Category: kifi-local-news

Bailee Shaw

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) Fire crews in Idaho Falls are investigating a fire that burned a home at 1419 East 25th Street in Idaho Falls.

According to PulsePoint, eight units responded to the incident at about 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning.

Firefighters said neighbors and a delivery driver alerted the family to the fire and helped them escape. One neighbor also rescued a child from the basement.

Based on the video shared with the newsroom, the fire appears to have burned the garage section of the home and may have damaged a truck sitting in the driveway.

No one was injured in the fire. Chaplains were called to assist the family with resources.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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Maile Sipraseuth

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI)– The 42nd annual Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival began Wednesday Sept. 9, bringing 12 days of art, creativity and culture to Western Wyoming. This year’s festival also comes with an extra reason to celebrate as Jackson earns the top spot for “Most Vibrant Arts Community”.

Visitors can explore work from top Western, wildlife and landscape artists through gallery shows, exhibitions and other events throughout the Jackson area.

Jackson was recently named the No. 1 most arts-vibrant community in the country, ranking ahead of San Francisco and New York. Meaning the town has prioritized federal arts grants and funding for art communities.

“We’re all super proud of this,” John Morgan, the Vice President of Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce said, “This is a very prestigious thing for Jackson Hole to be recognized as the number one most arts-vibrant community in America.”

Morgan says the arts are an important part of what makes Jackson Hole a vibrant place to live and visit, from live music and performing arts to culinary and visual arts.

“The arts are immensely important to the quality of life of people who enjoy that, or people that live in the area. We have so much live music that happens throughout Jackson Hole all year long. That’s a testament to the vibrancy of our arts community,” Morgan said, “All of those things contribute to what makes a community, an arts vibrant community.”

For Morgan, one event stands out above the rest: Palates and Palettes.

“That is flat out one of the best things to come out and do to experience vibrancy, for sure,” Morgan said, “Whether you’re an art buyer or just someone who likes to walk through art galleries, or someone who just wants to feel the vibe of a town or a city, come out to palettes and palettes.”

Visitors and art enthusiasts can stop by the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce building to pick up an official Fall Arts Festival brochure. The brochure includes a complete listing of all participating galleries and scheduled events throughout the celebration.

The festival runs until Sept. 12.

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Maile Sipraseuth

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI)– The Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival kicked off Wednesday Sept. 9 with the unveiling of a sculpture honoring one of the region’s most famous grizzly bears.

Hundreds of people flooded the National Museum of Wildlife Art to see the museum’s newest installation, “Against All Odds,” featuring Grizzly 399, after two years in the making.

“We’re thrilled. The biggest part as we started the project without funding she was not commissioned. And so we had to reach out to donors and money came in and trickled in at first, and we could make each milestone as it happened, but we still didn’t know if we could pay for her and even continue to send donations. And so it’s been a labor of love,” Lead Sculptor Jocelyn Russell, said.

Grizzly 399, famously known as the “Queen of the Tetons,” became an icon of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem during her long life. She was known for raising large litters of cubs and for frequently bringing them near roads in Grand Teton National Park, where she became a favorite among wildlife watchers and photographers.

Grizzly 399 was killed in 2024 after she was struck by a vehicle in the area of U.S. Highway 26 in Wyoming.

RELATED: Grizzly bear 399 fatally struck by vehicle in Snake River Canyon

The new sculpture serves as a memorial to the famous bear while also highlighting the importance of wildlife conservation.

Russell says Grizzly 399 was an extraordinary mother and praised her ability to safely navigate the rugged landscape while raising her cubs.

“She was an amazing mother,” Russell said, “The range, how she navigated through the canyons and got her job safely that far, is just phenomenal.”

The sculpture now stands at the National Museum of Wildlife Art as a tribute to Grizzly 399 and her lasting impact on the Jackson Hole community and the people who followed her story.

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – High school students interested in highly skilled, high-paying STEM careers in the future can jump-start their search as part of two upcoming programs at College of Eastern Idaho.

Inside the brand-new Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) Future Tech building in partnership with Frontier Credit Union, the college is offering a Nuclear Industry Symposium and IDEA Academy to high school students free of charge.

“Our mission really is to help infuse the STEM pipeline. We’re doing things that we know our local employers like the INL [are looking for],” said CEI Associate Vice President over K-14 and Rural Initiatives, Mary Stephenson. “We really want to help students create momentum and also interest in the jobs that are coming their way.’

Nuclear Industry Symposium

250 high school seniors will participate in a Nuclear Industry Symposium held Wednesday Sept. 16 from 9 AM to 3 PM.

“Students that attend will be able to talk to those industry professionals, learn about their own career path, the education and training that they need to get those jobs and start to make those network connections that will really make a difference for them,” Stephenson said.

IDEA Academy

In addition, CEI is launching a three-month-long IDEA Academy on Tuesdays, starting Sept. 22, from 12:30 to 2:30 PM where 20 lucky students will learn to how to master Artificial Intelligence technology.

“This nine-week Idea Academy will focus on AI, where we’ll go over the foundation of AI, how to use it responsibly and ethically, and then how to use it in any future career that they might have,” said BEA Applied STEM Institute Director Frankie Adams. “As you know, we are using AI in almost every sector. It’s being used anywhere from health care to engineering.”

Limited seats are still available in each program for high school students ages 16 and up.

“It will be a hybrid format where they will do some of their learning online, and the labs will happen here inside the STEM Institute,” Adams said.

The college is excited to expand academies for high school students in the future, including an Engineering Academy in March.

“High school students will be able to join a 9 or 12 week academy and walk away with those three things for college, credit, credential and connections,” Stephenson explained.

Both the Nuclear Industry Symposium and IDEA Academy are free of charge, thanks to state grants and partnerships. To register for the program, visit www.cei.edu/stem.

Ultimately, college leaders say the goal is to peak students’ interest and show them the exciting possibilities of STEM careers in the future.

“We want Idaho students to be able to fill these great Idaho jobs that we know are coming and coming quickly,” Stephenson said.

CEI’s BEA Future Tech Building in partnership with Frontier Credit Union is home to the new BEA Applied STEM Institute for high schoolers.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The fall semester has been underway at Idaho State University for a few weeks, and President Wagner gave his fall address titled “Rooted in Legacy, Driven by Purpose” to cover the 125 years of history and what his administration seeks for the future of the university.

The theme of today’s speech was resilience, persistence and courage to continue carrying the baton of ISU’s legacy from the Bengals of the past. President Wagner explained that ISU wasn’t always a four-year institution, rather went through an evolution of being a technical institute, a southern branch of the University of Idaho, a two-year academy and finally, after decades of advocacy, a university.

“Nobody handed us a beautiful campus,” he said to the crowd. “125 years were built by countless individuals committed to this campus.”

The rich history of the educational institution at the base of Red Hill has built what ISU has become today. President Wagner said in the earliest days, students boarded with local families and dined in a hall they lovingingly nicknamed “The Beanery.” At one point during the university’s history when it was a southern branch, U of I students refered to it as “the twig.”

A basement was used as a lab, students roomed in cardboard boxes and tents, building tiny cities to afford going to school. It took 46 years of advocacy work from individuals like Theodore Turner until 1963 when ISU became the four-year university that serves thousands of students today.

“We exist for one purpose,” President Wagner said. “To make impact. ISU drives impact.”

That impact is felt across disciplines as ISU makes waves in nuclear power, healthcare in rural communities, pharmaceutical programs, and on the national athletic stage. President Wagner said ISU has faced backlash for decades.

“There were poeple who thought our ambitions were too large. People who wondered whether Idaho really needed what was being built here, and Bengals answered them with results,” he said. “Idaho State accumulated something far more important than prestige. It created purpose.”

He went on to say the real measure of the success of a university isn’t about the size of the building or the amount of money in their budget, rather the impact built because the university exists. Every higher edcuation institution in Idaho faced challenges in the spring when statewide budget cuts put a strain on university’s to determine where programs could be cut, combined, moved or adapted.

“We adapt, evolve and even embrace change,”

-President Wagner

“The greatest contributions aren’t behind, I believe the opposite,” he said. “We become indispensable to the state and become a part of shaping Idaho’s future.”

Following his address, President Wagner said he’s most excited for the energy felt already on campus this fall semester. With all the 125th Anniversary celebrations continuing this year, progressions across fields including the success of athletic teams, there’s a tangible energy on campus.

This is the first semester under ISU’s new structure, presented in last spring’s Presidential Address following statewide budget cuts and university-wide layoffs. The president said he’s been proud of how the faculty and staff have adapted to these sweeping changes.

“There have been a lot of changes in the last six months,” President Wagner said. “They have perservered, they’ve been strong. And we’re figuring it out together. We’re doing what we need so that the students come here and have a tremendous experience.”

He also said that ISU is no stranger to change; with 125 years of rich evolutionary history, faculty, staff and presidents of the past have been forced to adapt and welcome changes to meet the needs of modern students. The president said he has no intentions of slowing down the forward progression anytime soon, and that the university will uphold its Contract for Idaho to continue returning the investment to university families.

“We know our students and families invest in us, and we take seriously that there needs to be a return on that investment. We want students to come and have a fantastic experience, to come and get the degree that they want and need to meet their goals,” President Wagner stated. “That’s our responsibility. Our purpose is to create impact.”

The Contract for Idaho ensures ISU stays on a path forward to continue making an impact for statewide industries.

The president’s fall address came this afternoon as part of ISU’s Celebration Week, which culminates with the ISU football game at the ICCU Dome on Saturday, September 12. The second annual Bengal Block Party is Friday, September 11 from 4-7 p.m. and is an event open to the public with vendors, food and live music.

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Dylan Carder

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)- A Bonneville County district court ordered Rich Broadcasting LLC to vacate its commercial property in Idaho Falls following a legal dispute over $553,362.49 in unpaid rent and interest owed to landlord Commerce Way Partners II, LLC.

The District Court of the Seventh Judicial District in Bonneville County granted full legal possession of 1406 Commerce Way to Commerce Way Partners II, LLC. Following an initial judgment rendered on May 15, 2026, the court issued a writ of assistance on Sept. 2, 2026, directing the Bonneville County sheriff to enforce the eviction and restore the premises to the landlord.

Rich Broadcasting LLC operates four radio outlets in the Idaho Falls/Pocatello area: KID Newsradio, The Wolf, Star 98 and The Pick. The Sept 2 order gave them seven days to remove personal belongings before remaining property could be disposed of under Idaho Code.

Richard Mecham, owner of Rich Media, stated that he had completed the required payments and intended to purchase the building. Mecham said he had requested a payment extension for funds to clear, but received a court directive to vacate shortly after.

Mecham stated that station broadcast content will remain unchanged as the business transitions. On-air staff will transmit broadcasts remotely from their residences, relying on operational setups similar to those utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The broadcaster is actively seeking a new physical facility in Idaho Falls. Mecham says he is looking for a building in a more visible location that better suites their needs.

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News Release

BONNEVILLE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Bonneville County is developing a Master Facilities Plan and a Comprehensive Financial Plan to guide public facility management and growth over the next 20 years, and residents have until Oct. 31, 2026, to weigh in.

The plan will evaluate the condition, use, and future needs of County facilities and provide a long-term framework for decisions about maintenance, improvements, space needs, and funding strategies. In partnership with Clearwater Financial, the county has launched an online Community Facilities Survey inviting the community to share their facility experiences and priorities as they develop the plan.

“County facilities are where many of our residents interact directly with local government, so their experience in those spaces matters,” said Austin Black, Bonneville County Chief Operating Officer. “We want to hear what is working well, where people are experiencing challenges, and what they believe should be priorities as we plan for the future.”

The survey takes around 5 minutes to complete and asks residents for feedback about building accessibility, parking, safety, facility condition, and overall functionality.

County Leadership is encouraging residents to submit the survey by Oct. 31, 2026, so the feedback can be incorporated into the planning process. For more information or to take the survey, click HERE.

Editor’s Note: This story was adapted from an original on-air broadcast report with the assistance of AI. All content is thoroughly reviewed and verified for accuracy by the Local News 8 editorial team.

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Curtis Jackson

MOSCOW, Idaho (KIFI) – University of Idaho President Scott Green announced Wednesday that he will retire on June 30, 2027. He made the announcement while presenting his State of the University address, according to IdahoEdNews.

Green served as president for eight years, beginning in July 2019. He has been the longest-serving president since Richard Gibb. Gibb was president when Green attended the university and graduated in 1984.

Green made several accomplishments as President, including recovering from a $40-million budget deficit, rebounding enrollment after the pandemic, and helping the university gain a top-tier R1 research status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

Green mentioned in his address the failed bid to purchase the University of Phoenix, an online university. The State Board approved the deal, but the State Legislature later blocked it.

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Seth Ratliff

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — Two local men face felony aggravated battery charges after a violent late-night clash near the Eastern Idaho State Fairgrounds sent a teenager to the hospital on Saturday, September 5th.

Papa Sagapolutele, 21, of Blackfoot, and Kaleb Cutler, 22, of Pocatello, were both booked into the Bingham County Jail. In addition to felony aggravated battery, each man is charged with resisting or obstructing officers and destruction of evidence.

According to the Blackfoot Police Department, officers and Bingham County sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a fight and a possible stabbing along North Maple Street around 11:13 p.m.

Investigators say the incident began as two groups left the fairgrounds. Police say one group made gang-related comments to the other after being asked to move out of the roadway, which led to a physical altercation.

When law enforcement arrived, several people attempted to make a run for it before being detained. Officers recovered multiple weapons and a firearm at the scene. Police later confirmed that no stabbing took place.

Several people were treated at the scene for minor injuries. A teenage boy was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with serious injuries; police say he has since been treated and released.

Following the initial investigation, Sagapolutele and Cutler were arrested and booked into the Bingham County Jail.

Danion Hernandez Jr. (Photo courtesy Blackfoot Police)

Detectives with the Bingham Joint Investigation Unit are currently seeking to speak with 18-year-old Danion A. Hernandez Jr. of Pocatello regarding his involvement in the incident. Police urge Hernandez to come forward and ask anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact authorities.

Investigators have collected several witness videos but are asking anyone with additional footage or information to contact Detective Kaigan Young at (208) 684-6259.

The investigation remains ongoing.

This is a developing story. Charges are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Local News 8 will update this story as new details emerge.

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Curtis Jackson

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI) — A former clerk for the City of Island Park is charged with embezzling over $219,500 from the city.

Reeca Marotz is charged with two counts of misusing public money after an investigation by the Idaho Attorney General’s Office.

According to court documents, the Attorney General’s Office began the investigation in February 2026 after an auditor found discrepancies while reviewing the city’s books and reported them to Mayor Bruce Ard. The auditor found written checks where the payee and signer were the same person, but the city’s accounting software listed a different payee. The written check was signed and made payable to Reeca Marotz, who had been the city clerk since 2011.

Court documents said the auditor found more altered checks written between 2018 and 2025. They also found copies of checks that may have been forged with a city councilman’s signature.

Court documents also noted that after Ard contacted investigators on February 27, 2026, about finding binders of past monthly expenses that appeared to include numerous unauthorized purchases, a suspected arson occurred at the city offices on March 1.

Investigators said they researched only the past five years and found that Marotz has stolen $219,506.71 in city funds since September 1, 2021.

Marotz made her first court appearance on August 26, 2026. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Marotz on Oct. 13, 2026, to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial.

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