Category: kifi-local-news

News Team

CARIBOU-TARGEHEE NATIONAL FOREST (KIFI) — Fire crews are battling several lightning-caused fires in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. With more thunderstorms in the forecast, Forest Rangers are appealing to visitors to exercise extreme caution to prevent new fires.

Three of the most recent fires include:

Rocky Top Fire: 11 miles northwest of Swan Valley, at 3 acres.

Rim Trail Fire: 27 acres, located 13 miles northeast of Tetonia. Check for road and trail closures before traveling.

Tponce Fire: 9 miles northeast of Inkom, at 11 acres.

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions remain in place across eastern Idaho. The forest service stresses that simple actions can make a huge difference. “Possessing or discharging fireworks, incendiary ammunition, and exploding targets are illegal on public lands,” a recent statement warned. “Help prevent human-caused wildfires.”

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Noah Farley

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — There are only a few days left to file as a candidate for city office in Idaho Falls. Local News 8 spoke with another City Council candidate today.

Mosy Moran is running for the Idaho Falls City Council Seat 2. He says he has experience in mental health and non-profits.

Moran decided to run because he feels there is a lack of communication between city officials and Idaho Falls citizens. That’s why he hopes to bridge gaps and make connections with the public, as well as make improvements to Idaho Falls as it continues to grow.

“Things like transportation, focusing on the infrastructure,” Moran said. “Make sure that the growth that’s happening is done in a safe way for the community so that things are still affordable and we’re still keeping the spirit of Idaho Falls while we’re growing, because the growing is inevitable.”

People have until 5 p.m. on Friday, August 26, to file as a candidate. After that, they will have a week to withdraw.

You can find the up-to-date list of Idaho Falls mayor and city council candidates here.

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News Release

The following is a news release from Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s office:

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced today that Idaho defeated an attempt to block enforcement of House Bill 264, the state’s university restroom privacy law. U.S. District Judge David Nye denied a motion for preliminary injunction that sought to suspend the law while litigation continues, meaning Idaho’s protections for student privacy remain fully enforceable during the case.

“Parents shouldn’t have to worry that their daughters will be forced to share restrooms with biological males while pursuing their education,” said Attorney General Labrador. “The court’s ruling ensures that Idaho’s common-sense law stays in effect while the lawsuit proceeds. We will continue to defend these protections until this case reaches its final resolution.”

Two individuals sued in July seeking to use opposite-sex restrooms at Boise State University and the University of Idaho. Judge Nye’s opinion found that the challengers had not shown their claims were likely to succeed and emphasized that Idaho has a substantial interest in protecting students’ right to privacy.

House Bill 264 requires multi-occupancy restrooms at Idaho’s public universities to be designated “male” or “female” based on biological sex, while ensuring single-user accommodations for anyone unwilling or unable to use a multi-occupancy restroom consistent with their biological sex.

By denying the preliminary injunction, the court left Idaho’s law in place for the duration of the case. The Office of the Attorney General will continue to vigorously defend the statute on behalf of Idaho families and students through the conclusion of the litigation.

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Noah Farley

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — People gathered at the Museum of Clean Saturday for fun, food, and their love of potatoes.

Hundreds of people met at the Pocatello Potato Festival to enjoy local vendors, games, and several potato-related activities like making prints with potatoes and using potatoes to power clocks.

“We really wanted to bring something that’s true to Idaho, but also fits in with the Children’s Museum as well as the Museum of Clean,” said Event Coordinator, Claire Horton. “And I don’t know how you really tie in Idaho and education more than with potatoes.”

A potato festival wouldn’t be complete without french fries. That’s why Simplot provided free fries for everyone.

Horton thanks the community, sponsors, and vendors for making the event possible. She plans to hold the event again next year.

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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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