Category: kifi-local-news

Seth Ratliff

PAYETTE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — The Payette County Prosecutor’s Office has officially filed murder charges in the case of Michael Vaughn, the 5-year-old boy who vanished from his Fruitland, Idaho home in 2021.

It has been over four years since Michael, known by his family nickname “Monkey,” disappeared.

On Friday, the Payette County Prosecutor announced that Stacey Wondra has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping, and destruction of evidence. At the time of Michael’s disappearance, Wondra and his wife lived just a few blocks from the Vaughn family. Wondra is currently serving a sentence in an Arizona prison on unrelated charges.

The remains of Michael Vaughn have never been found.

Prosecutor Michael Duke stated that his office’s “fondest hope is to recover Michael,” but they are moving forward with the investigation and charges to ensure justice and to not pose further risk to Michael’s loved ones.

“We believe we know the individuals involved and are committed to pursuing justice with or without Michael’s recovery,” Duke stated. He credited the charges to the “unyielding tenacity and perseverance” of the Fruitland Police Department, which has not ceased working the case. “They are continuing to search and investigate so they can bring Michael’s body home.”

“We believe we know the individuals involved and are committed to pursuing justice with or without Michael’s recovery,” stated Duke. The charges are only possible as a result of Fruitland’s unyielding tenacity and perseverance. They have not ceased to work the case since the crime occurred, and they are continuing to search and investigate so they can bring Michael’s body home.”

Local News 8 has recieved a statement from Michael “Monkey’s” mother Brandi. She says, “Our family has mixed emotions. Yes, we are glad charges are coming. We want them to tell us where Michael is. Period. We will let the Justice System take care of the rest.”

Local News 8 will continue to provide updates as this case proceeds through the legal system.

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Jeff Roper

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — In the lead-up to Halloween, a team of Paranormal Investigators took a closer look into the strange activity surrounding an old plane at the Idaho Falls airport that’s long been out of service.

For nearly 20 years, Pocatello Paranormal Research (PPR) has established itself as Idaho’s most experienced crew for all things cryptid and creepy. According to the group’s website, the team is known for tackling strange happenings from coast to coast, but their latest case has them looking for residual turbulence in the static air of a grounded jet.

“We research anything and everything. Paranormal, cryptid, you name it, we’re out looking for it, investigating it,” said Colleen O’Hara, Owner and Operator of PPR.

She emphasizes that their work is often about providing comfort, not just confirmation. “We help them try to determine who’s in their home spirit-wise, and maybe become more comfortable with the activity. You can’t always guarantee you can clear it, but we can see if it’s dead, Uncle Fred or somebody else.”

Armed with thermal cameras, sensors, and what they call a “spirit box”, they’re trying to find out if something — or someone — is still hanging around.

Local News 8’s Jeff Roper tagged along with the ghost-hunting crew as they conducted their spooky stakeout. To see PPR’s full, spectral search and find out if they caught any unusual check-ins, watch the full video above.

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News Team

UPDATE:

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — All lanes of Interstate 15 are shut down in both directions near the Riverton Road Overpass, after a severe crash late Thursday night. Police say a tanker truck barreled into a support pillar of the bridge, causing significant damage that has compromised the bridge’s structural integrity.

The Idaho Transportation Department has closed the interstate and the overpass to all traffic indefinitely while they investigate the damage.

Crash Details and Investigation

ISP says the crash took place around 8:7 p.m. on Thursday, October 30th, near milepost 92.

Police say a 46-year-old man from Jerome, driving a white 2026 Kenworth towing an empty milk tanker, veered off the left side of the southbound lanes and slammed into the foremost bridge pillar.

The driver was seriously injured in the crash and was air-lifted to a local hospital for treatment. The incident remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police.

Commuter Alert: Extensive I-15 Detours

Drivers are being told to plan for delays and use detours to exits 89 and 93. All detoured traffic should use the I-15 business loop and US 91. For updates, click HERE.

ORIGINAL STORY:

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) – All lanes of I-15 are closed south of Blackfoot, following a tanker truck crash that happened late Thursday night at Milepost 93 in Bingham County.

The Riverton Road overpass will be closed until further notice due to damages sustained in the crash.

Traffic is being diverted at exit 93.

Local News 8 will update this story as we receive new details.

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Ariel Jensen

CHALLIS, Idaho (KIFI) – The man responsible for killing 47-year-old Patrick Shelton of Custer County has entered an Alford plea.

70-year-old Alan Douglas Bruce of Challis was arrested in May on felony charges of murder and destruction of evidence related to Shelton’s disappearance.

His body is believed to be scattered in the Salmon River. 

By entering an Alford plea, Bruce admits the evidence surrounding the case is enough to prove him guilty, but he does not admit to committing the crime. The court will still sentence him as if he had pleaded guilty. 

A sentencing date has been set for November 17th. 

Local News 8 reached out to Shelton’s family to get their reaction. They said this is not what they had hoped for, but they feel this is the best outcome they could get.  

DNA and skull fragments were found in Shelton’s truck in May, but the rest of his remains still haven’t been found, even after a lengthy search by Custer County Search and Rescue.  

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Curtis Jackson

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI )—A District Judge will not accept a plea agreement with a former Pocatello funeral home owner charged with mishandling dead bodies.

Lance Peck was scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, but was surprised by the judge’s decision.

Lance Peck is the former owner of the Downard Funeral Home. In 2021, police found dozens of decomposing bodies inside the funeral home, along with unmarked cremated remains.

This past June, Peck agreed to a plea agreement with prosecutors on a long list of charges, including grand theft and fraud.

Lance Peck sits in a Bannock County Courtroom on Thursday, October 30, 2025.

On Thursday, Judge Javier Gabiola said he could not accept the plea agreement. He gave no reasoning as to why he wouldn’t accept the agreement.

A status hearing was set for Dec. 1, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.

In the plea agreement, Peck could have faced three to seven years in prison on each charge.

The funeral home has since been demolished, and the site serves as a parking lot for Pocatello High School.

Families who attended Thursday’s hearing were shocked at the decision.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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Noah Farley

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Department of Insurance has issued a cease and desist order to UnitedHealthcare.

The Department of Insurance says in September 2025, it found UnitedHealthcare was deliberately limiting access to Medicare Advantage products by restricting access to the necessary online applications.

Among other things, the Idaho Department of Insurance says UnitedHealthcare overstates its expenses and increases its profits by not paying the agents who serve their customers.

The order says Idaho Legislature created the Trade Practices Law to define and prohibit any insurance business practices that are unfair or deceptive. The Idaho Department of Labor’s director is authorized to decide what business practices count as unfair or deceptive. 

Therefore, UnitedHealthcare is ordered to stop any action meant to limit or conceal Medicare Advantage plans from consumers in Idaho; altering its contracts with agents to withhold commissions meant to manipulate the insurance market; concealing Medicare Advantage plans on its applications that makes it difficult to apply for another plan; etc.

UnitedHealthcare can file a motion for reconsideration. It also has two weeks from receiving the cease and desist order to request a hearing.

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Danielle Mullenix

Idaho Falls, Idaho (KIFI) – Cirque Italia is set to dazzle southeast Idaho audiences this year with an all-new, magical dream adventure. The Cirque Italia III show “Water Circus” will be held on October 31- November 3 at the Grand Teton Mall in Idaho Falls.  

Residents of Idaho Falls are invited to experience a show unlike any other, promising unforgettable entertainment for all ages.

This year’s production takes audiences on a retrofuturistic journey through the steampunk Victorian era.

The Platinum Unit cast will transport spectators to an era defined by airships, clockwork automatons, and steam-powered contraptions, and nostalgic appreciation for older technologies and aesthetics. The result is a high-energy show designed to captivate audience members of all ages.

Featuring a talented international cast from Argentina, Brazil, Romania, and beyond, Cirque Italia showcases master jugglers, low wire artists, contortionists, trampoline performers, and the thrilling wheel of death. Attendees will witness breathtaking feats and unforgettable performances throughout the show.

Cirque Italia is committed to providing high-class, family-friendly entertainment. All shows are strictly animal-free, ensuring an inclusive environment for guests of every age.

Dates: October 31 – November 2, 2025

Location: 2300 East 17th St, Idaho Falls, ID 83404

Venue: Grand Teton Mall (Parking Lot)

Showtimes:

Friday, October 31: 7:30 pm

Saturday, November 1: 1:30 pm, 4:30 pm, 7:30 pm

Sunday, November 2: 1:30 pm, 4:30 pm

Tickets and Information: Tickets are now available for purchase starting at $10.00-$50.00, based on availability. For every full-priced adult ticket in levels 2 or 3, one child receives free admission (offer not combinable with other promotions). To receive the promotional code for the Idaho Falls shows, please call 941-704-8572.

Box Office Hours:

The on-site box office will open on Tuesday during the week of the show.

Non-show days: 10 am – 6 pm

Show days: 10 am – 9 pm

For more information on ticket purchases and other details, click here.  

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Phillip Willis

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Today is October 29. On this day in 1969, around 10:30 p.m., the first message was sent over ARPANET, the precursor to the internet.

UCLA Professor of Computer Science Leonard Kleinrock and his student Charley Kline had been at work, setting up a message transmission to go from the ‘UCLA SDS Sigma 7 Host’ computer, all the way to the ‘SRI SDS 940 Host’ computer, which was manned by Bill Duvall at the Stanford Research Institute, 350 miles away.

The professor had been working on a method of information transfer called packet switching that was implemented in ARPANET, which broke down information into smaller bundles of information that could be routed independently and reassembled at the destination, with lost packets retransmitted as needed.

Charley manned the helm, sending off the first message, which was meant to be “login”. However, the system crashed after the first two letters were sent. So the first message on the internet was just “lo”. A couple hours later, they completed the transmission. This one message began a chain reaction that led to the internet as we know it today.

Sources used for this story:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-29/first-electronic-message-sent-arpanet-internet-precursor

https://www.lk.cs.ucla.edu/internet_first_words.html

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Maile Sipraseuth

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– A sharp rise in drivers ignoring school bus stop signs in Bonneville County has bus drivers and deputies on edge, warning that one careless mistake could cost a child’s life.

In just nine weeks of the school year, Bonneville bus driver Jenny Sharp has already recorded as many stop arm violations as she saw all of last year, a surge local law enforcement calls for concern.

“So far this year, I have seen an increase of stop arm violations. In the nine weeks, ten weeks that we’ve been in school, I have had as many so far in these nine and ten weeks as I had all last school year,” Sharp said.

Bryan Lovell from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office says this increase in school bus stop violations is shocking.

“Our deputies have been receiving six to 10 stop arm violations a week just in the last month or so. And that’s that’s quite a bit. It’s quite unusual,” Lovell said.

But why? Both Sharp and Lovell believe that drivers are either not paying attention or in a hurry.

“I want to tell the drivers to slow down, especially when you see a school bus driver. If their amber lights are on, that doesn’t mean speed up and get around them. That means come to a complete stop before the red lights come on,” Sharp said.

“It’s important to really remind drivers and message out to motorists that they need to use extra caution and pay attention around these big yellow buses,” Lovell said.

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Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Typically, the middle of the summer is considered the heaviest time for construction projects. But as temperatures drop, the Idaho Transportation Department works to wrap up some of its work before winter sets in.

One of its bigger projects in eastern Idaho this summer has been the reconstruction and repair overhauls on several bridges north of Idaho Falls on Interstate 15. These are in Spencer, Stoddard Creek, Hammer area in the direction toward Sage Junction.

“There’s less traffic out there, but they’re very well-used recreational areas, and those bridges needed some attention. So we’ve been able to do that all summer long and through last winter too. And right now on those I-15 bridges, we are trying to just finish those up, get the paving done while it’s still warm enough to be able to during those certain windows of the day,” said Sky Buffat, Public Information Officer for the Idaho Transportation Department. 

There are still a few areas with lane closures as they continue work in preparation for next spring. 

“We go back in the spring, we can immediately do what’s at hand quicker,” said Buffat. “Paving has to be done in a certain temperature window, and we just simply don’t pave when it’s too cold because it won’t last. So it would be a waste of money. And we’re really careful about those kind of specifications, making sure to meet them.”

Not all the projects will be completed before winter, but most roads will reopen for drivers. 

“We really try to open up traffic as much as possible and not leave closures or traffic control in place all through the winter. There are occasions where it can’t be avoided, but for the most part, those work zones will be, cleared off so that winter traffic can get through and not have to worry about that,” said Buffat.

Other projects include one on State Highway 48 near Rigby, where they will install a traffic signal at one of the main intersections next spring.

They are also doing some repairs in Rexburg on the State Highway 33 near Pioneer Road, which is by Maverick. 

Drivers are reminded to use caution while driving through construction zones and to keep workers safe.

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