Author: KIFI

Kaelyn Blessinger

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — As skyrocketing costs for housing, gas, and groceries are stretching local food banks’ resources, Idaho Falls’ Community Food Basket just received a helping hand. Tuesday, the Food Basket received a massive 24-pallet food donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Tuesday.

The donation is part of the ongoing America 250 celebration and comes as local families face increased food insecurity. Food Basket managers expect the sizeable donation will help cover needs during the critical summer months, when the absence of school-provided meals puts an additional strain on household budgets.

According to Food Basket Executive Director Ariel Jackson, the grocery budget is often gets the short end of the stick in the struggle between rent, gas, and food.

“Everything is just more expensive. And the one place that people have the tendency to cut is their food budget,” explains Ariel Jackson, Executive Director of the Community Food Basket in Idaho Falls. “So maybe you don’t buy milk, and maybe you don’t buy bread so that you can pay your other bills.”

The donation follows a huge increase in demand, or “food-flation,” since the 2020 pandemic. According to Jackson, the Food Basket is serving between 6,000 and 7,000 people a month.

The Idaho Falls delivery is part of a broader humanitarian effort by the Church amid the America 250 Celebration. In the past month, the faith has provided similar large-scale donations to food banks in Blackfoot, Rexburg, and Pocatello in addition to several hundred donations to food banks across the country.

If you are in a position to provide support to your local food bank, they are always taking donations. For more information, click HERE.

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Maile Sipraseuth

AMMON, Idaho (KIFI)– Students at District 93’s Technical Careers High School got a firsthand look at the technology and teamwork behind Navy careers today, May 12, as the U.S. Navy brought its traveling “Strike Group” mixed-reality experience to students.

The showcase is designed to introduce students to Navy STEM careers through hands-on simulations and virtual reality experiences.

Students who participate can step into the roles of sailors, pilots, engineers, and Navy SEALs while learning about the skills needed to serve in some of the military’s most high-tech environments.

“This is very important to give the students a kind of a hands on look at what the Navy has to offer,” Navy Recruiter Brian Barnett said.

The “Strike Group” has three different interactive challenges:

All Hands

Participants will test their skills on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier in a five-person mixed-reality game.

Train

A Navy SEAL trainer will guide participants through multiple challenges to test physical strength, mental fortitude, and willpower.

Seek

Participants will undergo a real-life submarine mission called an Ice Exercise (ICEX) near the North Pole. Players will work together and use their skills in nuclear propulsion, sonar, and navigation to successfully break through the thick sea ice during the Arctic Ocean operation.

Students enjoyed the entire hands-on experience, especially the pilot simulator.

“It’s very interactive and gives us something to do instead of class,” Kaylee, a Careers Technical High School student, said.

Although some students did not want to explore a career in the Navy, it was still a great way to explore new avenues in STEM.

The next stop for the traveling “Strike Group” is the Alturas Preparatory Academy on Thursday, May 14.

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Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — In the face of heightened fire conditions, Bannock County officials are moving the annual burn ban up by a full month. The ban on all controlled burns and open fires will now take effect on June 1st.

The decision comes as a precaution ahead of the upcoming wildfire season. In April, eastern Idaho fire officials warned about a busy upcoming wildfire season driven by an extremely dry winter and changing weather patterns.

RELATED: Southeast Idaho fire crews prep for dry, potentially busy wildfire season

In mid-April, fire crews battled the Snake Fire, which burned nearly 100 acres along the Snake River in Madison and Jefferson counties. In addition, the Idaho Department of Water Resources declared a drought emergency for all 44 counties in Idaho due to a record-low snowpack, elevating concern among local fire officials.

Tuesday, Bannock County authorities announced in a post on Facebook that all controlled burns and open fires will be prohibited throughout the county starting June 1st.

In a Facebook post, Bannock County authorities advised residents to clear excess fuels from their properties ahead of the upcoming ban.

“If you live in a Wildland-Urban Interface area, now is the time to clear fire fuels from your property,” states the post.

If you need to conduct a controlled burn before the June 1 deadline, contact your local fire district today:

Arimo – 208-201-3590

Chubbuck – 208-237-3212

Downey – 208-897-5342

Fort Hall Fire – 208-478-3784

Inkom – 208-775-3372

Lava – 208-776-5366

McCammon – 208-254-3200

North Bannock Fire – 208-252-5048

Pocatello City – 208-234-6201

Pocatello Valley Fire – 208-221-3582

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Curtis Jackson

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)— A school bus with students was hit from behind in a crash along Highway 26 near 45th East, east of Idaho Falls.

Idaho State Police say the crash happened at approximately 6:48 a.m. while the school bus was stopped to pick up children.

A 2017 Chevrolet Traverse, driven by a Ririe woman, was heading west when she didn’t stop for the school bus, which had its lights activated.

The Traverse struck the rear of a stopped 2014 Chevrolet Silverado pickup, which rear-ended the school bus.

None of the children on the bus were injured. The drivers of the Traverse and the pickup were taken to the hospital.

The crash remains under investigation by Idaho State Police.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATED: May 14, 11:00 a.m.

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — The 27-year-old who went missing after a single-vehicle car crash has been found.

The Bannock County authorities have confirmed that Kendall Thoren was located alive by family and is being checked by medical experts at the Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello. In an official Facebook post, BCSO thanked the public for their swift response and willingness to assist in the search.

“We greatly appreciate the offers for help from the public,” states the post. “Your support and care for one another is what makes our community so great to work with.”

BCSO has asked community members to refrain from speculating on the circumstances surrounding the case, noting “what matters most is that Kendall is safe.”

Official details regarding the preceding car crash or the specific manner of Thoren’s disappearance are not being released at this time. Investigators have not indicated when further information might be made available.

ORIGINAL:

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office is requesting public assistance in locating 27-year-old Kendall Thoren, who has not been seen since shortly after a single-vehicle accident early Tuesday morning.

Thoren was last seen around 1:40 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12, in the area of Mink Creek and East Fork roads, following a crash at that location. According to BCSO, Thoren does not have his cell phone with him, complicating the search.

Search teams describe Thoren as a white male standing 6 feet tall and weighing approximately 180 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

BCSO and Search & Rescue crews are currently conducting ground and aerial searches in the area. The crash is also under investigation.

In a statement released via Facebook, the Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude for the public’s concern but cautioned volunteers from conducting their own search efforts.

“We appreciate the community’s concern and willingness to assist. Please be aware that any individual or group searches are conducted at your own risk,” stated the post.

Anyone with information regarding Kendall Thoren’s whereabouts or anyone who may have witnessed the accident is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office immediately at 208-236-7111.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Taylor Aughenbaugh, 20, will spend up to the next 25 years behind bars for his role in the 2024 Compass Academy parking lot shooting. On Monday, May 11, Seventh District Judge Jason Walker imposed the unified sentence, Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney Randy Neal announced.

The charges stem from the February 20, 2024, shooting, which was captured on police-recovered video. That footage shows a fight breaking out among a group in the parking lot, then gunshots ringing out. Police say Aughenbaugh fired at two men during the fight, hitting one victim in the upper back and the other in the leg.

Aughenbaugh ultimately pleaded guilty to aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in March as part of a plea agreement.

During the hearing, Neal argued for the 25-year unified sentence, while the defense requested a rider. Judge Walker ultimately sided with the State. Under the terms of the sentence, Aughenbaugh must serve at least five years of “fixed” time before he is eligible for parole.

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CNN Newsource

By Rebekah Riess, Ramishah Maruf, CNN

(CNN) — Data stolen in a cyberattack that shut down an education platform used by universities and K-12 schools across the US last week has been returned to the platform’s parent company, Instructure, according to an update the company posted Monday.

Canvas, a popular, cloud-based digital hub for classrooms, has more than 30 million active users globally, with more than 8,000 institutions as customers, according to Instructure.

A ransom note signed by a hacking group appeared on the homepage of Canvas sites for large public school systems and top universities like Columbia, Princeton, Harvard and Georgetown last Thursday.

The hacking group ShinyHunters claimed to have “breached” the platform’s parent company, according to a screenshot obtained by CNN. The group said impacted schools had until May 12 “to negotiate a settlement.”

ShinyHunters previously claimed it had breached 275 million individuals’ data and had access to “several billions of private messages,” according to a ransom note shared by Ransomware.live on May 3, which tracks ransomware attacks and groups.

Data accessed by the hacking group included information like usernames, email addresses, course names, enrollment information and messages, according to Instructure. Course content, submissions and credentials were not compromised, the company said.

Instructure said it received digital confirmation of the data’s destruction, called “shred logs,” from the hacking group, the company said. “We have been informed that no Instructure customers will be extorted as a result of this incident, publicly or otherwise,” the update said.

The agreement between the hackers and Instructure covers all impacted customers, the company said. “There is no need for individual customers to attempt to engage with the unauthorized actor,” the company said.

“While there is never complete certainty when dealing with cyber criminals, we believe it was important to take every step within our control to give customers additional peace of mind, to the extent possible,” the update said.

Instructure said it is organizing a webinar with company leadership to detail information about the attack and its efforts to harden the system. The company said it expects the webinar to take place on May 13 across multiple time zones.

The FBI mobilized resources in multiple states to assist victims of the hack, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

Canvas was “fully back online and available for use” Friday morning, Instructure said. Universities and school districts throughout the country reported their Canvas pages were back up and running, though some schools had already extended deadlines and changed finals schedules because of the hack.

“Many of you dealt with real disruption. Stress on your teams. Missed moments in the classroom. Questions you couldn’t get answered. You deserved more consistent communication from us, and we didn’t deliver it. I’m sorry for that,” Instructure CEO Steve Daly wrote in a message to customers.

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

CNN’s Hanna Park and Emma Tucker contributed to this story.

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Danielle Mullenix

AMMON, ID (KIFI) – A heads-up to drivers in Ammon this Tuesday: plan for delays today as crews repair damage left by an earlier water main break.

Starting this morning at 7 AM, crews will reduce traffic down to one lane in each direction between San Carlos and Rawson Street while permanent repairs are made. 

A map of the Ammon Road stretch that will experience maintenance on Tuesday, 5/12.

The City of Ammon says this construction is connected to a previous water main break that damaged the roadway. All traffic control will be handled by Idaho Transportation Services, while Premiere Paving crews work to repair and repave the damaged section of the road.

Drivers should expect slower traffic and possible backups throughout today, especially during the morning and afternoon commute hours. The lane restrictions will stay in place until the work is completed.

City officials are encouraging people to slow down in the work zone, watch for flaggers and construction crews, and, if possible, consider taking alternate routes.

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – After six kratom-related death investigations in 18 months in Bonneville County, the Idaho Falls City Council considered a measure last week to ban the sale of kratom within city limits.

“I was a little bit surprised by the number of letters I’ve already received about this,” said City Councilman Jim Freeman, who shared he has received a 2:1 ratio of correspondence supporting the ban.

The discussion comes seven months after the Bonneville County Coroner’s Office released a public health alert about the “dangerous and potentially fatal consequences of using” kratom.

The youngest-known kratom victim in Bonneville County was only 19-years-old, while the oldest was 42, according to the coroner office’s release.

City Council leaders said those opposed to banning the drug are well-funded and well-organized.

“If you’re not aware of the the financial contributions in this industry in the state of Idaho, they are very significant,” said City Councilwoman Michelle Ziel-Dingman.

She also confirmed that she has received twice as many letters supporting a kratom ban.

The drug is derived from the tree leaves of “Mitragyna speciosa,” which grows in Southeast Asia.

In low doses, it is a stimulant, but in higher doses it functions similar to an opioid depressant, the coroner’s release states.

It is often labeled as a pain reliever, but has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Kratom products that would be banned by the ordinance include “food, food products, ingredients, dietary supplement, beverages or any other substances containing kratom sold for human consumption.”

During the May 4 work session, the Council tabled discussion on kratom until May 18 or June 1, so that they can request expert testimony before the Mayor and a full City Council.

Council President Jim Francis acknowledged he’s received well-reasoned arguments on both sides, and said Council members will carefully consider and weigh their decision.

We will continue to follow this story as the Council moves toward a decision.

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Abi Martin

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho State Police is investigating a two-vehicle crash that happened Monday afternoon near Blackfoot.

According to ISP, the crash happened around 12:30 p.m. at the intersection of 450 West and State Highway 39.

Troopers say a 65-year-old woman from Blackfoot was driving southbound in a Dodge van when she crossed into the other lane and collided with a Peterbilt semi hauling a trailer.

The woman driving the van was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Her condition has not been released. The driver of the semi, a 65-year-old man, was not injured.

Investigators say the woman was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, while the semi driver was.

The roadway was blocked for about five hours while emergency crews responded and cleared the scene.

The crash remains under investigation.

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