Author: KIFI

Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — If you’re planning to light up the sky for the Fourth of July, remember safety continues even after all fireworks are lit. 

The Idaho Falls Fire Department reports that they see people improperly dispose of fireworks every year by throwing them into garbage cans and dumpsters while the fireworks are still active and burning.

This has led to house fires in years past, as the garbage cans are often pushed up next to the homes.

Fire Marshal Jim Newton said there’s an easy way to prevent this from happening.

“Our recommendation is to take a bucket and dip it in the bucket. Leave it in the bucket overnight, just because you dip it in the bucket doesn’t mean the whole firework will get wet all the way through to the insides,” said Newton.  “So what I recommend is dipping in the bucket, leaving it there overnight, and then disposing of it in your garbage can the next day.”

Newton says that with these dumpster fires, Injuries and property loss are the usual outcome.

They haven’t had any loss of life attributed directly to this kind of fire, but it’s still a constant issue.

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News Release

The following is a news release from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (Idaho Fish and Game)—On June 26, Idaho Fish and Game, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, euthanized an adult male grizzly after it had become food-conditioned from consistently receiving food rewards in an Island Park neighborhood. The bear began frequenting the Pinehaven area early last week, where it received multiple food rewards from unsecured garbage cans, and broke into vehicles used to store garbage.

The large bear was consistently seen on doorbell cameras and tracks were seen throughout the neighborhood, accessing garbage, and pushing against buildings. Due to the bear’s consistent seeking of unnatural food and habituation to residential areas, it was captured and euthanized in the interest of human safety.

Because Island Park is home to both grizzly and black bears, residents and visitors who fail to properly store attractants are putting their neighbors and bears at risk. All residential garbage containers should be stored inside a garage or locked shed to prevent these types of situations from occurring. Garbage containers should only be put out the morning of pick-up, not the night before, and never left out in the open. Use of certified bear-resistant containers is also recommended. Storage of garbage in trucks or other vehicles is not a suitable storage solution and has been an ongoing problem.  

Bears are extremely adaptable and can learn very quickly to associate people with food. The presence of unsecured food sources of human origin, such as residential garbage, bird seed, dog food, beehives, domestic poultry, or fruit trees have long been documented as sources of human-bear conflicts. Food-conditioned bears can rapidly lose their fear of humans, resulting in bears approaching people and ultimately putting the lives of both humans and bears at risk.

Grizzly bears in Idaho are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act and management actions are therefore done in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Sam Ross

INKOM, Idaho (KIFI)– Inkom Lavender Farm, Lavender Lane, is hosting their third annual Lavender Festival on June 27 and 28, with live music, local food and vendors, and free lavender bundles with admission.

Lavender Lane started as the passion project of Inkom native Jennifer Solomon, who, along with her husband, Nate, developed the idea of hosting a Lavender Festival three years ago as a way to give out excess lavender during harvest season.

The Lavender Festival quickly gained popularity, boasting nearly 2,000 visitors in 2024.

“One thing that people have told us when they come up here is they love that we’re doing something that’s not offered in our community,” said Jennifer. “It’s something out of the ordinary.”

The Lavender Festival will run from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. on June 27 and 28. The festival is also offering sunrise yoga sessions and sound baths at 9:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Admission to the festival is $10 for adults, payable at the gate. People are asked to park at the LDS church at 150 Snow Peak Blvd., where a hay ride will be available to shuttle people to the festival.

For more information, you can find Lavender Lane on Facebook.

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Noah Farley

YELLOWSTONE (KIFI) — On Saturday, June 21, Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park became the site of a truly “heartbreaking” event. Tourists watched, stunned, as a bison stumbled and fell into the scalding 160-degree water.

Yellowstone tourist, Louise Howard, said on Facebook she saw the bison take a few steps into a shallow part of the pool, then it turned around and quickly got out. Then, after standing still for a moment, the bison turned back to the spring and stepped into a deeper area, making it impossible for the bison to get back out, no matter how hard it tried.

Another tourist, Katie Hirtzel, says she unexpectedly saw the bison around 12 hours later with her family. She says while it was shocking to see, it was amazing to witness “this rare part of the circle of life.”

Tonight at 5 on Local News 8, you can hear from Hirtzel and learn more about the experience.

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News Team

AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) — The city of Ammon will have a new mayor in 2026. In a social media post, Sean Coletti announced he will not be seeking re-election, saying, “It’s just time.”

Coletti says he’s not going anywhere and still has goals for the community, but wants to pursue them in other ways.

Without giving a name, he also wrote he’s grateful to know there’s an “amazing individual” who’s planning on running for mayor. Coletti’s last day in office will be December 31.

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News Team

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — After a sold-out debut Summer last year, the Museum of Idaho (MOI) is bringing back tours of Keefer’s Island. The island, just off the Snake River Walk, is usually off-limits to the public, making the tour a rare chance for visitors to explore one of Idaho Falls’ most mysterious and storied spots.

“The Keefers played a crucial role,” says Chloe Doucette, MOI Managing Director. “William Keefer —father of Fred Keefer, who built the island cabin literally created the falls that give Idaho Falls its name!”

Once again partnering with Snake River Ferry and Idaho Falls Parks & Recreation, the museum will host guided tours on select dates in mid-July. Doucette says these tours will provide a unique opportunity to explore the island and the original Keefer log cabin, to take a one-of-a-kind look into Idaho Falls’ Wild West roots. “These tours offer a fresh, boots-on-the-ground perspective on the town’s rugged history and the colorful characters who carved it out,” says MOI.

The Keefers have a true Wild West aura,” Doucette adds, painting a picture of this fascinating lineage. “Taxidermists, snake charmers, ranchers, and deputy sheriffs – they fit so well into the story of the West.”

Tickets are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The museum highly recommends reserving your tickets in advance. For more information, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — An up to $5,000 reward is now being offered for information leading to the safe return of two missing Idaho teens, Rachelle Fischer, 15, and Allen Fisher, 13. The Uvalde Foundation For Kids, a national student advocacy and violence prevention group formed in response to the May 2022 Texas mass shooting, launched a multi-state effort yesterday, Wednesday, June 25, to locate the siblings.

Rachelle and Allen were last seen on Sunday, June 22, at their home in Monteview. An Amber Alert was issued Monday by regional law enforcement for the children. Authorities believe they were abducted by members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) and are headed towards Utah.

“Currently, foundation search efforts include teams distributing Fliers at major rest areas, tourist centers, gas stations, etc , motels, along the I-15 corridor. Our headquarters have reached out to State Park & highway patrol offices in Utah & Idaho with the information on the missing youth with dissemination requests. Online teams are utilizing social media sites and other avenues, such as used in its school threat tracker, to ping any known chatter on the youth. We have also contacted both Utah & Idaho State patrols to further bring these missing youth to the forefront,” The Uvalde Foundation For Kids said in a statement to Local News 8 on their search efforts.

“We are dedicated to leaving no stone unturned. Our message to those who have taken these youth – “Dont even try to hide. This ends now… Do the right thing…”

RELATED — Mother of missing teens speaks with Local News 8

Daniel Chapin, founder and national director of The Uvalde Foundation for Kids, emphasized the dangerous nature of such religious groups. Chapin, who himself was brought into The Twelve Tribes Cult as a youth before being rescued by family and friends, stated, “This case hits home to me on a personal and foundational level. There is a unique, particularly elusive form of psychological violence which we believe has been the force behind these two youth missing. We believe they have been abducted by this highly dangerous, religious group and we will go to every means possible to locate and bring them home safely.”

Descriptions and how to help

Rachelle Fischer is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, 135 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a dark green prairie dress.

Allen Fisher is 5 feet 9 inches tall, 135 pounds, with longer sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen in a light blue shirt with jeans and black slip-on shoes.

Investigators initially believed that a gray Hyundai with Utah license plate 4BYT6 was involved in their disappearance, but confirmed Tuesday the vehicle was not in the state of Idaho at the time.

Authorities are urging anyone who spots Rachelle, Allen to immediately contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at 208-745-9210.

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Linda Larsen

WATCH RECORDING OF NEWS CONFERENCE BELOW: Family of Victor Perez held a news conference to announce next steps in the civil rights lawsuit against the City of Pocatello. The news conference began at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 26.

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Attorneys for the family of Victor Perez, the autistic teen fatally shot by Pocatello Police Officers on April 5th, are set to hold a press conference Thursday, June 26, announcing the next steps in the civil rights lawsuit against the City of Pocatello.

According to the attorneys, the lawsuit will not only be for the life of Victor Perez, but also a civil suit for the endangerment of the lives of two members of the family, Victor’s sister and mother, who were standing nearby at the time he was shot.

James Cook of the civil rights firm  Burris Nisenbaum Curry & Lacy, says Thursday’s press conference will include more information on the lawsuit, an update on their conversations with the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, and remarks by Victor Perez’s grandfather.

“They want answers, and quite frankly, Mr. Perez, I think he wants some type of justice,” Cook told Local News 8 in an exclusive interview.

Officers shot Perez only seconds after arriving on the scene, after receiving a 911 call about him waving a knife at family members. The 17-year-old died a week later after being taken off life support.

Saturday, June 28, the attorneys are set to host a “Truth and Reconciliation” conference from 10 a.m. To  5:00 p.m. at the Pond Student Union building on the Idaho State University campus. The town hall meeting is open to the public.

While the group has not officially invited the City of Pocatello leadership, Cook says all are invited to attend.

“In the spirit of truth and reconciliation, if people come who you don’t agree with, you do have to let them talk,” said Cook. “Everyone gets a chance to be heard, free of reprisals and judgments.”

For more information about the conference, click HERE.

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News Team

MONTPELIER, Idaho (KIFI) — The Bear Lake County Sheriff’s Office has closed a section of North 8th due to a partial road collapse. The closure is in effect from the Montpelier city limit to the Joe’s Gap Road intersection.

There’s no estimated time for the road to reopen, and the cause of the collapse hasn’t been released. However, homeowners living along the closed stretch will still have access to their properties.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Fire departments across Bannock County have announced a unified, county-wide burn ban set to begin on July 1. This ban prohibits all open burning and the use of fireworks within the county’s designated Wildland Urban Interface Areas due to the current high fire danger.

The ban comes on the heels of the West Clark Fire on the west bench of Pocatello, which burned over 200 acres.

“The hills and benches in and around Pocatello are covered in junipers, sagebrush, and cheatgrass that are prone to rapid ignition and extreme fire behavior,” said Pocatello Fire Marshal Dean Bullock. “It only takes a single ember to cause what could become a devastating wildfire. I strongly encourage all citizens to heed the ban and potentially save the lives and homes of fellow residents.”

The ban does allow for the use of commercial gas fire pits and appliances designed for cooking, such as gas grills and charcoal briquettes.

With the Fourth of July approaching, the Pocatello Fire Department is also issuing a strong warning regarding fireworks. Fireworks are a significant cause of wildfires, and extra patrols of police and firefighters will be deployed on Independence Day to ensure only “safe and sane” fireworks are being used within city limits.

“We saw this past week when we had that fire up on the West Clark area, that…it only takes one small spark to start a devastating wildfire,” Kim Stouse, Pocatello Fire Department. “Let’s just take a few extra steps to try to be mindful of that, because we don’t want to lose property or even worse, somebody (a person). We (firefighters) can’t be everywhere all the time. And so it does take a community to work together to keep everybody safe.”

For more information, click HERE.

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