Category: kifi-local-news

Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — College of Eastern Idaho’s Dr. Jill Kirkham is getting statewide recognition for her work in the classroom.

Earlier this week, Dr. Kirkham received the Innovative Educator Award in the Social and Behavioral Ways of Knowing category at the 2025 Idaho General Education Summit. This is the second year in a row that a CEI instructor has earned the award.

“We are so excited to be able to celebrate Dr. Kirkham’s contributions to CEI, especially her innovation that inspires her students to think deeply, at the state level,” said Dr. Dana Cotton, Chair for the Associate of Arts Degree.

Dr. Kirkham teaches Social Science and Humanities at CEI and is known for making learning hands-on and accessible — even writing her own course materials so students don’t have to pay extra. CEI leaders say her creative teaching style continues to inspire students and other educators across Idaho.

Click here to follow the original article.

News Team

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Falls community is mourning the passing of longtime civic leader Carrie Getty Scheid, who died Tuesday after a battle with cancer. Scheid, widely known for dedicating over three decades to the region, leaves behind an immense legacy across the arts, philanthropy, and animal welfare. She is survived by her husband, Jerry Scheid.

Earlier this year, Scheid was honored with a Mayor’s Choice Award, recognizing her exceptional contributions to the city of Idaho Falls.

“For more than 30 years, Carrie has helped shape Idaho Falls into the vibrant, compassionate, and creative community we know and love today,” said Mayor Casper. “From the arts and animal welfare to civic engagement and philanthropy, her impact is immeasurable. It’s a true privilege to celebrate her legacy.”

As the former executive director of the Idaho Falls Arts Council, Scheid was a driving force behind the revitalization of downtown Idaho Falls. Scheid played a key role in the $4.5 million restoration of the Colonial Theater and was instrumental in developing the Willard Arts Center.

Beyond her contributions to the Arts, Scheid also helped launch Idaho Gives, one of the state’s most successful nonprofit fundraising initiatives, co-founded the Snake River Animal Shelter, and served on several nonprofit boards throughout the region.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

Click here to follow the original article.

Seth Ratliff

UPDATE:

SHELLEY, Idaho (KIFI) — As of 11:40 AM, power has been restored after multiple outages were reported in the Shelley area. For updates, click HERE.

ORIGINAL:

SHELLEY, Idaho (KIFI) — More than a thousand Rocky Mountain Power customers south of Idaho Falls are currently without electricity due to multiple outages reported in the Shelley area.

The power loss was called in around 10:40 AM and is impacting approximately 1,081 residents between Shelley and Mitchell. The cause of the outage has not been released at this time.

Rocky Mountain Power says its crews have arrived on the scene to assess and repair the damage. They anticipate power will be restored by 3:00 PM this afternoon. For updates, click HERE.

Click here to follow the original article.

Danielle Mullenix

Idaho Falls, Idaho (KIFI) — In a tradition spanning more than a decade, the award-winning original production Deep Love: A Ghostly Rock Opera is returning to Idaho Falls on October 27th for its annual Halloween performance at the Colonial Theatre.

The cast will feature Sheldon Bladh as Florence, Mike Dunn as Friedrich, Chase McKnight as Old Bones, and add a new performer and BYU student, Aspen Palmer, as Constance. In addition to playing Old Bones, Chase McKnight also continues to co-direct with Liz Whittaker. 

Longtime fans of Deep Love know that the production is closer to a rock concert than a musical performance, with audience members encouraged to clap, sing along, dance, and cheer. Audience members also attend in their best funeral attire, ranging from simple black clothing to full skeleton makeup. As a gothic ghost story told through rock and roll, the show has become a Halloween tradition for hundreds of fans. 

Deep Love: A Ghostly Rock Opera is a show without dialogue—a modern take on the opera—where the characters tell the story entirely through the veil of a rock & roll concert. In the tradition of The Who’s Tommy and Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, Deep Love tells the story of a widowed Constance and the tragedy that threatens when her former love arises from the dead to demand her loyalty. Will she and her new beau, Friedrich, survive the jealousy of their former loves, the violent Florence, and the vengeful Old Bones? Or will they fall prey to the darkness that haunts them?

Deep Love: A Ghostly Rock Opera is the collaboration of BYU-Idaho alumni Ryan Hayes and Garrett Sherwood. From the first performance in 2010 in Rexburg, Idaho, the audience for Deep Love has grown from the two-dozen attendees in a living room, to thousands of devoted fans across the country.

In 2015, Deep Love: A Ghostly Rock Opera was selected as a featured production in the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), following which it was invited to be workshopped at the Johnny Mercer Writers’ Colony at the Goodspeed Theatre.

This is also the first time the show is being produced under their newly formed 501c3 organization, officially named Fairest of Friends (after one of the songs in the show). This means that any donations or sponsorships are now fully tax-deductible (for more information, click here).

Deep Love: A Ghostly Rock Opera has been called “a polished show with pop ambitions” by The New York Times; “A credible sounding rock amalgam of the likes of Queen, Led Zeppelin, and Aerosmith” by Theater Scene; “Fabulously ghoulish!” by Backstage.com; and “[a] unique blend of musical styles, engaging story, and a captivating, immersive production” by SLC Weekly. 

Audience members who love rock music and gothic tales, as well as those looking for a fun event to attend this Halloween season, must purchase tickets before this show returns to its crypt. To access online ticket sales before the event, click here.

Click here to follow the original article.

News Team

EDITORS’ NOTE: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that several City Council candidates chose not to attend a candidate forum. We have learned that these candidates were participating in a separate forum at The Celt, hosted by KID Newsradio.

We value accuracy and are grateful to the community members and candidates who brought this information to our attention.

UPDATED — October 23, 2025, 10:40 AM

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Candidates vying for seats on the Idaho Falls City Council split their focus Tuesday night, attending multiple public forums in an effort to connect with voters ahead of the November election.

In a forum hosted by Stand Up for Idaho, the sole City Council candidate in attendance, Jared Dominick, spoke candidly about Idaho Falls’ development trends.

“I’m just talking city only,” Dominick said. “You know what’s going on outside the city is different, but it is not an explosive population growth in Idaho Falls. But what is really growing is the explosion of apartment buildings.”

He attributed the surge to the city’s comprehensive plan, known as “Imagine IF,” which is being implemented by the current city council and mayor.

Candidates Convene at The Celt Pub

Meanwhile, 10 City Council hopefuls, including Mosy Moran, Teresa Dominick, Brandon Lee, etc., focused their efforts on a separate forum. This event was hosted by KID Newsradio and took place at the Celt Pub.

“Events like this highlight the growing enthusiasm for open, community-based dialogue in our city,” candidate for City Council Seat 2 Mosy Moran said in a message to Local News 8.

In a statement to Doug Toomer of Stand Up for Idaho, Lee explained why he chose to attend the other forum, stating, “I attended the [Stand Up for Idaho] mayoral forum and just felt that that type of environment was not what a local, nonpartisan event should be like.”

Local News 8 is reaching out to the candidates who participated in the Celt forum and will update this article with details of their discussions and platforms as soon as that information becomes available.

Click here to follow the original article.

News Team

WASHINGTON (KIFI) — On the 22nd day of the government shutdown, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson joined House Republican leadership Wednesday to address the ongoing impacts on America’s national parks.

Simpson highlighted the significant, often overlooked, autumn visitation to the parks. Challenging the notion that national parks are primarily summer destinations, he cited statistics showing that 28 million people visited in October and another 24 million in November in 2024.

“I love Yellowstone in October and in November, when you get there and see the first snowfall and things like that, it’s a great time to visit our national parks,” said Simpson. “But we have families who have been planning to visit our National Parks for years, sometimes setting aside resources, that are now canceling their visits because of the impact this shutdown could have on their vacations.”

Simpson blames Democrats for prolonged shutdown

Simpson also praised the current Republican leadership team for its efforts toward restoring “regular order”—the normal, annual appropriations process. However, he said one thing is preventing that from happening — the government shutdown. 

“We need to open this government back up,” Simpson insisted. While acknowledging that “many other issues… need to be debated and worked on,” he pointed out that those legislative functions are on hold. He quoted Chairman Bruce Westerman, noting that key leaders “can’t have hearings and that type of stuff when we’re shut down.”

“So we need to change that, we need to open this government back up.” Simpson concluded, blaming the Senate Minority Leader for the impasse. “Get rid of this stupid Schumer shutdown…and let us do our jobs.”

Simpson also argued that House Republicans provided democrats with a clean CR (Continuing Resolution)—a temporary funding bill free of major policy riders— which he said House Democrats ultimately rejected.

Idaho Dems Point Finger at “Trump Shutdown” Over Healthcare

In contrast to Congressman Simpson’s remarks, since the early days of the shutdown, Idaho Democrats have blamed the Republican-controlled government for the lapse in funding and highlighted potential consequences for Idaho families.

The Idaho Democratic Party argues that the funding expired “despite Republican control of the White House and both chambers of Congress,” claiming that Donald Trump and Idaho Republicans “refused to get serious about avoiding a shutdown.”

The Democratic response heavily focused on the potential impact on healthcare costs, stating that Democrats were in Washington, D.C. “ready to negotiate” to prevent health insurance premiums from doubling for 100,605 Idahoans and to stop 37,000 Idahoans from losing their health insurance entirely.

In September, Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea released a scathing statement, labeling the closure a “Trump Shutdown.”

“Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House. With all that power, they showed they can’t lead and don’t care to,” said Necochea. “Democrats fought to protect your health care, keep premiums from doubling for more than 100,000 Idahoans, and save our rural hospitals from devastating cuts. But Mike Simpson, Russ Fulcher, Jim Risch, and Mike Crapo stood with their party and turned their backs on Idaho families,” stated Necochea.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ariel Jensen

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Goat Grazers are using their herds as an innovative way to help control weeds in Idaho. The Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust manages property for wildlife habitat, open space, and recreational opportunities.

For two days, they are using 70 goats to limit the amount of invasive species like cheatgrass, helping foster native plant growth, improve wildlife habitat, and reduce the risk of wildfires.

They are choosing to use goats to help them reduce the use of chemicals, which is good for the land and the animals. 

“So go to a really innovative way to help us control the weeds, primarily because it allows us to limit our use of chemicals and that aligns with our mission of stewarding the land according to best practices for ecosystem and wildlife, said Carly Flandro, communications coordinator for Sagebrush  Steppe Land Trust.

This started as a pilot program, and their first trial was last spring. Steppe Land Trust says they plan to do this twice a year here on out because it has been so effective.

Click here to follow the original article.

Seth Ratliff

WEST YELLOWSTONE, Montana (KIFI) — Effective immediately, West Yellowstone Mayor Jeff McBirnie has resigned from his position. The move follows a public outcry over a series of highly controversial posts on his personal Facebook account.

The posts, which were confirmed as authentic by the Montana-based newspaper, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, included statements such as, “I’m ANTIFA. F Trump and his Nazi followers.”

Mayor McBirnie addressed the controversy in another Facebook post announcing his resignation. “I owe the town an apology,” McBirnie wrote. “What I posted was mean and divisive. I have clearly fallen off the tracks. I have resigned from the council. Thank you and sorry to have caused such a drama.”

McBirnie was appointed Mayor of the Town of West Yellowstone earlier this year and had been up for reelection before his resignation.

The Town of West Yellowstone acknowledged the resignation in a press release, thanking McBirnie for his “time and efforts on behalf of the community.” The Town Council is scheduled to consider appointing a successor Mayor on November 4, 2025, as outlined by the Town Charter.

Click here to follow the original article.

Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Students and staff at Highland High School were forced to evacuate Wednesday afternoon after a blaring fire alarm interrupted classes, an incident that comes seven months after the school broke ground on its massive post-fire reconstruction.

According to Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 (D25), the evacuation was a precautionary measure made out of “an abundance of caution.” A preliminary investigation indicates the alarm system was triggered by a loss of pressure in the school’s water lines.

“All learners and staff are safe at the football field evacuation site and will be released back to classes as soon as possible,” D25 posted on Facebook during the event. The students and staff were able to return to the building shortly after the issue was identified.

The minor disruption comes amid the school’s ongoing recovery from a devastating fire in April 2023 that destroyed the gym, cafeteria, and music department. The district has been working to rebuild those portions of the school.

Earlier this month, the school district released a time-lapse video showing the progress of Highland High School’s rebuild. Phase one of the project is expected to be finished between January 20 and 27 of the coming year. Phase two is slated for completion in July of the same year.

Click here to follow the original article.

CNN Newsource

By Evan Perez, CNN

(CNN) — Attorneys for former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith rebutted claims by Republican lawmakers that investigators in the January 6 election subversion case had “wiretapped” GOP members of Congress.

Senate Republicans in recent weeks accused Smith and the FBI of “political weaponization” after the FBI disclosed 2023 court orders used to obtain phone toll records belonging to eight senators and one House member. The records covered calls over four days surrounding the January 6, 2021, attack by Donald Trump supporters on the Capitol.

The toll records do not include content, but detail time and length of calls and the telephone numbers with which the lawmakers communicated, and are a routine part of Justice Department investigations.

In a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and his Democratic counterpart, Dick Durbin, Smith’s lawyers dispute that there was any political motive in obtaining the records, which they note were disclosed in the 2024 indictment of Trump and in Smith’s report on his investigation.

“As described by various Senators, the toll data collection was narrowly tailored and limited to the four days from January 4, 2021 to January 7, 2021, with a focus on telephonic activity during the period immediately surrounding the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol,” reads the letter from Lanny Breuer and Peter Koski, which was reviewed by CNN.

“The subpoena’s limited temporal range is consistent with a focused effort to confirm or refute reports by multiple news outlets that during and after the January 6 riots at the Capitol, President Trump and his surrogates attempted to call Senators to urge them to delay the certification of the 2020 election results.”

The Smith attorneys note that toll records of then-President Joe Biden were obtained by special counsel Robert Hur in the probe of his mishandling of classified documents, and in the investigation of Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat who was convicted on bribery and foreign influence charges.

“Mr. Smith’s use of the toll records as Special Counsel was lawful and in accordance with normal investigative procedure,” the letter from Smith’s attorneys says.

Republican senators raised the disclosure of the toll records during a recent Senate hearing with Attorney General Pam Bondi. During the same hearing, Democrats asked about possible political motives of the recent indictments brought against Trump’s perceived political enemies, including former FBI Director James Comey.

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

Click here to follow the original article.