Author: KIFI

Danielle Mullenix

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — In Idaho Falls, Alturas Preparatory Academy has welcomed a new member to their school resource officer team, and she is quickly becoming the “paw-sitively” most popular pup on campus.

Students are falling in love with Molly, a two-year-old golden retriever and therapy dog-in-training with the Idaho Falls Police Department. While she may not wear a badge, Molly has quite the job to do.

Officer Lyke and Molly outside of Alturas Preparatory Academy

Paired up with School Resource Officer Eric Lyke, Molly spends her days padding through hallways, popping into classrooms, and soaking up attention anywhere she goes. And if you ask students, she’s already the most popular face in the building.

“She has no clue about any of it. To her, this is just another regular day,” Officer Lyke says while looking at the gallery wall of student art in his office with Molly. “She just goes about, but she has really made an impact with a lot of people who just love her.”

Officer Lyke’s office, where he regularly updates his walls with the latest artwork dropped off by students of he and his partner, Molly.

From excited greetings of “Hi, Molly!” to quick stops for pets between classes, her presence brings an instant lift to the school day. For some students, that connection goes even deeper—offering comfort during stressful moments or simply a reason to smile.

Molly, of course, takes it all in stride.

With a wagging tail and boundless energy, she greets everyone like an old friend—completely unaware of the impact she’s making.

And that impact is real.

Officer Lyke says Molly has a special way of breaking down barriers, which helps students feel more at ease around law enforcement.

“She kind of takes away that scare factor,” he said. “She helps students realize we’re here for them.”

Before arriving at Alturas Academy, Molly was already making a difference—working with juveniles in a detention facility, where she began her therapy training and earned a basic certification.

Now, she’s settled into a new routine with Officer Lyke. The two start their days together, head to school side by side, and rarely leave each other’s company.

“She is absolutely amazing,” Officer Lyke said. “You can’t ask for a better partner.”

Whether she’s rolling over for belly rubs, brightening someone’s day, or quietly sitting beside a student who needs it most, Molly is proving that sometimes the best kind of policing starts with connection.

She’s still in training, with the goal of becoming a fully certified therapy dog—but around Alturas Academy, it’s safe to say she’s already earned her place.

After all, it’s hard not to trust someone who leads with kindness… and a wagging tail.

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Danielle Mullenix

Gusty winds will continue to pick up throughout the region this Wednesday, with an advisory stretching from the Gallatin National Forest and Salmon down into the Upper Snake River Plain past Idaho Falls. Record-high temperatures do remain in play, though, with some areas seeing afternoon forecasts climbing up into the upper 70s. A cold front on Thursday will quickly drop these numbers back down.

High clouds will drift through the region and push North as we jump into Wednesday morning and afternoon. No weather hazards or impacts are expected beyond potential dust-blowing from high wind speeds. Winds in the Upper Snake Plain could bring a small amount of blowing dust today, but not nearly as much as we saw two weekends ago. Wind speeds will range from 25-35 mph and possibly gust to 50+ mph.  This possibility begins at 9 am and will last until 9 pm. 

Highs will reach the mid- to upper 70s this afternoon, breaking records and creating seasonal serotonin (for those who prefer warmer seasons). This time of year usually puts us around the 50s for highs, which we will see briefly on Thursday. Low temperatures tonight will fall below freezing across the central mountains, but be warmer in Southeastern Idaho.

Following these high wind speeds on Wednesday, a small cold front will push through Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming on Thursday, dropping temperatures back into the lower 50s during the afternoon. Wind speeds decrease, settling back into the teens and 20s. Little to no precipitation is expected across Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming.

Winds ease up by Friday, with warmer temperatures slowly making their way back into the forecast to close out the weekend.

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David Pace

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho is boosting its support for families of public safety officials who are killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty.

“These events really never get easier,” said Gov. Brad Little. “But that’s all right. We are here to remember people.”

Less than one year ago, two Idaho firefighters were killed on Canfield Mountain, and others seriously injured when they were ambushed while responding to a fire in Coeur d’Alene.

Gov. Brad Little signed a new law today providing additional benefits to the families of Idaho public safety officers who are killed or severely injured in the line of duty.

Family members of multiple fallen public safety officers attended the ceremony.

The Governor affixed his signature to House Bill 642 at the five-acre Idaho Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park in Boise.

“We are here to remember people, and in this particular piece of legislation – their families – [at] this hallowed piece of real estate here, where we remember those people that have sacrificed in the past,” Little said. “But more importantly, [we honor] the people that put their lives on the line every day.”

The law covers police and firefighters and ensures that the “spouse of a public safety officer who sustained a catastrophic injury that results in death” will receive a $75,000 annual pension and a one-time $500,000 payment.

If there is no surviving spouse, the one-time payment will be distributed evenly among the officer’s dependent children.

“Today’s bill signing represents an important step forward for Idaho’s public safety officers and their community,” said Professional Firefighters of Idaho Vice President Matthew Smith. “House Bill 642 addresses the gap between catastrophic line of duty injury and catastrophic line of duty death benefits for public safety officers. This legislation helps correct that imbalance and provides meaningful support and peace to the families who have given everything in service of Idaho and their people.”

The bill passed the Idaho Legislature with unanimous support.

The benefit will be funded by public safety officer pension contributions. Each employee will pay $110 every year per $100,000 in annual earnings.

“It reflects a simple but powerful commitment that when tragedy strikes, those left behind will not stand alone,” Smith said. “This legislation ensures their legacy will endure. It stands as a lasting promise written into law that their families will be cared for and that we as a community, as a brotherhood and sisterhood, will continue to stand together in their memory and in their honor.”

Gov. Brad Little joins Idaho first responders to honor fallen firefighters and police officers Tuesday in Boise. | Courtesy Joan Varsek

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News Team

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — The City of Blackfoot is calling on the community for leads after a vandal or vandals violently smashed a stall in the men’s restroom at Jenson’s Grove.

In a Facebook post, the City of Blackfoot shared photos of the vandalism. Due to the damage, the men’s restroom at the park is closed until further notice.

The city is now asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the Blackfoot Police Department.

“We appreciate the community’s help in keeping City facilities safe and respectful,” the city stated in its post.

For more information, click HERE.

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Par Kermani

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) – The Blackfoot Animal Shelter is facing a critical overcrowding crisis, with officials reporting that the facility has been at maximum capacity every day since opening its new doors last May.

Shelter Director Amanda Cevering said the situation has reached a “dire” point, driven by a relentless surge in abandoned animals and unchecked local breeding.

Since the beginning of 2026, the shelter has already rescued between an estimated 300 and 400 animals, which puts them on track to meet and exceed their typical annual average of 1,500 rescues.

“Every shelter, rescue, foster homes… everybody’s full,” Cevering said. “And it’s because people keep breeding and breeding and breeding.”

The severity of the crisis was highlighted recently when four puppies were found abandoned in a small kennel at a Walmart loading dock.

The mixed-breed abandoned puppies were discovered covered in filth and feces, suffering from hunger and thirst. While police recovered the puppies, the angle of the security footage prevented authorities from identifying a license plate on the vehicle involved.

Cevering said the dumps are happening “all too often.” She added, “We’ve been at our new facility since May. And we have stayed at full capacity.”

With the Easter holiday approaching, shelter staff are also warning the community against the practice of giving animals as gifts. Cevering said the shelter regularly receives calls from people looking to surrender pets they received as presents but no longer want.

“Do not give animals as gifts,” Cevering said. “And remember, animals are a lifelong commitment. It’s not just until they grow out of their cuteness. It’s forever”.

To combat the overcrowding, the shelter is urging residents to prioritize spaying and neutering their pets. Cevering dispelled common myths about breeding, noting that fixing pets can prevent various forms of cancer.

She noted that with animal shelters constantly at full capacity and not enough people adopting, it makes it difficult to care for and give all animals a chance.

“No kill does not mean absolutely no kill. It just means you stay at a certain amount, or the animals are not euthanized on the premises.” Cevering noted, “Euthanasia is something that nobody wants to talk about. Nobody wants to think about. They want to turn a blind eye to it… However, you’ve got to look at the bigger picture.”

As a nonprofit organization reliant on donations, the shelter is encouraging those looking for a pet to choose adoption over breeders. Cevering emphasized that the shelter’s goal is to find the right behavioral fit for a family, rather than just matching based on appearance.

For more information on adoption or how you can donate to help the shelter, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — One of the oldest women in the world is making one final journey back to Idaho, where she’ll be laid to rest.

Bonita Gibson, who passed away in Canton, Michigan, on March 10 at the remarkable age of 114, is returning to the state where her family tilled the earth and farmed potatoes for over three decades. At the time of her passing, Gibson was the oldest living person in Michigan, the second-oldest in the United States, and the seventh-oldest person in the world, according to the Gerontology Research Group.

Witness to a Century

Long before she became a supercentenarian, Bonita lived through some of the pivotal moments of American history.

She was born on July 4, 1911, to John Franklin and Ella Mabel Spear, 6 years before the United States entered the First World War. In April 1930, she married Kenneth Gibson in Oregon, Missouri. Two years later, at the height of the Great Depression, the young couple migrated west to the Gem State to join Kenneth’s uncle in the wheat business.

Eventually, the couple settled in Newdale, where Kenneth transitioned into the potato industry. Following the end of World War II in 1946, the Gibsons moved to Idaho Falls. Bonita remained a fixture of the community until Kenneth’s passing in October 2003, after 72 years of marriage, according to her obituary.

The Secret to 114 Years

Bonita’s deep connection to Idaho went beyond her 70+ years living in the Gem State; Up until she was 109 bonita would keep a fridge bottom drawer full of Idaho potatoes for cooking in her retirement home apartment, reports WXYZ-TV in Michigan.

Last summer, the Idaho Potato Commission helped her celebrate her milestone birthday in style, driving the famous 72-foot fiberglass “Great Big Idaho Potato” to her retirement home in Michigan.

Courtesy, WXYZ-TV

While she spent her final years in the Midwest, Bonita’s final resting place will be at Fielding Memorial Park Cemetery in Idaho Falls.

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 24 MAR 26 17:39 ET

By Pat Reavy

Click here for updates on this story

    MIDVALE (KSL) — A joyride on the hood of a car on I-215 — apparently all for social media hits that had reached 9 million views as of Tuesday morning — caught the attention of more than just the man’s followers.

After the Utah Highway Patrol saw the video, they tracked the 20-year-old man down and arrested him.

About 7:30 p.m. on March 14, a West Valley man — who describes himself as a “digital creator” on Facebook — posted a video of himself riding on the hood of a moving vehicle on eastbound I-215 between about State Street and Union Park Avenue. The edited video shows the man sitting on the hood, then kneeling with flowers and a ring as if he’s proposing to someone, and lying on the hood while talking on the phone.

His actions are recorded by a camera inside the vehicle.

UHP troopers were made aware of the video on the morning of March 15.

“Based on the recklessness of the male on the hood of the vehicle, troopers believed if he fell off, he could have caused serious injury to others or himself. Troopers then began conducting an investigation into the reckless incident,” a police booking affidavit states.

“Troopers went to the area of 230 East on I-215 South eastbound and located multiple red/orange/yellow flowers that matched the flowers used in the video,” according to the affidavit. They then tracked down the man whose name was on the Facebook profile where the video was posted.

Monday, troopers went to the man’s home and placed him into custody.

“While transporting (the man) to the Salt Lake County Jail, he (said) he made a dumb decision and that riding on the hood was a terrifying situation,” the affidavit alleges.

The man’s car, which had an expired registration, was impounded after troopers “located containers with nicotine pouches inside, an open container of an alcoholic beverage with alcohol inside in the center console, and two unopened alcoholic beverages in the trunk,” the affidavit says.

The man was booked into jail for investigation of several misdemeanor crimes, including reckless endangerment, aggravated disorderly conduct on the highway, having an expired registration, having an open container of alcohol in the car, and being a person under 21 and possessing alcohol.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. ­­­KSL verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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Kevin Richert

Originally Posted: 03/24/2026, IdahoEdNews

By: Kevin Richert and Ryan Suppe

BOISE, Idaho — A late-session bill to address school sexual abuse investigations sailed through the Senate.

Without debate, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 1412 — a response to the spate of tort claims filed against the Boise School District, involving former special education assistant Gavin Snow.

SB 1412 would add whistleblower protections for school employees who report sexual abuse. The bill also would prohibit schools from conducting “an internal review or investigation of alleged abuse, abandonment, or neglect of a child in lieu of reporting to law enforcement.”

During opening remarks, the bill’s Senate sponsor said SB 1412 is designed to bring consistency to the process of vetting applicants and hiring staffers.

“Student safety should never depend on whether the right steps are followed,” said Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton.

Introduced in Senate committee just last week, the bill heads to the House.

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KIVI Staff

Originally Published: 24 MAR 26 14:27 ET

By Lorien Nettleton

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    BURLEY, Idaho (KIVI) — A 77-year-old retired veteran in Burley is fighting to keep his home after a cash-for-homes company filed a lawsuit against him over an electronic contract he says he never understood.

Ron Paget, who has lived in his Burley house since 2013, has until this Thursday, March 26, to formally reply to the lawsuit in court. He is currently trying to raise enough money to hire a lawyer.

“To me, it’s been a whole scam all the way through,” Paget said.

In January of this year, Paget received an estimate for roof repairs that would cost him about $100,000. He commented to the roofer that it would make more sense to sell the house.

“And he says, ‘I’ll give you $350,000 for it,’ and I says ‘Well, fine, I’ll give you a week to come up with it,'” Paget said.

After a week had passed, Paget called the roofer as a courtesy to tell him he was going to list the house with a realtor. The roofer told him he had a realtor friend who could help sell his house.

That is when Paget started getting documents in his email asking for signatures. He said he did not realize he was signing off on the agreement simply by clicking through each page.

“It would only take you through the little places where you’re supposed to sign in, so you push on that and sign it, and then when that’s done, it all disappears. That’s the stuff I couldn’t even read,” Paget said.

Paget changed his mind about selling altogether because of the hassle and sought to cancel the agreement. He then started receiving emails from someone named Char Hiaring.

“I never opened any of his emails because I figured I didn’t even know who he is. Why would I open his e-mails if I don’t know who he is?” Paget said.

Hiaring describes himself on social media as a multi-millionaire real estate investor and influencer. He is also listed on the Secretary of State’s website as the principal contact for Sell My House Idaho, LLC. Both Hiaring and the company are named in the lawsuit filed against Paget on March 6.

Teresa Loya, who has 25 years of experience in the real estate industry, said there are a variety of red flags in how this sale progressed.

“Typically, you know, in a real estate transaction, the seller and buyer are both aware of who each other are,” Loya said.

“Pressure to sign quickly, pressure to sign in a manner that you’re not comfortable with, if that’s a lot of times, that can be an electronic signature situation,” Loya said.

A GoFundMe fundraiser is hoping to help the fixed-income veteran cover costs for an attorney.

Neighborhood Reporter Lorien Nettleton has tried to call and email Hiaring and his businesses to understand their side of the deal, but has yet to hear back.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KIVI verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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News Team

DRIGGS, Idaho (KIFI) — A boil water advisory for residents living north of Valley Center Drive. Recent testing confirms that the water supply is once again safe to drink.

The advisory was triggered after a city water system valve was accidentally closed, causing a significant drop in water pressure. When pressure drops below certain levels, there is a potential risk for backflow, which can allow bacteria, viruses, and parasites to enter the supply.

While the water is safe, residents in the affected areas should flush their taps by running cold water for 3–5 minutes before drinking or cooking.

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