Category: kifi-local-news

Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) warns people to watch for any invasive species that may be hitchhiking on watercraft this spring.

Cole Morrison, section manager of ISDA’s invasive species, noxious weeds, and grasshopper/Mormon crickets division, said aquatic invasive species are often brought in on boats coming into Idaho’s waters from out of state.

Morrison said even a handful of Quagga mussels, Zebra Mussels, Asian clams, or New Zealand mud snails can cause devastating problems for Idaho’s economy and ecosystem.

“They don’t have any natural predators or natural controls in the way of diseases that might suppress the population here, so they come in and they reproduce out of control,” said Morrison. “…And then even once these things die… they will still remain. Even though they’re dead, they’re still going to cause problems. That stops up water supply, and that’s a huge concern for Idaho agriculture, our partners at Idaho Power, [and] they have impacts on our ecosystem.”

Morrison said Quagga mussels pose a particular set of problems by filtering natural waterways and making them uninhabitable for native fish and plant life, and even causing algae blooms, which make water hazardous for humans and pets.

But the ISDA says simple boat maintenance, like pumping bilges and ballasts and inspecting fishing gear, can stop the spread of invasive species.

“If we make sure that all of our boats are clean, drained and dry, we’re going to do go a long way to make sure that none of these guys are moving around,” said Morrison.

The ISDA is manning boat check stations around Idaho to catch aquatic critters coming from out of state before they make it to Idaho waters. Boaters are required by law to stop at check stations, and ISDA agents will inspect and wash boats for free.

For more information on invasive species, boat check stations, and Idaho laws about watercraft inspections, you can visit the ISDA’s Invasive Species of Idaho website.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) awarded JR Simplot Company the ‘Adopt-A-Highway Group of the Year Award for Southeast Idaho’ on Friday, in recognition of the company’s hard work keeping their stretch of adopted road clean.

In 2005, Simplot adopted a two-mile stretch of US Highway 30, and, since then, employee volunteers have picked up trash twice a year and average about 1,600 pounds of litter cleaned up annually.

According to ITD, the Adopt-A-Highway program saves the State about $750,000 annually on cleaning costs, and volunteers have picked up around 5.5 million pounds of trash around Idaho since the program launched 35 years ago.

For more information on the Adopt-A-Highway program, you can visit the Idaho Transportation Department website.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – Governor Brad Little is taking steps to minimize wildfire risk through increased management of Idaho’s federal forests.

Tuesday, the governor issued a new executive order, the “Make Forests Healthy Again Act,” directing the Idaho Department of Lands to expand its partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to increase management activities and reduce fire risk in Idaho’s federally managed national forests.

“For too long, millions of acres of national forests in Idaho have remained totally untouched, creating a tinderbox of fuel that threatens communities, air quality, and the environment,” Governor Little said in a written statement highlighting the order. “The State of Idaho has led the country in standing up programs to help our federal partners increase the pace and scale of active management on federal ground.”

Governor Little’s action complements a March 1 executive order from President Donald Trump, aimed at revitalizing rural communities, cutting red tape to streamline timber production, and improving forest health.

According to a report by the National Interagency Fire Center, Idaho had more than 1,400 wildfires in 2024, burning nearly 1 million acres.

Under the Biden administration, there were only two small areas in national forests in Idaho where IDL could assist the federal government with expediting on-the-ground management activities, writes Governor Little’s office.

“The work we’ve done is making a difference. However, under the previous administration, we were limited in the extent we could help. That has changed under the Trump administration,” Governor Little said.

Little office says that with the Trump administration’s actions and the “Make Forests Healthy Again Act,” millions more acres of national forests could be authorized for treatment to reduce fire risk and improve forest health.

Trump administration officials have expressed support for Governor Little’s executive order.

“I commend Governor Little for acting quickly to fix our national forest emergency. Americans rely on Idaho’s productive and abundant forests, and this executive order will go a long way towards strengthening the timber industry in the state and minimizing harmful pests, disease, and risk of fire,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said

To track the progress on Idaho’s collaboration with the federal government, click HERE.

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News Team

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Local golfing enthusiasts are saying goodbye to the man known as the face of Idaho Falls golf. After 46 years with the city of Idaho Falls, golf pro Tim Reinke is retiring.

The 65-year-old joined the city in 1979 before he was promoted to the head golf pro of Pinecrest Golf Course in 1984. He became the manager of golf operations for all 3 city courses in 2014.

Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper says Reinke has been the driving force in making Idaho Falls’ golf courses the success they are today.

“He was one of the masterminds behind a significant management change over a decade ago that resulted in the City’s three courses emerging from what seemed like perennial red ink,” said Casper. “But perhaps more importantly, Tim has helped teach and share his love of the game with countless generations over the years.  He’s been a true steward of the sport—not just in our City, but in golf communities nationwide. He will be greatly missed, and we wish him well in his retirement.”

Reinke’s last day at the City will be on April 30, with a retirement celebration on Friday, April 25, from 4 to 7 PM at the Pinecrest Golf Course.

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Kailey Galaviz

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Bonneville Joint School District 93 is considering plans for the future of Ammon Elementary School.

In a D93 public board meeting, board members proposed the idea of relocating the Praxium Mastery Academy to the Ammon Elementary School building, due to the overwhelming popularity and success of the program.

The academy is currently housed in an auxiliary building near Rocky Mountain Middle School.

Superintendent Scott Woolstenhulme says many students at the Academy have expressed the desire to continue on in the program into high school, but have been unable to because of space limitations. If the students were allowed to continue the program from 7th to 12th grade, the district estimates a maximum enrollment of 450-500 students.

“Its current location… does not allow any expansions beyond 7th and 8th grades,” said Superintendent Scott Woolstenhulme. “The classrooms that we currently have there are full. We have perhaps one modular trailer that we could add an additional classroom in that trailer. But that does not allow a full expansion into high school.”

The proposal follows voter approval of a $34.5 million bond to construct a new elementary school south of Telford Road in Idaho Falls in 2023.

Superintendent Woolstenhulme says the district built multiple elementary schools to meet the rapid growth in population over the past 30 years. However, the district faced a new challenge as population growth fell short of their projections.

“At the time that we originally proposed the elementary school, we were anticipating that we’d continue to see that type of growth in the district,” said Woolstenhulme. “But through a couple of really interesting shifts in demographics that just didn’t happen.”

In response, several staff members at Ammon Elementary have requested that their entire team simply relocate to the new school building.

“We as a staff are not here to resist progress,” said Ammon Elementary 4th-grade teacher Tressa Packer. “We are here to advocate for a thoughtful transition. Rather than disband a cohesive team that has built a strong culture of learning and support, we are asking to move together as a nucleus to the new school.”

The school board will vote and decide in May or June.

D93 parents and staff are welcome to share their comments and concerns with the board through email. For more information, click HERE.

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Phillip Willis

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) hosted a celebration of Earth Day with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. There were speeches, awards, and traditional tribal dancing at the event, which 105 tribe members attended.

“This meeting today means a collaboration in the efforts to try to save our environment, protect out environment, protect our cultural sites.” – Ladd Edmo, Fort Hall Business Council

The celebration began with INL transporting participants to Middle Butte Cave, where the guests held a religious ritual before taking a tour.

The event continued at the INL Meeting Center in Idaho Falls, where guests were welcomed by INL Tribal Engagement Lead Elese Teton. Following remarks were given by the INL Deputy Lab Director, David Teter, Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office Deputy Manager, Mike McAnulty, and Fort Hall Business Council representative, Ladd Edmo.

A $25,000 check was presented to the Shoshone-Bannock Junior-Senior High School by the INL. The presentation was followed by gift exchanges to select members of INL staff from tribal representatives.

The INL’s Tribal engagement director Jennifer Jackson said about the event, “This is just one of the many events that demonstrates that we value them and their rich history, and that we want to learn from them.”

A traditional sign language performance of America the Beautiful was performed. It was requested that no recordings be made due to the sacred nature of the rendition.

The Shoshone-Bannock Dance Troupe danced to music performed by the drum group Sage Point. The event ended with a Friendship Dance, in which the entire group joined hands and danced in a clockwise pattern.

The tribe members were then transported back to Fort Hall.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATED:

TETON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) – A Teton County man is now in custody after allegedly firing off shots in downtown Victor.

At around 2:25 AM on April 21, the Teton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of shots fired near downtown Victor. The deputies determined that a Jeep and a Subaru had left the area together, the shots coming from the Subaru, according to the Sheriff’s office.

Deputies located the Subaru in Driggs, where they ultimately arrested the passenger, Jose Facio Garcia, for Attempted Assault and Carrying a Concealed Weapon while under the influence.

The incident is still under investigation by the Teton County Sheriff’s Office.

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