Author: KIFI

Chris Nestman

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The United States Department of Agriculture recently announced that, due to the government shutdown, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits (also known as food stamps) will not be issued for November.

The cut in funding means Americans who rely on the system to buy food will have to find alternative means to get the food they need. It also means that unless the government shutdown is ended and funding is restored, food banks around the state are preparing for a large surge in demand over the next few days and weeks.

“We are expecting a surge in demand,” said Rebecca Larsen, a director with the Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership in Custer and Lemhi counties, who operates a local food bank. “The families that get SNAP benefits now are not going to get them next month. So we are expecting an influx of those families.”

Larsen says SNAP recipients in rural areas are especially vulnerable, as there are limited grocery options in town to shop at, and many who can’t afford to travel to cities like Idaho Falls or Pocatello to buy in bulk. It means the only option is turning to food pantries like what Larsen runs in Salmon and Challis.

It’s a similar story with the monthly Clark County Food Pantry in Dubois, where they’ll have to make available donations stretch farther.

“We’re a small community, and so we don’t necessarily expect more people,” said Tom L. Strong with the Dubois-based food pantry. “But we expect those people will need more food than they normally would.”

Strong said their pantry provides boxes of food once a month for the Clark County community until its gone. “Hopefully, we can give them enough to supplement them through this,” said Strong.

Both Strong and Larsen say the best way to help local food banks immediately is through direct food donations. They will accept monetary donations as well, but food donations mean they can turn around and get it to people in need quickly.

“We really appreciate the proteins: peanut butter, canned meat, canned chicken, canned tuna,” said Larsen. “Proteins really go far, and that’s something that our food bank is lacking right now.”

For those interested in donating to any local food bank. A map with information and phone numbers across the state can be found HERE.

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Maile Sipraseuth

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– As winter sets in, animal shelters across the country brace for an unfortunate trend: a surge in surrendered pets.

According to most reports, animal shelters fill up more during the winter months, most often after Christmas. But for the Idaho Falls animal shelter, they see influxes of animals coming into their shelter throughout the year.

“We do see an influx in dogs and cats after Christmas, when people realize a pet wasn’t a good fit or they just weren’t prepared,” explains Officer Danielle Harker of the Idaho Falls Animal Control. “But we also generally see an increase in the summer months when it gets a little bit warmer, and people are leaving their dogs outside more often; they tend to escape and get out.”

The most demanding time of year, however, is often spring.

“We’re always looking for fosters, especially for cats and kittens. We go through what we call kitten season in the spring months,” Officer Harker notes. “We are constantly getting little bottle babies that need to be bottle-fed around the clock, or ones that just aren’t quite big enough for adoption yet.”

Besides fostering or adopting, communities can help through social media.

“Sharing our Facebook posts when we post any animals that are available for adoption or stray animals is always super helpful. The more we can get their pictures out there, the quicker we can get them reunited with their families,” Officer Harker said.

Animal shelters face overcrowding for several reasons, including rising pet care costs, failure to spay or neuter, overbreeding, and staffing shortages, according to ASPCA.

With the needs of the shelter fluctuating throughout the year, there are several ways Idahoans can help the Idaho Falls Animal Shelter and other rescues in the region manage the constant flow of animals:

Volunteer! Spend time with furry friends.

Foster or adopt an animal.

Donate money and/or supplies.

To help your local animal shelter, check out the links below:

For the Idaho Falls Animal Shelter, click HERE.

For the Snake River Animal Shelter, click HERE.

For the Blackfoot Animal Shelter, click HERE.

For the Pocatello Animal Shelter, click HERE.

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 27 OCT 25 17:05 ET

By Steve Dent

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    BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — Brady Murray drew a moose tag for unit 73 in southeast Idaho, and what followed captivated the hunting community, with his son Cooper attempting to harvest a moose.

Brady grew up in Idaho and now lives in Utah. In 2007, the Murray family welcomed their first son. Nash was born with Down syndrome, and after advocating to adopt orphans with disabilities, the Murray family adopted Cooper out of China.

“People with Down syndrome are super capable, you just got to give them a shot,” said Brady. “We loved Nash so much we felt in our hearts we should adopt another child that has Down syndrome, and that’s adopted Coop.”

This past summer, Brady and Cooper spent hours practicing shooting at the range. When August rolled around, they started scouting for moose in unit 73. This father-son duo spent essentially every weekend hunting through September.

“Yeah, that was one thing I was so impressed with Coop, he never complained once,” said Brady. “We were on long four-wheeler rides, big hikes, and we were up there when it was cold.”

In October, they brought along Nash and Cooper’s other brother, Mason. On this trip, they found a moose, and after about an hour of stalking it, Coop took his shot and harvested a giant moose after all that work.

“It was magic,” said Coop. “Were you nervous?” asked Brady. Coop let out an emphatic no. “He never gets nervous for whatever reason,” said Brady.”

Throughout the saga, Brady was posting updates in an Idaho Facebook forum, and the community started following their journey. Throughout the process, people offered advice. They supported the duo, and they cheered when they saw Coop with the moose. It also led to a big surprise.

“I was just so amazed when Chad Draper of Blue Ridge Taxidermy out of Blackfoot reached out and said, ‘I’ve been following the story and I want to donate a shoulder mount of Coop’s moose as a gift to him, ‘” said Brady.

“I just think that is a great representation of what our Idaho hunting community really is.”

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Phillip Willis

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — On October 27, 1981, a submarine crash just south of Sweden caused an international incident known as “Whiskey on the rocks”, and this cold one goes down hot.

The Soviet S-363 was a ‘Whiskey-class” submarine, and the crew was top-self according to the submarine’s political officer, Vasily Besedin.

The sneaky submarine was only 10 kilometers from one of Sweden’s largest naval bases when disaster struck. The Soviet sub accidentally struck an underwater stone, got stuck, and was forced to partially surface in Swedish waters. From the Soviet perspective, the situation sucked.

Swedish naval forces swiftly reacted to the shameless breach of sovereignty, sending an unarmed naval officer to board the stagnant submarine. Unsurprisingly, the Soviets, surrounded, let the Swedish officer enter.

According to The Law of the Sea: The European Union and Its Member States, the Swedish officer demanded an explanation from the Soviet captain, who claimed a simultaneous failure of several systems across the sub. This was later contradicted by the Soviet Navy, who stated the boat had been forced into Swedish waters due to severe distress; however, no distress signal had been sent up to that point.

After some guarantees of immunity, the Soviet captain set off into Swedish custody, instructing his crew to scuttle the ship should the Swedes attempt to secure control of the vessel. He was then interrogated in the presence of Soviet representatives.

During this time, the Swedish National Defence Research Institute secretly scoured the sub using spectroscopy from a specially configured Coast Guard boat, and they detected radioactive material that was almost certainly from nuclear weapons on board the Soviet submarine, according to the March 1982 edition of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. So cliché.

As the Soviet captain was interrogated, the weather took a turn for the worse, and the Soviet submarine sent a distress signal across the sea. Two ships from the direction of the Soviet armada were seen off in the distance, coming toward the shore.

The Swedes went to “action stations”, and the Swedish Air Force scrambled strike aircraft. After 20 minutes, it was discovered serendipitously that the two ships were not Soviet, but in fact German merchant ships.

The submarine was stuck on that rock for ten days before it was hauled off of the rocks by Swedish tug ships, and eventually handed over to the Soviet fleet.

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Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Five conservation projects across southeast Idaho have received a major boost to enhance and protect the Gem State’s landscapes and wildlife habitats. The Habitat Improvement Team (HIT) has allocated more than $900,000 to these five initiatives. This funding is slated for critical work like restoring rivers and wetlands, bolstering fish and wildlife habitats, and protecting the region’s expansive open spaces.

The funds are made possible through the Southeast Idaho Wildlife Mitigation Fund, an initiative spearheaded by Itafos Conda, LLC. Since 2017, the mining company has committed over $2 million to offset the environmental impacts of its operations by financing habitat restoration and conservation efforts.

The impact of this initial investment has been exponentially increased through State, federal, and private partnerships. Donors and grants have provided an additional $6.6 million in matching funds, meaning that for every dollar invested by Itafos Conda, more than $6 was added by partners to expand the scope and impact of conservation projects.

Curtis Hendricks, southeast region habitat manager for Idaho Fish & Game, said he was “truly appreciative of the collaborative nature of the (HIT) and the sincere desire to produce wins for wildlife and wildlife habitat across the project area.”

Project Breakdown

The funds will support diverse projects, including river and wetland restoration, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, etc. The individual projects and awards are detailed below:

Trout Unlimited & U.S. Forest Service – McCoy Creek Wet Meadow Restoration Project

$75,000 awarded; $429,500 total project cost

Restoring McCoy Creek’s natural wet meadow system by reconnecting the stream to its floodplain, encouraging beaver activity and creating multiple flow paths. The project will protect and restore up to 77 acres, improving resilience for Yellowstone cutthroat trout and riparian wildlife.

Trout Unlimited – Blackfoot River Avian Mitigation and Habitat Enhancement

$673,000 awarded; $1.12 million total project cost

Enhancing Yellowstone cutthroat trout habitat above the Blackfoot Reservoir by restoring riparian vegetation, stabilizing streambanks and reconnecting the river to its floodplain. These improvements will reduce predation vulnerability and support long-term fish population resilience.

Trout Unlimited – Cub River Habitat Restoration

$52,800 awarded; $57,800 total project cost

Designing restoration for 39 acres of Cub River property to reestablish a meandering channel, expand wetlands and restore riparian vegetation. The project will improve habitat for cutthroat trout, amphibians, birds and wetland wildlife while strengthening water quality and watershed health.

Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust – Lanes Creek Conservation Easement

$89,500 awarded; $5.85 million total project cost

Protecting nearly 3,800 acres in the Blackfoot–Willow Creek Highlands priority area through a perpetual conservation easement. The property secures vital migratory routes, winter range and upland grassland habitat for species of greatest conservation need, including greater sage grouse and Columbian sharp-tailed grouse.

Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust – Thunder Ridge Preserve Fee Title Disposition

$35,400 awarded; $97,400 total project cost

Maintaining permanent protection of the Thunder Ridge Preserve through a “protect-sell” model. SSLT will retain a conservation easement while transferring ownership to a private landowner, ensuring the property remains open and undeveloped while enhancing landscape connectivity in the Bear River watershed.

Hannah Murphy, Southeast Idaho Project Manager for Trout Unlimited, expressed gratitude for the funding and is looking forward to “getting boots on the ground,” emphasizing the multi-stakeholder effort involved.

“This project has been years in the making with multiple stakeholders,” she said. “This conservation work would not be possible without their support.”

“These projects show what’s possible when partners come together with a shared commitment to conservation,” adds Heath Mann, executive director of Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust. “By leveraging local dollars to acquire matching funds, we’re not only protecting and improving open spaces today, we’re ensuring that fish, wildlife and working lands in southeast Idaho will thrive for generations to come.”

To learn more about the Southeast Idaho Wildlife Mitigation Fund and the projects it supports, click HERE.

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 27 OCT 25 17:26 ET

By Spencer Burt

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    PLEASANT GROVE, Utah (KSTU) — What do you do if you have an old, broken-down car and a pumpkin that weighs more than it? The answer is simple: you get a crane and see what happens when you drop the latter onto the former.

In the video above, some of you may recognize the car from a FOX 13 News story earlier this year. Millville resident Alan Gebert has been driving his 1991 Geo Metro for nearly 35 years, and his wife’s video about his loyalty to the compact coupe went viral.

Gebert, who grows giant pumpkins, had had an idea: if the Metro stopped running, he’d drop one of them onto the car — and that’s exactly what he did.

“It’s just something that we’ve talked, me and my wife have talked about for a long time, that this would be the best way for it to go, and it happened, so it’s been kind of fun,” Gebert said.

Before dropping the pumpkin nearly 14 stories onto his car at Hee Haw Farms in Pleasant Grove, Gebert entered it into the Utah Giant Pumpkin Festival weigh-off, where it came in first place at 1,917 pounds. Safe to say, the Geo Metro was no match.

And believe it or not, that wasn’t the only instance of giant pumpkin vs. car on Saturday in northern Utah.

The North Logan Pumpkin Toss, organized by Utah State University’s engineering program, added a competitive element and drew an impressive crowd. Competitors launched pumpkins with trebuchets they built themselves. There was a distance competition and a contest to see who could hit the targets (old pianos, trampolines, and more broken-down cars).

Then at the end, they dropped a 750-pound pumpkin onto a minivan. The gigantic gourd clipped the edge of the roof, caving it in a few inches — although the ratio of car-to-pumpkin mass may have had something to do with the difference in damage.

Just before that, to hype up the crowd, USU mascot “Big Blue” did some pre-damage by jumping onto the windshield.

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 27 OCT 25 17:11 ET

By Victoria Rodriguez

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    CANYON COUNTY, Idaho (KIVI) — A Wilder woman says she was unable to care for her 3-year-old son as she was zip-tied during Sunday’s federal raid in Wilder.

During the law enforcement operation, agents took her father into ICE custody. He was just one of 105 people detained by ICE.

Juana Rodriguez attended the event at La Catedral Arena with her father and young son, unaware that alleged gambling was taking place at the venue.

“A lot of people would have been smart and would’ve known that, you know— not to go or not to be there, but it was a family event,” Rodriguez said.

Before agents restrained her with zip-ties, Rodriguez told her father to stay close to her and her son. Once her hands were bound, she says she couldn’t tend to her child’s basic needs.

“I told my dad I was like, please stay with me, don’t go anywhere— just stay with me and, and the baby,” Rodriguez said.

She noticed other parents with young children who weren’t restrained and asked agents for help.

“I did see a couple of people that had younger kids like mine that were, uh, not zip-tied, so I asked one of the agents, and I was like, ‘Can you just please untie me? My son needs me right now,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez watched helplessly as her son cried for food and water while she remained restrained.

“He kept asking me, ‘Mom, I’m hungry, Mom, I’m hungry, Mom, I’m thirsty,’ and I wasn’t able to do anything,” Rodriguez said.

After processing, her father was taken into ICE custody. Rodriguez says the most difficult part was that her son witnessed everything.

“My dad was doing his process, and unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make it out, so they ended up taking him. It’s just— it’s so hard. The thing that breaks me more is that my son [had] to be there and he had to witness everything,” Rodriguez explained.

Rodriguez says her son and father share a close bond. Now, she struggles to explain her father’s absence to the 3-year-old.

“Now he will see a cop car or any type of person with the suit, and if he knows he has weapons or anything, he will be like ‘the police, the police, [where’s] grandpa,'” Rodriguez added.

The raid fractured multiple families other than hers, affecting employment and daily routines, Rodriguez said.

“You’re affecting a lot of jobs; there are people that, you know, couldn’t return back to work, and my dad was one of them,” Rodriguez said.

The experience has left lasting emotional scars on both Rodriguez and her son.

“I might say it’s just a 3-year-old, but I know it’s hitting him because every day he’ll ask me and he’ll be like, ‘Where’s my grandpa?'” Rodriguez said. “He saw how we were separated from my father, his grandpa, and it’s just something that is going to haunt us for the rest of our lives.”

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KIVI’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Noah Farley

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — With Halloween on the horizon, people of all ages are being reminded to stay safe during the spookiest night of the year. Here are some essential tips for parents of trick-or-treaters, drivers, homeowners, and pet owners.

First, if you go trick-or-treating, wait to eat the candy until after you get home. The American Red Cross directs parents to go through the candy and throw away anything that looks unusual or is unwrapped.

Second, when choosing a costume, try to wear one that is easy to see. If your costume has dark colors, the organization Safe Kids Worldwide says you can put on additional reflective tape or have your child carry glow sticks. Use face paint instead of masks when you can.

Homeowners who plan to pass out candy are advised to have their area well-lit and remove anything people could trip over.

If you plan to drink on Halloween, make sure to have a designated driver to get home safely. According to the Red Cross, “the number of alcohol-related traffic incidents jumps around Halloween ─ in fact, many Halloween deaths can be linked to drivers who are impaired.”

Finally, pets should be kept out of reach of Halloween treats. If you want your pet to wear a costume, choose one that doesn’t make it difficult for them to breathe or move. Of course, make sure your pet is okay with the idea of wearing a costume.

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News Team

UTAH (KIFI) — Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old charged with the aggravated murder of conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, will not appear at his scheduled public hearing later this week. The October 30th hearing was pushed back to a later date to give legal teams more time for discovery and to prepare their motions, Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf explained during a brief hearing this afternoon, Monday, October 27.

During the short hearing, Judge Graf addressed motions concerning the defendant’s courtroom presence. He granted the defense’s request to allow Robinson to appear in street clothes at future hearings, stating that “The court finds that Mr. Robinson’s right to the presumption of innocence outweighs the minimal inconvenience of permitting civilian attire.”

However, the judge denied defense attorney Kathy Nester’s motion to have Robinson appear without restraints.

”This is a high-profile case with strong public interest,” explained Graf. “Restricting the recording of restraints strikes the proper balance between Mr. Robinson’s right to a fair proceeding and the public’s right to access and transparency.”

According to Fox, Judge Graf did not make a decision on the prosecution’s motion seeking to hold all non-evidentiary hearings remotely going forward, but he informed the sides that they could submit a new motion seeking to have news cameras limited in the courtroom.

Robinson faces seven serious charges related to the killing, including the capital offense of Aggravated murder, Felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and Commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.

Investigators believe Robinson fired a single shot from a rooftop at Utah Valley University on September 10, killing Kirk during a speaking event on the campus. Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray has confirmed that the state will be seeking the death penalty.

ORIGINAL:

UTAH (KIFI) — Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing political activist Charlie Kirk, made his first in-person court appearance last Friday. The closed hearing was requested by his attorney, Kathy Nester, two weeks prior to discuss what Robinson would be permitted to wear during his court appearances.

Attorney Nester filed the motion arguing that forcing Robinson to appear in typical inmate attire or restraints—such as a “suicide robe,” bulletproof vest, or shackles—would unfairly prejudice the jury. She argues that these visible signs of imprisonment lead people to assume he’s guilty, violating his right to a fair and impartial trial.

Nester also pointed out that this case has massive media attention, saying it’s important he be seen as a person, not just an accused inmate.

The presiding judge is set to make a decision today, October 27, at 1 p.m. on Nester’s motion.

The ruling will directly impact Robinson’s next court date this Thursday, October 30th. This appearance will be the first time the public and media will see Robinson in court.

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Ariel Jensen

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — The State of Idaho is mourning the loss of a revered public servant and former U.S. Representative, Richard Stallings, who passed away peacefully on Sunday afternoon, October 26, at the age of 85.

The four-term Democratic congressman was known for his dedication to Idaho’s working families and his commitment to service. He leaves behind a significant legacy in the state’s political history.

“Idaho lost one of its true public servants with the passing of Richard Stallings. He never forgot who he was fighting for, and he never stopped showing up for the people of Idaho,” stated Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea. She praised his approach, noting that he “believed in listening first, leading with integrity, and fighting for the people who too often went unheard in Washington.”

A Life Dedicated to Teaching and Family

Before his political career, Stallings was a beloved educator. Born in Ogden, Utah, on October 7, 1940, he completed his education after serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand from 1960–1962. He went on to teach history for well over a decade at Rick’s College in Rexburg, Idaho.

His family remembered him as a man of immense character. His daughter, Sal Duncan, shared a heartfelt tribute on Facebook, saying: “We will miss him greatly… Father, husband, grandfather, friend. A Doer, public servant, champion of the underserved. A historian, teacher, storyteller, world traveller. His family’s biggest fan (and we’re his). What a lucky daughter to have had such a supportive, encouraging, humorous, safe, and loving Dad. Love you Forever and ever.”

Though he ran several unsuccessful campaigns after leaving Congress, including for the U.S. Senate and later attempts to regain his congressional seat in 1998 and 2014, Necochea notes he continued to serve by meeting and mentoring local representatives and leaders. She says Stallings’ life was defined by a consistent commitment to service, from his classroom in Rexburg to the halls of Washington, D.C.

“Richard reminded us that politics at its best is about people, not power. It is about understanding our neighbors’ struggles and standing up for them,” stated Nechocea. “His legacy endures in the leaders he inspired, the communities he strengthened, and the countless Idahoans who saw in him what public service should look like: humble, principled, and tireless in pursuit of the common good. Our hearts are with his family and all who loved him.”

Funeral arrangements have not yet been publicly announced by Stalling’s family at this time.

“Lifelong Dedication to the People of Idaho” – Governor Little orders flags lowered to half-staff

Governor Brad Little ordered the lowering of U.S. flags and State of Idaho flags immediately until sunrise on Thursday, October 30, to honor the life of former Congressman Richard Stallings.

“Richard Stallings exemplified a lifelong dedication to the people of Idaho, and his enduring legacy of public service will long be remembered,” Governor Little said.

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