Category: kifi-local-news

Par Kermani

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — As families across Idaho prepare for the summer vacation season, Idaho Attorney General has issued a warning to be on the lookout for travel scams.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, scammers often create fake online advertisements that mimic airlines, hotels and travel booking websites in an attempt to steal personal and financial information.

They also warn that some scams direct travelers to fraudulent customer service phone numbers or booking websites designed to appear legitimate.

“Scammers count on vacation excitement to cloud your judgment, and they’re getting more sophisticated every year,” Attorney General Raúl Labrador said. “A fake ad, a phishing text, or a too-good-to-be-true deal can drain your account before your trip ever starts.”

The Attorney General’s Office is also warning travelers about text message scams claiming they owe unpaid tolls or traffic fines. Residents are encouraged to verify any payment request directly with the agency involved rather than clicking links included in unsolicited messages.

How to stay safe

Consumer protection officials recommend researching travel companies before booking, reading refund policies carefully and avoiding payment methods such as wire transfers, gift cards, payment apps or cryptocurrency when possible.

The office says requests for payment through those methods are often red flags for fraud because recovering lost money can be difficult or impossible.

Idahoans are also encouraged to be skeptical of travel deals that seem significantly cheaper than similar offers.

Anyone who believes they have been the victim of a travel scam can report it through the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division

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Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho Falls Power employees spent Monday giving back to the community by helping improve public spaces along the Idaho Falls Riverwalk.

About 40 employees participated in Idaho Falls Power’s first Public Power Day of Giving, volunteering on several beautification projects throughout the Greenbelt and Riverwalk areas.

Projects included staining Riverwalk viewing decks overlooking the Snake River, installing bark mulch in landscape planters, cleaning and maintaining rock gardens, and trimming brush along pathways between South Tourist Park and Sunnyside ahead of Fourth of July festivities.

“One of the things that makes public power unique is that we’re owned by the people we serve,” said Chris Fredericksen, general manager of Idaho Falls Power and Idaho Falls Fiber. “This Day of Giving is an opportunity for us to demonstrate that commitment in a hands-on way while helping care for the community assets that residents and visitors enjoy every day.”

The volunteer effort was held in partnership with Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation for partnering with us on this event and for the tremendous work they do year-round to maintain the Riverwalk, Greenbelt, parks and public spaces that make Idaho Falls such a special place to live,” Fredericksen said.

The event was part of the American Public Power Association’s Public Power Month of Giving, a nationwide initiative encouraging public power utilities to support their communities through volunteer service and community engagement.

Idaho Falls Power officials say the effort reflects the utility’s commitment to serving the community beyond providing electricity and broadband services.

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Danielle Mullenix

ST. ANTHONY, Idaho (KIFI) – A long-running dispute over the Sandbox RV Park near the St. Anthony Sand Dunes may be headed back before Fremont County commissioners — and potentially into the courts.

A group of Fremont County residents has formally requested that county commissioners reconsider their June 8 decision involving the controversial development, arguing the county’s findings contain factual errors and fail to reflect the public record.

The request for reconsideration was filed June 18 with the Fremont County Clerk and asks the Board of County Commissioners to revisit its decision regarding the Sandbox RV Park near the St. Anthony Sand Dunes. According to the filing, residents believe the commissioners relied on flawed information and ignored evidence presented during the appeal process.

“For years, concerns over the Sandbox RV Park near the St. Anthony Sand Dunes have divided residents, business owners, and county leaders,” said St. Anthony resident and author of the reconsideration request, Cathy Koon.

Koon says the request is not an effort to stop development, but rather an attempt to ensure county decisions follow the law.

“We want to hold the commissioners accountable. This is not a vendetta against Sandbox. This is simply citizens who want those decisions made according to the law.”

Earlier this month, county commissioners ruled that the Fremont County Planning and Zoning Commission improperly extended Sandbox’s Class II conditional use permit. Commissioners directed the RV park to submit a new permit application.

Residents opposing the project argue that the development has expanded beyond what was originally approved and that additional amenities and operations were never properly reviewed.

“As we started looking at the public record, we found a lot of inaccuracies and missing information,” Koon said. “As a group, we decided that the only way we could get the commissioners to be attentive to these issues was to file a request for reconsideration.”

The six-page reconsideration request alleges factual errors within the county’s findings and identifies several procedural issues dating back to the original permit process in 2023. Supporters of the request claim the development has experienced “mission creep,” with additional amenities and expanded operations occurring without proper approval.

The filing also alleges that evidence and public comments may be missing from the official record of the appeal hearing. Residents argue that portions of the public record were either overlooked or omitted during the decision-making process.

Under Idaho’s Local Land Use Planning Act, the commissioners now have up to 60 days to reconsider their decision. They may issue a new decision, modify their findings, deny the request, or take no action. If the request is denied or no action is taken within that period, residents could pursue a petition for judicial review in the district court.

The dispute over Sandbox RV Park has spanned several years and involved appeals, public hearings, and ongoing debate over growth and development near the St. Anthony Sand Dunes. At this time, the RV is operating in the St. Anthony area with plans to officially open this summer.

The reconsideration request was signed by residents from St. Anthony, Island Park, Chester, Salem, and Egin. Commissioners are expected to respond by mid-August.

“We’re not anti-growth,” Koon said. “We just want the law to be upheld.”

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A 59-year-old Idaho Falls woman died Monday evening following a four-vehicle collision northwest of Iona.

Idaho State Police say the crash happened just before 5 PM. The incident began when a 39-year-old man from Camarillo, California, was driving a 2019 Nissan NV200 van eastbound on East 49th North and ran a stop sign. The Nissan struck a 2017 Dodge Challenger driven by the Idaho Falls woman, who was traveling on U.S. 26.

The force of the impact pushed the Dodge into the westbound lanes of the highway, where it collided with a 2017 Ford F-250 and a 2008 Ford Focus.

The driver of the Dodge was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital, where she later died from her injuries. The driver of the Ford F-250 was also hospitalized via ground ambulance; her current condition has not been released. Two juvenile passengers in the F-250 and the 34-year-old driver of the Ford Focus escaped without serious injury.

ISP noted that the drivers of the Nissan, Dodge, and Ford Focus were all wearing seatbelts. However, whether or not the juvenile passengers in the F-250 wore their seatbelts remains unclear.

The crash blocked both directions of U.S. 26 for approximately five hours. The incident remains under investigation by ISP.

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David Pace

MORELAND, Idaho (KIFI)  – This year’s severe drought is forcing farmers to hold back, planting less crops and restricting irrigation to 40 percent of their water rights.

Moreland farmer Adam Young says his farm has cut 200 acres from production, while neighboring farmers are leaving as much as 50 percent of their land unplanted to stay within their water limits.

“I’ve got several other neighbors who are facing similar situations that are, at least in the current year, more drastic – where they’ve had to fallow up to half of their ground just to be able to stay within the limitation that were that were placed under,” said Young, who raises wheat, barley and hay.

Young just harvested his first hay crop, but has had to adapt what he plants due to the drought conditions.

“On those acres that we are watering, we’re adhering to a very strict and quite a low limit of about 1.6 acre-feet per acre,” Young said. “… That’s less water than you need to grow a good crop of alfalfa. It’s a very tight supply of water for growing a crop of wheat, and it’s a sufficient supply for growing barley. So for us, we have made the decision to take water off of our more marginal ground so that we can take that very low limit and apply it to our most profitable and economical acres.”

Low precipitation this winter has accelerated dire conditions across the state.

“It’s been really tough. It’s tough to have successive years of dry weather like we’ve had. We came out of this winter with a historically low snowpack,” Young said. “We got precipitation, but most of it came in the form of rain. That’s a problem when we’re looking at filling reservoirs and on using that water throughout the season.”

The water scarcity is forcing hard decisions.

“In a year like this, every drop of water matters,” said Vice Chair of Idaho Ground Water Appropriators Lynn Carquist, a multigenerational Idaho farmer in a release. “Surface water users are feeling the effects of low snowpack right away, and everyone is working to adapt. Groundwater users are doing what Idaho farmers always do — tightening operations, making careful decisions and working together to use what water we have as efficiently as possible.”

On the ground in eastern Idaho farms, that means calculating the best use for water.

“Does it make sense to drop off some ground here so that it can apply that water to these other acres?” Young asked. “Some farmers have the opportunity to take canal shares that they haven’t been using up ’til this point,” he said. “Then when the water is available, irrigate using those canal shares and then switch back on the ground water when when the canal water dries up.”

With a super El Niño arriving next year, the dry conditions could further intensify.

“One of the frustrating things or discouraging things is that we may be looking at another dry year next year. I hope that the forecasts turn out to be incorrect and that we do get some snow on the mountains, but we have to be clear-eyed about the real possibility that we’re going to face a third dry year and all the challenges that that’s going to bring.”

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Kaelyn Blessinger

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – As the dust settled at the 2026 Idaho GOP State Convention, an all women executive committee was elected for chair, first and second vice chairs, treasurer, and secretary. With Dorothy Moon, Viki Purdy, Julianne Young, Sandra Eaton, and Carla Mattare, respectively.

Dorothy Moon, who was re-elected for state chair, became the first to win a third term since Dennis Olsen in the early 1980s. Beating out her challengers, incumbent first vice chair Mark Fuller, and former state senator Steven Thayn, with just enough of a vote percentage to avoid a run-off.

Per party rules, the winning candidate needs a majority of the votes (at least 51%). Moon had 306 votes, which was 51.4%, preventing a run-off election, which declares her the winner.

“You know, I’m absolutely thrilled that the Republican base has confidence in the work that we’ve been doing in the office over the years,” Moon said about her win. “A second term is over with, and third one is getting ready to start. And this abortion initiative is huge, and we’re looking forward to taking it down.”

With all five elected officers being women, it creates a unique dynamic for the GOP’s fight against the abortion initiative.

What is the Abortion Initiative?

The Idaho Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act Initiative is a citizen-led ballot initiative, which gathered signatures from around the state to get the act on the ballot for the 2026 elections.

One of the provisions would make abortion legal up to the point of fetal viability.

The GOP believes this initiative is too extreme.

“Folks need to know that this initiative is extreme,” Julianne Young stated. “It is a pro abortion at any time initiative, but it is actually bigger than abortion… It goes beyond what to legally protect anyone who helps someone access that reproductive health care. So there are huge concerns with this initiative.”

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Maile Sipraseuth

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI)– The Blackfoot Ranch Rodeo is returning for another year, and this time it’s earning national recognition due to a featured collaboration with the Smithsonian Center for Folk Life and Cultural Heritage as part of the celebration for America’s 250th birthday.

Chase Carter, a committee member for the Blackfoot Ranch Rodeo, says this collaboration recognizes the Blackfoot Ranch Rodeo’s deep roots in Eastern Idaho and its role in preserving ranching traditions that have been passed down for generations.

“This region is an agricultural hub, especially with the cattle and in the rugged landscape we have here in the West,” Carter said, “…this event brings that all together and showcases those skills that cowboys use on the ranch every day. That’s something we have always done as part of our history, but it’s also part of our present. And it’s something that we need to continue to embrace in order to manage cattle the way we need to in this area.”

The Smithsonian collaboration is also helping organizers expand the event beyond the arena. Carter says this year’s celebration will feature new opportunities to highlight the craftsmanship and traditions supporting ranching culture.

“We’ve had a lot of more resources to enhance the event, and normally we’ve focused on our evening performances where we have the ranch rodeo and the Indian relay races. But with the collaboration, we’re able to have a gear maker’s conference where it’s going to be mostly women gear makers (who) are going to come together and display their different crafts that they have mastered,” Carter said.

The Blackfoot Ranch Rodeo also hosts the Pretty N’ Punchy Cowgirl Contest, a competition designed to showcase horsemanship, public speaking and pride in the ranching way of life.

Open to contestants ages 10 to 21, the contest is often described as Blackfoot’s version of a rodeo queen pageant. But past winners say it is much more than wearing a crown.

“We put in a lot of work and practice every day, and especially with our horse, since we have to work through all their challenges,” Previous winner Hannah Hale said.

Contestants are judged on both horsemanship and public speaking. They complete riding patterns and other ranch-style challenges while also answering questions and speaking about topics connected to ranching, patriotism and western culture.

“It’s a place for us to come and show the skills that we’ve learned through the people that have helped us become who we are,” Previous winner Reva Carter said.

The competition highlights the values that define ranching communities.

“I think it explains what we do daily on our ranches and shows our responsibility, hard work, caring for animals and just our generations passed down that we can carry on traditions,” Hale said.

Many people may only see the crown at the end of the competition, but both Hale and Reva say success requires months of preparation, including memorizing speeches, practicing riding patterns and developing the skills necessary to compete.

“I think they might think it comes a bit easier, but you do have to work hard,” Reva said. “You have to memorize patterns or speeches and all the things, and you also just have to have the skills that it requires to be in the contest.”

For more information on the Blackfoot Ranch Rodeo, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A growing group of parents, students, staff, and community members within Idaho Falls School District 91 is formally calling for a Vote of No Confidence in Superintendent Karla LaOrange.

The petition was made public on Change.org on Saturday, June 20. The organizers are urging the D91 Board of Trustees to place a formal Vote of No Confidence on an upcoming board meeting agenda and to publicly address the concerns outlined by the community.

By Monday evening, June 22, the online petition had already gathered 315 signatures.

In a petition published to Change.org on Saturday, June 20th, the group called upon the D91 Board of Trustees to conduct a formal Vote of No Confidence in Superintendent Karla LaOrange on a future board meeting agenda and publicly address the concerns outlined by the community.

The petition highlights a broad range of systemic issues that community members claim have severely impacted the district’s culture. The group cites a lack of transparency, communication, employee support, and student safety, resulting in declining morale, increasing frustration among families, and the departure of valued educators, staff members, and students from the district.

The petition itself is not a legal means to remove a superintendent. In Idaho, a school board hires and supervises a superintendent. Petitioners are asking that the school board put a vote of no confidence on a future agenda so that the concerns listed, which they feel point to a broader leadership problem, can be publicly addressed.

“The purpose of this petition is to hold district leadership accountable and restore trust between the administration, educators, families, students, and the community,” states the online petition. “We believe District 91 deserves leadership that prioritizes transparency, collaboration, communication, employee retention, and student safety.”

The School District 91 Board of Trustees has not yet publicly responded to the petition or indicated whether the matter will be added to a future meeting agenda. Local News 8 has reached out to Superintendent LaOrange for comment and will provide an update as she responds.

To see the full petition, click HERE.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The time frame and number of signatures reported in this article originally contained an error upon updating. The number of signatures and the timeframe referenced have now been corrected.

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News Release

BOISE, Idaho (Idaho Fish and Game News Release) —An Idaho Falls angler miraculously reeled in a new state catch-and-release record lake trout and, even more unbelievably, was able to hoist it up into the boat. Dylan Smith — the lucky angler in question — was fishing on Payette Lake in McCall on May 2 when a 43.25-inch lake trout took the line for a sprint. 

Smith was able to land the laker (well, boat it), get it stretched out on the tape measure, and was shocked when the tailfin crossed the 43rd inch line. The previous state catch-and-release record for lake trout just barely hit 42 inches. 

But that’s not the end of the story.

Courtesy: Idaho Fish and Game

Dylan Smith ain’t a stranger when it comes to the Idaho record fish books, and believe it or not, this was not his first rodeo with a 40-inch lake trout. During a separate outing in 2018, Dylan landed and recorded another impressive lake trout that eventually earned him a spot atop the record books. Shortly after, angler Aaron Goettsche beat out Dylan’s record with a 42-inch lunker laker himself. Both fish were caught and released back into Payette Lake.

Sensing a pattern? 

Payette Lake is arguably one of the premier lake trout fisheries in the state of Idaho. Catches like these have made big splashes in the record books over the past decade or so, largely due to active lake trout management by the Southwest Region’s McCall fisheries staff. 

To read more about how Payette Lake’s triumphant comeback as a lake trout destination fishery, check out this article by Sportfish Coordinator, Martin Koenig.

Want to Catch One? Here’s How

If you’re dreaming of record-breaking lake trout, it’s time to get serious about your gear and tactics. Here’s some tips for targeting these deep water predators:

Technique: Trolling or jigging near the bottom are the go-to methods.

Depth: Focus on 35–80 feet, where lake trout tend to hold tight to structure.

Locations: Target underwater ridges, drop-offs, and boulder piles.

Bait: Mimic kokanee. Use realistic lures, tipped jigs, and scent — lake trout can be selective, especially when food is abundant.

Be prepared for a potential record fish. Catch-and-release records will need a photo of the fish on a tape measure, or measuring board. You can find all the info and how to apply on the State Record Fish Page.

And lastly, congratulations to Dylan Smith on his spot atop Idaho’s catch-and-release leader board. 

More About Idaho’s State Record Fish

Thinking about chasing a state record fish? Check out the state record fish page for more information. 

How to Apply for a Catch-and-Release Record

All applicants must submit a complete Record Fish Application Form, with accompanying photographs. This form can be completed online or downloaded from our website here.

Fish must be released alive. (See tips on safely releasing fish in the Fishing Rules booklet.)

Steelhead, ocean-run salmon, bull trout, and white sturgeon submitted for records must be measured and photographed in the water.

Catch-and-release records are based only on the total length (snout to tip of tail) for fish released alive.

Fish must be photographed directly next to a ruler/tape or an object of known verifiable length.

New catch-and-release white sturgeon records must be broken by a minimum of 2 inches.

Catch-and-release records for all other species must be broken by a minimum of ½ inch.

Fish within ¼ inch of the current record will be recognized as a tied record.

All applications must be submitted within 30 days of the catch date.

How to Apply for Certified Weight Records

Records will be awarded for either fish caught by angling (rod/reel) or by archery/spearfish for legal unprotected nongame species. Archery/spear fishing records will be listed separately and identified by the angler on the application form. No records will be awarded for fish caught during salvage seasons or at private pay-to-fish facilities.

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Fox13

Originally Published: 22 JUN 26 14:07 ET

By Spencer Burt

Click here for updates on this story

    SALT LAKE CITY (KSTU) — Conditions that have fueled the Bonneville Fire near the University of Utah campus died down overnight, allowing crews to gain some containment as of Monday morning.

The latest estimate places the fire at 495 acres, with state wildfire officials sharing that they have achieved 5 percent containment.

“Air and ground crews made strong progress [Sunday] on the fire. Overnight, increased cloud cover and humidity helped moderate fire behavior, resulting in minimal activity,” the Salt Lake City Fire Department said.

Despite the easing of conditions, a “READY” evacuation notice — the lowest in the system of “READY, SET, GO” evacuation preparedness criteria — remains in effect for the Arlington Hills neighborhood between 11th Avenue and Tomahawk Drive.

“READY means THERE IS CURRENTLY NO IMMEDIATE THREAT, but conditions could change quickly. Residents should take steps now to prepare in case an evacuation becomes necessary,” SLCFD wrote on X.

Officials added that although the fire did spread northwest, it is still south of Dry Gulch Drainage, east of the Bonneville Shoreline, and north of Red Butte Canyon.

Hiking trails in City Creek Canyon, Red Butte Canyon, Bonneville Shoreline, and Dry Gulch are closed.

A shelter-in-place order originally in place on Saturday evening was lifted for the entire university campus.

The University of Utah Hospital remained operating as usual and was accepting walk-in patients. Ambulances were directed to other hospitals in the area for a time, although that order has also been lifted.

“The campus community will continue to see fire on the hillside and experience smoke in the neighborhoods throughout the night,” school officials wrote. “Some residual smoke may continue to impact the health campus and student housing as the fire burns further into the foothills. Be cautious when opening windows.”

Fire officials initially reported that Red Butte Garden and the Natural History Museum were to be closed Sunday due to wildfire risk. However, both locations were later given clearance to open to patrons at their normal business hours with caution.

Officials are asking the public to avoid the area, and also to not fly drones nearby, as doing so can interfere with helicopters and planes that are used for firefighting purposes.

There have been a few road closures in the far east portion of the campus. Several hiking trails in the area are also closed to the public.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

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