Author: KIFI

Par Kermani

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Supporters of a medical marijuana initiative in Idaho say they have surpassed 100,000 signatures as they work to place the issue on the 2026 ballot, marking a major milestone in an effort that has gained traction in recent months.

Advocates with the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho say the initiative would provide patients with access to treatment options that are currently unavailable under state law.

“There is clear interest from Idahoans in having this issue considered, and the initiative process allows voters to review the proposal and decide for themselves,” said Amanda Watson, communications lead for the organization.

Supporters argue the proposal would give patients dealing with serious illnesses, more options to manage symptoms and improve quality of life.

“As a cancer survivor, this is about access,” said Rob Cronin, a chairperson with the organization. “This is about giving people another option to manage pain and improve their quality of life.”

The push comes after the legislature recently passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 127, urging residents to reject any effort to bring the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act to the ballot.

In the resolution, lawmakers cite concerns about public safety, public health and impacts to children and families, pointing to experiences in other states where marijuana has been legalized. Including increased cartel activity, increased health issues, and easier access to marijuana for recreational use.

“The Legislature has sent a strong and unifying message that it understands the danger that marijuana legalization is to Idaho families,” said Sen. Scott Grow in a statement included in the resolution.

Opponents of the initiative say the proposal itself raises additional concerns.

“I’ve done a lot of research on the impact marijuana has had in other states when it comes to crime, health and the economy, and I just don’t see how this would be beneficial to Idaho,” said Victor Miller, who opposes the measure. “This act is so broadly written that almost anyone could qualify.”

Miller and others also argue that Idaho already has access to certain federally approved medications containing THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana, for specific medical conditions.

The proposed initiative outlines qualifying conditions and establishes a system for patients to obtain medical cannabis cards, but critics say those criteria are too broad and could lead to widespread access beyond traditional medical use.

Supporters dispute those claims, saying the initiative is designed to create a regulated framework and that voters should ultimately decide the issue.

The effort now moves into the next phase, as supporters continue gathering signatures to meet the threshold required to qualify for the ballot.

If the initiative is certified, Idaho voters could decide the issue in the 2026 election. Local News 8 will continue following the story as it develops.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador is striking back against a wave of “misleading political advertisements” that he says falsely invoke his office and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit in a deceptive digital campaign.

The advertisements, funded by a political organization operating under the name “Idaho Values First,” began appearing on YouTube over the last week. The campaign involves 12 videos targeting several Idaho legislators, claiming they voted against essential funding for the ICAC Unit.

Labrador has labeled the claims “flatly untrue.”

“A New Low”

The Attorney General’s office clarifies that the votes in question were part of an “across-the-board 5% budget cut that affected every state agency,” not a targeted cut to the Attorney General’s Office or the ICAC Unit.

In a prepared statement, Labrador accused “Idaho Values First” of attempting to manipulate the electorate rather than hold officials accountable.

“Using legislative votes in political messaging is fair. Twisting those votes into false narratives is not,” Labrador stated. “And dragging the work of my office and the mission of protecting children into a knowingly dishonest attack is a new low.”

According to the Attorney General, the targeted lawmakers actually supported HB 971, a budget enhancement bill that restored funding to his office and secured the resources necessary to maintain the ICAC Unit’s operations.

Targeted Legislators

The deceptive ad campaign has gained significant traction online, with some videos amassing tens of thousands of views. The most-watched segment targeted Senator Josh Keyser, garnering over 26,000 views.

The full list of legislators named in the campaign includes:

Senator Josh Kohl (R-Twin Falls)

Senator Dan Foreman (R-Moscow)

Senator Christy Zito (R-Mountain Home)

Senator Glenneda Zuiderveld (R)

Senator Josh Keyser(R-Meridian)

Representative Tanya Burgoyne (R-Pocatello)

Representative Barbara Ehardt (R-Idaho Falls)

Labrador ended his statement emphasizing that his office’s ICAC investigators deserve better.

“My ICAC investigators do difficult, often heartbreaking work to protect children from online predators. Idaho families deserve honesty and transparency, not cynical attacks that exploit the real work being done to keep children safe.”

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Seth Ratliff

FREMONT COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — A chain of accidents near the Osborne Bridge sent three people to the hospital Thursday morning as slick road conditions potentially caught commuters off guard. The incident temporarily blocked off both lanes of US-20 from mile marker 378 to 379.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) responded to the initial report of a single-vehicle rollover crash at approximately 7:40 a.m. on April 16. While deputies were heading to the scene to manage the first wreck, a second “T-bone” collision happend in the same area.

First responders had to extricate three people from the individual vehicles, and all were taken to local hospitals. Their current conditions have not been released.

While the exact cause of both crashes remains under investigation, the Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that slick roads played a role.

“We encourage all drivers to slow down and be prepared for ever-changing Idaho weather,” advised Fremont County Chief Deputy Cody Gudmunson in an official news release.

Aa of 9:49 a.m. the Sheriff’s Office has confirmed all lanes of travel have re-opened.

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KIVI Staff

By: KIVI Staff

Originally Posted 10:37 AM, Apr 15, 2026

PAYETTE COUNTY, Idaho (KIVI) — A September trial date has been set for Stacey Wondra, the man accused in the disappearance and death of 5-year-old Michael Vaughan.

During a hearing on Wednesday morning, a Payette County judge scheduled a status conference for June 2 and a pretrial conference for Aug. 4. Jury selection and the trial are set to begin Sept. 14 at 8:30 a.m., with the trial expected to last roughly four weeks.

Wondra appeared in court on Wednesday wearing yellow jail-issued clothing. The hearing lasted roughly five minutes. Michael Vaughan’s mother, Brandi Vaughan, was also in attendance.

Wondra has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, kidnapping, and destruction of evidence in connection with the 2021 disappearance of Michael “Monkey” Vaughan. Investigators have never found the child’s body.

READ MORE | Stacey Wondra pleads not guilty to murder, kidnapping during arraignment

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Seth Ratliff

FORT HALL, Idaho (KIFI) — After a nearly two-week search involving federal authorities, the Fort Hall Police Department has arrested 28-year-old Sean Tindore.

According to Fort Hall Police, Tindore was arrested without incident on April 16, 2026, at around 9:20 a.m. at a residence on Hawthorne Road. His arrest marks the end of an intensive search that began following a violent aggravated assault earlier this month, where he allegedly hacked off a man’s hand with a machete.

Case Background

The investigation stems from an incident on the morning of April 4. According to Sho-Ban News, officers responded to a residence at approximately 6:51 a.m. following reports of a domestic disturbance.

Witnesses at the scene stated that Tindore assaulted several individuals before entering the bedroom of Clinton Ricker. During the ensuing attack, Tindore allegedly used a machete to sever Ricker’s hand. Tindore fled the scene before law enforcement arrived. Ricker was immediately rushed to a local hospital.

Following the alleged attack, Fort Hall Police Department issued a tribal warrant for Tindore for Aggravated Assault. According to Sho-Ban News, Tindore now faces tribal and federal charges.

In a Facebook update, the Fort Hall Police thanked the public for their assistance in the search. Tindore is currently being held pending his initial court appearance.

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KIVI Staff

By: Sahana Patel

Originally Posted 5:00 PM, Apr 15, 2026

MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho (KIVI) — It has been a tough year for Idaho farmers dealing with less water, higher fuel costs, and fewer workers in the fields.

Bethany Gotts owns Quey’s Farm in Mountain Home, a 500-acre family operation she took over after her father passed away. With fewer workers, a lot of the manual labor is left up to her.

Gotts said a crackdown on immigration enforcement is making it even harder to find help.

“It’s just been harder and harder and harder to find those people to work,” Gotts said.

She told me she has tried hiring locally, but it has been difficult to find people willing to do the hard work. She posted job openings on Facebook, but said interest dropped quickly.

“I had seven people contact me about it, and when I sent them the description, I had no people respond,” Gotts said. “Finding a legal American here that is going to work as hard as an immigrant is nearly impossible, and I don’t know how to say that kindly or well.”

RELATED | ‘It’s been tough’: Farmers concerned about low snowpack

Gotts said the increase in immigration enforcement has made it harder to find migrant workers.

“The community has definitely been on edge around here. It’s heartbreaking cause they are living in fear here,” Gotts said.

Hiring undocumented workers is not an option, with serious risks for both sides.

“I do respect the laws of the country, and I want everybody that I work with to respect the laws of the country too,” Gotts said. “The repercussions are too bad, because one, you’re going to get fined. You have, unfortunately, an employee living in fear, and I don’t blame them, but they could get picked up at any moment, and then you’re without an employee.”

To keep her farm running, Gotts is hiring high schoolers and is now looking into the federal H-2A visa program, which allows temporary agricultural workers into the U.S.

“I have endeavored to spend $200,000 to build a small, small worker housing, so that I can get H-2 workers next year,” Gotts said.

RELATED | Twin Falls farmers face rising fuel and fertilizer costs ahead of the 2026 spring planting season

Without a stable workforce, the impact could extend beyond the farm.

“You probably won’t see higher grocery prices immediately, but it will kind of have a residual effect over the next two to three years, actually, because the crops that are getting grown this year are going into foods that are being produced that you will see on the shelves next year and the year after that,” Gotts said.

Gotts hopes for long-term solutions that support both farmers and workers.

“The misnomer that farmers exploit immigrants is just so sad to me because, like I said, my friends and neighbors, we love our workers, they’re our family,” Gotts said. “They want to work, and they will work hard. There needs to be a path for these people in our country to get a green card and be able to live here and work, because our government has failed them, and it is failing, I feel, the farmers in a way, too.”

Gotts is still looking for workers. If you’re interested, you can contact Quey’s Farm on Facebook. 

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

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Kaelyn Blessinger

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — As a severe drought emergency grips the region, Idaho farmers are facing a grim ultimatum: plant as usual and risk total failure, or reduce the number of crops they will plant this year to survive.

For multi-generational operations like Young Family Farms, the decision isn’t just financial—it’s a matter of long-term survival. Adam Young, whose family has farmed the land for decades, has already cut planting on approximately 100 acres this year to conserve a dwindling water supply.

“We’ve cut back, actually, fairly significantly on what we do water, just to make sure that we have a buffer and that we’re not using so much water that we’re running up against, our four year allocation that we have under a plan that we, negotiated with surface water users two years ago,” Adam Young, of Young Family Farms, said about their decrease in water.

The drought is hitting “thirsty” crops the hardest. Alfalfa, a staple for Idaho’s livestock industry, needs more water to produce a profitable haul. However, low market prices combined with water scarcity are making the crop a liability.

“I think there’s going to be a lot of pressure to take alfalfa out because prices have been low,” Young explained. “This water pressure just adds to that, particularly for those irrigating on canals who may not have enough water for a third or fourth cutting later in the season.”

To adapt, Young is pivoting toward grains to allow a buffer in their water allocation.

If next year’s snowpack is as low as this year’s, Young says farmers may have to band together to share their water supply, or risk losing all of next year’s profits.

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Megan Lavin

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — With a family of five biological children, Julz Kimbro thought her family was complete. She remembers, “We were not even looking to adopt.”

But then her sister sent her a US Adoption website. As she scrolled through it, her heart ached for the profiles on the site. She came across Zyeon’s profile and something changed.“I got to Zyeon’s profile and saw his face and my heart just swelled,” said Julz. “I could not shake him from my mind.”

Zyeon’s profile included his Wednesday’s Child segment, which was a partnership between Local News 8 anchor Jay Hildebrant and the Idaho Wednesday’s Child program. This partnership spanned over three decades and ran over 1000 stories. After seeing the children on television, many viewers over the years were touched, leading to several adoptions.“I found the Wednesday’s Child videos… and it humanized him,” said Julz, sitting next to her son. “It brought him to life for me.” After days of the unforgettable feeling, she told her husband that she thought they were supposed to adopt him.

“I just thought… I can’t ignore this feeling. I think we’re supposed to adopt this boy.” And now, it’s been six years since they took that leap.

“I was one of those kids”: Zyeon’s Perspective

Zyeon can look back and see how it positively impacted his life. “I definitely know that I would not be in any good place right now if I didn’t get adopted,” Zyeon said somberly.

When asked if he’s glad he did Wednesday’s child, he says: “I was really happy that I did it… because I think that’s what actually helped propel me out of where I was.”

Zyeon recognizes that children in foster care and group homes need a family, and that he’s not the only one. 

 “We’re only angry at the world because they didn’t have a family to call their own. That I don’t think they belong there,” remembers Zyeon. “And I was one of those kids. They deserve families.”

Looking Back

The Kimbros say they’ve learned so much about parenting and love by saying yes.

While Julz says it hasn’t been easy, it’s definitely been worth it. “We would not change our decision to adopt our amazing son for all the money in the world. Parenting him is so rewarding.”

The adoptive father, Mike Kimbro, agrees. “All these kids deserve a home and deserve a family. And especially we’re glad Zyeon came because he doesn’t realize how much he’s taught us about him and about ourselves.”They can’t imagine their family without Zyeon.

 “Zyeon belongs in our family… he is a very important piece of our family, and we love him dearly. We didn’t go looking for him… but God knew that we needed him,” said Julz.

Local News 8 was able to locate his original Wednesday’s Child news story. In it, he’s asked how he’d like his new family to show they love him. Zyeon had a sweet and short response:  “I really like hugs”. 

The reporter, Megan Lavin, who interviewed them, says, “I think it’s safe to say, he’s had plenty of those in the last six years.”

And the mom, Julz, agrees: “He gives the BEST hugs.”

Julz also notes: “He got thrown into a very large family and he put all his determination into making us his forever family, even when he sometimes felt very alone because he didn’t get to build those bonds at a young age.”

The Lasting Affects of Wednesday’s Child

The Wednesday Child news stories may have only been a minute or two in length, but their impact lasts far beyond the moment the story airs. 

Julz would still echo the Wednesday’s Child message for those listening today.

With tears streaming down her face, Julz commented: “If we can talk one family into changing one child’s life… imagine how beautiful this world would become.”

Even though our station doesn’t do air them anymore, if you’re interested, you can still go to the idahowednesdayschild.org to find out more about adoption and fostering.

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Danielle Mullenix

Idaho Falls, ID (KIFI) – With spring weather in Eastern Idaho comes unpredictable conditions, including freezing temperatures and late-season storms. With temperatures dropping below freezing again this morning, lawn care experts say preparation is key to protecting your yard from lasting damage.

According to experts at T&T Lawn Services in Idaho Falls, what homeowners do before and after a freeze can make all the difference.

“With the lack of winter that we had this year, we’re getting all the seeds that have blown in, and now it’s really causing havoc everywhere,” said Zachary Roudreau, fertilizer manager at T&T Lawn Services. “It’s important to take this into account going into the warmer seasons.”

Roudreau is one of the many workers at T&T Lawn Services who help locals repair their lawns following the harsh winter conditions in Eastern Idaho. When it comes to preparing your lawn against freezing conditions, he says simple steps go a long way.

T&T Lawn Services is located in Idaho Falls

“Obviously, somebody shouldn’t have tomatoes out right now, but if they did freeze, they’re going to die,” said Zachary Roudreau, fertilizer manager at T&T Lawn Services. “So you want to cover stuff up like that. Also, as far as sprinkler systems, you’re going to want to cover your PVB with blanket wrap—wrap as much as you can around it—because with the water that’s in it, the pipes will actually break or bust. Then you’ve got to call us to have us come fix it.”

Before the Storm

Taking preventative steps ahead of freezing temperatures can help minimize damage. Covering sensitive plants and exposed pipes not only protects them from freezing but can also prevent ice buildup. For lawns, pre-storm care can support fertilization efforts as the growing season continues into late spring.

During Freezing Conditions

Once temperatures drop, experts recommend staying off your lawn as much as possible. Walking on frozen grass can cause damage that lingers well into the season. This is also the time to make sure your sprinkler system is turned off to avoid frozen or burst pipes.

After the Storm

When temperatures rise and conditions improve, homeowners should shift focus to cleanup and inspection. Clearing debris and checking for any damage to plants, pipes, or sprinkler systems can help prevent further issues and keep your lawn on track for healthy growth.

Key Tips to Remember

Cover plants before a freeze

Protect PVB pipes with insulation or blanket wrap

Turn off sprinkler systems during freezing temperatures

Experts say timing is everything. Taking a few simple steps before and after a storm or freeze can go a long way in keeping your lawn healthy throughout the unpredictable spring season. To learn more from lawn care experts at T&T Lawn Services, click here.

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David Pace

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) – More than 520 Rigby fifth graders belted out patriotic numbers at a dazzling Hope of America program Wednesday celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary.

“What we have planned is a bunch of cultural signs and actions to bring people in the love of America,” said student Edward Hyde.

Parents, friends and family members filled the Hart Gymnasium at Brigham Young University-Idaho, eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of their favorite fifth-grader from Jefferson School District #251.

“I know that it’s soon America’s 250th birthday, so I know that it’s going to be great to celebrate,” said student Lydia Wetherell.

The performers hailed from six elementary schools – Cottonwood, Harwood, Jefferson, Midway, Roberts and South Fork.

“I get to teach about the history of America so they can learn as well,” said fifth grader Tessa Dudley.

The students performed classic patriotic numbers, as well as “The Ride of Paul Revere,” “We Can Be a Light” and songs about the U.S. Constitution.

Students from the district’s Espanol and Mandarin immersion programs sang “My Country ‘Til of Thee” in English, Spanish and Chinese.

“These kids are the hope of America,” said Hope of America Choir Director Debbie Madssen. “They are our future, and they’ll grow up and become leaders and voters and parents and teachers, and all the adults of tomorrow.”

Fifth graders from Rigby hold up their lights as they form the U.S. flag at the Hope for America concert.

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