Category: kifi-local-news

Maile Sipraseuth

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Southeastern Idaho health officials are sounding the alarm after a sharp, sudden rise in local HIV diagnoses.

In just the first three months of 2026, healthcare providers have diagnosed seven new cases of HIV, matching the average number of cases typically seen over an entire year for the past five years.

While the numbers are concerning, experts at Eastern Idaho Public Health (EIPH) emphasize that advances in medicine mean HIV is both highly preventable and manageable.

“Hearing that cases are increasing can feel scary, but it really comes down to awareness,” said Rachel Mugleston, Health Strategies Program Manager at EIPH. “Getting tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections is just a standard part of routine healthcare.”

Today, more tools than ever are available to prevent HIV. Prevention strategies include:

Use condoms the right way every time you have sex.

Never sharing needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment.

Using PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) medications, which your healthcare provider can prescribe.

The only way to know your status is to get tested. Eastern Idaho Public Health recommends that individuals between the ages of 15 and 65 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care, and more frequently for those with increased risk factors. All pregnant women should be tested at their first prenatal visit and again in the third trimester if at increased risk.

For more information on testing, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

POCATELO, Idaho (KIFI) — The Pocatello Police Department is warning Idaho State University students to be on high alert after reports of scammers impersonating campus Public Safety officers.

According to police, the scammer or scammers are calling students by phone, claiming that “evidence” has been found in their vehicle and threatening them with an immediate investigation unless they take swift action. This typically involves a demand for payment or personal information.

“[Remember] scammers often use fear and emotional manipulation to pressure people into acting quickly,” the Pocatello Police Department shared in a public statement. “Law enforcement agencies will not demand immediate action or payment over the phone.”

If you do receive a call like this, police say to hang up immediately. Afterwards, look up the official phone number for ISU Public Safety or the Pocatello Police Department yourself and call them directly to verify if the claim is real.

If you believe you have been targeted by this scam, immediately report it to your local law enforcement agency. For more information, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATED: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 10:25 AM

ARCO, Idaho (KIFI) — An inmate who escaped from the Butte County Jail and led Idaho State Police Troopers on a car chase Monday morning is back in custody.

According to Sheriff Dave Hansen, around 10:05 a.m. Monday, Jeramie L. Rodriguez escaped the jail through a damaged section of chain-link fencing in the inmate recreation yard. Rodriguez had been arrested just the night before on charges of possessing a stolen vehicle.

“Upon being allowed access to the recreation area the following morning, Rodriguez was able to manipulate a damaged portion of the fencing, which made it possible for him to squeeze through to the outside of the contained yard area,” Sheriff Hansen stated in a news release.

Once outside, Rodriguez allegedly stole a nearby parked vehicle that had been left with the keys inside and fled the area.

The vehicle’s owner quickly reported it stolen, allowing Sheriff’s Deputies to track it using its onboard GPS.

Idaho State Police Troopers and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies found the vehicle along Old Butte Highway near Hamer. They attempted to pull Rodriguez over, but he refused to stop, leading to a short car chase.

The chase came to an end after troopers used a tire deflation device, puncturing two of the vehicle’s tires and forcing it to slow to a crawl and stop near Hamer. Rodriguez was taken into custody without further incident. Additional charges are currently pending.

In the wake of the escape, police emphasize that there is no ongoing threat to

This is a developing story. Local News 8 will provide more updates as we learn additional information.

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Maile Sipraseuth

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– Even as winter leaves and daylight stretches longer, some people find that the emotional weight of the colder months doesn’t completely disappear. For those experiencing lingering symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the transition into spring feels like a slow, uneven climb back to normal.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression triggered by a change in seasons, usually when fall starts. This seasonal depression gets worse in late fall or early winter, before subsiding with the arrival of sunnier days in spring.

“Lack of motivation and accomplishing tasks that you would normally be able to do or difficulty sleeping or maybe sleeping too much, overeating or under eating. And it can actually worsen as the seasons change. So it can it can start really manageable and mild when the seasons first kind of start and then it can progress,” Emily Smith, a licensed master social worker at Aspen Mental Health, said.

There’s also a lesser-known form of SAD that occurs in spring and summer, sometimes linked to anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia rather than fatigue.

Treatments for SAD include:

Light therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Antidepressant medication

Spending time outdoors

Vitamin D

If you’re experiencing lingering depression with persistent or severe symptoms, treatments such as light therapy, counseling, or medication may alleviate symptoms.

“If it doesn’t feel like it’s manageable on your own then it’s then time to go in and see somebody and get a little extra help just because sometimes it is too hard to to handle on your own and you just need a little extra support,” Smith said.

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KIVI Staff

By: Leslie Solis

Originally Posted 5:52 PM, Mar 20, 2026

BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — A bill that aims to restore a program allowing parents of disabled children to be paid for their work as caregivers is at a standstill inside the Statehouse.

Despite weeks of discussion and advocacy events at the Statehouse, House Bill 807 still has not received a public hearing. The proposed legislation would allow parents to be paid for up to 25 hours of caregiving work each week.

Trixie Wade knows the struggles firsthand. Her 10-year-old daughter, Harper, requires around-the-clock care, meaning someone always has to be home. This makes employment hard to maintain.

“We become a caregiving facility, not a home. We still have to keep a roof over her head… we still have to keep us fed,” Wade said. “We’re not lobbyists… we don’t have money behind us backing us.”

After making calls to Committee Chairman Rep. John Vander Woude’s office to ask when a hearing would take place, Wade says they were told the bill would not get a hearing.

“And to please stop having people contact them that we’re clogging up the phone lines for important stuff,” Wade said.

Rep. Vander Woude says it simply comes down to the bottom line, with budgets cut across the state.

“It’s a great idea… when I first looked at the bill, I liked 807… I liked the way it was structured, but it requires more spending. Unless I have a commitment from JFAC that they’re willing to spend $30 million more… then there’s no sense in moving the bill,” Rep. Vander Woude said.

Democratic Rep. Ilana Rubel has been working with these families and says the issue is not a lack of money, but rather where it is being spent.

“I just feel it’s so profoundly unfair to these families. These folks who have been working on this bill for more than 1 year… have just been so diligent… and they are in such dire need… and they’re being told to pound sand essentially,” Rubel said.

As House Bill 807 awaits a hearing, families like the Wades say they will keep advocating for change.

“Without having the discussion, how can you decide if a program is needed or not. When you’re a parent of a special needs child, you’re always hopeful… you hope that you’re seen, you hope that you’re heard,” Wade said.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho House is set to debate a new bill that would introduce strict work requirements for the state’s Medicaid expansion program.

House Bill 913 would align Idaho’s Medicaid requirements with those outlined in the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. John Vander Woude (R-Nampa), says work requirements have been a topic of debate since Medicaid expansion was first introduced in Idaho. According to Vander Woude, the legislation is designed to bring the program back to its original intent: providing insurance specifically for the “working poor.”

Clashing Estimates on Coverage Loss

While the bill successfully passed the House Health and Welfare Committee, opponents warn that the change could strip healthcare from thousands of Idahoans.

House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel (D-Boise) argued that while the bill is not an outright Medicaid expansion repeal, it is designed to maximize the number of people who get “tripped up” and lose their insurance.

“This is all designed to make it maximally difficult for people to get coverage, with the upshot that a lot of people are going to lose coverage,” Rubel told lawmakers. “And that’s not good for any of us who count on hospitals to continue operating and healthcare providers to still be here and working in the state.”

Rubel estimates that up to 40,000 Idahoans could lose coverage due to the change. Vander Woude argues opponents of the bill are overestimating, believing that, at most, between 15,000 and 20,000 people would lose eligibility.

How It Works: Requirements and Exemptions

Under HB 913, Medicaid expansion recipients aged 19 to 64 must complete 80 hours of work or “community engagement” per month to maintain coverage.

The bill outlines several key exemptions for individuals who are:

Under age 26 and currently or formerly in foster care

Medically frail

Enrolled in school at least half-time

Caretakers/parents of dependent children under 13, or caretakers of people with disabilities

Pregnant or receiving postpartum care

Veterans with disabilities

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Seth Ratliff

CHALLIS, Idaho (KIFI) — Search and rescue teams successfully performed a daring high-altitude helicopter rescue Saturday to save an injured 27-year-old man stranded near the summit of McGowan Peak.

The emergency began around 4:33 p.m. on March 21, when Custer County dispatch received a Garmin SOS notification. Details surrounding the rescue are limited, but a post by the Custer County Sheriff’s Office indicates the man had been climbing or hiking in the Pahsimeroi section of the Lost River Range south of Challis, Idaho.

Faced with steep, unforgiving terrain, Challis Search and Rescue, alongside the Idaho National Guard, flew a Black Hawk helicopter to the peaks. Working in thin air, rescue crews hoisted the man from the mountainside at 9400 feet and flew him to a staging area, where he was transferred to an awaiting medical helicopter.

The man’s current condition is unknown. However, following the successful mission, the Custer County Sheriff’s Office took to Facebook to praise the seamless teamwork between the local volunteers and Idaho National Guard crews.

“We appreciate the crew of Talon 70 and Air 4! Another season of cooperation begins!” states the post.

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Danielle Mullenix

We’ll start this first full week of spring with warm temperatures and sunny skies. A pleasant start to the new season will also bring a continued run of record-high temperatures across the region, as a warming trend spills into the first half of the week.

On Monday, we’ll start the day off with temperatures climbing out of the 30s and into the 40s by 9 am. No weather hazards or impacts are expected on this day, as low clouds brush by in the early morning hours. High temperatures are expected to sit in the upper 60s this afternoon, then drop back into the 30s overnight lows. Wind gusts will peak today, generally around 15 to 20 miles per hour. Very little chance of precipitation in the region.

A small wind advisory will be in effect on Tuesday and Wednesday. The highest wind gusts are expected tomorrow, particularly in the late afternoon and early evening, reaching up to 35 miles per hour. High temperatures on both days will remain above average, in the upper 60s and lower 70s.

By Thursday, temperatures will begin to fall slowly as a minor cold front is expected to move across the region for the weekend. Slight precipitation in more mountainous areas surrounding the Island Park area, with stray showers as a possible forecast. We end the week colder than we started, with our highs in the lower 60s by Friday afternoon.

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David Pace

REXBURG, Idaho – Gov. Brad Little emphasized the recent tax relief delivered in Idaho at a Multi-County Republican Lincoln Banquet Saturday at Madison High School.

“Idaho has been leading. We’ve delivered $4.6 billion in tax relief in just the past few years,” said Gov. Brad Little. “Why? Because we believe money belongs in the pockets of the people who earned it. We’re proving something very important. Something the rest of country needs to hear. You can invest in your priorities, grow your economy, and still give money back to your citizens.”

Since he was first elected Governor, K-12 education funding has increased 70 percent, he said, while crime in the state is down 17 percent.

Republicans from six counties – Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, Lemhi, Madison and Teton – gathered to hear from the state’s leaders.

“How impressive it is to participate in this, in this, Lincoln Day tonight with the six counties,” said Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke. “This community always producers top-notch educators and legislators. …It’s worth noting that we’ve had decades of good, strong Republican conservative [leadership] – but not just conservative blindly – budget-keeping, pragmatic, doing-the-right-thing year in and year out – the blocking and tackling as it were of government – and we’ve done that for years.”

The Brigham Young University-Idaho Men’s Chorus performed “The Star Spangled Banner” a capella and “Inkosi Namamandla,” a Zulu hymn from South Africa.

Messages from U.S. Senators Jim Risch, Mike Crapo and Republican data strategist Daniel Silver were also shared. 

“Let’s keep Idaho strong,” Little said. “Let’s keep Idaho free, and let’s keep the American spirit alive for generations to come.”

The Brigham Young University-Idaho Men’s Chorus performs a musical number in Zulu, “Inkosi Namamandla.”

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Hadley Bodell

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – The Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce hosted a legislative town hall meeting on Saturday evening at the College of Eastern Idaho. The topics of the meeting included a proposed ethics bill, LGBTQ prioritization, education, medicaid expansion, AI, nuclear power, mental health resources, statewide budgeting and more.

The panel consisted of six members of Idaho Legislature. Representatives and senators serve on various committees across the state inlucding state affairs committees, agriculture, and Idaho Falls J-FAC.

Attendees of tonight’s town hall meeting were invited to write their questions for the panelists on notecards which were compiled prior to the start of the meeting and asked by the moderator. The session began with questions about prioritizing transgender and LGBTQ-related issues in Idaho.

“We have much bigger priorities in helping families and children and other things,” said Representative Marco Erickson. “You won’t see me bringing a bill to address that. But when they come before us, we don’t have an ‘I hate this bill’ or ‘I hate this part of it,’ we have a ‘yes’ and a ‘no.’ That’s the only options we have.”

“This issue effects not 1% of Idahoans, doesn’t mean more to 20% of you or have anything to do with you,” said Senator Kevin Cook. “We’re all Idahoans. From an education standpoint, we still need to educate our kids. I don’t care what color, religion, or anything else. They’re children. We need to love and respect them, to teach them and give them an education so that they graduate.”

Keeping parents in the conversation about transgender children has been a hot topic across the state. The panelists talked about what it means to keep children safe both at school and home.

“I felt like one particular bill was striking the balance that was trying to make sure that parents or at least a parent was kept part of that conversation,” said Representative Josh Wheeler. “Those adolescent years are years when the youth of Idaho are making some of the decisions that will have the greatest effect on their life, long term.”

Representative Stephanie Mickelson mentioned a prior bill which passed to require parent consent for healthcare in schools, as simple as giving Band-Aids. “It’s hard when you want to hold schools and teachers accountable for what a child is doing,” said Mickelson.

Idahoans have been concerned with recent legislation attempting to repeal Medicaid expansion in the state. Panelists spoke on this issue tonight, all six of them expressing they are against the repealing of the bill.

“We had a couple options with some sideboarding or we could get rid of the whole program,” said Erickson. “It’s too big of an economic impact for our state to allow that to go away, and too many of our very vulnerable adults that are working really hard and they just can’t afford insurance and it’s tough.”

Audience members wanted to hear panelists’ thoughts on AI. Senator Cook said he’s a big fan of AI and all that it can do for jobs and education in the state, however he emphasized the need for parental involvement.

“We are very strict about no data collected, no data going outside the school district,” Cook said. “Your kids are still safe, they’ll be okay if they use it, but as parents, you need to get involved with it.”

This topic also raised concerns over the amount of water it takes to power AI. Senator Cook said we need to be able to store Idaho water. “Not a single drop should leave the state of Idaho that is not legally required,” he stated.

When asked about the high number of suicides in Idaho schools, panelists focused on human connection and knowing the warning signs of suicide. Amid the statewide budget cuts, attendees asked how mental health resources would be affected.

“Citizens need to learn how to recognize the symptoms and signs and talk about it openly,” said Erickson. “That’s what’s really important. Connection is a really huge and anti-suicide thing.”

“The 988 system has been a revolutionary change in this conversation,” said Wheeler. “It’s important we protect that funding. Those guys run one lean, mean, but absolutely vital service. Not just to our kids, but to everybody.” Representative Wheeler also touched on the legislation passed last session to ask all school districts in the state to have a cell phone policy. He said the cell phone addiction amongst young Idahoans is causing more anxiety and a barrier to human connections.

Representative Erin Bingham offered hope to those struggling. “You are needed, you are loved. Don’t give up,” she stated. “I hope that we can find that connection or be that connection for someone who is struggling.”

Legislative Town Hall Meetings are held for specific reasons, adequately stated tonight by Representative Mickelson: “Just simply being in the same room and taking time to respectfully listen to each other and look somebody in the eye and say, ‘I hear what you’re saying’ is a really important part of this whole process.”

If you’re interested in attending more legislative events to talk to representatives and senators, visit https://idahofallschamber.com/.

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