Category: kifi-local-news

Seth Ratliff

UPDATE:

ARIZONA (KIFI): The prosecution and Lori Vallow Daybell have rested their case in Vallow’s high-profile murder conspiracy trial.

Closing arguments and jury instructions will be held on Monday, April 21. The court will be back in session at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time (11:30 a.m. Mountain Time).

Watch the afternoon recap below.

Watch the morning recap below.

UPDATE:

ARIZONA (KIFI) – Prosecutors may be able to rest their case today as the court enters the seventh day of Lori Vallow Daybell’s second murder trial on Wednesday.

The trial will resume after a brief lunch break at 1:30 p.m. Pacific time (2:30 p.m. Mountain)

Local News 8 is streaming the trial below.

Wednesday morning, the prosecutor called Chandler Police Detective Nathan Duncan to the stand. Duncan was working on July 11, 2019, and responded to the scene of Charles Vallow’s murder after learning of the shooting on his police radio.

Duncan’s testimony further explained the scene of Charles Vallow’s Arizona home following the shooting, as evidence of Lori’s private emails and text messages made on Charles’s phone after his death.

ORIGINAL:

ARIZONA (KIFI) – Prosecutors may be able to rest their case today as the court enters the seventh day of Lori Vallow Daybell’s second murder trial on Wednesday.

The trial will continue on Tuesday morning, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Pacific time (11:30 a.m. Mountain). There is a 30-minute delay as per the Judge’s orders.

The state has called a total of 18 witnesses in the trial so far, and less than a handful remain to be called, according to reports by Fox 10 Phoenix.

Tuesday, the jury heard testimony from two members of the Chandler Police Department, Det. Cassandra Ynclan and Det. Ariel Werther.

Det. Werther presented a PowerPoint of the geographic location of Charles’s cell phone following his death. The location data confirmed that Lori Vallow had taken her children to buy flip flops and to a fast food restaurant directly after her fourth husband’s death.

Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) –  Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center is celebrating a week of service in honor of April National Volunteer Month.

Early Tuesday, April 15, dozens of staff members and community volunteers gathered at the hospital cafeteria to prepare period product kits for local girls.

Over 40,000 period products were packed and bagged into thousands of kits that will be distributed to girls across Southeast Idaho. 

“Through the Idaho Period Project, they’ll be given to school administrators and counselors who then identify the girls who are in need of these,” said Brooke Nelson, Vice President of the Idaho Period Project. “So a girl can simply come to the office or to that faculty or staff member and say, ‘Hey, I might not have what I need for this summer,’ and then they can take them home.” 

Nelson tells us they surveyed schools in Idaho and found that one in four girls are experiencing period poverty.

“Period poverty is simply the lack of access to period products,” said Nelson.” And that leads them to miss out on full class periods, full days of school, and a lot of important activities that they want to participate in.” 

Dozens of ERIMC staff and volunteers sorted through hundreds of boxes of feminine products as part of the organization’s ‘We Show Up For Our Communities’ days of service.

Coleen Niemann, Director of Communication for EIRMC said, “This is an opportunity to show up outside of our building for residents and our neighbors. We are proud to be helping out girls who are in need and schools in our area.”

The goal is to provide girls in the community a chance to fully participate in all their school activities and have a worry-free summer.

Devyn Hinson, Licensed master social worker and Counselor at Bonneville High School, tells Local News 8 this project is greatly needed in our community.

“I often have several female students that come to my office several times a day asking for period products. And it’s so wonderful to be able to have these products available in the office that they can just come and grab when they need,” said Hinson.

The supplies will be going out next month, in the middle of May.

EIRMC is serving the community all month long in a variety of ways.

Other projects they have going on this month include:

Building period product kits for local girls and women in need.  Partnership with Idaho Period Project.

Collecting school supplies for students.  Partnership with F.I.S.H. (Friends in Service Here).

Preparing weekend food kits for children in need. Partnership with United Way of Bonneville County.

Hosting a non-profit agency fair with fifteen local organizations to educate staff about the vital role these organizations play in our community.

Promoting donations to the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund, which supports EIRMC colleagues experiencing unforeseen financial crises.

Seth Ratliff

The following is a press release from the Eastern Idaho State Fair:

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) – Dust off your boots and tighten your cinch—because the Eastern Idaho State Fair is back and this year’s theme is a full-blown invitation to Saddle Up! From August 29 to September 6, 2025, fairgoers are in for nine rip-roarin’ days of entertainment, food, and fun that’ll have you hollerin’ “yee-haw!” all the way home.

This year’s Bank of Commerce Grandstand has a stampede of a lineup that’s bigger than a prairie sky. Whether you’re into rodeos, wrecks, or rockstars, there’s something for every kind of cowboy and cowgirl:

· August 29 – Country chart-topper Dylan Scott kicks things off with a boot-stompin’ concert

· August 30 – Hang onto your hats for the Bull Riding Championships

· August 31 – Feel the horsepower at the Western Truck & Tractor Pull

· September 1–3 – The Gem State Classic Pro Rodeo rides into town for three nights of world-class action

· September 4 – Comedy outlaw Jeff Dunham brings his posse of puppets for a wild night of laughs

· September 5 – Multi-GRAMMY winners Train take the stage with their chart-bustin’ hits

· September 6 – Wrap it all up with a bang at the September Slam Demolition Derby

Tickets are ONLY available at FunAtTheFair.com —so grab ’em before they high-tail it outta town.

In addition to the nighttime lineup, fairgoers can enjoy daytime attractions including the Indian Relay Races, Pari-Mutuel Horse Racing, livestock exhibitions, and culinary creations from hundreds of local vendors. Of course, it wouldn’t be the fair without the fried food, blue-ribbon livestock, belly-laughin’ attractions, and good ol’ family fun that’s been a tradition in these parts for 123 years.

“This year’s theme, Saddle Up, isn’t just about horses—it’s about takin’ life by the reins,” said Brandon Bird, Eastern Idaho State Fair General Manager. “We’re callin’ on everyone to show up, join the ride, and make memories worth their weight in gold.”

Don’t miss the chance to be part of Idaho’s biggest, boldest, and boot-kickin’est event of the year. For tickets, schedules, and event details, visit FunAtTheFair.com.

Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – The state of Idaho is attempting to ban the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from covering the purchase of candy and soda.

Governor Brad Little has signed House Bill 109 into law, under which the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare will seek a waiver from the federal government to ban candy and soda from being purchased using food stamps, or SNAP benefits.

While similar legislation has failed in the past, the bill’s cosponsor, Senator Ben Toews, R-Coeur d’Alene,   told lawmakers 20 other states are considering similar legislation in a movement called “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA), promoted by the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“Idaho welcomes the MAHA movement. It is all about looking for creative ways to improve nutrition and increase exercise, the two main factors that influence overall health,” Governor Little wrote in a statement to the press. “Secretary Kennedy said it so well: we need to take better care of ourselves and each other. He said it is an act of patriotism, and the future of our nation depends on it. Idaho couldn’t agree more.”

In a prepared statement to the press, the U.S. Health Secretary applauded Governor Little’s approval of the bill.

“I urge all governors to follow Idaho’s lead and submit innovative SNAP waivers to the USDA to reverse the childhood chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again,” wrote U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

A “simple issue” or “missing the mark?”

The amended bill passed the Idaho Senate in a 25-10 vote and the Idaho House 48-20.

Opponents of the bill argued that the legislation would create difficulties for Idaho businesses and may even cause grocery stores to stop accepting SNAP benefits.

Other opponents argued that the bill’s definition of candy was too broad and may impact other foods.

The bill’s text defines candy as “a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners combined with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of confections, bars, drops, or pieces.”

“I do recognize the complexities of defining candy and soda, but at the same time, this issue is not complex at all. It is actually quite simple: assistance from the government should go toward healthy foods, not foods that cause so many health problems,” Governor Little wrote in a prepared statement.

Senator Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, argued that the bill misses the mark in both health and combating the obesity epidemic.

“If we really wanted to address obesity, we would be providing more cash incentives for low-income folks so they could actually purchase foods that cost more, that are healthy,” said Sen. Wintrow. “This is just one more way to control poor people, (and) show our disdain for their lack of good decision making.”

Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Spring means mating season for many of Idaho’s native animals, and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game wants to remind people to leave baby animals alone if you stumble across them in the wild.

According to Jennifer Jackson, communications manager for Fish and Game’s Southeast Region, Idaho’s wild birds and big game will soon start to find places to make their nests and have their young, and moving into baby season in May and June, it is especially important people remember to let baby animals lie.

“In order for us to continue with an abundant wildlife population, if you want to see wildlife grow, it’s important to let mothers do their job of raising their young and continuing to grow their herds or their flocks,” said Jackson. “When you bring an animal to us, you put that animal in danger.”

Jackson said every year, Fish and Game gets visits from well-meaning outdoorspeople who bring wild chicks or fawns to the department office, thinking the animals were abandoned. In reality, wild baby animals are often left alone for hours at a time while their parents search for food or draw potential predators away from their babies’ hiding places.

The best thing people can do for baby animals is leave them alone and trust their parents are nearby. Fish and Game prioritizes returning baby animals to their parents when they’re brought in to the office, but it is not always possible to find where they came from, and some babies may need to be taken elsewhere for care.

For more information, or if you have questions or concerns about an animal’s safety, you can contact the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Southeast Regional Office by calling (208) 232-4703 or visiting their website.