Author: KIFI

David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Gas prices have shot up overnight across the Gem State, despite the price of crude oil dropping from $110 over the weekend to $95 a barrel on Monday.

Prices at numerous gas stations in Idaho Falls sit at $3.49 a gallon. The average price of gas in the area is $3.31, up $0.18 from Monday. Last month, a gallon of gas cost around $2.92.

Drivers tell Local News 8 they’re feeling the pinch at the pump.

“If it gets to where I’m paying $60 to $90 more a month, that’s a good chunk of money – Food money, play money, helping our kids out,” said Jeana Burt of Rexburg. “It’s going to, it’s going to be a difference. It would be great if we had more control over gas prices. It affects everything.”

In other parts of the Gem State, drivers are grappling with gas prices close to $3.50 a gallon. In Boise and Lewiston, prices jumped around $0.20 to $0.30 since yesterday, with no sign of stopping.

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Kevin Richert

Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on March 10, 2026

BOISE, Idaho — For much of the session, legislators have been haggling over how to have a say over the way Idaho spends $930 million in rural health grants.

A new bill emerged Tuesday morning.

Introduced unanimously in the House Health and Welfare Committee, this bill follows a similar version from the Senate and would create a legislative committee to oversee Idaho’s federal Rural Healthcare Transformation grants. The money could have far-reaching implications — and could factor into Idaho’s medical education debate.

The two Rural Health Transformation Committee bills differ slightly.

The Senate version would create a seven-person panel: three senators, three House members and a nonvoting member appointed by Gov. Brad Little. At least three of the legislators would need to come from a legislative district “without a population center of 20,000 or more persons” — wording designed to ensure rural representation.

Under the House version, the panel would be larger — with four senators, four House members and a nonvoting gubernatorial appointee. The House bill doesn’t have the same rural wording.

Legislative leaders are committed to having rural representatives on the panel, said Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d’Alene, who is co-sponsoring the House bill with Health and Welfare Committee Chairman John Vander Woude, R-Nampa.

The committee will be bipartisan, Redman told House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, even though the bill says nothing about this. “I was assured that there will be a member of the minority party,” Redman said.

The House bill comes more than a month after the Senate’s version made its debut. Senate Bill 1264 has been parked on the Senate’s calendar since Feb. 13. On Tuesday, Redman told House Health and Welfare members that the bill will probably not get a vote.

The rural transformation money is a component of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. Idaho was awarded its share of the money in late December, and it will have five years to spend it.

Some lawmakers already have eyes on the money — with a view to a shortage that leaves Idaho ranked No. 50 in the nation in physicians per capita. They have suggested that Idaho could use the federal money to cover the cost of new Idaho residencies for medical school graduates. And that, in turn, would free up state dollars to subsidize additional medical school seats for Idaho students.

In January, Rep. Dustin Manwaring also suggested the state could use rural healthcare funds to acquire its own medical school — namely, the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, in Meridian. The for-profit ICOM is not for sale, but Idaho State University and some lawmakers have made no secret of their interest in a purchase. A medical education task force, co-chaired by Manwaring, R-Pocatello, incorporated a possible ICOM purchase into its January report to Little and the Legislature.

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News Team

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — Residents of Rexburg should expect a heavy police presence on the west side of town today, March 10, as the Police Department conducts a SWAT exercise on 1st S between 1st W and 2nd W.

Residents are being asked to avoid the area between 1st W and 2nd W until the drill concludes later this evening.

“You may hear loud noises, see drones in the air, and tactical vehicles on the road,” Rexburg Police stated in a Facebook post.

For more information, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A 41-year-old man on parole for drug trafficking faces new felony charges after Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputies discovered methamphetamine hidden in his vehicle during a Sunday night traffic stop.

Jeffery Don Williams was arrested on March 8 and booked into the Bonneville County Jail on charges of felony possession of methamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

The charges stem from a traffic stop that took place earlier that night, around 8:30 PM, near the intersection of Pancheri Drive and Dickson Avenue. A deputy spotted and pulled Williams over, knowing he did not have a valid driver’s license. Although Williams told the deputy of his parole status as a convicted drug trafficker and claimed the vehicle contained nothing illegal, a K-9 unit arrived and alerted deputies to the presence of an illegal substance.

According to a BCSO news release, Deputies then searched the vehicle, finding just over 17 grams of Methamphetamine and various items of Drug Paraphernalia in a hidden compartment under the seat.

Williams was subsequently arrested. His preliminary hearing has been set for March 20, 2026.

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KIVI Staff

By: Ellie Sullivan

Originally Posted 7:52 PM, Mar 09, 2026

BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of Donald Steven Lang.

The FBI is assisting the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office in finding Lang, who is wanted for being allegedly involved in the sexual assault of a minor in Idaho.

Lang was charged with three counts of lewd conduct with a minor under sixteen and one count of sexual battery of a minor. A state warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Lang is described as being a sailor who does odd jobs and has multiple tattoos on his body, including a faded conch shell on his right arm, with the word “captain” written above it.

Officials describe him as 5’8″ with light brown/gray hair and blue eyes.

Authorities say that Lang, a Canadian citizen, is known to sail around the world, with his “home base” being Hawaii.

He may be sailing somewhere between Hawaii and Fiji, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, or Indonesia.

He has ties to multiple places, including Hawaii, Idaho, Washington State, California, Fiji, the Marquesas Islands, Mexico, and Canada.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact their local FBI office or submit a tip online.

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KIVI Staff

By: Ellie Sullivan

Posted 8:58 PM, Mar 09, 2026

IDAHO (KIVI) — The Idaho Senate passed HB 583 in a 23-12 vote on Monday, a measure that ensures regulations on short-term rental owners may only be imposed when there is a public safety concern.

As Idaho News 6 has previously reported, the bill was introduced by Sen. Todd Lakey (R-District 23), and it would prohibit cities and counties from establishing ordinances that regulate the use of short-term rentals.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Short-term rental bills face off in committee, one advances to the Senate floor

The ruling came on Monday, March 9, and in response, the Idaho Vacation Rental Association (IVRA) issued a press release acknowledging the decision.

“We appreciate the careful deliberation that lawmakers have given to this issue throughout the legislative process,” said Spencer Bailey, President of the IVRA.

“This legislation does not remove local tools or diminish community protections… What it does is reinforce the idea that existing rules should be applied consistently across housing types, focusing enforcement on behavior rather than labeling one category of homeowner differently from another,” added Bailey.

The legislation has passed both chambers and is headed to Governor Brad Little’s desk for consideration and signature.

If signed by Governor Little, the legislation will take effect towards the end of 2026.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Transportation Department is urgently warning residents about a wave of scam text messages spreading across the state.

The texts claim that a traffic citation must be paid online or that a vehicle registration is overdue. ITD confirms these texts are fraudulent and not connected to ITD or any official DMV services.

“Scammers are targeting Idahoans with messages that look official but are completely fake,” said Lisa McClellan, DMV Administrator. “If the link does not have a dot gov address, it’s a scam.”

If you receive one of these messages, do not click any links and do not provide personal or payment information. Report the message to your phone provider and delete it. 

If you are concerned about your registration status, visit the official itd.idaho.gov website directly or call your local DMV office.

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Seth Ratliff

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY (KIFI) — On March 9th, Yellowstone biologists reported the first grizzly bear sighting of the spring season, signaling the end of winter hibernation. As the seasons change and Yellowstone prepares to open the West Entrance in April, the National Park Service is reminding visitors that all of Yellowstone is grizzly and black bear country.

The group was working in the backcountry of the northern part of the park when they spotted the bear scavenging a bull bison carcass.

“When bears emerge from hibernation, they look for food and often feed on elk and bison that died over the winter,” states the NPS in a news release. “Bears may react aggressively to encounters with people when feeding on carcasses.”

Male grizzlies typically come out of hibernation in early March, while females with cubs emerge in April and early May. In 2025, the first reported grizzly bear sighting happened on March 14th.

The NPS has provided the following guidelines to protect yourself and Yellowstone’s bear population:

Prepare for a bear encounter by carrying bear spray, knowing how to use it and making sure it’s accessible.

Stay alert.

Hike or ski in groups of three or more, stay on maintained trails and make noise. Avoid hiking at dusk, dawn or at night.

Do not run if you encounter a bear. Stay 100 yards (91 m) away from black and grizzly bears. Approaching bears within 100 yards is prohibited. Use binoculars, a telescope or telephoto lens to get a closer look.

Store food, garbage, barbecue grills and other attractants in hard-sided vehicles or bear-proof food storage boxes.

Report bear sightings and encounters to a park ranger immediately.

Learn more about bear safety.

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David Pace

RIGBY, Idaho (KIFI)  – Ten student entrepreneurs hit the stage for a “Shark Tank”-style competition Monday at Rigby High School.

The “Invest Nest” finalists competed for $10,000 in prize money, split among the top three business pitches.

“A bunch of students are competing for a pretty big sum of money – bringing their business ideas in front of a panel of judges,” said Bailey Davis, a contestant and senior at Rigby High School.

First place and a $7,000 check was earned by Brayden Hammer, who pitched HSR Adapters, “a custom-made phone scope adapter for your cell phone to adapt to spotting scopes and binoculars at an affordable price.”

Brayden Hammer took home first place at Rigby High School’s Invest Nest business pitch competition.

Davis took second place and a $2,000 prize for her photography business, “Photos by Bay.”

“I’ve been in business for about three years now,” she said. “I’ve been taking clients, and I take pictures of couples, families, seniors, individuals, weddings and small businesses,” she said.

Judge Garrett Foster presents Bailey Davis with a $2000 for second place.

Third prize and $1,000 was awarded to Ridge Turner for his Multifab Studio.

His goal is to custom manufacture and create products using a “3D printer, laser cutter, pen plotting and sticker cutting.”

Ridge Turner received third place and $1000 on Monday.

Students developed their pitches after school for over four months. To participate in Monday’s main competition, they advanced through two earlier rounds – a 30-second elevator pitch and a 2-3 minute polished pitch.

One took a non-profit twist.

“My business is called Local Life,” said Rigby High School junior Hannah Denning.  “It’s basically a nonprofit that would take people on a humanitarian trip in East Idaho instead of in Mexico or somewhere foreign like that.  I think it would be super awesome because I can give a lot more people a chance to go on a humanitarian trip and get that experience, because it’s more affordable, it’s less time-consuming, and it’s so much fun.”

The ten finalists were selected from a pool of more than 30 competitors.

Multiple competitors expressed a desire to launch their businesses – even if they didn’t win seed funding this round.

“My business pitch is a business called ‘Stink Be Gone.’ It’s a trash can cleaning business,” said entrepreneur Kade Scott, a junior at Rigby High School. “My goal with the business is just to clean out a bunch of trash cans and make a lot of money.”

The judges were Garrett Foster, a strategist for HK Contractors and Prevail Legacy Builders; Jace Poston, a partner with Poston, Denney Killpack accounting firm; writer and journalist  Brenda Stanley; and Kyle Jensen, a small business lender with Zions Bank. 

The winner will advance to regionals and a chance to compete for $20,000 in Utah later this spring.

Finalists Drexton Poulter, Emma Thornton, Bailey Davis, Kade Scott, Ridge Turner, Brayden Hammer, Hannah Denning, Austin Hude, Leini Kaaiakamanu and Hyrum Jones compete in the Invest Nest Competition.

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Curtis Jackson

HEYBURN, Idaho (KIFI) — A pedestrian was killed late Monday night, March 9, 2026, after being hit by a pickup on Interstate 84 near Heyburn.

Idaho State Police said the crash happened around 10:30 p.m. near mile marker 207. Troopers reported a 44‑year‑old man from Sebring, Florida, was walking east in the westbound lanes when he stepped into traffic.

A white 2013 Ram 2500, driven by a 22‑year‑old woman from Jerome with a 21‑year‑old passenger from Declo, struck the man. He died at the scene.

The two people in the pickup were not hurt and were both wearing seatbelts.

The westbound lanes of I‑84 were blocked for about two and a half hours during the investigation.

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