Author: KIFI

David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – A rash of influenza cases in Idaho is raising alarm bells around the state.

Corbin Bunnage, a physician assistant at Sterling Urgent Care, says this is the worst flu season he’s seen in decades.

“It’s been one of the worst flu seasons that we’ve had in 30 years,” Bunnage said. “In such a brief period of time, we went from having almost no flu cases to just being one of the worst in Idaho in the entire country.”

On the three-day weekend following Christmas, Sterling Urgent Care treated 180 patients, and 1/3 tested positive for influenza, he reports.

“We’ve had, I think the most recent CDC estimates is 11 or 12 million cases that we’ve had, and most of those have come just within the last six weeks,” Bunnage explained.

Corbin Bunnage discusses the rising number of influenza cases across eastern and southern Idaho.

Eastern Idaho Public Health’s Health Strategies Program Manager Rachel Mugleston confirmed that three local individuals have died from influenza in Public Health District 7 this season.

“It’s definitely an upward trajectory of these influenza-like illnesses across the state,” Mugleston said.

Last year, 87 Idahoans died of influenza, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reports. The DHW has designated all of southern Idaho as “very high” for influenza transmission.

“Primarily, right now we’re seeing H3N2, which is influenza A,” Mugleston explained.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has designated all of southern Idaho as “very high” for influenza transmission.

This year’s virus has been particularly widespread because it mutated to develop a subclass K variant, commonly known as the super flu.

Bunnage said that as vaccination rates have declined, disease transmission is up.

Experts still recommend receiving the flu vaccination to help protect against this year’s super flu variant.

Vaccines are available at Eastern Idaho Public Health offices located in Bonneville, Custer, Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, Lemhi, Madison and Teton counties.

You can visit Eastern Idaho Public Health’s website for more information, to schedule an vaccination appointment or to call one of their local offices.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has designated Idaho “Very High,” it’s highest rating, for influenza transmission.

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News Release

The following is a news release from Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson’s Office:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson–Chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee–highlighted the inclusion of $13,000,000 in funding for the State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) for the cities of American Falls, Bellevue, Fort Hall, and Rigby Idaho, at his request through Community Project Funding (CPF) in H.R. 6938, the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026.

“During this pivotal time for water in Idaho, I am proud of the resources provided for water infrastructure projects and the impact they will have in our neighborhoods,” said Rep. Simpson. “As Idaho’s only appropriator, it is my honor and responsibility to advocate for Idaho and ensure our state’s priorities are heard. I am proud of the collaborative effort with my office and the cities of American Falls, Bellevue, Fort Hall, and Rigby to produce meaningful results for our communities.”

“The City of American Falls is preparing to move forward with a much-needed, citywide drinking water project to modernize aging infrastructure, improve water efficiency, and position our community for responsible growth. This project is critical to the long-term health and reliability of our water system, but it carries a cost that is difficult for a small city like ours to take on alone. For that reason, we are respectfully requesting $2 million in federal support through Community Project Funding. We are grateful to Congressman Simpson for considering this request. His support would help ease the financial burden on our residents and allow us to move forward with work that is essential to the future of American Falls. This investment would benefit not only today’s residents, but generations to come,” said Gilbert Hofmeister, Mayor of American Falls

“Our city faces issues with growth, water usage, and undersized lines. The American Falls Drinking Water Project will correct these issues—but at a high cost. The work has to be done, and it has been a struggle finding enough funding for this vital project while keeping up with the other demands of a city. We thank Congressman Simpson for being an ally to us in Congress to get a significant share of taxpayer monies returned to this area to help cover the cost of upgrading our water system,” said Scott Dalling, American Falls Water Superintendent.

“On behalf of the City of Bellevue, as Mayor of our community, I would like to extend my deep gratitude and appreciation for Congressman Simpson’s leadership in advancing $4,000,000 in Community Project Funding towards the City’s public drinking water system improvements project. The funding will be used to bring the City’s drinking water system back into regulatory compliance with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, providing long-term, reliable drinking water services to Bellevue. These funds will help offset the exorbitant costs of the required improvements ensuring affordable drinking water services to those who live, work, and recreate in our community. Thank you for representing the great state of Idaho, and small communities like ours,”said Chris Johnson, former City of Bellevue mayor and current public works director.

“On behalf of the City of Bellevue, I extend our community’s deepest gratitude to Congressman Mike Simpson for his leadership in securing $4,000,000 in Community Project Funding for critical improvements to Bellevue’s public drinking water system. This funding will enable the City to bring its drinking water infrastructure back into compliance with Idaho Department of Environmental Quality regulations—ensuring long-term, reliable, and safe drinking water for all who live, work, and recreate in Bellevue. These federal dollars will significantly reduce the financial burden of necessary upgrades, helping us maintain affordable water services for our residents and businesses. We are sincerely thankful for Congressman Simpson’s continued commitment to representing the great state of Idaho and supporting small communities like ours. His advocacy makes a lasting difference,” said Mayor Christina Giordani, City of Bellevue.

“Access to safe and reliable drinking water is essential to the health and safety of our Tribal members. The Sheepskin Water Tank Replacement Project addresses long-standing infrastructure needs and will help in improving water pressure, storage, and fire protection for our growing community. We’re profoundly thankful to Representative Mike Simpson for his steadfast support and advocacy throughout this process and for his continued efforts to advance critical infrastructure projects that directly benefit the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes,” said Donna Thompson, Chairwoman of the Fort Hall Business Council.

“The City of Rigby is very excited about the STAG funding announcement. The funding will greatly assist in making much needed improvements to the City’s water facilities. We are grateful to Congressman Simpson’s office for assisting us with this opportunity. This investment in our community will help us be better prepared for our future needs and growth,” said Mayor Richard Datwyler, City of Rigby.

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News Team

BURLEY, Idaho (KIFI) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced that President Dallin H. Oaks will formally dedicate the newly built Burley Idaho Temple this Sunday, January 11, 2026.

To accommodate the local membership of the faith, the Church will broadcast the 10:00 a.m. MST dedication ceremony to all congregations within the temple district.

The Burley Idaho Temple becomes the newest addition to the Church’s significant footprint in Idaho. The new house of worship represents the 11th temple announced, under construction or in operation, in the Gem State, which is home to nearly half a million members of the faith.

Prior to the dedication, the public had the opportunity to tour the house of prayer in a two-week temple open house, which concluded in late November. Once dedicated, the Burley temple joins an expansive global network of over 380 temples in various stages of development or operation. Following the dedication, the building will be closed to the general public and used exclusively by faithful members of the LDS Church. For more information, click HERE.

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Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS/POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) —The City of Pocatello officially welcomed new Mayor Mark Dahlquist and City Council Members Dakota Bates, Stacy Satterfield, and Ann Swanson during the City Council meeting on Jan. 8, 2026.

Mayor Dahlquist, a lifelong resident of Pocatello, brings extensive experience in leadership and management to the role. From 2007 until 2025, he served as Chief Executive Officer of NeighborWorks Pocatello, where he focused on housing, community development, and neighborhood revitalization. Before that, he spent 17 years in leadership and management positions with Farmers Insurance.

After the ceremony, Dahlquist said, “To make our community the very best it can be. Just remember to be involved. Volunteer being advocates for the community. We all together will make this community rise and be the very best it can be.”

The City also recognized the three City Council members who were sworn in following the November election.

In Idaho Falls Mayor-elect Lisa Burtenshaw officially began her term, taking the oath of office alongside elected City Council members during a ceremony at the City Council Chambers.

In addition to Burtenshaw, Brandon Lee was sworn in to City Council Seat 1. Jim Francis and Jim Freeman, who were reelected to Seats 4 and 6, also took the oath to begin their new terms.

Burtenshaw’s term begins following her election in December 2025. She succeeds outgoing Mayor Rebecca Casper, who served the city for 12 years and leaves a legacy of dedicated public service.

“I am honored to serve the residents of Idaho Falls and to begin this next chapter with such a dedicated City Council,” Burtenshaw said. “I look forward to engaging with our community, listening to their ideas, and working together to make Idaho Falls a great place to live, raise a family and grow a business.”

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Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Warm winter weather is reshaping Idaho’s snowpack and raising concerns about water supplies for farmers, especially in the state’s southern basins.

If the lack of a white Christmas was not troubling enough, the latest precipitation numbers aren’t going to be enough to save farmers from using reservoirs in parts of the state.

While this year is not a traditional drought year in terms of precipitation, temperatures have been so warm that much of that moisture is falling as rain instead of snow at lower and middle elevations.

“We haven’t seen a winter this warm in quite a while,” said David Hoekema a Hydrologist at Idaho Dept. of Water Resources. “From a precipitation perspective, we’re leaning more pluvial — the opposite of drought — but the way that moisture is stored is the real issue.”

In the Boise basin, precipitation is about average, In the Upper Snake the snow pack is above average, but the situation is most troubling along Idaho’s southern border basins — including areas south of Twin Falls, Goose Creek and Salmon Falls Creek — where warm temperatures and a forecast for a warm January point to a “really rough year” unless weather patterns change dramatically.

If warm temperatures continue and spring arrives early, runoff could come sooner and weaker than usual, leaving farmers with water shortages. How severe those shortages become will depend on storms and temperatures over the next several weeks.

Farmers there are expected to rely heavily on whatever water is already in reservoirs, plus minimal runoff if conditions do not improve.

In the Upper Snake region, which includes irrigators from the Henry’s Fork down to Milner Dam, the outlook is “dicey.” Reservoir storage is roughly 500,000 acre-feet below normal, and an early warm spring could trigger an early and weaker runoff than current snowpack indices suggest.

“We’ll probably see some water shortages,” Hoekema said “How serious those are depends on what happens from here on out.”

State and federal water managers plan to dig deeper into the data at a water supply meeting scheduled for Jan. 15. Analysts will compare SNOTEL measurements with modeling tools that estimate snowpack across entire basins at fine elevation intervals.

Their goal is to determine how much area lies below the current snow line and how much snow might be missing from the official record before making firmer projections about irrigation supplies for the coming growing season.

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Stephanie Lucas

BOISE, IDAHO (KIFI) – The Bryan Kohberger murder case has taken another unexpected turn.

All four families of the murdered University of Idaho students are suing Washington State University, according to the Idaho Statesman.

The lawsuit maintains the University remained “idle,” despite knowing about what the lawsuit claims were “repeated instances of discrimination, sexual harassment, and stalking by Kohberger in its educational program.”

Kohberger was a teaching assistant at Washington State University while he was pursuing his P.h.D in criminology at the time of the murders.

The families claim WSU’s inaction on previous complaints that Kohberger was harassing women “ultimately culminated in Kohberger stalking and murdering the decedents.”

The Statesman got the 126-page complaint from Skagit County Superior Court in Washington. It seeks unspecified monetary damages. 

All four University of Idaho students – Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen – were murdered in an off-campus home in Moscow in November 2022.

Bryan Kohberger took a plea deal on four counts of first-degree murder earlier this year.

He is serving four life terms plus ten years at the Idaho maximum security institution. 

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David Pace

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) – Following the tragic shooting at the LDS meetinghouse in Salt Lake City, students at Brigham Young University-Idaho shared their reactions to the devastating news.

“Something so tragic as a shooting like this is very upsetting and very sad for not only the people of Utah, but also for people around the world,” said Tessa Crapo, a student from Washington.

Sterling Jarvis had been in Utah’s capital on Wednesday.

“I was pretty like shocked when I heard about it. My fiance and I actually just traveled from Salt Lake, like, literally yesterday, so we, like, had perfect luck. I mean, we weren’t going to a church house or anything, but it was just pretty freaky that we were just right there,” Jarvis said. “It’s always, like, an awful thing to … like, violence is never okay. That was just super tragic.”

Mary Beth Jarman, a senior at the university, had a relative who was present at another church shooting in Grand Blanc, Michigan.

“It just makes me kind of upset because those are sacred places, and those are places that a lot of people come to worship,” Jarman said. “It’s a community, and so there really isn’t any right for any individuals to come in and try and disrupt that.”

Salt Lake City police have confirmed that the shooting was not a hate crime, and the students shared their hopes for healing in spite of the attack.

“I don’t know if it’s, like, targeted or something like that, but, you know, there’ll always be people that want to tear down things that are good,” said Miles Miller.

The students expressed confidence and optimism that despite the tragedy, they will move forward with their lives and continue to make a positive difference in the world.

“This is completely wrong, and we need to start taking action because if it was my brother, I would take action,” said BYU-Idaho student Hyrum Earl. “I would say, ‘Hey, I need to start doing something now to help this not ever happen again.’”

BYU-Idaho students discuss Wednesday’s shooting in Salt Lake City at a LDS church.

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Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — The Pocatello Police Department is actively asking for the public’s help in finding a critically missing, endangered man.

Matthew Stuart Apted left his apartment and belongings in a damaged state at the end of September 2025. However, he continued to speak with family on the phone through text and phone calls until December 16, 2025, when he said he would be boarding a plane to Colorado on December 23, 2025.

He has not been heard from since. According to the Police, Apted may be suffering from mental health issues and suicidal ideations.

He was last seen walking around Yellowstone Drive in Pocatello wearing a long trench coat.

Anyone who has seen Apted or may have information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the Pocatello Police Department at (208)234-6100.

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News Release

The following is a news release from the City of Idaho Falls:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Beginning at 7 a.m. Friday, Jan. 9, Union Pacific crews will conduct railroad crossing work at the crossing between N. Holmes Avenue and N. Boulevard. Work is anticipated to be completed by Sunday, Jan. 11.

Work will take place daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will occur in phases. During the first phase, the center median will be closed for vacuum truck cleaning near the crossing. In a later phase, outside lanes will be closed to remove old railroad crossing signal equipment.

Drivers should expect lane closures and delays in the area. Please watch for posted directional signs, slow down and use caution near construction crews.

While this is not a City of Idaho Falls project, a notice is being sent to help Union Pacific alert the public. For questions, please contact Union Pacific at (316) 452-0949.

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News Team

MADISON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — A 29-year-old Sugar City man is in custody following a multi-month investigation into the possession of child pornography.

Jacob Morris was arrested on January 7, 2026, after investigators from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Idaho Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, executed a search warrant at his residence.

The case began on October 31, 2025, when Madison County detectives received a “Cyber Tip” from the Idaho ICAC Task Force. Following a two-month investigation, authorities obtained a warrant for Morris’s Sugar City home.

During the search on Tuesday, detectives took Morris into custody without incident. He has been charged with ten felony counts of possession of sexually exploitative material.

Morris made his initial appearance in Madison County Court on January 8, 2026. During the arraignment, a judge set his bond at $300,000.

This is a developing story. Local News 8 will provide additional details as we learn more information. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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