Category: kifi-local-news

Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Three later-in-life friends are traveling the country, raising money for two important groups. This week, they made their way through Idaho Falls.

The group calls itself the “Three Old Guys Bike the USA.” They are on one incredible mission, proving it’s never too late to make a difference. 

“We’re actually riding our bikes across country, raising money for the Wounded Warriors Project and the American Cancer Society,” said Donald Coffey, Team organizer.

The trio has known each other since childhood, and all of them have their own reason for riding.

“My son was in the service. My son served several years as an Army Ranger, and fortunately, he never got hurt in combat. But some of his buddies did. And it’s something that my wife and I have been contributing to for a few years now,” said Coffey

“My baby sister died of cancer in 2023, and she was 61 years old. And it was just tragic,” said Larry Gerbick, cyclistic.

“You know, several of my family members have had cancer. I’m in the health field at home, and I wanted to specifically support that,” said James Kinciaid, Support Driver.

Their journey began three months ago, starting in Tampa, Florida.

Now they have made their way to eastern Idaho.

They ride 50 miles a day, stopping in each town to spread the word of their mission. 

This journey didn’t come without hitting a few bumps in the road.

“Currently, I am the van driver support driver, and that was not the original plan. We started out April 1st in the Tampa area, and unfortunately, I went over my handlebars and broke my clavicle and a rib,” said Kinciaid.

Having to return home to recover, Kinciaid rejoined his group on May 10th.

They say this mission is too important to quit on, and so far, they have raised almost 10,000 dollars in total. They expect to make their way back home near the end of June.

If you are interested in showing your support, click HERE.

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CNN Newsource

By Dave Cawley

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    KAMAS, Utah (KSL, KSL Podcasts) — It seems to happen almost every summer: a hiker or hunter ventures into the Uinta Mountains but fails to return on time. Concerned friends or family sound an alarm, and searchers rush into the high country in hopes of finding the missing and bringing them back to safety.

As long as help arrives quickly, odds of survival are good. But even minor missteps in the Uinta Mountains can be deadly. The natural hazards, from dangerous lightning to crumbling cliffs, challenge hikers, especially those who venture deep into the backcountry. Most people who go missing in the Uinta Mountains emerge, eventually, alive or dead. A smaller number are never found.

Among those who’ve vanished without a trace are Lynn Simmons, Garrett Bardsley and Melvin Heaps. The circumstances of how each disappeared differ. They varied in age, from 12 to 74, and arrived in the Uintas with far different levels of experience. They are all presumed to be dead, but their remains have never been located.

The Uinta Mountains have a reputation for keeping their secrets. They’re a place where most people come and go without trouble, but where an unlucky few enter and never return. A Bermuda Triangle of the Utah backcountry.

The Uinta Triangle There’s another case of a person missing in the High Uintas Wilderness that illustrates better than any other how someone can enter that rugged expanse and fail to return, leaving no trace of their passing.

In July of 2011, an Australian trekker named Eric Robinson arrived in Utah with the intent of hiking the Uinta Highline Trail. That primitive track crosses one end of the Uinta range to another. Robinson, 64, planned to spend 10 days hiking solo from Chepeta Lake to the Highline Trailhead along the Mirror Lake Highway.

Robinson did not arrive as scheduled at the end of his hike. His contact in Utah notified the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, along with Robinson’s wife, Marilyn Koolstra. She traveled to Utah to take part in the search, hoping to find her husband and bring him home.

“That was the first time I’d been in the Uintas,” Koolstra said in an interview for the new KSL Podcasts series Uinta Triangle. “I appreciated why Eric wanted to be in that space.”

The grandeur of the High Uintas was tinged with intimidation for Koolstra, though, as she came to understand the challenge of looking for a missing person in that mountain wilderness.

“A missing person can be missing forever,” Koolstra said.

From the COLD podcast team

The new KSL Podcasts series Uinta Triangle was produced by the same team behind COLD, the true crime series that over three seasons has investigated the cold case disappearances of Susan Cox Powell, Joyce Yost and Sheree Warren.

Uinta Triangle took COLD’s approach of deeply researched narrative storytelling and applied it to the disappearance of Eric Robinson. Reporting for the podcast required traveling halfway around the world to meet Robinson’s family and friends in Australia. It involved learning about Robinson’s motivations and justifications for hiking alone. It also included walking some of Robinson’s favorite trails in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

The podcast sought to answer lingering questions about what happened to Robinson, while also exploring the geographic, cultural and jurisdictional barriers that hampered the search.

“It’s a story of a missing person, but it’s also a legacy to that person for the love of what they did and acknowledgment of a life that was well lived,” Koolstra said.

The first two episodes of Uinta Triangle are available on May 20 with additional episodes to follow each Tuesday. It is free to listen through Apple Podcasts, other major podcast providers, or directly from the Uinta Triangle website.

Please note: 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.

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CNN Newsource

By Mythili Gubbi

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WEST HAVEN, Utah (KSTU) — One elementary school teacher in West Haven is raising money to pay off school lunch debts through her dance moves and social media. Kati Jo Christensen has collected about $20,000 since January, which has helped pay off debts in 6 schools, and she’s still going.

“I really thought we would maybe get 100 bucks, 200 bucks every once in a while, and then that would be it,” said Christensen, a special education teacher. “But yeah, twenty thousand dollars and it’s not over yet.”

She found out about lunch debt a couple of years ago and started to collect donations in small ways. When she started working at West Haven Elementary School last year, she found that they had about $4,000 in lunch debt, and neighboring schools had outstanding balances too.

“I think a lot about my students, it’s kind of emotional,” said Christensen. “I love my kids, watching kids come to school and maybe they’re hungry or maybe they’re distracted by their hunger, or that’s like the only thing they’re thinking about, it’s a lot. They can’t focus on anything else. And if they’re hunger isn’t met or their basic needs aren’t met, school doesn’t stand a chance.”

Through her account “MrsCactusVibes” on TikTok, she started posting minute-long TikTok dances. She was able to monetize her account, educate people about the issue of lunch debt and raise money from people around the world who want to help. She has over 47,000 followers and 1.5 million likes on her videos.

To highlight her effort, West Haven City Council recognized Christensen with a community star award.

“We don’t see all the good that happens in the community, and when you see something like this come up, especially when it involves children, and helping families, it’s a wonderful thing,” said Christensen.

Her goal is for people to just understand the issue of lunch debt and step up to help.

“I’m doing this for our community and our kids, but it’s nice to at least put a light on it and be like, hey, this is a problem in our area,” added Christensen.

Please note: 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.

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News Team

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Allegiant Air officially launched new nonstop service Thursday from Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA) to the Denver International Airport (DEN) in Colorado. To celebrate, the airline is offering one-way fares on the route for as low as $42.

“We’re excited to connect passengers in Idaho Falls to Denver,” said Drew Wells, Allegiant’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Our unique approach of offering all nonstop flights at unbeatable value continues to resonate with travelers. Allegiant is dedicated to providing budget-friendly options that empower our passengers to customize their perfect getaway.”

These new flights will operate up to twice weekly.

“Allegiant’s new service to Denver provides an incredible opportunity for travelers to explore all the exciting attractions along Colorado’s Front Range,” commented Ian Turner, IDA Airport Director. “Demand for air service continues to grow in Idaho Falls, and our partners at Allegiant have consistently recognized and responded to this need.”

For specific flight days, times, and to secure the lowest available fares, click HERE.

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Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– In honor of Idaho Power’s annual ‘Power of Community Day’, employees gathered to clean up Restlawn Cemetery in Pocatello on Thursday.

For their ‘Power of Community Day’, Idaho Power employees choose service projects around the eastern Idaho region as a way to give back to the community. Employees in Pocatello have chosen to clean up Restlawn Cemetery as their act of service for the past three years.

“When families come here, hopefully it’s just a little surprise for them that someone took the time to take care of the headstone,” said Matt Stucki, regional customer relations manager for Idaho Power. “I know other organizations come and do it as well, but this is a pretty important one for us.”

During the cemetery beautification project, around 20 Idaho Power employees clean and cut the grass away from dozens of Restlawn’s ground-level headstones.

For more information on other Idaho Power service projects for Power of Community Day, you can visit the Idaho Power website.

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Sam Ross

AMERICAN FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– Bingham Ag Services presented Willow Bay Food Bank with $7,300 in donations on Thursday. Willow Bay Baptist Church operates the Willow Bay Food Bank outreach service. Pastor Chris Thompson said the food bank serves around 200 families every month on average.

“The church, that is a big part of what they should be doing across the world, serving people, helping those who need something,” said Thompson. “Whether it’s a little bit or a lot, whether it’s food or just someone to talk to, we just want to help people.”

Thompson said it costs around $13,000 every year to keep their food bank running. The donation from Bingham Ag Services will help the church distribute food boxes during the holidays, one of the food bank’s busiest and most expensive times of year, where they can serve up to one thousand local people during Thanksgiving alone.

For more information on the Willow Bay Food Bank, you can call the Willow Bay Baptist Church at (208) 226-2244. Donations can be mailed or delivered to the church at 246 Lee St, American Falls, ID 83211.

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Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — The shocking and controversial Pocatello police shooting of 17-year-old Victor Perez on April 5, 2025, ignited public outrage and propelled the city into a national conversation about the use of force.

Local News 8 has created the interactive timeline above to provide more insight into how events unfolded and how the shooting has impacted the Pocatello and greater southeast Idaho communities.

To view on a large page, click HERE.

Local News 8 will continue to update and add to this timeline as more details become available and as the legal proceedings develop.

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Curtis Jackson

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)—The former owner of Downard Funeral Home, where bodies were found decomposing inside, has signed a plea deal with the Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Lance Peck tentatively agreed to a binding agreement with prosecutors on May 16, according to court records. The agreement still needs a judge’s approval.

The plea agreement states Peck will plead guilty to the felony charges of tax fraud, perjury, fraud by computer, grand theft by deception, and vital statistics fraud. He will also plead guilty to misdemeanor counts of violating the Mortician’s Code of Conduct.

The Prosecutor’s Office recommends a sentence of three years fixed and 7 years indeterminate.

A court date has been set for June 9 to discuss the agreement.

In September 2021, Pocatello police executed a search warrant on Downard Funeral Home, finding a dozen decomposing bodies, cremated remains, and nearly 50 fetuses in jars.

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Maggie Moore

UPDATE:

ROBERTS, Idaho (KIFI) — A driver is safe after his truck, pulling a camper trailer, caught fire on the I-15 on-ramp in Roberts this morning, May 22, 2025.

Courtesy: Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office

The incident happened around 9:00 AM. When the Roberts Fire Department arrived on the scene, the driver, a 79-year-old man from Hamer, told authorities he had pulled over to adjust a tie-down when smoke began to billow from under the hood.

The driver had reportedly tried to open the hood, but was unable to get it open before the engine burst into flames. Robers Fire was able to quickly extinguish the fire before the trailer caught fire.

According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, there was external damage to the front of the trailer, and the pickup is a total loss.

ORIGINAL:

ROBERTS, Idaho (KIFI) — A driver is safe after his truck, pulling a camper trailer, caught fire on the I-15 on-ramp in Roberts this morning. The incident happened around 9:00 AM.

The driver told authorities he had pulled over to adjust a tie-down when smoke began to billow from under the hood. The engine ignited, but fortunately, the flames were contained to the front of the truck, sparing the camper.

The scene was cleared by 10:40 AM. Local News 8 is working to gather more details.

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Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — With the summer travel season officially underway, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is issuing a crucial reminder for travelers. So far this year, TSA officers at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport have intercepted six firearms at security checkpoints, with three in April alone.

That’s nearly halfway to last year’s total of 13, which set a record for the airport.

“So we’ve seen six firearms at Idaho Falls regional so far this year, and 20 statewide,” said local TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers. “The most recent one was brought to the airport in Sun Valley yesterday, where a traveler brought a loaded firearm to the checkpoint.”

TSA officials emphasize this is not just a local issue, but a growing problem across the state.

Traveling with a Firearm: What You Need to Know

For those planning to travel by air with a firearm, understanding the correct procedure is essential:

Check it in: Firearms are not permitted in carry-on luggage and must be transported as checked baggage.

Declare it: Inform the ticket agent that you are traveling with a properly packaged firearm in your suitcase.

Proper Packaging: “Make sure the magazine is removed from the firearm,” instructs Dankers. “Then what you’re going to want to do is put that in the case and then put the firearm in as well.

“If you have the ammunition you’re traveling with, put that in its original case. (Then) Put it in the case as well, that way it will all be locked up.”

Secure the Case: Dankers advises travelers to use non-TSA-compliant locks to fully secure the gun case, ensuring it cannot be pried open. “The most important thing to do is make sure that when it’s in your checked luggage, the locks are on there and you’re ready to bring it to the airport,” she added.

Sign a Declaration: You will be required to sign a declaration confirming that your firearm is properly packaged for commercial air travel. Failing to follow these procedures can result in significant fines.

“I can tell you, year over year over year, we’ve seen more and more firearms coming to the security checkpoint. We know that across the country, firearm ownership is up,” said Dankers. “TSA is not anti-firearm. But what we are is pro-know-what-the-rules-are, know what the process is.”

TSA says people also try to bring fireworks and grenades this time of year; neither is ever allowed on an aircraft. 

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