Category: kifi-local-news

Curtis Jackson

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (KIFI)—Visitors who want to recreate on the rivers and lakes in Grand Teton National Park can now borrow life-jackets.

Grand Teton National Park Foundation and Grand Teton National Park announced the loaner program on Monday, July 20, 2026. They said many of the thousands of visitors to the park are unaware that life jackets are an essential piece of safety equipment.

Loaner kiosks are installed at Jackson Lake Dam, Pacific Creek Landing, String Lake, and the Colter Bay Swim Beach. They said people can borrow the jackets from the kiosk and return them to the same kiosk or one downstream when finished.

“Spending time on the water is one of the best ways to experience Grand Teton National Park,” said Superintendent Chip Jenkins. “By making life jackets readily available, we’re helping remove a barrier to safe recreation and encouraging everyone to make wearing a life jacket part of every trip on the water.”

“Grand Teton’s waterways draw visitors from around the world, and everyone should have the opportunity to experience them safely,” said Leslie Mattson, president of Grand Teton National Park Foundation. “This program is a natural extension of the Foundation’s commitment to enhancing the visitor experience, and we’re proud to bring it to life this summer.”

The project was funded by Grand Teton National Park Foundation with support from the Snake River Fund, a local organization that has operated a similar program on sections of the Snake River south of the park.

Volunteers for the Snake River Ambassadors will help recreationists understand how the kiosks work and inform them about water safety.

Visitors are reminded that children under the age of thirteen must always wear a life jacket while on a boat, and all boaters should wear a properly fitted life jacket or have one readily accessible.

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Curtis Jackson

UPDATE: IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)—Work on the intersection of Holmes and 49th South has been pushed back to Monday, August 3.

Crews were scheduled to begin work on Wednesday, but it has been delayed.

Currently, the intersection is an all-way stop. Over the past decade, traffic has increased with the development in the area. A news release from the city of Idaho Falls said that between 2018 and 2023, there were 17 crashes reported near the intersection, one resulting in multiple deaths.

The intersection will include designated left turn lanes and ADA compliant pedestrian ramps and sidewalks.

ORIGINAL STORY:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)—Bonneville County will be adding a new traffic light to an intersection south of Idaho Falls.

According to social media posts, Bonneville County will close the intersection of 5th East (Holmes Ave.) and 49th South (Township Road) beginning Wednesday, July 22. The closures will include at least a quarter mile of the roads surrounding the intersection.

The social media post didn’t mention how long the intersection will be closed.

The county also posted that Iona Road between Ammon Road and 45th East is now open after being closed since last fall. A center turn lane was added to improve traffic flow. Florian Ave, north of Iona Rd., is still closed but expected to open by July 25th.

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News Release

The following is a news release from Idaho Falls Power:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Idaho Falls Power proudly sponsored 10 local high school students to attend the 2026 Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association (ICUA) Youth Rally, where they joined 90 students from Idaho, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska for a week of leadership development, teamwork and personal growth.

Each student received a $500 scholarship from Idaho Falls Power for representing the utility and the community at the annual leadership conference held at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa.

“The Youth Rally is an incredible experience,” said Christopher Jensen, Community Relations Coordinator for Idaho Falls Power. “Watching these students grow in confidence, build lasting friendships and represent Idaho Falls with such character and enthusiasm throughout the week is incredibly rewarding. They are exceptional young people, and we’re excited to see the positive impact they’ll make in our community and wherever life takes them.”

Throughout the week, students participated in leadership workshops, team-building activities, government and energy education sessions, an obstacle course, a tour of the Idaho State Capitol, recreational activities and community-building events designed to strengthen confidence, communication and leadership skills.

The Idaho Falls delegation once again distinguished itself by earning numerous scholarships and honors throughout the week.

Recent Idaho Falls High School graduate Anilyn Croft completed her year of service as Idaho Falls Power’s Returning Director after helping lead and plan the 2026 Youth Rally. During the week, Croft was awarded one of only two $800 ICUA Returning Director Scholarships and also received the $500 Bobbi Wilhelm Memorial Scholarship, presented annually by Idaho Falls Power to its Returning Director.

“The Youth Rally gave me two years of real leadership experience I didn’t get in a classroom: public speaking in front of the whole camp, handling conflict and high-pressure situations, and learning how to delegate and trust the people around me instead of doing it myself,” said Croft. “I’m walking away much more confident and a better leader because of it.”

Idaho Falls High School senior Emma Neider was selected by her peers to serve as Idaho Falls Power’s Returning Director for the 2027 ICUA Youth Rally. Neider also earned a $600 ICUA scholarship and was voted Miss Congeniality, an honor selected by fellow students.

Idaho Falls High School junior Hiro Quan was voted Mr. Congeniality and received a $600 ICUA scholarship. “Having both the Mr. and Miss Congeniality awards presented to Idaho Falls students highlights the character, leadership and positive attitudes they demonstrated throughout the week and says a lot about the amazing young people in our community,” said Jensen.

Additional scholarship and award recipients included Idaho Falls High School junior Lucy Okeson, who earned a $600 ICUA scholarship; Bonneville High School junior Cheyanne Clark, who received a $500 ICUA scholarship; and Skyline High School senior Bella Jensen, who was recognized with an Outstanding Achievement Award.

Students selected by Idaho Falls Power to attend the 2026 ICUA Youth Rally included:

Anilyn Croft – Idaho Falls High School (Returning Director)

Emma Neider – Idaho Falls High School

Hiro Quan – Idaho Falls High School

Lucy Okeson – Idaho Falls High School

Cheyanne Clark – Bonneville High School

Bella Jensen – Skyline High School

Josiah Gerling – Watersprings

Adan Acosta – Skyline High School

Grace Katseanes – Idaho Falls High School

Anna Cochran – Watersprings

Idaho Falls Power has proudly participated in the ICUA Youth Rally for decades as part of its commitment to develop future leaders. The annual scholarship program is open to eligible Idaho Falls area high school sophomores and juniors whose parent or legal guardian is an Idaho Falls Power customer.

Applications for the 2027 ICUA Youth Rally will open next year. For more information, visit www.ifpower.org or call Idaho Falls Power at 208-612-8430.

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Curtis Jackson

UPDATE: People who were evacuated from their homes near the Ohio are now allowed to return home, but should be ready to evacuate again at a moments notice.

The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office updated their evacuation orders Monday night as fire conditions have calmed. The fire has burned an estimated 2,035 acres and is 60% contained. The sheriff’s office said no structures have been damaged from the fire.

Only residents will be allowed in the Indian Creek Road and Heatherlands area.

Ohio Gulch Road, the transfer station and the Valley Club will be open to the public. Ohio Gulch and Indian Creek are closed for public recreation as fire crews continue to work in the area.

Other areas, including the Hiawatha Zone and the East Fork-Triumph Zone, will remain in “Set” status.

HAILEY, Idaho (KIFI)—Evacuation orders remain in place for homes near the Ohio Fire burning northeast of Hailey.

Fire managers report the fire has burned an estimated 2,035 acres with only 10% containment. The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office said based on current conditions and fire danger assessment, all evacuation orders and statuses will remain in place for Monday.

Evacuation Areas

The evacuation area includes the Heather-Ohio-Valley zone and the Indian Creek Zone. Check here for current evacuation map.

The Heather-Ohio-Valley zone includes the Ohio Gulch neighborhood, the dump, and Wynn’s Compost, the Heatherlands, and the Valley Club.

The Indian Creek Zone includes all homes in the Indian Creek subdivision and the Indian Creek drainage area.

Homes in the Hiwatha Zone and East Fork-Triumph Zone are in the set status, meaning residents should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.

The American Red Cross has set up an evacuation center at Life Church, 931 N. River St. in Hailey, for those who need assistance.

The fire started Saturday afternoon. Authorities have not said what caused the fire.

Fire crews made steady progress on Sunday with securing fire lines, and extinguishing hot spots. Aircraft also helped support firefighters on the round by dropping fire retardant and water.

Fire managers say you may see more smoke during the late afternoon as temperatures climb. Officials also remind people to stay out of the fire area and to keep their drones grounded.

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Stephanie Lucas

UPDATE:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – A group of Roving Rabbis, part of a global initiative to bring Jewish learning and presence to rural communities, is returning to East Idaho this week.

Rabbi Yossi Bistritzky of the Chabad Jewish Center says the group will be in the Idaho Falls and Pocatello area for about two weeks. There will be two opportunities to observe Shabbat, the weekly holy day of rest, with the Roving Rabbis.

A Shabbat dinner will be held in Pocatello on Friday, July 24, and in Idaho Falls on Friday, July 31, for a chance to “relax, connect, and welcome Shabbat together,” says Rabbi Yossi Bistritzky.

The Rabbis would prefer that attendees for Shabbat reach out personally at www.rovingrabbis@jewishidaho.com to obtain times and locations for the Shabbat dinner.

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Maile Sipraseuth

YELLOWSTONE (KIFI) — A 65-year-old grandfather is on the mend after a viral encounter with a 2,000-pound bison in Yellowstone National Park, an ordeal bystanders say he survived by putting himself directly in harm’s way to save his young grandson.

It’s been over a week since Carl McDaniel was charged and launched into the air by the massive animal. Now recovering, McDaniel and the bystander who caught the attack on video are sharing the untold details of the split-second decisions and the strangers who came together to save his life.

A Split-Second Sacrifice

The incident was captured on camera by Mike McCleod, a nearby camper and photographer with a degree in wildlife biology. McCleod had initially started recording because he noticed a bison rolling in the dirt right next to McDaniel’s campsite.

“I’m taking video at this point because it’s pretty funny—the juxtaposition of the domestic picnic table and tent, and this huge 2,000-pound animal,” McCleod recalled. “But you could tell he was already in an aggravated state for whatever reason.”

McCleod later noted that a nearby pickup truck honked its horn shortly before the attack, which McDaniel believes may have further provoked the animal.

When the bison suddenly charged toward McDaniel’s 13-year-old grandson, McDaniel made an immediate choice to draw the animal’s attention toward himself.

“Carl led the bull in the opposite direction to protect his grandson,” McCleod said. “As he said to me later, ‘[He] is 100% my responsibility.’ Classic grandfather move.”

Strangers Step Up

After McDaniel was launched by the bison, the surrounding campers didn’t hesitate to step up. A group of campers rushed the aggressive animal, scaring it off before it could cause further harm.

“I had maybe a dozen campers rushing behind me,” McCleod said. “The bison thought, ‘Hey, I’m out of here,’ so it turned and ran. At that point, we ran up to Carl, and everybody just kind of assigned themselves a role—whatever needed to be done.”

McDaniel recovered from the attack at Bozeman Health in Montana, where, on July 17, he spoke with the marketing team. Despite the traumatic event, McDaniel stated, “I always felt safe and secure. I wasn’t ever terrified.”

The Road to Recovery

Park officials confirmed in a report to TMZ that the bison involved will not be euthanized. Meanwhile, McDaniel is making steady progress toward recovery, celebrating a major milestone on Friday by walking 175 feet for the first time since the attack.

Both McCleod and McDaniel have stayed in touch since the incident. McCleod revealed that McDaniel is deeply involved in his community, often playing Santa Claus. McCleod joked, “I will henceforth be known as the photographer who saved Santa.”

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News Team

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI) — A 47-year-old Jackson man was arrested Thursday night after leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase through downtown in a stolen vehicle.

Aaron Feuerstein faces several charges, including fleeing law enforcement, resisting arrest, and reckless driving, according to court documents.

Details surrounding the chase are limited at this time. Video obtained from SeeJH.com shows the stolen vehicle speeding past the Town Square’s iconic elk antler archway with a convoy of sheriff’s vehicles with lights blaring following closely behind.

The Jackson Police Department is continuing to investigate the vehicle theft, and police expect to release more details this week. Additional charges against Feuerstein remain possible, according to the sheriff’s office.

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Maile Sipraseuth

IRWIN, Idaho (KIFI)– Idaho State Police are investigating a two-vehicle crash that injured one person at 10 p.m. on Saturday near Irwin.

According to Idaho State Police, a 2006 GMC Sierra driven by a 27-year-old Idaho Falls man was traveling eastbound with two passengers, both from Idaho Falls. One 26-year-old man was riding inside the pickup, while another 27-year-old man was riding in the truck bed.

Investigators say a 2023 Tesla Model S, driven by a 63-year-old Idaho Falls man, was also traveling eastbound when it rear-ended the GMC.

Both vehicles left the roadway following the crash. The Tesla came to rest on the eastbound shoulder, while the GMC came to rest in the eastbound lanes.

The 27-year-old man riding in the bed of the GMC was flown to a local hospital.

The highway was blocked for about three and a half hours as emergency crews responded to the scene and cleared the roadway.

The crash remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police.

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Maile Sipraseuth

UPDATE: St. Luke’s Air shared a video on Facebook and details about the rescue on Friday morning. You can see it below.

CUSTER COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI)– A hiker is recovering after falling approximately 300 feet on Mount Idaho, prompting a large-scale rescue operation in Custer County.

According to a Facebook post from the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, emergency crews were dispatched Saturday afternoon after receiving reports of a hiker who had fallen on Mount Idaho in the Lost River Range.

Multiple agencies responded to the rescue, including local search and rescue teams, Air St. Luke’s One, and the Idaho National Guard’s TALON70 helicopter.

The Idaho National Guard successfully hoisted the injured hiker from the mountainside before transferring the patient to waiting ground crews and Air St. Luke’s medical personnel. The hiker was then flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for treatment.

“We are once again impressed by the skill and bravery of the Idaho National Guard and Air St. Luke’s performing a rescue in spontaneous inclement weather conditions over the Lost River Range. We are thankful for the willingness of the Custer County SAR members, a volunteer organization, to help people in need in our County,” Custer County Sheriff’s Office said.

Officials have not released the hiker’s identity or provided an update on their condition.

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Kaelyn Blessinger

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– July is recognized as World Watercolor Month, an international celebration founded a decade ago by Missouri artist Charlie O’Shields. The annual event encourages people around the world to pick up a paintbrush while promoting the importance of art and creativity.

A simple mixture of sugar, honey and pigment creates watercolor paint, but for many artists, the medium offers far more than colorful paintings, it provides a way to express creativity and connect with others.

Sally Ellis is a local watercolor artist, who has been perfecting her craft for over 30 years. She has been painting for more than 30 years and now shares her experience with students at BYU-Idaho. Whether she’s teaching in the classroom or painting outdoors, she enjoys helping others discover the beauty of watercolor.

“You’ve got to have a good plan and you’ve got to know where you’re going in watercolor, because you start with the end in mind,” Ellis said.

While demonstrating one of her paintings inspired by the Ricks Gardens in Rexburg, Ellis explained how intentional color choices can transform a scene.

“This is at the Ricks Gardens in Rexburg, Idaho, and we orchestrate it with a warm green, a cool green, a vivid. And then notice that we popped in this red as a compliment. And it creates energy,” Ellis said. “You want that in your watercolors. These little accent colors are exactly what that is. It’s called accent. These actually did not exist. I put them in there on purpose. This made this pop or gave it more energy.”

For those interested in learning the craft, the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho offers beginner watercolor classes each month.

“We have watercolor here. It’s Beginning Watercolor. We teach it once a month, and it is on the third Saturday every month,” Becca Hayes, Education Curator at The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, said. “It is always beginner friendly, and the instructor goes through and teaches you all the different kinds of watercolor paint and brushes.”

Ellis encourages aspiring artists to approach watercolor with confidence rather than fear.

“Come with a mindset that you’re going to experience it,” she said. “Sometimes the mindset is, ‘I can’t do this. I can’t do that.’ Your mind can destroy what you’re trying to accomplish. So use the goals and the elements and principles of design to take you where you want to go.”

She also believes Eastern Idaho’s artistic community is one of the region’s greatest resources.

“We have a lot of good painters in this area, and you can learn a lot from the painters in this area just by watching them, coming together as a community and painting together,” Ellis said.

In addition to classes at the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, watercolor enthusiasts can connect with other artists through local organizations and community painting groups throughout the region.

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