Category: kifi-local-news

Noah Farley

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Thousands of people lined up for a taste of Greek food and culture at the annual Greek Festival in Pocatello—the biggest cultural celebration in the state.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church has been hosting this festival for decades.

Visitors got to enjoy lots of greek food like roasted lamb, shish kabobs, and gyros, as well as thousands of pastries like baklava.

Volunteers spent hundreds of hours to prepare for the festival and make things run smoothly.

Performers came from Salt Lake City to perform traditional Greek dances. The audience threw coins on the dance floor, which is a greek tradition.

The funds made from the event will go toward restoring the church’s facilities like its 110-year-old building, which is a national historic site.

The church thanks everyone who helped make this festival possible.

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News Release

The following is a news release from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game:

SALMON, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho Department of Fish and Game will stock over 4,500 catchable-sized (10 to 12-inch) Rainbow trout during September at the following locations:        

Stockings can take place any day throughout the week listed.  This schedule is tentative and subject to change due to conditions or staffing constraints. 

Here is a quick summary of some good places to take the whole family: 

Blue Mountain Meadow Pond, located next to the gold course in Challis, is a great place to spend the day fishing.  Kids will love it, plus the area provides good access for persons with disabilities.  Anglers will enjoy fishing from the banks and having a family picnic at one of the pond’s sheltered picnic tables.

Hayden Creek Pond is a popular family fishing hole with a picnic shelter, tables, grills and restroom. The 1.7-acre pond is about 24 miles south of Salmon on Highway 28 and three miles on the Hayden Creek Road. Because spring water that feeds the pond makes great habitat, the fish that don’t get caught right away continue to grow, giving anglers an opportunity to catch some larger trout as the season progresses.

Hyde Creek Pond is a small irrigation pond that provides good bank fishing for beginning anglers. This pond is located on private property south of Salmon on the road to the Sunset Heights subdivision. Remember to be respectful and clean up any litter before you leave.

Kids Creek Pond, located in Salmon, has a fishing dock, restrooms, and pavilion with picnic tables, making this a convenient fishing hole for those short on time.

Mosquito Flat Reservoir, located northwest of Challis, offers a beautiful place for a day trip or weekend fishing retreat.  Known for plentiful rainbow trout, Mosquito Flat has also been stocked with sterile kokanee.  Anglers will find good catch rates whether fishing from shore or a small boat. Currently, the best driving route to the lake is the Garden Creek-Challis Motorway.   

Fishing for hatchery rainbow trout can be a great way to introduce new anglers to the sport by using simple, inexpensive setups like worm/marshmallow combinations or commercial baits like PowerBait® or Crave, placed either near the bottom or below a bobber.  The Learn to Fish webpage offers diagrams for basic bait rigs.

Most Idaho waters are open to fishing year-round, but some may have slightly different rules.  Be sure to pick up a 2025-27 Idaho Fishing Seasons and Rules Booklet, which outlines license requirements, season dates, special regulations and bag limits at any Idaho Fish and Game offices or most sporting goods stores statewide.

For detailed information about these and other fishing waters in Idaho, including maps, fish species, facilities, and rules, please visit the Idaho Fish Planner on Fish and Game’s website.

By – idfg-mdemick

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A 66-year-old woman from Nampa was hospitalized following a single-vehicle rollover crash on I-15 in Idaho Falls, last Thursday.

The crash happend near mile marker 120.5, where the woman, driving a 2019 Toyota RAV4, was traveling southbound at 11:08 A.M. on August 21. According to the Idaho State Police (ISP), she failed to negotiate a curve, overcorrected, and drove off the left shoulder of the road.

The Toyota rolled and came to a rest in the median. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was transported by ground ambulance to a local hospital for treatment.

The crash remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Salvation Army Pocatello Corps has officially started its new ‘Drive Away Hunger’ campaign to raise money to replace its box truck, which broke down earlier this year.

The Pocatello Salvation Army’s ministry leader, Bryan Makowski, said that before their box truck suffered a catastrophic engine failure this February, they used the vehicle daily to pick up food donations used to keep their pantry and soup kitchen programs stocked.

“We’re still trying to go out and pick up donations from all the various grocery stores that we’re teaming up with, and right now, that is just a little more difficult for us,” said Makowski. “…We’re still moving forward, but we would just love support so that we can continue at our full capacity to help the community out.”

Without the box truck, Makowski said, the Salvation Army has resorted to using their emergency aid van for food and donation transports, which has left their pantry program lacking and tied up their emergency response abilities.

The Salvation Army is aiming to raise $25,000 to purchase its new truck. For more information on the Drive Away Hunger Campaign, or to make a donation, you can visit the Salvation Army Pocatello Corps website.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Pocatello’s Planning & Development Services is asking city residents to take their ‘Housing Study Survey’ to narrow down housing needs in the Gate City.

Feedback from the survey will be used to draft a citywide ‘Housing Plan’. According to a press release from the City of Pocatello, the future Housing Plan will: “analyze housing demand and community needs, evaluate the performance of current regulations, recommend updates to City code, where appropriate, explore potential public–private partnerships to support affordability, and outline strategies to increase the variety of housing options in Pocatello.”

The Pocatello Housing Study Survey consists of 20 questions covering housing and neighborhood preferences, local housing affordability, and satisfaction with rental options in the city.

For more information on the Pocatello Housing Plan, you can visit the Pocatello city website. The Housing Study Survey can be found here: surveymonkey.com/r/PocatelloHousingSurvey.

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Curtis Jackson

The following is a news release from the Idaho Department of Labor.

BOISE, Idaho (News Release) – Idaho’s average wage for all occupations in 2024 was $28.10 per hour, according to recently released data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wages Statistics (OEWS) program. This amounts to an increase of 5.1%, or $1.35 per hour, from 2023.

The median wage, representing the midpoint between lowest and highest earners, also rose from $21.27 per hour in 2023 to $22.34 per hour in 2024 — a 5% increase over the year.

Six out of seven Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in Idaho had average and median wage increases in 2024. The Pocatello MSA experienced the largest increase with both average and median hourly wage growing by over $2 per hour.

Among the state’s labor market regions, southwestern Idaho had the highest average hourly wage for 2024 at $29.40. It also had the highest median wage at $22.88 per hour — with Lewiston right behind at $22.76 per hour. All labor market regions surpassed $21 per hour in median and average wages in 2024.

Employment has also grown across the state. In 2024, Idaho’s reported employment number was 844,910 — an increase of over 22,000, or 2.7%, from 2023’s total of 822,690. Both the Boise and Idaho Falls MSAs exceeded the state’s growth rate at 3.8% and 3.6%, respectively. Boise, the largest MSA, added 14,090 jobs while Idaho Falls added 2,820 jobs.

Five out of six labor market regions saw employment growth in 2024. The exception was north central Idaho — the smallest labor market region — which saw a slight decline of 0.2%, or 70 jobs, over the year.

This release includes 2024 data on employment and wages by occupation for the state, including MSAs and rural county regions. Idaho also compiles and releases information on labor market regions which are not official Bureau of Labor Statistics areas but have great importance to Idaho.

Visit the department’s OEWS webpage for complete employment and wage data on the state as well as its MSAs, nonmetropolitan areas and labor market regions.

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News Release

The following is a news release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Last week, Bonneville County Sheriff Samuel Hulse and the BCSO Team presented several awards and recognitions during two formal awards night events. These events included formal swearing-in and badge pinning ceremonies for 26 Deputies hired over the past several months. Planning around academies and schedules have made these events a long time in the works as you will notice by the number of people recognized, as our team is continually growing and striving to make our community proud. A summary of awards and recognitions are as follows:

BCSO Community Service Awards

– Bonneville County Parks and Recreation Director Jeremy Neibauer was presented with the BCSO Community Service Award for rescuing a man and his dog found walking out of the backcountry after being stuck. 

– Watkins Distributing and Jason Stevens were recognized for their partnership with BCSO supporting DUI investigation training and promoting safe responsible driving in our community. 

– Ann Johnson was presented the BCSO Community Service Award for her hard work in the Bonneville County Jail IGNITE Program helping inmates obtain their GED, graduating 58 students in less than 2 years, and helping our jail facility become a GED testing site. 

BCSO Meritorious Service Awards

– Dep. Matthew Clark was recognized for his response and action during a nearby medical emergency. 

– Dep. Jill Fabbi and Dep. Monique Win were recognized for their dedication and hard work handling a high volume of records management processes and requests as new staff was in the process of being brought online. 

BCSO Award of Excellence 

– Dep. Fernando Romero was recognized for his action and response to a medical event at the Bonneville County Jail where an inmate was transported to the hospital requiring care and supervision. 

– Dep. Kelson Casperson was recognized for managing inmate scheduling and court transport amid construction at the courthouse that altered normal security and processes. 

BCSO Sheriff’s Commendation

– Since the launch of IGNITE Program at the Bonneville County Jail in August of 2023, the facility has become a GED testing site graduating 58 inmates and graduating more than 40 inmates from The Solution rehabilitation program. Sheriff Hulse recognized several people on our team for their efforts in the success of the program and presenting them the Sheriff’s Commendation. They are:

Ann Johnson – GED Facilitator

Capt. Ed Vitacolonna 

Lt. Linzie Klucken 

Lt. Brian Johnson

Sgt. Mark Mecham

Sgt. Matt Westfall

Dep. Katherine Stiens

BCSO Life Saving Awards

– Dep. Chad Campbell, Dep. Cole Kelley, and Dep. Ian McMurtrey were presented life saving awards for their response to a medical emergency in Feb. 2025. 

– Dep. Curtis Brown, Dep. Kyle Penney, and Dep. Tristan Smith were presented life saving awards for their response to an overdose emergency in Oct. 2024.

– Dep. Teagan Gardner, Dep. Kaleb Judy, and Off. Conner Loos were presented life saving awards for their response to a medical emergency inside the Bonneville County Jail in May 2025. 

BCSO Good Conduct Awards 

– The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office recognizes Deputies who serve three or more years in good standing as part of the BCSO Team. Deputies recognized by Sheriff Samuel Hulse this week with Good Conduct Ribbons are as follows:

Dep. Kyle Marty

Dep. Brian Merjil

Dep. Aron Powell

Dep. Kurt Thode

Dep. Mason Turnblom

Dep. Matthew Clark

Dep. Dante Curtis

Dep. Kyle Penney

Dep. Michael Wall

BCSO Promotions 

– Several Deputies were formally recognized for promotions over the past several months within our BCSO Team: 

Dep. Mike Vasquez promoted to Patrol Sgt. Nov. 2024

Dep. Dayna Harris promoted to Civil Division Supervisor

Dep. Crystal Trubl promoted to Assistant Office Supervisor

Dep. Patti Luna promoted to Assistant Office Supervisor

BCSO Formal Swearing In and Badge Pinning Ceremony

– The following Deputies were formally sworn in by Sheriff Hulse and badges pinned by family members and friends:

Dep. Jayke Austin – Detention Team

Dep. Joel Griffes – Detention Team

Dep. Craig Hammon – Detention Team

Dep. Alexander Hinckley- Detention Team

Dep. Kaleb Judy – Detention Team 

Dep. Parker Miller – Detention Team 

Dep. Javier Orozco – Detention Team 

Dep. Abraham Rivera – Detention Team 

Dep. Isaac Rohde – Detention Team 

Dep. Brody Buck – Detention Team 

Dep. Gerardo Carrillo – Detention Team 

Dep. Dillon Maddox – Detention Team 

Dep. Michael Sunderland – Detention Team

Dep. Tom Bolleurs – Animal Control Team

Dep. Kayla Lawrence – Admin Team

Dep. Rika Upchurch – Records Team

Dep. Amber Mulberry – Drivers License Team

Dep. Timothy Slenders – Patrol Team

Dep. Thomas Forte – Patrol Team

Dep. Maddison Hewitt – Patrol Team

Dep. Jake Mann – Patrol Team

Dep. Jacob Miller – Patrol Team

Dep. Bryce Nielson – Patrol Team

Dep. Jackson Schmitt – Patrol Team

Dep. Jasen Smith – Patrol Team

Dep. Pedro Valenzuela – Patrol Team

     The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office is proud of its team and the great work they do. We are humbled in the amount of community support we see each day, something that motivates our team toward excellence in everything we do and everything we stand for. 

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CNN Newsource

By Cindy Von Quednow, Michael Callahan, CNN

(CNN) — A “cruel hoax” sent Villanova University students sheltering into place on the first day of orientation after a false report of an active shooter, the school’s president said, prompting a massive response by local and federal law enforcement as they worked to secure the campus.

No injuries were reported and no weapons were found, Peter M. Donohue, the university’s president, said in a letter sent to the campus community and obtained by CNN.

The first campus alert went out around 4:35 p.m. ET, during an opening mass, which was set to be followed by a family picnic.

“ACTIVE SHOOTER on VU campus. Move to secure location. Lock/barricade doors. More info to follow,” read an alert on the campus website.

The anonymous report indicated there was an active shooter in the Charles Widger School of Law and claimed at least one person was wounded, school and police officials said.

“Panic and terror ensued” after the report, Donohue said in the letter.

Police and fire officials swarmed the area of the law school, with some armed officers on the roof, as they worked to clear buildings and look for a possible shooter or victims, video from CNN affiliate WPVI showed.

None were found.

“While it is a blessing and relief, I know today’s events have shaken our entire community,” Donohue said in the letter sent just after 6 p.m.

He apologized to first-year students and their families.

“This is not the introduction to Villanova that I had hoped for you,” he said.

Authorities seek to prosecute person responsible

New student orientation and registration began Thursday and is scheduled to go until Saturday, while classes begin Monday, according to the school’s academic calendar.

All other orientation activities scheduled for the day were canceled and were expected to resume Friday, school officials said.

The report of a shooter came hours after the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sent an active-shooter alert and the campus went on lockdown. Police later said the authorities found “no evidence of a threat.” Authorities are investigating the Tennessee incident as a possible case of swatting, a law enforcement source told CNN.

Swatting is a dangerous criminal hoax where a false report is made to police with the express purpose of luring them to a location, where they are led to believe a horrific crime such as a mass shooting, an imminent bombing, or hostage taking has been committed or is in progress.

This can result in a forceful response from local police and SWAT teams, who have no way to know the call is a hoax.

Swatting has been on the FBI’s radar for nearly two decades, and gained notoriety after high-profile celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian became victims. In a 2008 assessment of the “new phenomenon,” the FBI said a group of recently convicted swatters were motivated by “bragging rights and ego, versus any monetary gain,” noting group members “did it because they could.”

Over time, law enforcement analysts studying incidents of swatting have observed an expanded list of motivations, including personal or societal grievances, disrupting operations at schools and places of business, diverting law enforcement resources away from other crimes, and financial gain. Numerous recent hoax incidents have emanated from overseas, according to officials, complicating efforts to locate the perpetrators.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he directed state police to “use every tool at our disposal” to find the person responsible for the swatting incident.

“I know today was every parent’s worse nightmare, and every student’s biggest fear,” Shapiro said in an X post. “I am profoundly grateful no one was hurt, and thankful to all members of law enforcement who ran towards reports of danger to keep Pennsylvanians safe.”

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer echoed Shapiro’s sentiments.

“My office, Investigation Division, the FBI, will all work to try to get to the bottom of who might have done this,” Stollsteimer said during a news conference Thursday. “We will track you down if it’s the last thing we do.”

Villanova is a private Catholic university in the suburbs of Philadelphia and is the alma mater of Pope Leo XIV.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Josh Campbell, Danny Freeman and Amanda Musa contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — In yet another example of his struggles to adjust to prison life, confessed murderer Bryan Kohberger is seeking a transfer from his current prison unit. The former Washington State University criminology Ph.D. student claims he is being sexually harassed by other inmates.

Kohberger, 30, was recently sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for the murders of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. After pleading guilty to the murders, he was transferred to the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna.

Just one night after arriving at the facility, Kohberger submitted a handwritten request to be moved from J-Block. According to a note originally obtained by People magazine, he wrote that J-Block “is an environment that I wish to transfer from” due to being “subject to minute-by-minute verbal threats/harassment.”

Only days after his initial complaint, Kohberger submitted a separate complaint to a prison guard, this time specifically alleging sexual harassment. An incident report notes that one inmate allegedly told Kohberger, “I’ll b— f— you,” while another was recorded as saying, “The only a– we’ll be eating is Kohberger’s.”

In his request to the deputy warden, Kohberger has asked to be transferred to B-Block, another unit within the same institution. However, documents obtained by the outlet indicate Kohberger was advised that J-Block is “generally a fairly calm and quieter tier” and was told to “give it some time.”

Related: Kuna inmates taunt convicted killer Bryan Kohberger through vents

The news comes only a week after reports that J-block inmates were taunting Kohberger through the vents in his cell. In both occasions, the convicted killer gained little sympathy from the online and professional community. In an interview with Fox News Digital, former prison pastor Keith Roverea told the outlet that Kohberger is only making the situation much worse by complaining.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Providers from Southeastern Idaho Public Health (SIPH) are urging Idahoans to get their measles immunizations following a rise in disease cases in the Gem State.

On August 20, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported the third confirmed case of measles in Idaho in an unvaccinated child in Bonner County. Previous cases were discovered in Kootenai County and Eastern Idaho.

“This is probably the tip of the iceberg, and there’s other community spread of measles happening in the state of Idaho,” said Ian Troesoyer, nurse practitioner at Southeastern Idaho Public Health. “That is concerning because measles is a pretty significant illness. It’s maybe not quite as deadly as Ebola or anything like that; the risk from measles comes from how contagious it is–it’s just very contagious.”

Troesoyer said as well as being extremely contagious, the measles virus can cause rash, body aches, fever, and, in severe cases, swelling of the brain and a weakened immune system which can leave the body open to other diseases like pneumonia.

Health care providers are also battling record-low measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization numbers across the state, which leaves Idaho susceptible to disease outbreaks. Currently, Idaho has the lowest MMR vaccination rate in the US.

“A lot of that is due to vaccine misinformation,” said Troesoyer. “All medicines, all vaccines, everything in the world has some risk, right?… The risk for getting vaccinated is way lower than the risk of just roughing it out with the actual illness.”

For more information on the measles immunizations, or for questions about vaccines or vaccine records, you can visit the Southeastern Idaho Public Health website or call them at (208) 233-9080.

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