Category: kifi-local-news

Maile Sipraseuth

IRWIN, Idaho (KIFI)– Idaho State Police are investigating a two-vehicle crash that injured one person at 10 p.m. on Saturday near Irwin.

According to Idaho State Police, a 2006 GMC Sierra driven by a 27-year-old Idaho Falls man was traveling eastbound with two passengers, both from Idaho Falls. One 26-year-old man was riding inside the pickup, while another 27-year-old man was riding in the truck bed.

Investigators say a 2023 Tesla Model S, driven by a 63-year-old Idaho Falls man, was also traveling eastbound when it rear-ended the GMC.

Both vehicles left the roadway following the crash. The Tesla came to rest on the eastbound shoulder, while the GMC came to rest in the eastbound lanes.

The 27-year-old man riding in the bed of the GMC was flown to a local hospital.

The highway was blocked for about three and a half hours as emergency crews responded to the scene and cleared the roadway.

The crash remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police.

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Maile Sipraseuth

UPDATE: St. Luke’s Air shared a video on Facebook and details about the rescue on Friday morning. You can see it below.

CUSTER COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI)– A hiker is recovering after falling approximately 300 feet on Mount Idaho, prompting a large-scale rescue operation in Custer County.

According to a Facebook post from the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, emergency crews were dispatched Saturday afternoon after receiving reports of a hiker who had fallen on Mount Idaho in the Lost River Range.

Multiple agencies responded to the rescue, including local search and rescue teams, Air St. Luke’s One, and the Idaho National Guard’s TALON70 helicopter.

The Idaho National Guard successfully hoisted the injured hiker from the mountainside before transferring the patient to waiting ground crews and Air St. Luke’s medical personnel. The hiker was then flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for treatment.

“We are once again impressed by the skill and bravery of the Idaho National Guard and Air St. Luke’s performing a rescue in spontaneous inclement weather conditions over the Lost River Range. We are thankful for the willingness of the Custer County SAR members, a volunteer organization, to help people in need in our County,” Custer County Sheriff’s Office said.

Officials have not released the hiker’s identity or provided an update on their condition.

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Kaelyn Blessinger

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– July is recognized as World Watercolor Month, an international celebration founded a decade ago by Missouri artist Charlie O’Shields. The annual event encourages people around the world to pick up a paintbrush while promoting the importance of art and creativity.

A simple mixture of sugar, honey and pigment creates watercolor paint, but for many artists, the medium offers far more than colorful paintings, it provides a way to express creativity and connect with others.

Sally Ellis is a local watercolor artist, who has been perfecting her craft for over 30 years. She has been painting for more than 30 years and now shares her experience with students at BYU-Idaho. Whether she’s teaching in the classroom or painting outdoors, she enjoys helping others discover the beauty of watercolor.

“You’ve got to have a good plan and you’ve got to know where you’re going in watercolor, because you start with the end in mind,” Ellis said.

While demonstrating one of her paintings inspired by the Ricks Gardens in Rexburg, Ellis explained how intentional color choices can transform a scene.

“This is at the Ricks Gardens in Rexburg, Idaho, and we orchestrate it with a warm green, a cool green, a vivid. And then notice that we popped in this red as a compliment. And it creates energy,” Ellis said. “You want that in your watercolors. These little accent colors are exactly what that is. It’s called accent. These actually did not exist. I put them in there on purpose. This made this pop or gave it more energy.”

For those interested in learning the craft, the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho offers beginner watercolor classes each month.

“We have watercolor here. It’s Beginning Watercolor. We teach it once a month, and it is on the third Saturday every month,” Becca Hayes, Education Curator at The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, said. “It is always beginner friendly, and the instructor goes through and teaches you all the different kinds of watercolor paint and brushes.”

Ellis encourages aspiring artists to approach watercolor with confidence rather than fear.

“Come with a mindset that you’re going to experience it,” she said. “Sometimes the mindset is, ‘I can’t do this. I can’t do that.’ Your mind can destroy what you’re trying to accomplish. So use the goals and the elements and principles of design to take you where you want to go.”

She also believes Eastern Idaho’s artistic community is one of the region’s greatest resources.

“We have a lot of good painters in this area, and you can learn a lot from the painters in this area just by watching them, coming together as a community and painting together,” Ellis said.

In addition to classes at the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, watercolor enthusiasts can connect with other artists through local organizations and community painting groups throughout the region.

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Hadley Bodell

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho State Police responded to a single-vehicle crash on Wooton Way and Eagle Way in Blackfoot at approximately 7 p.m. on July 17.

The driver was a 21-year-old man from Jackson, Wyoming. Police say the 2000 Mercury Mountaineer left the roadway and rolled, coming to a stop in a gravel parking lot nearby.

The man was transported to the local hospital in an ambulance but later died of injuries from the crash. Police say he was not wearing a seatbelt.

The crash is still under investigation by Idaho State Police.

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Hadley Bodell

HAILEY, Idaho (KIFI) – The Ohio fire is quickly growing in central Idaho, expanding to 1,000 acres this evening. Evacuation orders have been issued for several neighborhoods in the area.

The Heather Ohio Valley evacuation area is under a level 3 “GO” status, meaning anyone in the boundaries announced by the Blaine County Sheriff’s office need to leave immediately. This includes all homes in the Indian Creek Subdivision and Indian Creek canyon. Officials say evacuated residents are not allowed back into the area until the fire danger has passed.

The Ohio Fire has also caused road closures for Buttercup Road at Highway 75 and Red Devil Lane. Blaine County Sheriff’s say to stay out of the area at al costs to allow emergency personnel easier access.

Evacuees can go to the WR Middle School or the Life Church.

As of just after 4 p.m. this afternoon, The Hiawatha zone is on a Level Two status, meaning residents in this area need to be “SET” to evacuate if the fire spreads.

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William Syslo

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – This evening at Melaleuca field, the 15th annual “Guns versus Hoses” charity softball event took place. The game pitted deputies from the BCSO Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 8 agains Idaho Falls Firefighters, with all proceeds benefiting Make-A-Wish Idaho.

“We got together 16 years ago,” Sergeant Bryan Lovell of the Bonneville County Sherriff’s Office told me. “We wanted to have a fun event that raised money for a charity. And we decided that charity was Make-A-Wish of Idaho.”

Fans who attend the “Guns vs. Hoses” charity event are encouraged to make donations throughout the game, and there were plenty of opportunities to make that happen.

“We have a makeshift jail cell that’s a very popular item out here,” Sergeant Lovell said. “…In the even innings… people can donate money and buy points for their favorite team at 20 bucks a point. We’ve got also our impairment goggles, beer goggles, that we use for community demonstrations… there’s times during the game the crowd can pay money to put those goggles on the batter…”

Multiple entertaining ways for fans to get engaged with the game and donate money to a good cause at the same time. Not only is the event effective at raising funds for Make-A-Wish, but it also doubles as a team-building exercise for both agencies.

“We work with the fire guys in a professional capacity all the time,” said Ryan Krumblis, a Patrol Sergeant with Bonneville County. “And we have a very good professional working relationship with them. But this gives us a fun atmosphere to kind of razz each other a little bit, give each other a little bit of stuff here and there, and then have a good time.”

A topic and feeling that are mutual between the two departments.

“It’s pretty fun. This is probably one of the best ways to build camaraderie amongst your… you know, all the members of your department,” said Idaho Falls Fire Chief Johan Olson. “Obviously, it’s for a good cause, so we’re excited about that… and it’s just nice to get out and have a good time with your friends and people that we consider family.”

It was the “Hoses” who took the win this time, with a final score of 98 to 74, the high scores courtesy of generous patrons. In total, the event pulled in $11,800 for Make-A-Wish Idaho.

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David Pace

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI) – The controversial Caldera Flats subdivision proposal to develop 32 lots on 160 acres of Henry’s Lake Flats in Island Park received approval Monday from the Fremont County Commissioners.

The project, owned by Doug and Kevin Button’s DK Land LLC in Dillon, Montana, has evoked intense opposition from local residents concerned about the impact on wildlife habitat and environmentally-sensitive land in the Island Park caldera.

But two commissioners stated the owner’s property rights must still be respected – regardless of community opposition.

“People don’t want to see change or development in that area, but people own property and have property rights,” Commissioner Rick Hill said, according to preliminary minutes.  “…You can’t stop development just because don’t want it. There has to be something in the Development Code to restrict it.”

“Nobody wants that place developed,” Commissioner Mark Chandler said.

But he agreed people can’t dictate to others what to do with their property.

“They don’t have skin in the game,” Chandler said. “… It’s the American dream to get property and do what you will with it.”

Ultimately, Commissioners Rick Hill and Mark Chandler voted to advance the project on Monday.

Commissioner Blair Dance voted against it, stating he believed the decision should be sent back to Planning and Zoning for more review. 

Dance voiced that he “understands concerns about the Flats being developed. Any development out there, if it is approved, has to be done right in order to set the standards for any future development.”

About 500 residents packed previous Fremont County Planning and Zoning meetings – most in opposition to the project, according to the committee’s former Chairwoman Loy Schroeder.

PRIOR COVERAGE | Island Park Planning and Zoning Commission Denies Controversial Henry’s Lake Flats Rezoning Request

The County Commissioners’ hearing for the Island Park Caldera project developers’ appeal was held on May 20.

In preliminary minutes obtained by Local News 8, Commissioner Hill said, “It’s not an easy decision. The bottom line that the Commissioners need to consider is whether or not the application meets the standards and requirements of our Fremont County Development Code.”

He clarified that the developers applied for a Class II permit, and the application was “complete.”

Open space would be maintained on 69.7 percent of the land. Sensitive wetland areas would be set back by a 100-foot buffer.

But Davis also raised concerns from the development’s neighbor about irrigating on adjacent agricultural land. He also some agency letters – including one from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality – were not included in the packet.

Hill remarked that the necessary permits were included, and wildlife corridors and wetlands were properly addressed.

“They have a sketch plan, a site plan, contact map. Subdivisions are allowed within the Rural Base Zone with a Class II permit, open space,” Hill said. “They had a public hearing. They’ll have connection to a central wastewater treatment facility. They won’t have fencing, so wildlife won’t be restricted.”

Hill said “the application meets the performance standards for subdivisions in this zone.”

The decision comes after the Island Park Planning and Zoning Commission had rejected a request from Burtenshaw Land and Cattle to rezone the parcel in the Henry’s Lake Flats along the east side of U.S. Highway 20, Local News 8 reported previously.

The history of annexation and rezoning attempts on this land to allow higher-density residential development dates back to 2015.

The controversy is far from over.

Some Island Parks posted on social media they are considering a lawsuit to delay or block the project.

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Dylan Carder

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)- Pocatello’s Alameda Park officially opened a new playground for children ages 5 to 12 Friday, marking significant progress in the city’s ongoing park improvement efforts. Additional upgrades, including a new surface for the swings, a replacement tot lot for younger children and new amenities, are underway at the park.

The new playground and planned improvements are part of the city’s “retire playground program,” which aims to replace playgrounds in poor condition throughout Pocatello. Anne Butler, director of the Pocatello Parks and Recreation Department, said the initiative is part of an effort to address deferred maintenance and enhance park facilities.

The swingset area at Alameda Park was fenced off on July 17 for a scheduled upgrade. Crews are replacing the existing gravel surfacing with synthetic bark to provide a softer landing area. Butler noted that this process is expected to take about a week.

After the swings reopen, the city plans to close the existing 2–5-year-old tot lot to replace it with a new playground designed for the park’s youngest visitors.

“We have a retire playground program with the city and we’ve been doing our best to identify playgrounds that are in the poorest condition and start replacing those,” Butler said. She added, “we’re just really hoping to try to get caught up on a little bit of deferred maintenance and, make our parks as nice as we can.”

The park improvements are funded through a combination of city resources and community partnerships. “We’ve been rolling it out for about a year,” Butler explained. “The city’s replaced. We’ve had some funding to replace some playgrounds, but we’ve also been working with different community members or businesses to try to sponsor some of those playgrounds as well.”

Alameda Park has unfortunately been a target for significant vandalism, particularly affecting its restrooms. The park’s restrooms have been closed, with a portable restroom made available for visitors due to repeated incidents.

“We have a lot of vandalism there,” Butler stated. She expressed frustration, saying, “truthfully, our staff just can’t keep up with the vandalism that we’ve had.” She noted that the department had to make the decision to close them to focus on other operations.

Butler indicated that vandalism has seen “a pretty big uptick over the past year or two.” She is calling on the community for assistance. “We’re really hoping that the neighbors or the neighborhood would help us and kind of pay attention to those things. And, you know, if they see something awry that they call the police immediately.”

She also reminded the public that “the parks are open from sunup till an hour after sundown.” She urged residents, “if it’s beyond that time period, please help us out. Or if you see something in the park during the day that looks wrong. Just make that phone call. I think that would help us a ton.”

Further improvements at Alameda Park are being realized through collaborations with the Alameda Neighborhood Association, NeighborWorks Pocatello and the Marley Family. These partnerships are facilitating the addition of new amenities.

“We’ve been working with the Alameda Neighborhood Association and Neighborworks and, family here in town. They want to remember a family member and so we’re going to be putting up a bunch of benches around the park, along the walking path by the basketball court,” Butler said. The Alameda Neighborhood Association has also purchased a new drinking fountain to be installed near the restroom, adding to recent tree trimming and planting efforts.

The swingset area is expected to reopen in about a week once the synthetic bark surfacing is complete. The Pocatello Parks and Recreation Department hopes to have the permanent restrooms at Alameda Park reopened as soon as possible.

The city anticipates installing two more playgrounds within the next year and plans to seek additional donations from businesses to continue the playground replacement program.

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Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Hundreds of competitors raced across Idaho Falls on Friday, solving puzzles, completing challenges and raising money for student scholarships during the College of Eastern Idaho Foundation’s annual Great Race for Education.

The fundraiser, known as the Great Race for Education, sent teams to secret locations across the region where they completed physical and mental challenges in this year’s “Valhalla Edition.”

Participants spent the day following clues, working together and racing against the clock as they competed for the fastest finish.

“It was a lot of fun,” said participant Jake Stevens, Ball Ventures’ Managing Director of Investments. “I think we probably ran about two miles total. Everybody was in a good mood, supporting each other and just a lot of very positive atmosphere.”

Every challenge tested a different skill. Some required speed and teamwork, while others challenged participants to slow down and solve puzzles before moving on to the next location.

“It’s interesting because every year, something different kind of stumps you,” said participant Gray Augustus, Idaho Falls Arts Council Executive Director. “This year, we got hung up on a word search, so it can be something super simple that kind of holds you up.”

While teams competed for bragging rights, organizers said the event’s biggest victory comes long after the race ends.

“Our mission is to change families for generations,” CEI Foundation Executive Director David Facer said. “We’re able to do that through scholarships, through program support and through helping with capital expenses at CEI as well.”

Money raised during the event supports scholarships, academic programs and other educational opportunities through the College of Eastern Idaho Foundation.

According to organizers, last year’s Great Race for Education raised more than $70,000 to support students.

Augustus said the fundraiser benefits students of all ages pursuing higher education and workforce training.

“There’s thousands and thousands of dollars raised here today from the different companies,” he said. “That all goes directly to students in our area. That’s young students all the way up to older adults going back to school and working on trades. It makes a big impact.”

This year’s event featured nearly 500 participants representing businesses, organizations and community groups from across East Idaho.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The City of Pocatello held a naming contest for the new cougar kitten at Zoo Idaho as a fundraiser for her habitat, which raised $3000 for renovations. On Friday, a crowd gathered outside the enclosure for Mayor Dahlquist to announce the winning name of the zoo’s new addition.

The contest was down to three names: Roxanne, Purrsephone, and Clawdia. The Mayor invited Caleb, a young student in the community, to announce the name, as he was “Mayor for the Day” on July 17. Caleb had spent the morning with Mayor Dahlquist at the Water Treatment Plant, a senior living center ribbon cutting and then the zoo for the name announcement.

“In your loudest voice, tell us the name of the new young cougar,” the Mayor said.

“Roxanne!” Caleb announced to the cheering crowd.

Roxanne, photo credit Zoo Idaho

Roxanne arrived at Zoo Idaho with two other orphaned cougar kittens from Wyoming. Upon arrival, all three were diagnosed with a deadly virus called feline panleukopenia. Roxanne is a miracle kitten with a story of resilience, as through intensive vetrinarian care, she is the only surviving cougar.

“She is quite a fighter,” said Shelby Maris, lead zookeeper at Zoo Idaho. “We were very excited to see her live and now to see her thrive.”

Zoo Idaho is a rescue facility and provides care for orphaned and injured wildlife. Roxanne will live out the rest of her life under the care of experts at Zoo Idaho.

Maris said the best part of her job is getting to know the animals’ personalities. “She is very feisty, she is small but mighty,” Maris said. “She definitely likes to tell you that she’s not afraid of you. It’s fun to watch her develop and grow as she gets bigger and more confident.”

“She is very feisty, she is small but mighty,”

-Shelby Maris, Lead Zookeeper

Roxanne, photo credit Zoo Idaho

The donations through the naming competition will go towards renovations and upgrades to Roxanne’s habitat. Maris said they will install some large enrichment items for her like a waterfall as well as more grass and dirt. The zookeepers hope that she will come out of the enclosure and explore in her new space.

Zoo Idaho previously had a full grown cougar named Sinbad. Maris said having cougars in the zoo is always a highlight for both the zookeepers and the community.

“It’s really cool to see them up close, whereas you probably wouldn’t even see them in the wild, so I think they’re a fun animal to see,” Maris said. “They’re also fun to do enrichment for because they have that prey drive to attack things.”

Roxanne playing in her habitat, video credit Shelby Maris

Sinbad was fully trained to the point he could do voluntary blood draws with Maris as his primary keeper and trainer. She said the goal is to get Roxanne to that level as well, with one of the full-time keepers already working hard to train the young cougar.

For now, if you visit Zoo Idaho to see Roxanne, there’s a chance she won’t come out to the exhibit area of her habitat.

“She’s pretty timid right now,” Maris explained. “She just got access to her whole exhibit recently, but she’s still getting used to it. Hopefully, as she gets bigger, she’ll gain more confidence and come out for people to see her more.”

She sometimes “peekaboo’s” through the doors to the den near the top of her habitat. Maris said the zookeepers know she’s been exploring at night by looking at her footprints in the mud.

Zoo Manager Peter Pruett said it could take a few seasons for Roxanne to be fully comfortable with the number of people passing by near her habitat and come down to see them.

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