Category: kifi-local-news

Seth Ratliff

UPDATE:

SUBLETTE COUNTY, Wyoming (KIFI) — The Dollar Lake Fire has now grown to an estimated 11,510 acres and 0% containment, as of Monday afternoon.

ORIGINAL:

SUBLETTE COUNTY, WYO (KIFI) — A sense of urgency is growing today in Sublette County, Wyoming, as a fast-moving wildfire, dubbed the Dollar Lake Fire, forced ongoing evacuations over the weekend. As of Monday morning, the fire has consumed more than 9,800 acres since it began last Thursday from a lightning strike and remains at zero percent containment.

A mandatory GO evacuation order is in effect for a five-mile radius around Dollar Lake and for the Red Cliff Bible Camp. Residents in the Kendall Valley area are currently at a READY evacuation status, meaning they should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.

Follow evacuation updates from the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office HERE.

The Bridger-Teton National Forest has issued a closure order for the area around the fire, including the Green River Lakes Road. The closure is to ensure public and firefighter safety. Additionally, Stage 1 fire restrictions are in effect across the entire forest.

Fire officials will update the community at a meeting tomorrow night, August 26, at six pm at the Sublette County Public Library, 155 S. Tyler Ave. in Pinedale.

Fire officials will provide a public update on Tuesday, August 26, at 6:00 PM at the Sublette County Public Library, located at 155 S. Tyler Ave. in Pinedale. For more information on firefighting efforts and incident details, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATE:

AFTON, Wyoming (KIFI) — Lincoln County Homeland Security & Emergency Management has downgraded an evacuation order for residents south of Gomms Pond, allowing them to return to their homes as the Willow Creek Fire continues to burn in the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

The status for the area has been moved from a “GO” to a “SET” level, meaning residents are no longer under a mandatory evacuation. However, they are advised to remain ready to evacuate at short notice if fire conditions change.

The Willow Creek Fire has now grown to over 3,820 acres. Fire officials are actively working to contain the blaze, which is currently at 0% containment. U.S. Highway 89, which was temporarily closed due to the fire, has since reopened, but motorists are advised to use caution and be aware of fire vehicles and crews in the area.

ORIGINAL:

AFTON, Wyoming (KIFI) — U.S. Highway 89 has reopened in both directions after a temporary closure due to the Willow Creek Fire, which has now grown to over 3,820 acres in the Bridger-Teton National Forest near the Idaho-Wyoming border.

The Wyoming Department of Transportation announced the reopening on Sunday evening. The highway was closed Saturday evening as a precautionary measure due to the fire’s proximity to the road. While the route is currently open, WYDOT officials have warned that temporary closures may be necessary if the fire encroaches on the roadway again. Drivers are urged to remain vigilant and avoid stopping along the side of the highway to view the fire, as it poses a safety risk to both emergency crews and other motorists.

The Willow Creek Fire, which was first reported on Friday, remains at 0% containment as of Monday. Fire crews are working to prevent its spread, with air support dropping retardant to keep the flames west of Highway 89 and protect private property, according to a post by the Forest Service.

In addition to the road closure, the fire prompted evacuation orders for residences from milepost 75 south to Salt Pass, primarily near Gomm’s Pond Lane, as well as all homes and campgrounds south of County Road 155. Authorities recommend that residents sign up for emergency alerts to stay informed of any future developments, HERE.

In the event of another evacuation, a shelter has been set up at the Afton National Guard Readiness Center, 391 Warrior Way, Afton, WY 83110, USA.

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News Team

ABERDEEN, Idaho (KIFI) — The Split Top Fire, which burned more than 5,000 acres of grass and sagebrush 14 miles northwest of Aberdeen over the weekend, is now fully contained, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Idaho Fire Program confirmed this morning.

According to BLM Idaho Fire, a network of fuel breaks, a strategically managed strip of land where vegetation or brush is intentionally cleared away to create a barrier that slows he spread of wildfire, was “instrumental” in fighting the fire.

“The Big Desert area has been subject to very large wildfires in the past,” states BLM Idaho Fire. “…And the BLM Idaho Falls fuels program has worked since 2012 to construct and maintain a network of fuel breaks along roads in the area.”

Firefighting crews from multiple agencies responded to the incident, including the BLM, Bannock County Fire Department, and Power County Fire Department. No structures were threatened, and no evacuations were ordered.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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News Team

BUHL, Idaho (KIFI) — Police in Buhl are actively investigating Vandalism at Buhl Skate Park. Authorities say Friday evening, August 22, 2025, between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., the park was vandalized with graffiti containing gang-related markings, racial slurs, and hate symbols.

“This type of criminal activity will not be tolerated in our community,” stated Buhl Police in a post. “Acts of hate and gang affiliation undermine the safety, inclusiveness, and values we stand for in Buhl. The Police Department takes this matter very seriously, and we are actively investigating the incident.”

Anyone with information regarding the vandalism is encouraged to contact the Buhl Police Department at 208-735-1911.

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News Team

CASSIA COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — A 22-year-old Rupert man was killed this morning after he was struck by a semi-truck on I-84 near milepost 234.7, in Cassia County. The semi vs pedestrian crash happened at around 3:35 a.m.

According to the Idaho State Police (ISP), the man was driving a 1999 Chrysler 300 westbound on the eastbound shoulder of the interstate. After his vehicle crashed, he reportedly exited and stood in the eastbound lanes of travel. He was then hit by an eastbound 2023 Freightliner semi-truck, which was being driven by a 30-year-old man from Saratoga Springs, Utah.

The Rupert man succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

Eastbound lanes of I-84 were closed for about five hours while the scene was investigated. The Idaho State Police are continuing to investigate the crash.

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Linda Larsen

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — The community is invited to a special evening this Friday to celebrate and support local women in business at the annual ‘Women’s Marketplace and Fashion’s Night Out.’ This popular event is not only a showcase of local talent and products, but also a critical fundraiser aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs in the Pocatello area.

Organized by the Businesswomen of Pocatello, the event is designed to raise money for grants that will be used to help new and existing women-owned businesses grow. The market and fashion show also serve as a vital link between the community and the businesses that form the backbone of the local economy.

“When we support women in business and we support our community, it keeps our dollars local,” said Amber Cook, President of the Businesswomen of Pocatello. “It also helps women in business to grow their personal businesses, and also network and engage with each other. So it gives us referral sources, which I know for a lot of us has been huge. And when we empower each other, we all grow. We all blossom.”

The event will be held this Friday, August 22nd, at Lookout Point in Pocatello. Attendees can browse the marketplace, featuring a wide variety of vendors, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The highlight of the evening, the fashion show, is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

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Seth Ratliff

AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) – A passing morning thunderstorm caused property damage in an Ammon neighborhood on Wednesday. Isolated thunderstorms early Wednesday were seen throughout the region. One storm cell delivered a strong downdraft around 9:30 A.M., according to residents in the Stonehaven neighborhood near Bass Pro Shops.   

Vanessa Cordova contacted Local News 8 and said, “It started getting really windy, so I closed my windows and then headed for the backdoor that faces west. I watched our trampoline fly on top of our utility trailer. Huge branches broke off our tree and started to swirl toward me in the doorway, so I slammed my door shut to avoid getting hit by the branches. After about 30 seconds it was gone.”   

Cordova went on to say, “I briefly surveyed our neighborhood, and it didn’t look like anybody had the damage we did. Our tree branches were all over the road, our fence was blown down on the North and West side of our house.” 

Local News 8’s Chief Meteorologist Michael Coats says this appears to be a microburst, which is a localized downdraft of air within a thunderstorm that can produce damaging winds.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Managers of Idaho State University’s KISU public radio station say they have already started to pull back on programming and staff hours to keep the station running following federal budget cuts to public broadcasting.

On July 18, Congress passed the Trump administration’s $9 billion rescission package, which included about $1 billion in budget cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the main funder of NPR, PBS, and their local affiliate stations.

“We got word from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that they would start to wind down their services and have a presence until the end of this year; after which, their offices would be closed,” said Jamon Anderson, general manager of KISU.

Anderson said the budget cuts and closure of CPB mean ISU’s in-house public radio outlet will lose over $100,000 in funding for the next fiscal year, 33% of their regular annual budget.

In an effort to keep costs down and keep KISU afloat, Anderson said they have already paused several local shows and cut down on part-time and student worker hours.

“It’s really difficult for a small station like KISU to make up $130,000 in just cuts to a number of different small things,” said Anderson. “The larger stations or the larger public media outlets, if you look at in our state, Boise State Public Radio or Idaho Public Television, those are much larger organizations that have many more ways to make up those cuts; so, for us, the question still remains, how will we make up all of that lost funding?”

Anderson said they have had an influx of support and donations from community and local businesses following the federal cuts, but the station, he said, still has a long way to go before reaching financial stability again.

As sole radio broadcaster of ISU Athletics, KISU will also continue airing their popular radio broadcasts of Idaho State sports games for as long as they are able.

“Those broadcasts are quite self-sustaining, meaning that we receive funding from the ISU Athletics Department that cover the costs,” said Anderson. “But the biggest question right now is, will there be a radio station that can house those broadcasts past this year? That’s the big question that we need to answer.”

For more information on how you can support KISU, visit their website at www.kisu.org.

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CNN Newsource

By Ivy Farguheson

Click here for updates on this story

PROVO (KSL) — Utah health officials are investigating a norovirus outbreak in Utah County connected to frozen half-shell oysters from South Korea.

In July, the Food and Drug Administration announced the potential norovirus contamination of frozen oysters from Korea. At the time, restaurants and consumers were advised not to sell or eat frozen oysters harvested between Dec. 30, 2024, and Feb. 6 from 11 lots in the country.

Currently, Utah officials report they are aware that the frozen oysters recalled due to the July announcement have been distributed to restaurants in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah counties. Other counties may have received the potentially contaminated oysters as well, the agency reports.

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services along with the Utah County Health Department and the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food have become aware of a potential norovirus outbreak in Utah County.

The FDA has also become aware of potential norovirus contamination in an additional lot in South Korea, causing Utah agriculture officials to expand the warning to additional frozen oysters.

“This is an ongoing investigation and UDAF is working with local, state, and federal partners to ensure a safe food supply and safeguard public health. This advisory is issued due to new evidence of product contamination beyond the initial FDA recall parameters,” the Utah Department of Food and Agriculture said in a statement regarding the investigation of a norovirus contamination in Utah County specifically.

Restaurants are being advised not to sell, and consumers are warned not to eat frozen oysters from Designated Area No. 1 that were harvested from Dec. 30, 2024, through Aug. 6.

Symptoms of a norovirus contamination include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and, in some cases, fever and headache. People typically recover from a norovirus contamination in one to three days, health officials said.

If you experience any of these symptoms after eating oysters, the state health department asks you to contact your health care provider.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

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News Team

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A public dispute is brewing in Bonneville County over the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget. While Prosecuting Attorney Randy Neal is sounding the alarm that a lack of funding for his office could “cripple the local justice system,” county commissioners are defending their position, arguing that Neal’s budget requests are not feasible and would come at the expense of other vital county services.

In a newly released public commentary, Neal criticized county commissioners for failing to increase the number of prosecutors over the past two decades, a trend he says has only worsened recently.

“It frankly does no good to add deputies and officers to make more arrests if you do not have the resources to convict these offenders,” Neal stated.

Neal’s primary concern stems from a recent change in state law. In 2024, the state created the State Public Defender (SPD), which now funds public defense, shifting that financial burden away from the county. The change, however, has had an unintended side effect: what Neal calls a “massive tipping of the scales” in Bonneville County’s legal system.

According to Neal, the SPD has since nearly doubled the number of public defenders in the county to 14, while also increasing their salaries by up to 50%. This has left the Bonneville County Prosecutor’s Office in a tough spot. “We’re in stiff competition with the SPD and the private sector to hire new attorneys,” Neal said.

Neal argues that the situation was made worse last year when the county commission approved only a 7% budget increase for the prosecutor’s office, a decision that resulted in the loss of two criminal prosecutor positions—a 20% cut. Neal says the office is now outnumbered two-to-one by the public defenders, not counting private attorneys.

In a startling example, Neal cites a recent case where nine defense attorneys appeared while the Statewas represented by a single prosecutor.

“Of these nine defense attorneys, eight were funded by taxpayers,” adds Neal. “That’s right, your taxes are going to defend criminals in substantially greater amounts than to prosecute them.”

Neal argues that this imbalance “emboldens” criminals. When prosecutors are overwhelmed with cases, they are forced to make more lenient plea deals. “Our success rate in trial suffers. And that emboldens the criminal element,” he warned.

Neal contends that since the county is no longer responsible for the $3 million annual expense for public defense, a portion of that money should be redirected to his office to hire additional prosecutors. He is urging the public to contact the county Commissioner’s Office ahead of next week’s budget vote.

“Nothing less than the future of the quality of life in our community is at stake,” concludes Neal.

“It’s not feasible”: County Commissioners Explain Budgeting Constraints

In response to Prosecutor Neal’s commentary, Local News 8 reached out to the Bonneville County Commissioners’ office for additional insight. Commissioner Karl Casperson explained that multiple county offices are facing budget cuts due to a lack of revenue. He clarified that the $3 million for public defense was not withheld from the prosecutor’s office, as it was never county revenue; it was state funding that was simply reallocated to the new SPD office. “There was not a $3 million fund available when the public defenders went to the state,” he stated.

During a recent “Stand Up for Idaho” town hall, Commissioner Michelle Mallard further explained the commissioners’ position. She noted that the county has an estimated $2,130,000 in new revenue from property taxes. The prosecutor’s office has requested roughly $1,452,000 of that, which Mallard says is not a feasible option.

“If we give the prosecutor’s office everything they ask for, that leaves just over $677,000 in new money for all other county offices, including the sheriff’s office,” Mallard explained. “It’s not feasible for us to give just one office all the new property tax money.”

She also warned that the current revenue restrictions would likely prevent the county from reaching its goal of a 5% cost-of-living increase for all county employees.

“In 2019, the budget for the prosecutor’s office was $2 million. Since 2019, the commissioners have steadily provided increases that amount to…$1 million,” Mallard added. “We will certainly have to increase the budget for the prosecutor’s office this year… But we can’t do it at the expense of every other need across the county.”

To watch Mallards’ full comments, click HERE.

Commissioner Casperson encourages the public to attend the budget meeting on August 28th at 2 PM to better understand the situation.

The full copy of Prosecutor Neal’s commentary has been included below:

Public Comment on Budget (1)Download

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