Category: kifi-local-news

Curtis Jackson

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)— Hulu is set to premiere a gripping three-part true‑crime documentary examining the 2006 murder of Pocatello teenager Cassie Stoddart — a case that shocked the region and drew national attention for its chilling connection to horror‑movie obsession.

“The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story” is set to debut on Wednesday, Feb. 11, on Hulu retraces the final hours of 16-year-old Stoddart, who was found stabbed to death while house‑sitting on the outskirts of Pocatello. As fear of a random killer spread through the community, investigators focused on the last people to see her alive: her boyfriend Matt, later cleared of involvement, and classmates Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik.

Detectives eventually uncovered a disturbing videotape recorded by Draper and Adamcik — evidence that prosecutors say revealed the teens planning and later attempting to document the murder. The series follows their arrests, trials, and ultimate convictions, exploring how the pair’s fixation on horror films, particularly the 1996 slasher Scream, shaped their deadly plot.

Beyond the investigation, the documentary highlights the lasting trauma for Stoddart’s family, the painful reckoning faced by the boys’ parents, and the ongoing debate over sentencing minors to life in prison. Nearly two decades later, the series returns to Pocatello as Draper and Adamcik reflect from behind bars on the night that changed multiple families forever.

View the trailer above.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho legislators introduced two pivotal bills last week aimed at stripping local governments of their power to regulate short-term rentals (STRs). The legislative push follows a wave of local crackdowns, new taxes, and zoning restrictions in Idaho’s most popular resort towns and vacation destinations, where the explosion of platforms like Airbnb and VRBO has sparked fierce community debate.

Limiting the Scope of Local Regulation

The first proposal, House Bill 583, introduced on February 3rd in the House Business Committee, seeks to limit local STR ordinances strictly to matters of public health and safety.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Jordan Redman (R-District 3B), cited a 2025 Idaho Supreme Court decision affirming strong protections for short-term rental owners. That ruling struck down a 2006 Lava Hot Springs ordinance that had barred non-owner-occupied STRs from residential zones.

“Property owners should be able to decide how to use their homes,” Redman stated. “This bill is a much-needed piece of legislation to affirm owner choice and market freedom.”

A Narrow Definition for “Professional” Rentals

A second piece of legislation, introduced in the Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee, takes a different tack. Senate Bill 1263 aims to prevent cities from adopting STR-specific ordinances beyond basic safety.

Notably, the bill would also prohibit local governments from requiring business licenses for STRs unless the rentals are owned by professional investors who operate four or more STRs in the same jurisdiction or a rental generates greater than $10,000 per year.”

Senator Mark Harris argued the bill is intended to balance the competing private property rights of STR owners and local families.

“These ordinances should balance the private property rights of families and long-term residents with those of STR owners,” Harris said. “But in some areas of the state, we’ve seen ordinances go too far, disregarding the rights of one group over another.”

Pushback from Idaho’s Resort Towns

The legislative proposals have sounded alarms in communities like McCall and Island Park, where STRs often outnumber year-round residents.

McCall: A “Critical Crossroads

In a letter to city residents, McCall Mayor Colby Nielsen warned that the bills put the area at a “critical crossroads.” McCall currently hosts over 400 registered STRs—a significant figure for a town with only 1,400 year-round households.

Nielsen pointed to a July 2025 court victory that upheld McCall’s right to set occupancy limits, parking requirements, and fire safety standards. He cautioned that these hard-won local protections are being targeted by interests far removed from McCall.

“We expect more attempts this year with large out-of-state online STR platforms and real estate lobbying groups pushing for rules that support their business model, not Idaho neighborhoods,” wrote Nielsen. “These proposals can strip local communities of the ability to manage STRs in ways that best serve residents, replacing local solutions with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ mandate.”

Mayor Nielsen pushed McCall’s residents to contact their State legislators to oppose the “efforts to preempt local authority.”

Island Park: Infrastructure Under Strain

In Island Park, the ratio is even more lopsided: over 1,600 STRs serve a community with fewer than 1,000 residents, less than 200 of which are year-round residents. Residents have complained that the massive influx of seasonal visitors is buckling the area’s limited infrastructure and emergency services.

“We do not have the infrastructure for the many people we have during the summer months,” said resident Teri Ehresman. “What works for the Boise area does not work for large rural communities like Island Park. Our Island Park residents, who are neighbors to these constant visitors, also have property rights.”

The debate in Island Park is further complicated by recent legal drama. Several STR owners were recently charged with voter fraud following allegations that they illegally voted in a local election to defeat a proposed Auditorium District. The district would have imposed a 5% lodging tax on short-term stays to fund local services.

RELATED: Island Park Voter Fraud Investigation

Interestingly, neither of the two bills currently before the legislature would prevent communities from enacting such taxing districts. Both bills have cleared their respective committees and are headed to the House and Senate floors for full debate.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Erick Hall, the convicted murderer behind two of Idaho’s most notorious cold cases, will not face the state’s execution chamber. The Idaho Department of Correction announced Tuesday that Hall passed away from natural causes at a local hospital on Feb. 9, 2026, at 9:58 p.m.

At the time of his death, Hall was serving two death sentences for the first-degree murders of Lynn Henneman and Cheryl Ann Hanlon in Ada County.

The Crimes that Haunted Boise

In 2000, Hall raped and murdered flight attendant Lynn Henneman, originally from Bozeman, Montana. Adding to the tragedy, the murder took place less than a month after the young flight attendant had married Walter Us.

According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Henneman was in Boise on a layover for United Airlines when she went missing for two weeks before her body was discovered in the river on Oct. 7, 2000.

It unfortunately took yet another tragedy to solve the case. In March 2003, a teenager found the body of Cheryl Ann Hanlon of Boise along a trail in the foothills. According to reports by the Spokesman Review, Hanlon had been raped and beaten so severely that she looked like the victim of a traffic accident.

The breakthrough came after a witness reported seeing Hanlon walking with a man in downtown Boise the night before her death. The resulting composite sketch led to Hall’s arrest. Once in custody, investigators used DNA evidence to definitively link the then-transient Hall to the 2000 murder of Henneman.

Hall spent decades fighting the sentences. In 2018, he appealed to the Idaho Supreme Court, claiming he had received an unfair trial. However, the justices upheld the death sentence in a majority ruling, stating Hall had been provided with adequate representation and a fair legal process.

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Curtis Jackson

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI)—A teen who was charged in the killing of a woman last fall in Blackfoot has entered a guilty plea in court.

Bobby Grant Jackson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the death of Rebecca Rivera. The plea was submitted on January 29, 2026, as part of a binding agreement with prosecutors. If the judge accepts the deal, Jackson will serve at least 20 years in prison.  

Rivera’s body was found dead on October 23, 2025, at a trailer park at 1159 Broadway in Blackfoot. According to investigators, preliminary findings indicated that before the shooting, Jackson had stolen a firearm and had been reported as a teen runaway.

Police say Jackson arrived at Rivera’s home sometime after 12:40 PM on October 23, where he allegedly shot her in the head before leaving the home.

Following the shooting, investigators say Jackson traveled to Chubbuck and eventually to Pocatello, where he was located at a home and taken into custody without incident that night.

Because Jackson was a minor at the time of the crime, he is not eligible for the death penalty. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4 at 9 a.m.

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Maile Sipraseuth

BANNOCK COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Eligible Bannock County residents can save up to $1,500 on their property taxes, and the Bannock County Assessor’s Office is encouraging those who may qualify to apply for the 2026 Property Tax Reduction program.

The Property Tax Reduction (PTR) program, formerly the “circuit breaker,” helps lower property taxes for qualifying Idahoans, including seniors, widows and widowers, recognized disabled individuals, disabled veterans, former prisoners of war, and the visually impaired. To qualify, applicants must have an annual income of $39,130 or less.

For more information about applying, the Bannock County Assessor’s Office will host multiple open houses throughout the community, where staff will be available to answer questions and help with applications.

Residents who think they may qualify are also welcome to call the Assessor’s Office for help at 208-236-7260 or visit bannockcounty.gov/assessor.

Upcoming PTR Open House Schedule:

Feb. 24, 9-10 a.m. – Arimo City Hall – 115 Henderson Rd. 

Feb. 26, 9-10 a.m. – Downey Community Center – 15 S Main St. 

March 3, 9-10 a.m. – Lava Hot Springs Senior Center — 150 N Center St. 

March 5, 9-10 a.m. – McCammon City Office – 100 Center St. 

March 10, 9-10 a.m. – Inkom City Hall — 365 N Rapid Creek Rd. 

March 12, 9-10 a.m. – Chubbuck City Hall — 290 E Linden Ave. 

March 19, 9-10 a.m. – Pocatello Senior Activity Center — 427 N 6th Ave

The application deadline for 2026 is Wednesday, April 15.

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David Pace

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho is closely debating whether to join a coalition of states calling for a balanced budget amendment on the national level. 

The proposal, if passed, would include Idaho in a push to hold a convention of states.

The amendment would require the U.S. Congress to balance its budget and ensure that its expenditures do not exceed income.

“We have a $38.5 trillion debt with only $5.3 trillion of revenue every year,” said Rep. John Shirts, R-Weiser. “That’s like making $53,000 a year, and having $385,000 in credit card debt. This affects our national security, our national sovereignty, and most importantly, it affects our children and our grandchildren who will be saddled with this massive amount of debt.”

But the 36-34 vote divided Republicans, with 25 GOP legislators joining nine Democratic representatives in opposition.

“I know you want just a Constitutional convention for a balanced budget. I submit to you that that will not happen today,” said Rep. Cornel Rasor, R-Sandpoint. “It will be overturned. They will use necessity, they will use precedent, and we will come out of that with something so foreign to our worldview and way of thinking that our children will never forgive us.”

A convention of states is provided for by Article V of the U.S. Constitution, which says that 34 state legislatures can call for a convention to propose amendments to the Constitution. Any amendments would then need to be ratified by 38 of the state legislatures. 

Proponents say this is one of the states’ best tools to reign in federal spending and the national debt.

“Congress needs to reopen up the autopilot, actually do their job, balance this thing down to where they actually have something to work with,” said Rep. Josh Tanner, R-Eagle.

However, opponents argue that a convention of states has never occurred before and could lead to unintended consequences.

“I am not, necessarily against the convention of states, but I am worried about a runaway convention,” said Sen. Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls. “Supporters say that there’s rules in place, there’s laws in place that it just won’t happen – that there’s no way that it can be a runaway. But my experience in local and state politics suggest otherwise.”

Cook cited Platform Enforcement Hearings, in which local GOP committees attempted to remove elected officials from the Republican party for not following the GOP platform, as an example of small groups of people changing political rules to achieve their aims.

The convention of states proposal is supported by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who visited with Idaho legislators in January, but is opposed by the Idaho GOP party, including Chairwoman Dorothy Moon. Idaho Democrats also voted unitedly against the resolution.

The measure now advances to the Idaho Senate for a vote.

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Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho’s warm winter season is throwing a lot of people off, and lately, winter driving hasn’t been very winter-like. Local News 8 visited with the Idaho State Police to see what they see on the roads during the unseasonably warm days.

Normally, ISP would be warning drivers to look out for snow plows, but lately, there’s an unusual sight – motorcycles on the roads. While Idaho State Police say they haven’t had any reports of accidents involving motorcycles, they say to be mindful of the two-wheeled vehicles on the roads.

“We’re just trying to get that message out now, where we have seen more motorcycles out, which is not typical for this time of year,” said Sergeant Amanda Ward with ISP. “So, we just want to remind the public to share the roads with them and watch for them.”

While it’s been dry enough for bikers, we’re still waking up to frost on the windows. If ISP sees you driving with mostly icy windows and only a small portion cleared up, that’ll be a $67 fine. So until the snow plows come out, watch out for motorcyclists, and always keep those windows clear, snowplows or not.

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Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Two people were arrested Saturday after Bonneville County authorities traced a suspect vehicle seen in security footage from a storage unit burglary.

Deputies were called to a facility near 1st Street and Ammon Road on Saturday morning. Victims reported a large amount of property missing, including furniture, personal items, and a vehicle.

Through an investigation involving security video from nearby businesses, deputies identified a suspect pickup truck. They located the vehicle at a residence in the 600 block of West 19th Street with some of the alleged stolen property in the back.

While deputies were at the scene, Frank Ruben Addleman, 55, and Kelly Lynn Dean, 45, arrived in a separate vehicle. Deputies detained both after noting they were wearing the same clothes seen in the surveillance footage.

Both suspects admitted to the theft and led deputies to a second storage unit where they had hidden the stolen vehicle. Almost all property was recovered and returned to the owners.

Addleman and Dean were booked into the Bonneville County Jail.

Sergeant Bryan Lovell, of the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, said, “The good thing about this is, people were paying attention, they noticed that something was amiss, and got law enforcement involved and started working it backwards to try and track down a suspect. We’ll always tell the public to make sure they’re checking their car doors, lock the car doors, lock their storage units, lock the windows to their barns and shed doors to their sheds and garages and houses.”

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Curtis Jackson

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (KIFI) – U.S. Ski racer Breezy Johnson, of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, won gold in the women’s downhill at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

Johnson blazed down the run in a time of 1:36.01 to beat Germany’s Emma Aicher by .04 seconds to the gold medal.

Italian skier Sofia Goggia, who lit the Olympic cauldron in Friday’s opening ceremonies, finished with bronze.

Johnson’s win is the first gold medal for the United States in these games.

Teammate Lindsay Vonn suffered a heartbreaking crash moments into her run after clipping a gate. Vonn was airlifted to a hospital where she underwent surgery for a fractured leg.

Johnson offered her support. “The work that we put in, the careers, I think obviously, my heart aches for her. And it’s a tough road and it’s a tough sport,” Johnson said.

Johnson is only the second American woman in alpine skiing history win a gold medal in the downhill. The first was Vonn in 2010.

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Danielle Mullenix

While Super Bowl Sunday will remain warm and partly sunny, Monday will kick off with cooler temperatures and unpredictable weather, setting the stage for a dynamic and intriguing start. Beginning late Sunday night, the persistent high-pressure ridge over our region will break down, allowing moisture to return to the area overnight. We’ll begin Monday morning with rain and snow mixtures across Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming.

Sunday afternoon will see skies slowly filling with clouds as the weather system moving in prepares to bring rain and snow. A large swath of clouds advances toward the Snake River Plain in the afternoon hours of Sunday, but temperatures remain above average, with many places still sitting in the mid-50s for the end of the weekend. Expect partly sunny conditions and a high near 53°, followed by increasing clouds Sunday night and a chance of rain after 11 p.m. with overnight lows around 37°. Winds will begin to pick up, with gusts up to 20 mph.

Rain showers will pass over the Snake River Plain for the start of Monday, with some snow mixing in later. Most of the snow will favor the higher terrain. No significant accumulation is expected with this snow system. 2-3 inches will be visible around places like Island Park and Jackson. Rain is likely before noon, then a rain/snow mix with scattered mountain snow showers throughout the day. The Snake River Plain tops out near 45° with little or no accumulation expected and precipitation chances around 60%.

Precipitation chances are expected to decrease slightly on Tuesday and Wednesday; however, light snow flurries may continue intermittently throughout the week. This Sunday will be the last day of unseasonably warm temperatures, as we can expect a return to more typical temperatures for this time of year in the coming week.

AIR STAGNATION ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MONDAY

WHAT…Poor air quality will continue. This is due to an inversion and stagnant air near the surface, which will continue to trap pollutants.

WHERE…Franklin/Eastern Oneida Region and Lower Snake River Plain.

WHEN…Until 11 AM MST Monday.

IMPACTS…Periods of air stagnation can lead to the buildup of pollutants near the surface.

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