed reporting.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — In a continuing debate over Proposition One, the language in Idaho’s Prop One “Yes/No” statement on the November ballot, written by Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, faces a legal challenge.

Idahoans United for Women and Families asked the Idaho Supreme Court to hear their case against the state officials Wednesday, claiming the newly drafted ballot statements are “biased, misleading, and violate two decades of state precedent.”

The suit asks the court to strike down the “Yes” and “No” statements jointly written by Labrador and McGrane’s offices for the November general election and replace them with “lawful, clear, and concise language.”

What the Draft Ballot Language Says

The controversy stems from the language of the “Yes/No Statement” in the state’s voter pamphlets, which have already gone to print. The proposed 76-word statement currently reads:

“A YES vote would create reproductive rights, including a right to abortion before a fetus’s ability to survive and after a fetus’s ability to survive in cases of a medical emergency, and provide liability protections for healthcare providers.”

“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.”

Idaho Voter pamphlet includes the following characterization of what a “Yes” vote and a “No” vote will do. Screenshot Courtesy Idahoans United for Women and Families.

Proposition 1 Campaign Arguments

Idahoans United argues the language selectively frames Idaho’s existing abortion laws without addressing the severity of Idaho’s ban or its lack of exceptions.

“The ‘No’ statement also purports to describe Idaho’s existing abortion laws…omitting that abortion is a felony under Idaho law, that criminal and civil penalties exist for doctors, and the lack of a health-of-the-mother exception. It also does not disclose that a federal court found part of Idaho’s law unconstitutional less than two weeks ago,” states the release.

The 38-word “No” statement written for Proposition One is also one of the longest in Idaho history.

“Typically, the ‘No’ portion was about 11 words long and read: ‘A No vote would make no change to current Idaho law,'” states Idahoans United.

The above chart tracks the word count and length of “Yes/No Statements” on Idaho Ballots from 2012 to present. Courtesy Idahoans United.

This marks the second time the organization has sued the state over the Reproductive Freedom & Privacy Act (Proposition One). Last year, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled largely in the group’s favor, ordering the Attorney General to rewrite the initiative’s short title and fiscal impact statement after finding them misleading.

“This issue was settled by the Idaho Supreme Court last June,” said Folwell. “The direction from the Court was clear: Idaho voters deserve clear, accurate, and fair language on the ballot to inform their vote. This long, confusing, biased Yes/No language, hustled in at the last minute, is incredibly disappointing.”

Attorneys for Idahoans United sent a letter to Labrador and McGrane on Aug. 25 requesting the language be withdrawn, but state officials declined.

Idaho AG and Secretary of State Defend Ballot Language

Labrador and McGrane disputed the Idaho United’s characterization of the ballot language. In a statement to Local News 8, the Idaho Attorney General’s Office defended the draft:

“Idaho law is clear: the Attorney General and Secretary of State are responsible for writing ballot language that clearly and concisely explains the effect of a Yes or No vote. Our duty is to fully inform the voters of Idaho. We applied the same legal standard to every measure on the ballot. Idaho voters deserve a straightforward explanation of what their vote will do,” Labrador said.

McGrane said the Idaho Secretary of State office’s efforts to prepare absentee ballots by September 18, while “printing and distributing 850,000 voter pamphlets are now paused while the case is pending.”

“The yes and no statements in question were jointly prepared by our office and the Attorney General’s Office in an effort to help Idaho voters understand the effect of their vote,” McGrane said in a statement. “We are seeking an expedited resolution so our office and county clerks can meet these important election deadlines.”

Under federal and state law, the content of ballots must be finalized no later than September 11, 2026, in order for county clerks to have enough time to meet the deadline for mailing out absentee ballots.

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Curtis Jackson

UPDATE 8/28/2026 10 AMSALMON, Idaho (KIFI) – The GO evacuation status remains for Fourth of July drainage and Kriley Gulch area, 14 miles north of Salmon Friday morning.

The fire is estimated to be 291 acres.

The Lemhi County Emergency Management said the evacuation order will be evaluated later today.

ORIGINAL STORY:

SALMON, Idaho (KIFI)— The Lemhi County Emergency Management is telling people in the Fourth of July drainage and Kriley Gulch to evacuate because of a wildfire.

Sheriff deputies are currently making notifications in the affected areas. They do not wait for an officer to reach your property.

The Cherry Fire was first spotted around 2:45 Thursday afternoon along US 93 between Salmon and North Fork.

The latest fire acreage was 40 acres.

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.

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Dylan Carder

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)- More than 200 volunteers from Melaleuca partnered with the City of Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation Department on Thursday for the fourth annual cleanup project along the Idaho Falls greenbelt. Volunteers cleared trash, overgrown brush and invasive trees along the Riverwalk to improve community safety and restore riverfront sightlines.

The single-day effort is expected to remove approximately 300 yards of debris from the banks of the river at Freeman Park and surrounding areas. The large volunteer force allows the city to complete major maintenance tasks along the Riverwalk that would otherwise require weeks of labor from municipal park crews.

PJ Holm, Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation director, emphasized the community impact that the volunteer workforce provides to city operations. The parks department typically maintains a staff of about 35 full-time employees and roughly 100 seasonal workers, with daily work crews usually consisting of five to eight people.

“It’s just amazing to be able to see so many people come out from their organization and give back to the community, give back to, the, Riverwalk here in Freeman Park,” Holm said. He noted the efficiency of having more than 200 volunteers working simultaneously, adding, “You know, 20 days worth of work these guys can get done in, in one afternoon.”

The annual initiative originated through direct outreach between company leadership and municipal staff. “Melaleuca reached out to the city a handful of years ago and just said, hey, we want to we want to put together something that can be a team building effort, for their organization and, working with them and and then working with our, our volunteer coordinator,” Holm said.

Jamie Reynolds, chief human resource officer at Melaleuca, explained that the company opens participation to all team members across the organization, adjusting shift schedules and workloads so interested employees can join.

“Our mission is to enhance lives. And we see this as one of many ways that we can give back to our community and enhance lives. The greenbelt here, the Riverwalk is a gem and it is treasure to our families here,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds noted that participation has grown as staff members share their experiences. “The great thing about it is our team members are really excited to be part of it. And so how we do it is we give the opportunity to all of our team members. So we send out an email communication and all of our supervisors make sure that every single team member has the opportunity to receive the communication,” Reynolds said.

“One of the things that I love is the growth in those who are participating. Right. So we may have had some at first who are a little timid to try and come out and do something a little bit different, but then the team members come back and they hear the stories and they want to be part of it.”

McKay Shippen, a Melaleuca employee, reflected on the physical nature of the project and the shared effort among co-workers along the riverbanks. “It’s fun to get out. It’s a change of pace from, you know, our everyday work. But it’s fun to be in the community and help, you know, clear up trash and and take the twigs and make it beautiful,” Shippen said.

“I mean, there’s a lot of us, so it’s kind of fun to see how quickly we can make a big impact. And that’s evident. I mean, we’ve got huge piles. There’s tons of work that gets done, but it’s pretty fun to see how well we work together, especially as a big group.”

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The City of Pocatello is gearing up for an annual volunteer opportunity– the Portneuf River Cleanup. The river is one of the city’s biggest natural resources and assets for tourism. Representatives say the event will continue for years to come to maintain its natural beauty.

Pocatello’s assistant planner, Jennifer Flynn, said the river is completely underutilized and an excellent economic tool for the city. “We’re encouraging folks to come and pull mainly trash out of the river. We’ll do a little bit of removing logjams or any big debris,” Flynn said. “For the most part, we’re focused on trash.”

Flynn said that in years past, volunteers have pulled items as big as wheelbarrows and shopping buggies out of the river. Because of that, volunteers are encouraged to bring power tools and winches attached to vehicles to haul out large items.

“I’d encourage folks to wear shoes that are good for the water and clothes that are okay to get dirty,” she said.

The city will provide gloves, trash bags, and garbage picker tools. Volunteers and city officials will meet at the Pacific Steel and Recycling Trailhead at 10 a.m. on Saturday and work until noon.

They will strategically place dumpsters across the Greenway for people to dispose of trash. Flynn says it’s an effort to get more people out on the river in all its beauty.

“We just want to keep it free of debris and litter to make it beautiful for both wildlife and for people that want to enjoy it,” she said.

Flynn also said people can bring a canoe or kayak to help remove trash from the water. There are several places along the river where you can launch them into the water.

“Volunteering in our community is such a great way to meet new people and also just to be engaged in things going on,” Flynn said. “If you’re an advocate for using the river or outdoor activities in general, it’s a really fun way to contribute.”

2026 River Cleanup

Dozens showed up on Saturday morning for the annual Portneuf River Cleanup, including members of the Pocatello City Council. Some volunteers even traversed over fallen logs and branches to reach trash in the middle of the river.

“The river just needs a lot of help,” said volutneer Julia Miller. “I think it needs a lot of grant money, a lot of labor, and I’m just happy all these volunteers are out here trying to make a difference and doing things that need to be done.”

Other volunteers found shelters and debris deep within the trees on the banks of the Portneuf. Councilmember Ann Swanson held up a sparkly disco ball found along the river and one of Miller’s friends found an entire Owala water bottle caught in the dam.

“We’re definitely seeing some improvement. It’s kind of crazy, the spot we’re cleaning is kind of a makeshift dam, so we’ve been thrown in a couple of times, but I feel like we’re making an impact,” said volunteer Andrew Baker.

The volunteers filled many garbage bags as well as dumpsters with larger items like bicycles. Volunteers ranged in age and ability, with several ISU students coming out to help the effort.

“It’s been a lot of work,” Miller added. “There’s a lot of bugs and trash out here. You can see that the river is really murky because a lot of the sediment and boats that are in the river. I’m proud of everyone who came out to try and help.”

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The first week of school at ISU is always filled with daily events for students. Some are geared towards incoming freshman to help them meet fellow students and explore campus opportunities. Thursday’s agenda included both the part-time job fair and the Back to Business fair.

The part-time job fair put on by the Career Center offers an opportunity for students to meet with local employers about internships and jobs in their chosen field. Organizer Virginia Barnett said all majors and class levels are welcome at the fair.

“We have over 30 employers both on and off campus for all majors to help our students,” Barnett said. “Being able to find temporary work, work study and internships is really important for our students.”

Some of the booths included the City of Pocatello, Mountain View Event Center, and several local clinics. Organizers said all participating companies offer positions that are flexible with students’ schedules. As returning and incoming students adjust to the stress of the semester, these employers understand the need to balance work and school.

Students meet with representatives from a local company at the part-time job fair, August 27

“We have employers for students of all majors, some of them are looking for part-time and some could be full-time,” she said. “These are more professional level positions that are government, for profit or non-profit, large and small.”

Barnett said the university often sees students in the career center who believe their only option for employment while in school is fast food or retail. Events like the part-time job fair show students a range of side jobs within their field of study.

“We want our students to not be intimidated to just say hello, I’d love to work with you,” she said. “Practice is key.”

Students did their elevator pitches and heard from real, local employers about the job market. Because of the lasting benefits of these fairs, Barnett says they do several throughout the year.

On September 30 from 10-2 p.m., the career center will host the STEM and Business Fair at the Student Union Building Ballroom. Barnett said this is the first year the two fairs have been combined, and they look forward to serving hundreds of students throughout the day.

Representatives from the Mountain View Event Center pitch part-time jobs to ISU students, August 27

“We feel there’s just a broader range of employers that can come in for student opportunities, and employers can still sign up to participate,” she said.

All the information for the upcoming STEM and Business Fair next month is at the Career Center’s website at https://www.isu.edu/career/.

Over at the quad lawn, the College of Business held the Back-to-Business event with free food, business student booths and a dunk-a-professor dunk tank. The College of Business offers many opportunities like the traveling sales team and fellowships. Senior students greeted incoming freshman at the event to tell them about the opportunities in the programs the college offers.

Professor Nye after being dunked at the College of Business dunk tank, August 27

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