Category: kifi-local-news

Fox13

Originally Published: 30 APR 26 14:13 ET

By KSTU News Staff

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    SALT LAKE CITY (KSTU) — A University of Utah student, just days away from graduation, has been arrested by ICE officials, according to his attorney.

Lisandro Pantaleon Pacheco, whose attorney Adam Crayk said has no criminal history, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents earlier in the week while on his way to a new job.

FOX 13 News has confirmed that Pacheco is currently being detained in Evanston, Wyoming.

It’s not known why the 22-year-old was arrested, with Crayk claiming Pacheco only has a traffic citation in his history.

Crayk said Pacheco was brought to the country from Mexico by his mother when he was just one year old, and that it was not a lawful entry.

Following graduation ceremonies on Friday, Crayk shared that Pacheco was planning to propose to his girlfriend.

Dozens of friends, family, and supporters gathered in front of the media on Thursday, stating their support for Pacheco.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The ACLU of Idaho filed a federal lawsuit Thursday challenging House Bill 752, an expansion of Idaho’s existing trans bathroom ban that criminalizes the use of public restrooms and locker rooms that do not align with an individual’s biological sex.

The law takes effect on July 1, 2026. Representing six transgender Idahoans, the ACLU of Idaho argues the law violates the plaintiff’s constitutional rights to due process, equal protection, and privacy, characterizing it as an “unconstitutional intrusion on the fundamental rights of Idahoans.”

Understanding House Bill 752

House Bill 752 marks a significant expansion of Idaho’s 2023 school bathroom ban, Senate Bill 1100. The new legislation covers nearly all public spaces, including libraries, rest stops, airports, and hospitals.

Under the statute, anyone who “knowingly or willfully” enters a bathroom not corresponding to their biological sex could face criminal charges. A first-time offense is a misdemeanor, while a second violation is classified as a felony.

The ACLU of Idaho argues that the new law is the most restrictive in the nation. While nine states and Puerto Rico have enacted trans bathroom bans, Idaho is the only state to apply the restriction to private businesses. Meanwhile, of the three states with criminal penalties attached to their bans, Idaho’s ban carries the steepest criminal charges in terms of prison sentences for violations.

Paul Carlos Southwick, legal director for the ACLU of Idaho, argues that the bill has a “clear discriminatory intent.”

“The law invites intrusive stops, questioning, and even detention based on appearance alone. It also pushes the government into one of the most private areas of our lives, undermining the basic Idaho value that people should be left alone in matters of personal privacy,” said Southwick.

Governor Brad Little signed the bill following landslide victories in the legislature, where it passed 54-15 in the House and 27-7 in the Senate.

While critics have argued the bill targets trans Idahoans, the bill’s sponsor, Senator Ben Toews (R-Pocatello), defended the measure as a “common-sense” protection for women and girls.

“Actually, what we are trying to solve here is not targeting any group of people or one person. It’s dealing with sexual predators and very real issues,” Toews told lawmakers.

Impact on Transgender Residents

For the plaintiffs named in the lawsuit, the new law presents a choice between criminal risk and potentially leaving the state entirely. Diego Fable, a transgender man, argues that the law would cause suspicion and conflict for Idahoans who’ve transitioned.

“I’ve been enjoying life as a man, and using the men’s restrooms hasn’t been a big deal. But this law would force me to use the women’s facilities, and doing so would only invite suspicion, questions, and raised eyebrows,” said Fable. “I would have to face tough choices every time I leave my home.”

Amelia Milette, a transgender woman and fellow plaintiff, echoed these fears.

“I now have to evaluate every social activity I participate in against the risk I’ll experience if I need access to a bathroom facility,” said Milette. “This new law does not protect anyone. It only puts people like me in danger.” 

A Continuing Legal Battle in Idaho

This lawsuit marks the second major legal confrontation between the ACLU and the state over bathroom access. In 2023, the group challenged SB 1100, which requires K-12 public schools to maintain separate bathrooms, showers, and dressing areas based on a student’s sex assigned at birth.

In March 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a preliminary injunction, citing that the plaintiffs were “unlikely to succeed on the merits”of their objection to the law, according to reports by the Idaho Capital Sun.

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador applauded the move to allow Idaho to enforce the law.

“Idaho’s law reflects common sense and biological reality, protecting all students’ privacy and safety in spaces like locker rooms and showers,” Labrador said in a written statement. “Every day, we see more examples of the harms of gender ideology, particularly to women and girls.”

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Danielle Mullenix

Rigby, Idaho (KIFI) – The spirit of the Old West is alive and well in eastern Idaho—but today, it’s being assisted in the reign by a group of women riders redefining the sport.

The Gem State Gunslingers, a mounted cowboy shooting group, is gearing up for its next competition this Saturday, May 2, at Wind River Arena in Rigby.

Mounted cowboy shooting blends speed, precision, and horsemanship. Riders race through a timed course on horseback, using blank ammunition to shoot balloon targets along the way. The result is a fast-paced, high-energy event that demands both control and coordination.

For many of the women involved, the sport offers more than just competition.

“Isn’t everybody’s childhood dream to shoot off the back of a horse?” Gina Weymiller joked. “If you come out to these events, you’ll always see big families and kids watching… and usually the kids will go on to fly through the course and outrun us!”

The Gem State Gunslingers regularly host practices and competitions across eastern Idaho, building a growing community of riders who share a passion for the sport and western tradition.

“This is the coolest community that I’ve ever found in the horse world,” Rider Hailey shared. “I’ve done all kinds of competitions, and the horse people in this group are just so much fun, and they’re willing to help. You can have the worst run of your life, and someone’s going to be giving you a high five and telling you how great you did.”

Saturday’s event is part of a larger series of shoots planned throughout the season. Organizers say it’s also an opportunity for the public to get an up-close look at a unique and often overlooked sport.

“If you like watching anything in the horse world, just come out once and watch,” Rider Bailey Lee said, “Everyone always has so much fun.”

Facebook / Gem State Gunslingers

Spectators are welcome to attend, with food vendors expected on site and events running throughout the day.

Whether you’re a seasoned equestrian or just looking for something different to do this weekend, organizers say the event offers a chance to experience a modern-day version of the Wild West—right here in eastern Idaho.

For more information about the Gem State Gunslingers and this weekend’s event, visit their Facebook page here.

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Kaelyn Blessinger

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Employees of the Idaho Falls Shilo Inn are left scrambling after finding out they were shut down Tuesday morning.

On his way to work, David Rail, the owner of the restaurants and bars in the hotel, received a call from the manager of the hotel, informing him that the hotel was being shut down that morning.

“I was on the way down here from Rexburg. And [the manager] said the hotel is being shut down right now by the courts. And I said, oh, that’s interesting. I, I hadn’t heard a thing. And then I went to shock for a second,” Rail recounted.

The shutdown stems from the Inn’s parent company, which is undergoing Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Chapter 7 means someone who can’t pay their debts and sells some of their property to repay what they can. Then, the rest of the debt is usually cleared, allowing them to start over.

“When we got here, I talked to the court facilitators,” Rail said. “They’re the ones that came down here and had everybody check out, and then they walked through. I don’t know if they did while I was in my office, because we were busy trying to figure out what we’re going to do, but basically, the hotel is shut down.”

According to news sources in Oregon, their Shilo Inn locations experienced a similar shutdown, with their employees getting no notice before the doors were shut.

And with no hope of operating in the near future, David Rail had to let go of his employees, “We had 18 employees. I think they had 10 or 12 or the hotel. But, I have to lay off all 18 people.”

The Shilo Inn will still have events this weekend, if you are interested in going out there one last time.

“Come to Cinco de Mayo this weekend,” Rail encouraged, “It starts Saturday, goes through Sunday, and it’s going to be big. We’re setting up a massive stage inside and then a smaller stage outside. There’s going to be food vendors and dancing and performances by the community.”

As for future events, the decision is up to the Courts.

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Two candidates for the Seventh District Judicial Court took to the stand tonight and answered questions from the community.

Incumbent District Judge Steven Boyce is being challenged by Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney Randy Neal.

In their opening arguments, Boyce laid out his extensive experience on the bench, while Neal primarily emphasized that judges should be elected officials, not just appointed officials.

Steven Boyce: “Currently I was voted unanimously by our district judges as the administrative judge. There’s seven of us in the state. We’re in charge of all assignments of other judges and administrative matters for the entire district. So I spent a lot of time in the Supreme Court working on those administrative issues, and I was with them last week.”

“I’m also the chair of the magistrate commission for our district,” he said. “So when we select new magistrates, we recently selected three new magistrates in Jefferson County. I chair that commission with a group of attorneys, citizens, county officials, mayors, etcetera.”

Randy Neal: “I think all of you know that currently I’m the prosecuting attorney here for Bonneville County. I’ve been elected twice to that position. I’ve been an attorney now for 23 years, and I was in law enforcement for 18 years before that. Law is my second career. 

“What do I think you have to bring to the bench?” he asked. “I think that the fact that we have, a principle embodied in our state constitution that our judges are elected, we bring the idea that we are accountable to the community.”

The forum was hosted by Stand Up for Idaho at the Snake River Events Center.

While judges at the district level are appointed by the Governor in case of a vacancy, voters will directly choose who will serve as judge at the ballot box next month. 

Usually, these non-partisan, judicial races go uncontested. 

However, that will not be the case for the Seventh District Judicial Court on May 19th, which is holding its first contested race since 2014.

You can watch the full debate at Stand Up for Idaho’s website to hear the judicial candidates respond to audience questions.

Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal and incumbent Judge Steven Boyce are on the ballot for Idaho’s Seventh District.

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Maile Sipraseuth

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– Governor Brad Little is set to officially declare May as Wildfire Awareness Month this Friday, calling on Idahoans to begin preparing now before the fire season. This is especially important for Southeast Idahoans as this year’s season could be especially intense due to above-average temperatures, strong winds, and a lack of snowpack, factors that can quickly dry out vegetation and fuel fast-moving fires.

Corey Child, fire chief of the Madison County Fire Department and President of the Eastern Idaho Fire Chiefs Association, is urging residents to follow the “Ready, Set, Go” wildfire preparedness program, especially since the Snake River fire prompted evacuations.

“Study up on it and be at the ready for evacuation of all hazards. One of the hazards that’s most threatening to us on a yearly basis is wild land fire. And perhaps ready, set, go is most often used, with wildland fire,” Child said.

The program outlines three critical steps:

Ready: Have a plan in place and be prepared for possible evacuation.

Set: Pack your vehicle with essential items ahead of time.

Go: Leave immediately when evacuation orders are given.

For more information on the ‘Ready, Set, Go!’ program, click HERE.

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Par Kermani

Blackfoot (KIFI) — Just days after water began flowing back into Jensen Grove, a new state-ordered cutoff has stopped the city from filling the popular recreation area.

Mayor Scott Stufflebeam said the city was notified by the Snake River Valley Irrigation District that Idaho has curtailed water rights based on priority dates.

“Anything prior to 1898… Blackfoot water rights are 1900,” Stufflebeam said. “So what that basically says is that we can no longer fill Jensen’s Grove because we don’t have the water rights to do it.”

Idaho follows the prior appropriation system, which gives priority to older, or “senior,” water rights during times of shortage. When supplies are limited or in a drought year, newer, or “junior,” rights can be reduced or cut off to prioritize senior holders.

Stufflebeam said the timing of this year’s cutoff is earlier than expected.

“The idea was we’d make it through June and into July, and then the cutoffs would happen,” he said. “This year… April. We don’t even have a chance to fill the lake.”

The announcement comes after the city recently completed repairs to a dike that was damaged during last year’s high spring runoff. The project was designed to restore the system that diverts water from the Snake River, under I15 and into Jensen Grove.

Despite the improvements, the cutoff means the city cannot use the infrastructure to fill the pond this season.

“We’ve got the infrastructure now. We built it, we paid for it, but we can’t go ahead and fill it because of that issue,” Stufflebeam said.

The change is already affecting planned events at the park.

“We had a triathlon planned… that will now become a biathlon,” Stufflebeam said. “It’s an unfortunate event, but it’s one that we knew could have come. Given the drought this year, we just didn’t expect it this early.”

Some water may still be visible in the area due to excess flows in nearby canal systems, but this is expected to disappear as temperatures rise and irrigation demand increases.

Residents say the development is disappointing, but understandable.

“I think it’s sad, but I can understand,” said Therese Tominaga, a Blackfoot resident. “Farmers need it, especially this year.”

Tominaga said Jensen Grove is an integral part of the community, serving as a venue for recreation, gatherings, and events.

“It looks so attractive when the water is in the pond,” she said. “It’s a good place for the community to hold events.”

Stufflebeam said while the outcome is disappointing, the city supports the decision to prioritize agricultural water use.

“We need to support our farmers,” he said. “Let’s make sure they can at least have a chance to grow crops.”

He added that the work completed this year will still benefit the city in the future if water conditions improve.

“We did everything we could,” Stufflebeam said. “Mother Nature gets to have final say, and evidently she said, not this year.”

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Voters heard from two candidates for Bonneville County Coroner at a Greater Idaho Falls Chamber debate yesterday at Compass Academy.

Incumbent Shante Sanchez has been serving as the Bonneville County Coroner since she was appointed in December 2024. Challenger Tim Schuijt is a Family Nurse Pracitioner and a former Emergency Room nurse with experience at hundreds of death scenes.

Tim Schuijt: “This office requires something very specific – a deep medical understanding paired with genuine compassion for families during their worst moments. Determining when an autopsy is truly needed for understanding of how the human body works, how diseases progress, and how trauma presents., as well as how medical history fits the whole narrative.”

Shante Sanchez: “My background is rooted in the science of death investigation and the complexities of human behavior. With a master’s degree in forensic psychology and national certification as medical legal death investigator and a former deputy coroner, I spent my career at the intersection of public safety and mental health.”

Sanchez is certified in Medicolegal Death Investigation and is completing the process to be an American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigator.

Tim Schuijt is endorsed by former Bonneville County Coroner Rick Taylor and Dr. Joseph Anderson, an emergency room physician and former deputy coroner.

For more information you can visit the candidates’ websites at www.timforbonnevillecountycoroner.com and Sanchez’s bio at her official site www.bonnevillecountyidaho.gov/page/staff-bios.

Tim Schuijt and Shante Sanchez are facing off in the race for coroner in Bonneville County.

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Dylan Carder

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)- Before the Community Food Basket of Idaho Falls can Stamp Out Hunger, it’s got to clamp down on getting the word out. The food basket is preparing for one of it’s biggest food drives of the year. This week, volunteers are gathering for what is being called a stapling party.

Community members are being invited to help staple postcards for the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive to grocery bags. The national food drive will be on Saturday May 9th. By stapling the grocery bags to the post cards, executive director Ariel Jackson hopes this will serve as a stronger reminder.

“If you just get a postcard, you might throw it away. You might think it was junk mail or something of that, that nature.”

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is the second biggest food drive of the year for the Community Food Basket. It helps them stock up for the summer months, when demand increases.

“Kids are eating at home and food bills tend to triple,” explains Jackson. “This food drive allows us to stock up for when kids are home and out of school and parents are working.”

Jackson says the extra man power by holding the stapling party makes the job much easier.

“I have been doing this for 15 years, and it used to just be my husband and I at home folding and stapling, and folding and stapling. But we realized we needed 44,000 little cards with bags on them. It was just something we could not do on our own. We thought, let’s invite the community.”

The stapling party is being held this week at the food basket warehouse at 1895 N. Blvd in Idaho Falls from 5 pm to 7 pm. There is one more chance for people to come help out Thursday night, April 30.

Jackson invites anyone who wants to help to come out.

“We have the staplers, we have the staples, we have the bags. We just need the people.”

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Danielle Mullenix

Idaho Falls, ID (KIFI) – A friendly competition between Air Idaho Rescue, EIRMC, and American Red Cross has now made its way right into the Local News 8 Newsroom. Megan Lavin and Danielle Mullenix spoke with representatives at the North Idaho Falls ER about the latest updates on the “Battle of the Badges” and joined the challenge to help raise awareness for the nationwide blood shortage.

Danielle & Megan seen holding their team’s coins up. Team O Positive and Team A Positive representing different divisions of Air Idaho Rescue first responders.

The statewide competition has invited donors to give blood at any American Red Cross location through Wednesday, April 29th. Each donation earns points for a selected team, adding a competitive twist to an effort to address a nationwide blood shortage.

Participants can choose between two teams:

Team A Positive: representing Air Idaho’s rotor-wing crews, EMS, and area fire departments

Team O Positive: representing Air Idaho’s fixed-wing crews and local law enforcement

Each unit of blood donated can help save up to three lives, according to organizers. Certain donations—such as Power Red, O-negative blood types, first-time donors, and donations made on the final day of the competition—can earn double points.

Organizers say the need for blood is constant, especially for emergency responders like Air Idaho Rescue. Their aircraft operate as flying intensive care units, equipped with life-saving tools and even blood supplies that can be administered mid-flight to patients experiencing severe blood loss.

Denim Butler, a representative from the Idaho Falls Donor Recruitment Department, shared that this competition goes beyond a friendly rivalry.

“With the blood shortage that we have in the nation, and summer coming, the 100 deadliest days of summer are right around the corner,” Butler said. “It is very critical to get in now and donate blood as often as you possibly can. Of course, it’s fun to see you [Danielle and Megan] joining in on the spirit of this rivalry, and we hope people can see how accessible giving blood can be.”

“Everyone is invited to help combat the nationwide blood shortage by donating,” said Air Methods Account Executive Jill Egan. “Every donation is worth one point in our competition. When people donate, they can choose to join Team A+ so their point goes to the Air Idaho rotor wing, EMS, and firefighter team, or Team O+ so their point goes to the Air Idaho fixed-wing and law enforcement team. Double points are given for power red and O-negative blood, rookie donors, and donations made on April 29, which is the last day of the competition.”

Donations will be tallied based on a point system for each team, and an award ceremony at the North Idaho Falls ER will announce the official Air Idaho Rescue winning team for this year’s “Battle of the Badges” competition.

To donate blood or participate, donors can register through the American Red Cross website and schedule an appointment at a donation center near them.

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