Author: KIFI

Kaelyn Blessinger

MADISON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — The Madison County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a series of disturbing incidents involving a man accused of exposing himself to drivers along Highway 20.

Detectives believe the suspect is specifically targeting lone female drivers and are calling on the community for help to find him.

According to an MCSO Facebook post, the suspect is described as a white male in his 30s to 50s driving a sedan with Idaho plates.

“The reason for us wanting to post this on Facebook and to get the word out there was just we think there’s a lot more people out there that might have information about who this individual is or potentially could be victims of, you know, this, this lewd act,” said Detective Christian Teague, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office PIO.

Based on these reports, investigators believe there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward. The MCSO is urging anyone with information to come forward.

“So we’re just wanting to make sure that if you have information about the vehicle or who this person might be or, if you’re a victim or if this happened to you, to reach out to the sheriff’s office,” said Detective Teague.

If you have seen this vehicle or have been a victim of this behavior, contact the Madison County Sheriff’s Office Detectives at 208-372-5001, or click HERE for more information.

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Seth Ratliff

Ford Motor Company is recalling more than 420,000 vehicles due to a defect with the windshield wiper arms.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warns that the windshield wiper arms may break, potentially leaving drivers blinded during a storm.

The recall includes certain Ford Super Duty trucks, Expeditions, and Lincoln Navigators from model years 2021 to 2023. Ford has confirmed that all licensed dealers will inspect and replace the wiper arms as necessary, free of charge.

Owners are expected to receive notification letters starting next week, around April 13, 2026.

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Seth Ratliff

JACKSON, Wyoming (KIFI) — Grand Teton National Park is starting prescribed burns today, April 9th, just east of the Jackson Hole airport. Around 196 acres will be burned as part of the larger 4,000-acre Hayfields Restoration Management Area.

The primary goal of the burn is to remove non-native vegetation, paving the way for the return of native rangeland species. This ecological “reset” is a collaborative effort between fire managers and park ecologists.

“Removing non-native vegetation will also benefit wildlife, such as bison, elk, pronghorn, sage grouse, and songbirds, and will reduce fuels near historic park structures in case of a wildfire,” states the NPS in a news release.

The fire will be along Mormon Row between Gros Ventre and Antelope Flats roads. The NPS may see smoke in the area during the day today. While the burn is expected to be completed in a single day, the NPS warns visitors that smoke will be most visible during the afternoon and may settle in low-lying areas as temperatures drop in the evening.

No areas of the park are expected to be closed, but staff may briefly pause traffic to allow fire crews to work safely along the roadway. Drivers are urged to slow down and watch for fire personnel and equipment. Prescribed fire signs will be posted along all adjacent roads.

For more information, visit tetonfires.com. 

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David Pace

ARCO, Idaho (KIFI) – As Artemis II prepares to splash down in the Pacific Ocean Friday – achieving speeds of 25,000 miles per hour during re-entry – it’s time to look back on America’s previous successful lunar landings, and the Idaho connection that helped make them possible. 

With the eyes of the world glued to the Artemis Mission and its trip around the moon, Craters of the Moon National Monument has a historic role – serving as a training ground for astronauts here in eastern Idaho.

Apollo 14 enters Idaho’s orbit

“Apollo is fundamental for us being able to reach for the stars,” said Shannon Kobs Nawotniak, a NASA-funded Researcher and Idaho State University (ISU) Geosciences Department Chair. “Before Apollo, that was sort of an imaginary concept. The idea that we could actually send people to the moon – that was a fairy tale, and Apollo took that from fairy tale to reality.”

In the late 1960s, crews for the Apollo 14 mission arrived at Craters of the Moon, eager to learn from one of Earth’s most lunar-like lava landscapes.

“In 1969, that’s when the four astronauts came out,” said Craters of the Moon Chief of Interpretation and Education Michael Irving. “So August of 1969, they came out and did their training in geology here.”

The astronauts Alan Shepard, Joe Engle, Eugene Cernan, and Edgar Mitchell belonged to Apollo 14’s primary and backup crews.

“These gentlemen had to be experts, more or less, in volcanic geology in order to help bring back the most valuable information that they could,” Irving said.  

But first, the astronauts, who were military pilots and not trained scientists, needed to learn more about geology.

At Craters of the Moon, the four explorers were taught how to identify valuable geologic specimens on their future space voyages.

“The Apollo missions were really about, could we actually bring people up and bring them down?” Kobs Nawotniak said. “There was science that was achieved; it was important, but it wasn’t driven by science.”

The astronauts also visited locations in Hawai’i and Iceland for their training.

Destination – The Moon

It was the golden age of space travel. 

“Alan Shepard was the first American and the second human to ever go to space,” Irving said. “So he was then involved with a number of space flights and activities in between his first launch and there. But he was able to go up on Apollo 14.”

Apollo 14 launched from Kennedy Space Center on January 31, 1971.

The astronauts’ geology training at Craters of the Moon paid off.

Apollo 14 was the third manned space mission to land on the moon.  

Commander Shepard became the first man to golf on the moon.

He also collected a 19-pound moon rock named “Big Bertha.” Scientists later discovered it contained a 4-billion-year-old meteorite that had come from the Earth, making the discovery the oldest known Earth rock in the galaxy. 

In total, Shepherd and Mitchell brought home 95 pounds of moon rocks back to Earth.

Later in Apollo 17, the last man to walk on the moon, Eugene Cernan, also received his training at Craters of the Moon.

Cernan commanded the Apollo 17 mission. He and fellow astronaut Harrison Schmitt brought home 4.5-billion-year-old specimens formed deep in the Moon’s crust.

“It’s the exact same material that is erupting here [in Idaho] as we have forming the moon,” Kobs Nawotniak said. “So it gives us really, really fantastic comparisons.”

Researchers from NASA and Idaho State University continue to push the boundaries of space exploration right here on Earth.

“You can crawl through lava tubes here at Craters of the Moon. They’re going to give you an experience just like the ones that we have up on the moon,” Kobs Nawotniak said. “The scoria cones that we have here, we’ve actually got some features that are like that on the moon. We’ve got lava flow fields on the moon that look like the ones that we have here.”

For future space explorers, a world as far away as the moon can sometimes land in your own backyard.

“If you want to be part of this Artemis mission, this Artemis expedition, Artemis future, you need to come to Craters of the Moon and experience Artemis and the moon right here in Idaho, because it is an unparalleled resource,” Kobs Nawotniak said.

The Apollo 14 Lunar Module lands on the Moon in February 1971.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Calling all Pocatello poets! The Marshall Public Library in Pocatello is celebrating 25 years of their annual Poetry Wall throughout the month of April in honor of National Poetry Month.

Community members of all ages are encouraged to submit their poems for the wall. Elementary students and seniors have already been featured in this year’s collection.

“Anyone can be a poet,” said Trina Bonman, Associate Director of the Marshall Public Library. “You don’t have to write serious poetry, anyone can come up with a few lines of verse. And this is a really cool way for our community to share poetry.”

The yearly tradition was started in 2001 by a local librarian and poet, Joan Juskie. Now, the wall stands as an outlet for community members to share their work with others and honor her legacy. After each Poetry Wall, the works are placed in a community collection for people to continue to enjoy.

“We’ve had entire classes of kids do poetry before, so that’s really fun,” Bonman said. “Sometimes it’s art and poem that goes along with it, we love to see that. Anything, any style, the word poetry where it makes different shapes, or even a few lines. We will take anything and everything and put it up.”

You can bring in a paper copy of your poem to the library or submit through email.

“It’s just exciting to see what the community comes up with, what they feel like expressing,” Bonman said. “It’s cool to see that even in a community like Pocatello, Idaho, we have this much poetry to share.”

More information about submissions is available on the library website at marshallpl.org.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Golfers in Pocatello will soon have a new place to rest between rounds. The Riverside Golf Course is getting a two-story, 3,700 square foot new clubhouse sponsored by Connections Credit Union.

The clubhouse is made possible by a donation from Connections Credit Union and will feature an indoor golf simulator, restaurant, pro shop and a large patio space for guests to enjoy.

“This is an exciting step forward for Riverside Golf Course,” said Anne Butler, Director of Parks and Recreation in Pocatello. “We’re thrilled to see this project move into the construction phase and look forward to providing an unpdated clubhouse that will better serve golfers and visitors for years to come.”

Parking will be adjusted throughout the duration of the construction project. Golf cart trailers will not be allowed in the main parking lot, but additional parking areas are marked to accomodate golfers during this time.

Visitors are encouraged to arrive earlier than normal for their tee times and drive cautiously on the Bannock Highway during the construction. Pocatello Parks and Recreation is grateful for the community’s patience and support as the highly anticipated project moves forward.

The new clubhouse is expected to open in time for the 2027 golf season.

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Dylan Carder

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – New concerns over Idaho’s water supply outlook after the latest report from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The big picture message from the report is that Idaho is heading into a difficult water year.

The state’s snowpack peaked at 68% of normal this year. That is one of the lowest on record since they began taking measurements in the 1930’s. The snowpack also peaked on March 17, that is about three weeks earlier than usual.

The record temperatures in March has added to the tough situation. In just a month, the Snake River in Heise saw its streamflow forecast drop by a million acre-feet. Around 25% of the snowpack had already melted away by April 1. Having the little snow that did fall melt sooner will lead to a shorter runoff season.

Nearby Upper Snake sub-basins are also looking bleak. Henry’s Fork and Teton Basin are both severely dry. Some areas are approaching historic drought levels.

Irrigation in the area will be impacted with demand likely exceeding the natural flow much earlier than usual. This could be especially problematic for users without reservoir storage and those without groundwater backup.

The next month could be critical for this years outlook. If the warm and dry spring continues, there will be low summer river levels and officials warn there could be no recovery for the streamflow. Users are strongly recommended to plan on using the the 70% or 90% forecasts to decrease their risk of running out of water.

See the full report here.

The next meeting to update the outlook is tentatively scheduled for May 20.

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Seth Ratliff

POWER COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Authorities have identified the suspect responsible for a violent shooting that left two Pocatello residents dead and two others injured in northern Power County last Friday, April 3.

Bannock County Coroner Torey Danner identified the suspect as Richard Todd Forrest, 63, of Pocatello.

RELATED: Coroner names Pocatello residents killed in Friday shooting along Tank Farm Road

According to investigators, Forrest allegedly shot and killed Brandon Lee Madden, 40, and Amanda Ann Christian, 36, at a home along Tank Farm Road. Two additional victims were injured during the attack, but both are in stable condition.

Forrest was subsequently shot and killed by responding law enforcement officers after he brandished his firearm toward them.

Bannock County has confirmed Forrest’s next of kin has been notified.

“Our office is committed to a standard of absolute accuracy and compassion. When family resides out of state, the logistics of locating and notifying them personally becomes more complex, but it is a necessary step. Ensuring a family hears this news from a professional—not from a news headline or a social media post—is a matter of respect that we will not compromise on,” said Bannock County Coroner Torey Danner.

Power County Sheriff Kasey Kendall urged the public to avoid spreading rumors as the investigation continues.

“We ask for the community’s continued patience as our investigators work through the complexities of this case. At this stage, speculation only hinders the process. We will provide a clear and factual account of the events as soon as it is responsible to do so,” said Power County Sheriff Kasey Kendall.

Two separate investigations are currently underway to handle the events of the shooting. Power County Sheriff’s Office continues to be assisted in the homicide investigation by Idaho State Police, Power County Coroner’s Office, and Bannock County Coroner’s Office. The Idaho Falls Police Department remains the lead agency for the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.

Authorities are also preparing to release a critical incident video to provide transparency regarding the officer-involved shooting. Bannock County confirms that further details regarding the motive and circumstances of the initial shooting will be shared as the investigation continues.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Bonneville County Prosecutor’s Office is publicly speaking out against a sentence handed down to an Idaho Falls man found guilty of felony battery on a police officer, arguing the light punishment fails to deter violence against law enforcement.

Wednesday, Seventh District Judge Brendon Taylor sentenced 33-year-old Christian James Markmiller to four years of probation and a “withheld judgment” following a two-day jury trial. The decision comes despite the state’s request for a five-year prison sentence.

“The wrong message”

In a Facebook post, Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney Randy Neal expressed deep concern that the sentence sends the wrong message to the public.

“I am concerned that this sentence does not reflect the type of deterrent necessary to keep officers safe,” Neal stated in a press release. “There has to be a message that assaulting police officers carries with it a significant consequence. Mr. Markmiller continues to show a defiant, contemptuous attitude and a disrespect for the jury’s verdict.”

The “First Amendment Audit” Incident

The case stems from a confrontation on June 13, 2025. According to court documents, Markmiller approached and began filming Idaho Falls Police officers as they investigated a report of an impaired driver.

The Officers reportedly told Markmiller he could video the traffic stop from a safe distance, but the 33-year-old continued to approach, circling and shouting at them. When ordered to “step no closer,” Markmiller refused.

As an officer attempted to arrest him for interference, Markmiller hit the officer in the head and continued to resist until he was tackled and handcuffed.

During the trial, Markmiller argued that his actions were protected under the First Amendment, claiming he had a “duty” to disobey what he perceived as an unlawful order. Neal, however, categorized Markmiller’s behavior as a “First Amendment audit,” a trend where individuals film police to provoke a reaction. While Neal acknowledged the right to record, he emphasized that the First Amendment is not “absolute” and does not grant immunity for physical violence.

Understanding the Sentence

Under Idaho law, a withheld judgment is a sentencing tool where a judge places a defendant on probation without formally entering a judgment of conviction.

If Markmiller successfully completes his probation, he can petition the court to dismiss the case entirely, effectively wiping the felony from his record. State law only allows a defendant to use this option once in a lifetime.

The state had argued strongly against this outcome, citing the severity of the felony battery.

Markmiller was given credit for 72 days already served in jail following his conviction on January 27, 2026. He must now comply with all terms of his probation, including fines and community service, or risk having the withheld judgment revoked and potentially serving a prison sentence.

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