Category: kifi-local-news

Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Starting next year, travelers flying out of the Pocatello Regional Airport will have more options when traveling to Salt Lake City. The airport officially announced Friday that Delta will add a second daily round-trip flight between the two cities starting on May 7, 2026.

Airport Manager Alan Evans says the new flight will provide passengers with more options and reduce long layovers.

“We are excited to announce the addition of a second daily flight,” said Airport Manager Alan Evans. “We’re grateful for our long-standing relationship with Delta and SkyWest and appreciate their commitment to improving service for our community.”

The new schedule will feature flights out of Pocatello at 11:44 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., with inbound flights arriving from Salt Lake City at 10:31 a.m. and 6:25 p.m.

“This is great news for Pocatello residents and travelers from across the region who rely on our airport,” said Mayor Brian Blad. “We know how important additional flights are for travelers and look forward to this increased schedule.”

Tickets for both daily flights are now available for purchase. For more information or to purchase tickets, click HERE.

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News Release

The following is a news release from the Idaho Falls Fire Department:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Falls Fire Department (IFFD), in partnership with Idaho Falls Firefighters IAFF Local 1565, is proud to announce the return of the “Fill the Ambulance” Toy Drive, benefiting the Ronald McDonald Family Room in Idaho Falls and the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission.

From Nov. 21 through Dec. 12, community members are encouraged to donate new, unwrapped toys at any Idaho Falls Fire Station. Toys are needed for children ages 0–18, with the greatest need for ages 10–18. Donations will be routinely collected and placed into an out-of-service ambulance with the goal of filling it completely with gifts for local children in need.

This year’s toy drive will support two organizations:

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Idaho, which provides comfort, care, and support to families with children receiving medical treatment. Donated toys will go to children in the hospital and their siblings.

Idaho Falls Rescue Mission (IFRM), which serves families and individuals in crisis.

“This effort is a way for our community to come together and support children and families facing difficult circumstances,” said Idaho Falls Firefighter Donovan Hendrix. “Last year, I witnessed people of all ages and demographics show up to give to those in need. I am honored to help lead this year’s toy drive with the IFFD as we again ask for the community’s support.”

A festive finale to the drive will take place on Friday, Dec. 13, as the decorated ambulance participates in the RMHC 5th Annual Toy Drive, Light Parade and Ugly Sweater Car Show at the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC) on 3200 Channing Way. The Ugly Sweater Car Show begins at 4 p.m. and the Light Parade begins at 5 p.m., starting at Teton Toyota and ending at EIRMC on the corner of Sunnyside and Channing Way.

Important Donation Guidelines:

All toys must be new due to health and safety concerns.

Toys must remain unwrapped to allow for proper distribution and safety checks.

Donations must be received by 5 p.m. on Dec. 12.

The Idaho Falls Fire Department and IAFF Local 1565 invite everyone to join in the spirit of giving and help Fill the Ambulance this holiday season! For more information, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A group of Idaho leaders, including state representatives, city officials, and farmers, recently returned from Washington, D.C., after successful meetings with the state’s federal delegation. Their goal was to secure important federal funding for new water storage in an effort to combat the state’s ongoing water troubles.

The proposals, as outlined in Senate Joint Memorial 101, include potentially rebuilding the Teton dam, along with expanding the Ashton, Minidoka, and Jackson Lake Dams, and even supporting aquifer recharge projects on federal lands.

RELATED: State and local leaders head to D.C. to push for federal funding to solve Idaho’s water troubles

State Senator Kevin Cook described the meetings with Idaho’s congressmen and senators as “highly positive.” With their guidance, they are now moving forward by mapping out a comprehensive long-term plan, starting with a study across the Snake Plain Aquifer.

“Basically, we want 750,000 acre-feet of new surface water storage by the year 2100,” explained Senator Cook. “They were excited to see that we had plans, that it wasn’t just a short-term fix, but we’re looking now 75 years (into the future.)”

Last session, the Idaho Legislature passed House Bill 445, which appropriates an ongoing $30 million toward the Idaho Department of Water Resources to fund water infrastructure projects. However, Senator Cook emphasizes that even with the additional funds, the project to rebuild the Teton Dam alone would cost upwards of a $1 billion.

“Frankly, in a project like the Teton Dam, there’s just no way that the state can afford that,” said Cook. “We’re going to need some federal funds.”

Cook stressed the plan must be done right, particularly for the Teton Dam. The study of the Snake Plain aquifer could take up to two years, but they’re attempting to streamline the process by planning potential aquifer recharge and water storage projects amid the ongoing study.

Looking ahead, Cook says the next strategic step is to build support among Western States to gain stronger congressional backing for the necessary federal funding. Cook says the group is already planning a follow-up trip to Washington, D.C., next year to continue developing these long-term projects.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A 27-year-old Bonneville County man, Jose Luis Silvas, was arrested yesterday morning, November 20, 2025, and is facing a Felony Rape charge after being allegedly caught in the act of having sex with a 16-year-old girl.

Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputies responded rapidly to a Rape in progress report at a home along 3750 E. shortly after 6:00 a.m. The original caller, who reported the incident, informed deputies they had walked into a bedroom and witnessed Silvas in the act with the minor.

While investigators learned the girl had allegedly consented to the sexual contact, due to her age (16), the contact falls under Idaho’s statutory definition of rape.

Silvas was taken into custody on the scene and subsequently transported to the Bonneville County Jail, where he was booked on the Felony Rape charge.

BCSO says Detectives are continuing to investigate the case, and no further information is available at this time.

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News Team

BURLEY, Idaho (KIFI) — Benjamin Naylor, 56, of Burley, was back in court Thursday, Nov. 20, where his attorneys indicated they are pursuing a plea agreement deal.

Naylor is charged with murdering Kelly and Donna Jenks in their home in Burley, along with Angelica Medina and Dennis Mix in Minidoka County, in July.

Yesterday, Naylor voluntarily waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Cassia County. The move follows months of legal and medical evaluations, including a court-ordered competency exam where he was ultimately ruled competent to stand trial, despite his family’s claims that Naylor suffers from schizophrenia.

His attorneys indicated they plan to waive the preliminary hearing in Minidoka County as well, allowing them additional time to review the proposed plea agreement before the case advances.

The case is now set to move to district court for a hearing in Cassia County on December 22. Naylor is currently charged with four counts of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon.

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Danielle Mullenix

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Bonneville County Coroner’s Office is issuing a public health alert regarding the dangerous and potentially fatal consequences of using Kratom (also known as Thang, Krypton, Kakuam, Ketum, and Maeng Da leaf, among others). This warning comes in response to a concerning increase in deaths across the country directly linked to the herbal substance.

Kratom-related deaths skyrocket in Bonneville County

In the last 18 months, the Bonneville County Coroner’s Office has investigated six Kratom-related deaths. A staggering four of these fatalities were determined to be solely due to acute drug toxicity of mitragynine, the primary active compound in Kratom.

“This is a wake-up call for our community,” Bonneville County Coroner Shante Sanchez said. “To put this into perspective, Kratom is now implicated in approximately 18% of the drug overdose fatalities in our country over the last year and a half. The highest concentration of mitragynine observed in one of these fatalities was 12,000 ng/mL, which is the highest I have ever seen at nearly four times our national laboratory’s range typically associated with overdose of this substance.”

“In addition, all Kratom-related deaths occurred within a small age window, with our youngest victim being 19 years old and the oldest being 42 years old,” Sanchez said. “These aren’t isolated incidents. We are seeing a clear pattern, and my community needs to know.”

Kratom is a herbal substance derived from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree, native to Southeast Asia. It is commonly consumed as a raw powder, in capsules, as a tea, or as a liquid extract.

Kratom’s effects are complex and unpredictable, acting as both a stimulant at low doses (causing alertness, rapid heart rate, and increased energy) and an opioid-like depressant at higher doses (leading to confusion, relaxation, and pain relief). The substance’s effect on an individual is highly variable, depending on the dose, concentration, method of ingestion, and the user’s personal medical and drug-taking history.

While Kratom is often marketed as a natural alternative for pain relief or to manage opioid withdrawal, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved it for any medical use, and its safety and effectiveness have not been clinically determined.

The Bonneville County Coroner’s Office urges all residents to discontinue the use of Kratom. Individuals using Kratom who are struggling with addiction or pain management should seek professional medical help immediately.

“The public needs to understand that ‘natural’ does not mean ‘safe’. ‘Kratom can be deadly,'” the Coroner Shante Sanchez concluded. “Our priority is providing the facts and ensuring community safety. Help us prevent further tragedies by sharing this vital information.”

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Danielle Mullenix

Idaho Falls (KIFI) – Centerstage Theatre of Idaho Falls unveiled its latest additions of a new adult theatre education program and its holiday production of Elf The Musical.

The adult education program is designed for ages 18+ and will offer creative individuals in the community the chance to gain hands-on experience as performers. Centerstage Theatre owner Justin Debelle said that the program was created after a patron’s request to build a safe space for adults in the community to explore performing.

“Stevie Croft [Centerstage Theatre patron] expressed the need in the community for classes for adults that are designed for acting, performance audition prep,” Dabelle said. “We created this basic curriculum to help people 18 and older audition and learn basic acting skills and the foundations that they need to succeed in this.”

Led by four seasoned educators with extensive expertise in their fields, the class will be a positive, hands-on experience, guaranteed to meet students where they are and help them hone their acting, music, and audition skills to further their theater pursuits.

Educators include Les Misérables National Tour alumna Nicole Riding Stoker, theatre performers Jacob Meldrum and Lisa Carter, and Centerstage owner Justin DaBell.

The winter classes will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 9 PM, January 7th to February 25th. To ensure classes remain personal and interactive, there is a limit on the number of students. The cost is $200 for all eight classes. You can complete the initial registration and deposit to reserve your spot by following the registration link here.

Next Friday, November 28th, marks the opening of “Elf the Musical” at Centerstage Theatre. The show is based on the 2003 movie “Elf,” starring Will Ferrell.

It tells the story of Buddy, a human orphan raised by elves at the North Pole. After discovering that he is human, Buddy ventures to New York City to find his biological father. Along the way, he helps his father and the city rediscover the spirit of Christmas.

Elf The Musical will be playing at Centerstage Theatre from November 28th to December 20th, with limited seating remaining. At this time, owner Justin Dabelle said there is a plan to add five performances due to high ticket demand.

Center Stage Theatre is dedicated to delivering exceptional entertainment in Eastern Idaho, designed for audiences of all ages to enjoy collectively. The organization believes that live theatre provides individuals with valuable opportunities for self-discovery and fosters an appreciation for the beauty of live art.

To purchase individual tickets for Elf the Musical”, click here. To learn more about their upcoming 2026 production season and ways to get involved, visit their website www.centerstageif.com.

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Seth Ratliff

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KIFI) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced a major change to its full-time missionary service. Effective immediately, young women who choose to serve a full-time mission may begin their service at the age of 18, provided they have completed high school or its equivalent.

The landmark announcement came from the Church’s First Presidency, the governing body of the faith, on Friday, November 21, 2025. In a news release announcing the change, the First Presidency extended their love to the youth of the church, reiterating the personal nature of the decision to serve.

“While the Lord asks every worthy, able young man as part of his priesthood responsibility to prepare for and serve a mission, we reiterate that missionary service remains an optional opportunity for young women,” the First Presidency wrote in a news release announcing the change. “We recognize that for those young women who desire to serve a full-time mission, the choice of age to begin service will not be the same for everyone.”

This policy change represents the first significant policy shift since President Dallin H. Oaks was sustained as the 18th President and Prophet of the faith last month. Furthermore, it is the first major adjustment to the missionary service ages in over a decade. The last such change took place in October 2012 when then-President Thomas S. Monson announced that young men could begin service at age 18 (instead of 19) and young women at age 19 (instead of 21).

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Max Gershon

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — On December 9, a little boy in Eastern Idaho will celebrate something his parents were once told might never happen: his first birthday. Baylor Bybee came into the world on December 9, 2024, at just 27 weeks gestation, weighing a fragile 1 pound, 11 ounces, and measuring only 13 inches long.

His mother, Saige Bybee, remembers the moment doctors delivered the terrifying news that Baylor had stopped growing in the womb and that she had developed severe preeclampsia. “I didn’t know babies could be that small,” Saige said. “It was pretty much a miracle in my mind that this tiny thing was here and living.”, Baylor’s condition took a dramatic turn. He was diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening intestinal disease that is one of the leading causes of death in premature infants.

What followed were three emergency surgeries, the removal of much of his small intestine, sepsis, and days when his little body swelled to nearly double its weight from fluid.

At one point, doctors called Saige and Slayden Bybee to the NICU in the early morning hours.

“We watched his oxygen numbers for two and a half hours… up one, drop two,” Saige recalled, her voice breaking. “The doctor started asking us personal questions just to distract us. That’s when I knew how close we were to losing him.” But Baylor refused to give up.

Even swollen head-to-toe and on maximum support, he wiggled his toes and pulled out IVs. Slowly,, he stabilized.

After 191 days, more than six months in the neonatal intensive care unit, Baylor went home on June 18, still on oxygen and IV nutrition because of short-gut syndrome.

Today, at almost 20 pounds, he’s learning to sit on his own, tasting his first bites of real food, and flashing triple dimples every time he smiles.

“He chatters, he bounces, he loves Bluey,” Saige laughs. “A few days ago we took the oxygen off for three whole hours and just carried him around the house with nothing attached. It was amazing.”

As Prematurity Awareness Month draws to a close, Saige has a message for every parent sitting bedside in a NICU right now:

“It’s okay to feel how you’re feeling. Your feelings are valid. You’re a good mom — a good parent — just for being there. And miracles can still happen.”

On December 9, the Bybee family will celebrate the day their 1-pound miracle officially turns one.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Oral Surgery Specialists of Idaho and Sage Dental come together each year to provide a smile makeover through the Second Chance program. This year’s winner was Pocatello father Matthew Rymer, who enjoyed his new smile at the reveal party today.

For years, Rymer has covered his mouth in conversations and skipped out on job opportunities and relationships because of his teeth. When he came across the Second Chance program online, he knew he couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a fully funded dental procedure.

The process has taken about a year, and today Rymer’s dentists, oral surgeons and family and friends showed up to support the culmination of his journey.

“We went through two different sets of temporaries, and then we got my permanent finally put in and here we are now, I think I got these in July,” said Rymer. “And this is probably the best I felt in ten years. So that’s been super cool.”

Rymer’s new teeth are fully functional using new technology. They’re made of titanium and zirconium, which Dr. Mark Baker tells us is what makes them durable and sustainable for years to come.

The doctors said they were all honored to be part of Rymer’s journey and to help the community in such a meaningful way. Making over someone’s smile doesn’t just change the way they look, it changes how they feel.

“You get to know them, you get to know their families, you see them a lot, and you get to see the biggest thing as their personalities change,” said Dr. Kyle Siemen of Sage Dental. “It’s great to be part of it, great for us to give back to the community and be part of the program and be able to do that for people.” 

Rymer’s mother Janice was in attendance today and told us it means the world to have her son back to the outgoing, positive person he’s always been.

During this Thanksgiving season, Rymer has a lot to be grateful for. He can’t stop smiling these days, and feels like he can be a positive light for his three children.

“I’m beyond grateful. I can’t even start to explain it. The level of love and family you feel with these guys and the things that they’re able to do and the way they’re able to help people, it’s unbelievable,” he said. “I just want to thank all of them for everything they did for me.” 

The doctors look forward to collaborating for another Second Chance program recipient next year. If you or someone you know could benefit from the opportunity, visit the Oral Surgery Specialists of Idaho website for more information.

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