Curtis Jackson
BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) – Bingham County Commissioners have issued a burn ban for the county beginning Wednesday, July 16, through September 30, 2025.
The ban involves all open fire, except for campfires built within an approved pit at camprgrounds or picnic areas.
It also doesn’t include smoking within an enclosed vehicle, building, or developed recreation site.
They sai no burn permits will be issued at this time in the county.
News Team
The following is a press release from the Idaho Department of Transportation:
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – With the painting of final lane markers on the new roadway, construction at the I-86/I-15 “Flying-Y” System Interchange in Pocatello is coming to a successful conclusion. Begun in July 2022, the three-year $112 million project has dramatically changed the drivability of the interchange.
“We spent over eight years from design to actual construction of the project. We’re pretty proud of it. It’s one of the bigger projects we’ve designed. It’s one of the largest projects ever designed entirely by ITD staff and inspected with ITD personnel. Most of the people on the team live here locally and this has been a really meaningful project for us to make sure we did our very best,” said Project Engineer Aaron Baird.
Critical areas that were improved include the northbound Pocatello Creek on-ramp, the northbound-to-westbound collector distributor, and the eastbound-to-northbound ramp. Each of those improvements made merging from one Interstate to the other smoother and safer for motorists.
“We’re excited for people to use the final product. We hope it’s something that will last a long time and keep the travelling public safe as they use it,” said Project Manager Greg Roberts.
The scale of the endeavor has been truly historic. Approximately 1 million cubic yards of excavation have been completed. In addition, about 490,000 tons of base material was brought in; 116,000 tons of asphalt were placed; and over 7,700 cubic yards of concrete were poured. Nearly 70,000 square feet of retaining walls were also built throughout the project area. Finally, ITD built eight new bridges. Four of those have precast concrete girders and four have steel girders. In all, over 5 million pounds of steel has been used in the new bridges.
Construction crews worked year-round and around the clock for approximately three years to complete the project. To minimize disruption to traffic, key demolition operations were conducted at night. These efforts minimized the impact on traffic while the interchange was being reconstructed.
In addition to the major changes inside the Flying-Y design, the Chubbuck Road overpass was reconstructed as an underpass to improve site distances and vertical clearance on I-15, and to improve access to the Wellness Center from Chubbuck. The new underpass is significantly wider and includes bike lanes and sidewalks.
ITD also worked closely with the Portneuf Greenway to construct a pedestrian and bicycle path on the east side of the worksite to connect the Greenway to the Wellness Center.
Work left to wrap up the project will be off the roadway and conducted on the shoulders. In addition, ITD will be seeding open ground with native grasses.
“Thank you for being patient with us and seeing our vision, seeing what we’re trying to do to positively impact this community,” said Project Manager Zak Johnson.
District Engineer Todd Hubbard echoed those sentiments, “This project has been a great success and is an important addition to the community for the safety of drivers. It has been a lot of work to get all of it completed and to keep traffic moving. I want to thank everyone for their patience as we have worked on this project over the last three years. And a thank you to the project team and Sundt-Cannon Joint Venture for a project well done.”
Drivers are encouraged to remain attentive, move over for workers and emergency vehicles, and follow posted speed limits.
News Release
The following is a press release from the Bingham County Abatement District:
BINGHAM COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — The Bingham County Abatement District’s mosquito control program, operated by Vector Disease Control International (VDCI), has detected the first West Nile virus (WNV) positive mosquito pool of 2025 in Bingham County. A total of 64 pools (1,629 total mosquitoes) from Bingham County have been tested so far this year, and all have yielded negative results to date. The pool of mosquitoes that tested positive was collected in the Shoemaker/Rich Lane Area, and VDCI has taken aggressive action to reduce the mosquito population in this affected area by expanding the surveillance and West Nile virus testing, and increasing both larval and adult mosquito control activities.
“Culex tarsalis mosquitoes are the primary vector species of West Nile virus in our area and are most common in July and August when the temperatures are warmest,” said Justin Huse, Bingham County’s mosquito abatement program manager. “The number of Culex tarsalis mosquitoes has been high as expected this year, so our detection of West Nile virus was also expected and we are taking immediate action to reduce the population of these mosquitoes.” He added, “This early detection of WNV in mosquitoes is one of the primary reasons for our comprehensive mosquito surveillance and control program.”
A WNV-positive mosquito pool indicates that viral activity is increasing in the environment, and people should be more careful and take precautions to protect themselves from the virus.
The Bingham County Abatement Board recommends that all Bingham County residents take the following precautions:
Use insect repellent containing DEET, Picaridin, or Oil of Lemon eucalyptus while always following the label directions for use.
Wear loose fitting, light colored clothing while outdoors, especially long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes and socks.
Minimize outdoor activity around dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
Make sure that all screens on doors and windows are in good condition and fit tightly.
Encourage neighbors and family members to exercise precautions as well.
Eliminate standing water around your property and encourage neighbors to do the same.
Do not over-irrigate pastures to the point that water stands for more than five days.
Keep grass and weeds cut in order to minimize resting places for adult mosquitoes.
West Nile virus can be transmitted to humans, horses, and other animals by infected mosquitoes after the mosquitoes have bitten infected birds, which are the primary hosts of the virus. Most people bitten by West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes experience either no symptoms or possibly a short period of mild flu-like symptoms. Symptoms of human West Nile virus infections typically begin within 14 days following the insect bite and consist of low-grade fever, muscle and joint aches, fatigue, and headaches. In rare but severe cases, symptoms can include high fever, neck pain, severe headache, a rash on the torso, and disorientation, which may be signs of encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). If such symptoms occur, residents should seek immediate medical attention from a physician.
There is no specific treatment for West Nile virus infection; avoiding mosquito bites and a comprehensive integrated mosquito management program is the best prevention.
If you have any mosquito-related questions, please contact VDCI at 208-684-5112.
For more information about West Nile virus, click HERE.
Curtis Jackson
MALAD, Idaho (KIFI) – A brush fire near the Idaho-Utah border has grown to over 1,500 acres. The fire is west of Interstate 15 in the Samaria Mountains area.
BLM fire managers said the ‘Buckboard Fire,’ started around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, approximately 10 miles southwest of Malad. The cause is labeled as natural.
No evacuations have been ordered, and no structures are threatened.
Buckboard Fire burning near Idaho-Utah border on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Courtesy: BLM
Multiple fire agencies are working the fire, including BLM, USFS Caribou-Targhee National Forest, BIA, Oneida County Fire, Malad Fire Department, and Holbrook Fire Department. Single Engine Air Tankers responded Tuesday as well.
Buckboard Fire burning near Idaho-Utah border on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Courtesy: BLM
Stephanie Lucas
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Since its introduction in May, President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill has been a dominant topic in the news. Now that it’s been signed into law, Local News 8 had a chance to sit down with Senator Mike Crapo, and get his take on what he thinks are the most important points of the legislation.
“The bottom line is that we have taken the first big steps to make sure Americans aren’t slammed by a huge tax hike and have given them additional tax cuts,” said Crapo. “We have taken big steps to take this waste, fraud, and abuse out of the Medicaid system without harming the benefits of those for whom it was intended. And we are moving forward now to do the rest of the work to try to bring our national debt under control.”
One of the tax strategies from the bill Senator Crapo referred to is the Tax Cuts and Job Act, also known as the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts. The cuts reduced income tax rates across various brackets, with the top rate at 37% and the bottom at 10%. If the cuts were not extended, rates would have reverted to pre-2017 levels, which were higher.
“We made the TCJA permanent,” said Crapo. “The TCJA is the 2017 tax law, which put a supercharged capital formation in the United States. What that means is it generated not just economic growth but more jobs, higher wages, more benefits, and lower unemployment.”
Crapo says waste and abuse in the Medicaid system are being reformed in several ways.
“One of the pieces of our bill, or Medicaid reforms, says that if you are illegally in the United States and are not a United States citizen, you cannot qualify for Medicaid, and you must be taken off the rolls. And believe it or not, there are several million people in America, most of them in states like California, that intentionally put them on the rolls who are being paid Medicaid.”
Senator Crapo also addresses an issue of redundancy within the system.
“There’s another set of people, people who are signed up for Medicaid benefits in more than one state, two or three states. Now, many times, that’s just because they left the state and moved to another state. And we’re just taking their names off the rolls. So they’re only on the roll in one state.”
As far as a reduction in the national debt, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee says, “the way to deal with [it] is to increase the growth in our economy and generate greater revenue to our Treasury and to reduce the spending. Both have to happen. Both were done in this bill, and the Council on Economic Advisors has estimated that the economic growth that will be generated by this bill’s policies will over the next decade, yield about an additional $4 trillion of revenue to the Federal Treasury, all of which can be utilized to reduce our national debt.”
News Team
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — The National Weather Service (NWS) in Pocatello has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the majority of Southeastern Idaho, effective immediately until 7:15 PM MDT tonight.
NWS radar is currently tracking a line of severe thunderstorms, approximately eight miles long, stretching from west of Aberdeen to Fort Hall. These storms are moving rapidly to the northwest.
Forecasters are warning of damaging winds up to 70 miles per hour, which could lead to considerable damage across the affected areas.
News Team
ASHTON, Idaho (KIFI) — Fremont County Search and Rescue (FCSAR) successfully pulled off a tricky high-line rope rescue this past Sunday, July 13, to extract an injured hiker out of a remote canyon east of Ashton.
Around 7:19 PM, rescue crews, along with folks from Fremont County EMS, Emergency Management, and an Air Idaho flight crew, were sent out to Robinson Creek Canyon. Reports came in about someone with a broken leg stuck deep in a remote part of the canyon, which made getting to them and getting them out incredibly difficult.
EMS and FCSAR personnel had to navigate the rugged terrain to reach the injured person. They managed to stabilize the individual’s leg right there on-site before setting up a special high-line rope system to allow them to safely lift the person from the bottom of the canyon up to the rim. Once there, the injured individual was quickly moved to an ambulance that was waiting and taken to a medical facility for more care.
In a press release, FCSAR expressed their gratitude to Fremont County EMS, Fremont County Emergency Management, the Air Idaho flight crew, and even some bystanders for their help “physically demanding rescue.”
News Team
REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — The Rexburg Police are investigating the theft of a vehicle from Bunkhouse Apartments on July 8 around 8:50 AM. According to their Facebook page, an unmarked and unknown tow truck was involved in the theft.
If you have any details that could help with this investigation, contact Officer Correa directly at 208-359-3000.
News Team
ASHTON, Idaho (KIFI) — The Fall River Electric Cooperative is reporting a power outage impacting customers residing east of Ashton. While the exact cause is currently unknown, the electric cooperative does suspect that strong winds or lightning may have played a role.
Crews are already en route to the affected area, working to restore power swiftly and safely. For the latest updates and to monitor the outage, click HERE.
Ariel Jensen
BUTTE, Idaho (KIFI) — Butte City Mayor Kevin J. Turner was arrested after pulling out a gun during a city council meeting on July 10, 2025.
Butte County Sheriff’s Deputies said they were called to a disturbance at the city council meeting in Butte City.
According to court documents, when deputies arrived, several people were standing in the street, who claimed Turner was inside, and threatened them with a gun.
Officers contacted Turner inside and asked if he was armed and if he was waving a gun around.
Turner said that he was, but was not waving a gun. Turner stated that he had gotten it out and used his firearm as a gavel to bang on the table.
During the meeting, things became heated over issues between some of the residents of Butte City and the mayor.
At some point during the heated exchange, Turner reportedly produced a firearm and banged it on the table like a gavel, apparently to restore order to the meeting.
Later, it was clarified that he never took it out of the holster and that he held the barrel while banging the mag well against the table.
Turner was arrested the following day on July 11th. Turner is charged with violation of the Idaho Code section 18-3303, Exhibition or Use of a Deadly Weapon.
Turner was booked into the Butte County Jail and was held there until he was released after his arraignment on Monday, July 14, 2025.
