Category: kifi-local-news

Par Kermani

Blackfoot (KIFI) — Just days after water began flowing back into Jensen Grove, a new state-ordered cutoff has stopped the city from filling the popular recreation area.

Mayor Scott Stufflebeam said the city was notified by the Snake River Valley Irrigation District that Idaho has curtailed water rights based on priority dates.

“Anything prior to 1898… Blackfoot water rights are 1900,” Stufflebeam said. “So what that basically says is that we can no longer fill Jensen’s Grove because we don’t have the water rights to do it.”

Idaho follows the prior appropriation system, which gives priority to older, or “senior,” water rights during times of shortage. When supplies are limited or in a drought year, newer, or “junior,” rights can be reduced or cut off to prioritize senior holders.

Stufflebeam said the timing of this year’s cutoff is earlier than expected.

“The idea was we’d make it through June and into July, and then the cutoffs would happen,” he said. “This year… April. We don’t even have a chance to fill the lake.”

The announcement comes after the city recently completed repairs to a dike that was damaged during last year’s high spring runoff. The project was designed to restore the system that diverts water from the Snake River, under I15 and into Jensen Grove.

Despite the improvements, the cutoff means the city cannot use the infrastructure to fill the pond this season.

“We’ve got the infrastructure now. We built it, we paid for it, but we can’t go ahead and fill it because of that issue,” Stufflebeam said.

The change is already affecting planned events at the park.

“We had a triathlon planned… that will now become a biathlon,” Stufflebeam said. “It’s an unfortunate event, but it’s one that we knew could have come. Given the drought this year, we just didn’t expect it this early.”

Some water may still be visible in the area due to excess flows in nearby canal systems, but this is expected to disappear as temperatures rise and irrigation demand increases.

Residents say the development is disappointing, but understandable.

“I think it’s sad, but I can understand,” said Therese Tominaga, a Blackfoot resident. “Farmers need it, especially this year.”

Tominaga said Jensen Grove is an integral part of the community, serving as a venue for recreation, gatherings, and events.

“It looks so attractive when the water is in the pond,” she said. “It’s a good place for the community to hold events.”

Stufflebeam said while the outcome is disappointing, the city supports the decision to prioritize agricultural water use.

“We need to support our farmers,” he said. “Let’s make sure they can at least have a chance to grow crops.”

He added that the work completed this year will still benefit the city in the future if water conditions improve.

“We did everything we could,” Stufflebeam said. “Mother Nature gets to have final say, and evidently she said, not this year.”

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Voters heard from two candidates for Bonneville County Coroner at a Greater Idaho Falls Chamber debate yesterday at Compass Academy.

Incumbent Shante Sanchez has been serving as the Bonneville County Coroner since she was appointed in December 2024. Challenger Tim Schuijt is a Family Nurse Pracitioner and a former Emergency Room nurse with experience at hundreds of death scenes.

Tim Schuijt: “This office requires something very specific – a deep medical understanding paired with genuine compassion for families during their worst moments. Determining when an autopsy is truly needed for understanding of how the human body works, how diseases progress, and how trauma presents., as well as how medical history fits the whole narrative.”

Shante Sanchez: “My background is rooted in the science of death investigation and the complexities of human behavior. With a master’s degree in forensic psychology and national certification as medical legal death investigator and a former deputy coroner, I spent my career at the intersection of public safety and mental health.”

Sanchez is certified in Medicolegal Death Investigation and is completing the process to be an American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigator.

Tim Schuijt is endorsed by former Bonneville County Coroner Rick Taylor and Dr. Joseph Anderson, an emergency room physician and former deputy coroner.

For more information you can visit the candidates’ websites at www.timforbonnevillecountycoroner.com and Sanchez’s bio at her official site www.bonnevillecountyidaho.gov/page/staff-bios.

Tim Schuijt and Shante Sanchez are facing off in the race for coroner in Bonneville County.

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Dylan Carder

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)- Before the Community Food Basket of Idaho Falls can Stamp Out Hunger, it’s got to clamp down on getting the word out. The food basket is preparing for one of it’s biggest food drives of the year. This week, volunteers are gathering for what is being called a stapling party.

Community members are being invited to help staple postcards for the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive to grocery bags. The national food drive will be on Saturday May 9th. By stapling the grocery bags to the post cards, executive director Ariel Jackson hopes this will serve as a stronger reminder.

“If you just get a postcard, you might throw it away. You might think it was junk mail or something of that, that nature.”

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is the second biggest food drive of the year for the Community Food Basket. It helps them stock up for the summer months, when demand increases.

“Kids are eating at home and food bills tend to triple,” explains Jackson. “This food drive allows us to stock up for when kids are home and out of school and parents are working.”

Jackson says the extra man power by holding the stapling party makes the job much easier.

“I have been doing this for 15 years, and it used to just be my husband and I at home folding and stapling, and folding and stapling. But we realized we needed 44,000 little cards with bags on them. It was just something we could not do on our own. We thought, let’s invite the community.”

The stapling party is being held this week at the food basket warehouse at 1895 N. Blvd in Idaho Falls from 5 pm to 7 pm. There is one more chance for people to come help out Thursday night, April 30.

Jackson invites anyone who wants to help to come out.

“We have the staplers, we have the staples, we have the bags. We just need the people.”

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Danielle Mullenix

Idaho Falls, ID (KIFI) – A friendly competition between Air Idaho Rescue, EIRMC, and American Red Cross has now made its way right into the Local News 8 Newsroom. Megan Lavin and Danielle Mullenix spoke with representatives at the North Idaho Falls ER about the latest updates on the “Battle of the Badges” and joined the challenge to help raise awareness for the nationwide blood shortage.

Danielle & Megan seen holding their team’s coins up. Team O Positive and Team A Positive representing different divisions of Air Idaho Rescue first responders.

The statewide competition has invited donors to give blood at any American Red Cross location through Wednesday, April 29th. Each donation earns points for a selected team, adding a competitive twist to an effort to address a nationwide blood shortage.

Participants can choose between two teams:

Team A Positive: representing Air Idaho’s rotor-wing crews, EMS, and area fire departments

Team O Positive: representing Air Idaho’s fixed-wing crews and local law enforcement

Each unit of blood donated can help save up to three lives, according to organizers. Certain donations—such as Power Red, O-negative blood types, first-time donors, and donations made on the final day of the competition—can earn double points.

Organizers say the need for blood is constant, especially for emergency responders like Air Idaho Rescue. Their aircraft operate as flying intensive care units, equipped with life-saving tools and even blood supplies that can be administered mid-flight to patients experiencing severe blood loss.

Denim Butler, a representative from the Idaho Falls Donor Recruitment Department, shared that this competition goes beyond a friendly rivalry.

“With the blood shortage that we have in the nation, and summer coming, the 100 deadliest days of summer are right around the corner,” Butler said. “It is very critical to get in now and donate blood as often as you possibly can. Of course, it’s fun to see you [Danielle and Megan] joining in on the spirit of this rivalry, and we hope people can see how accessible giving blood can be.”

“Everyone is invited to help combat the nationwide blood shortage by donating,” said Air Methods Account Executive Jill Egan. “Every donation is worth one point in our competition. When people donate, they can choose to join Team A+ so their point goes to the Air Idaho rotor wing, EMS, and firefighter team, or Team O+ so their point goes to the Air Idaho fixed-wing and law enforcement team. Double points are given for power red and O-negative blood, rookie donors, and donations made on April 29, which is the last day of the competition.”

Donations will be tallied based on a point system for each team, and an award ceremony at the North Idaho Falls ER will announce the official Air Idaho Rescue winning team for this year’s “Battle of the Badges” competition.

To donate blood or participate, donors can register through the American Red Cross website and schedule an appointment at a donation center near them.

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – With three weeks to go until the May 19 primary election, voters heard directly from candidates running for Legislature in Legislative District 32 Tuesday at Compass Academy.

The debate, organized in part by the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber, featured face-to-face discussion of issues including housing affordability, education funding, medical marijuana, and water rights in Idaho.

Legislative District 32 Seat B incumbent Erin Bingham and candidate Brian McKellar disagreed over whether Medicaid expansion should be maintained or repealed.Brian McKellar: “They talked about cutting Medicaid expansion, which I know is a tough thing to swallow here, but it would have saved us $150 million. It would have made all the school budgets, it would have made the protection budgets, it would have made the transportation budgets whole, but our legislat[ors] couldn’t get around it. So what happened? We made cuts to every other service.”

Erin Bingham: “My opponent wants to cut Medicaid expansion. However, they have the votes to cut Medicaid expansion, and they still didn’t cut it. And why is that? Because it doesn’t save money. So Medicaid expansion was created for the working poor. The state pays 10 percent of that cost, and the federal government pays the remaining 90 percent.”

In the race for Seat A, incumbent Stephanie Mickelsen and candidate Kelly Golden contrasted on immigration.

Stephanie Mickelsen: “When they start disparaging the farmers and the dairy farmers in this state, and calling them slave owners, I’m going to stand up and to say something because that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Every employer that has been in business for any time at all knows that they have to fill out and keep I-9s and make sure that the people that are working for them are legal.”

Kelly Golden: “If it were up to me, I would love to see Idaho with 100% legal, vetted workforce by 2030. Now, that doesn’t mean no immigrant labor. That means legal, vetted labor. Because of the variety of industry that we have in Idaho, we’re positioned in our country to be able to help figure this out to lead the way, to not fall behind and let the feds figure it out.”

We’ll have more coverage of the Bonneville County Coroner’s race from Tuesday’s debate later this week.

A second debate with candidates from Legislative Districts 33 and 35 will be held on Thursday at 6 PM at Compass Academy.

Legislative District 32 candidates debate Tuesday at Compass Academy.

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Kaelyn Blessinger

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — April 28 marks National Parvo Awareness Day, and Eastern Idaho veterinarians are sounding the alarm: 90% of all Canine Parvovirus cases are fatal without proper treatment.

Canine Parvovirus (CPV) is a highly contagious disease that is spread from dog to dog by direct or indirect contact with their feces. It damages the lining of a dog’s intestines, which makes it hard to absorb nutrients and allows bacteria to enter the bloodstream. This can quickly lead to severe dehydration, infection, and shock.

Common Symptoms

Severe, often bloody diarrhea

Vomiting

Loss of appetite

Lethargy (extreme tiredness)

Fever or low body temperature

Rapid weight loss and dehydration

Symptoms usually appear 3–7 days after exposure and can worsen quickly.

“Parvovirus is, a virus that hijacks very quickly replicating cells,” Veterinarian Adam Peterson, of Skyline Animal Hospital, stated. “the easiest place to find those are in puppies. And the most common is within the gut lining of puppies.”

So the dogs with the most risk of catching the virus are puppies. However, unvaccinated dogs can carry and spread the disease to at risk puppies.

There’s no direct cure for the virus itself. Treatment focuses on supportive care, often at a veterinary hospital:

IV fluids to combat dehydration

Medications to control vomiting and diarrhea

Antibiotics to prevent secondary infections

Early treatment greatly improves survival chances.

“So treating for parvo versus vaccinating for parvo or like two totally different things,” Peterson said. “It’s like, it’s like paying to get your oil changed on time or having your engine blow out because you did.”

The best protection is vaccination. Puppies receive a series of shots starting around 6–8 weeks and Adult dogs will need follow up shots, at your vet’s discretion. Keep your pet safe and healthy by getting them vaccinated and taking them to their vet.

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Maile Sipraseuth

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– As cash continues to circulate alongside digital payments, counterfeit bills are still slipping into everyday transactions. Unfortunately, the “funny money” often goes unnoticed until it’s too late, which one Idaho Falls retiree says cost him hundreds of dollars in a Facebook Marketplace sale.

Judd Ritter is retired and relies on Social Security checks to get by. He sells items on Facebook Marketplace for extra money. When he sold a cell phone for $415, every bill he received from the buyer was fake.

“He seemed like a nice young man. But he really wasn’t. That’s really too bad. But he had used counterfeit money on me and took the phone. And so I’m out of the phone, and I took the money,” Ritter said.

The incident was beyond heartbreaking for Ritter.

“You know, being retired, anytime you lose any kind of money, it hurts somewhere. I was going to use that money to do some bill paying and stuff, so now I don’t have it, we’ll just make do with what we have,” Ritter said.  

Sargent Bryan Lovell from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office says he’s seen instances of counterfeit exchanges countless times and the best way to avoid these situations is to be aware and alert, starting with before the exchange.

“I think in terms of safety, if you need to go to the courthouse parking lot or a public area or the Ammon field office, or the police station, those are things that take away any risk that you might have,” Lovell said.

According to the U.S. Secret Service, modern fake bills are becoming more sophisticated, thanks to advances in printing technology. While large-scale counterfeiting operations are less common than they once were, smaller, localized cases continue to pop up across the country.

Here’s what you need to know to detect counterfeit money:

Texture: You should be able to feel the texture of the ink on the bill.

Compare the bill with another of the same year

Look carefully at the printing quality

Look for colored fibers in the paper: All U.S. bills have tiny red and blue fibers embedded in the paper

Examine the serial numbers: Fake bills may have serial numbers that are not evenly spaced or that are not perfectly aligned in a row.

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Kevin Richert

Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on April 28, 2026

By: Kevin Richert and Ryan Suppe

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho students are likely to pay more for college this fall — when the sticker price for higher education goes up by as much as $425 per year.

The State Board of Education Tuesday unanimously passed a series of tuition and fee hikes for Idaho’s four-year schools.

The increases will range from 4.4% to 4.7%, the largest hikes in three years. Tuition and fees increased across the board by 3.5% this year, and 3% the previous year.

Here’s the bottom line — full-time tuition and fees for in-state undergrads.

College or university
2025-26 cost
2026-27 cost
Net increase
Percentage

Boise State University
$9,364
$9,789
$425
4.5%

Idaho State University
$8,914
$9,339
$425
4.7%

University of Idaho
$9,400
$9,825
$425
4.5%

Lewis-Clark State College
$7,876
$8,226
$350
4.4%

For full-time out-of-state students, undergraduate tuition and fees will range from $29,477 at Boise State to $23,938 at LC State.

For in-state graduate students, next year’s tuition and fees will range from $11,796 at the U of I to $11,117 at LC State. Costs will go up by at least 4.7% at each four-year school — except for Idaho State, which is freezing graduate costs, in an attempt to stay in line with its peer institutions.

The impacts — and debate — on campus

All told, the tuition and fees will generate close to $17.6 million across the higher education system.

Boise State will collect by far the largest share of the money, some $8.3 million. Almost $2 million will go toward financial aid and fraud detection systems, and a “degree tracker” system aimed at student retention and graduation.

“The proposed tuition and fee increase is also necessary to mitigate the negative impacts of eliminating faculty and staff positions (and) reducing academic and student support programs during a period of enrollment growth,” Boise State said in a written presentation to the State Board. The increase will also address “an urgent need to hire faculty” in engineering and health sciences, two high-demand programs that are at capacity.

The University of Idaho says it will use some of its $4.3 million in tuition and fees to stand up its counseling and mental health center, “a top concern and priority for student leadership.”

Reactions from student leaders have been mixed.

In a March 30 statement on the proposed fee increases, U of I student body president Seyi Arogundade called the counseling and mental health center “a critical resource for student wellbeing and success.” In a statement on behalf of student government, LC State student body president Rayne Martinez said the increases are “minimal and will ultimately serve to benefit the students.”

Boise State’s student government instead passed a resolution opposing all “significant” tuition increases — a statement that didn’t directly address next year’s price hike.

State Board of Education president Kurt Liebich at an August 20 board meeting in Boise. (Kaeden Lincoln/Idaho EdNews)

That left State Board President Kurt Liebich to ask whether the 4.5% increase had crossed that tipping point. Interim CFO Stacy Pearson said Boise State trimmed back its initial request for a 6.5% increase, after an on-campus public hearing in March.

“We definitely heard their message,” she said.

The political backdrop

Tuesday’s State Board votes came after a trying legislative session for higher ed, which rendered the tuition increases all but inevitable.

The four-year schools shouldered a disproportionate share of the budget cuts imposed by Gov. Brad Little and the Legislature, since K-12 was largely spared from spending reductions. Higher ed took a $14.6 million cut for the current budget year, which ends June 30. For next year, the cuts will reach $26 million — including reductions that are built into higher ed’s ongoing budget base.

State Board of Education Executive Director Jennifer White fields a question during a Jan. 20, 2026 Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee hearing. (Kevin Richert/Idaho EdNews)

In a memo to board members Friday, Executive Director Jennifer White noted the need to sustain programs and support systems that adequately serve Idaho students. But she also noted that “even modest tuition increases matter” could discourage students from enrolling in college.

“Tuition cannot serve as the primary long-term solution for the financial pressures facing our institutions,” White wrote.

How we got here — and where we go from here

After a three-year tuition freeze imposed shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, and two years of smaller cost increases, budget pressures have “accumulated” at the U of I, CFO Brian Foisy said Tuesday. This fall’s increases will address inflation and rising salary and benefit costs.

“We are not asking students to pay for inefficiency,” he said.

The tuition and fee increase should bring in $4.1 million for U of I, essentially balancing the books next year.

Elsewhere in the higher ed system, the added tuition and fees will have mixed impacts. LC State’s increases should provide about a $900,000 buffer. Boise State will still have to erase a $5.2 million shortfall, using one-time money and finding spending cuts.

Idaho State’s $4.1 million will provide the framework for a balanced budget — but only after university officials find additional spending cuts.

“We have done and will continue to do the hard work,” said Jennifer Steele, Idaho State’s vice president for finance and university planning.

State Board approves federal application to consolidate 3rd-grade tests

Also Tuesday, the State Board approved a pair of federal waiver proposals from state superintendent Debbie Critchfield. 

One would allow third-graders to take just one standardized reading and literacy test — the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI). Currently, third-graders take the IRI and the English language arts (ELA) portion of the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT).

Last year, Critchfield proposed eliminating the requirement that third-graders take both assessments after the U.S. Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, urged state education leaders to seek waivers for federal mandates.

Superintendent Debbie Critchfield spends time with students in Boise elementary Whitney. Students were working on AI and technology.

State Board members unanimously voted Tuesday to approve Idaho’s application to waive the ELA portion of the ISAT for third-graders, who would still have to take the math portion. If the federal government approves the waiver, the testing changes would take effect ahead of the 2027-28 school year. 

“We overtest the children, and this is the right step for us to move forward,” said board member Peter Koehler. 

But the State Board’s Accountability Oversight Committee (AOC) noted some concerns about the change. The subcommittee includes two State Board members along with representatives from the Idaho Department of Education and a handful of school districts, among others. 

After reviewing the waiver in January, the AOC expressed support for a single third-grade assessment. But the panel noted concerns about “the potential for lower quality data with a less rigorous test” and about “the lack of test items covering writing” in the IRI. 

“The IRI is focused on assessing foundational reading skills,” Alison Henken, policy director for the State Board, said Tuesday. “The ISAT English language arts has a much broader coverage of our third grade content standards.”

Board member Shawn Keough said the panel’s concerns “are being worked through and will continue to be worked through as this process moves forward.”

The other waiver approved Tuesday would make Idaho an “Education Flexibility (Ed-Flex) program partner state.” 

The Ed-Flex program gives state education agencies the authority to waive federal requirements on school districts particular Title I, II and IV requirements. According to the Idaho Department of Education’s application, Critchfield is asking for authority to waive a few specific requirements: 

The requirement that school districts and charter schools not carry over more than 15% of allocated funds except once every three years. 

The requirement that districts spend 20% of funds from the Well-Rounded Educational Opportunities and Safe and Healthy Students programs.

The 15% spending cap on the Effective Use of Technology program. 

“It would allow our state to make those waivers available without having to go one by one to the federal government,” Critchfield said Tuesday. 

State Board sets new IDLA course fees

Lastly Tuesday, the State Board set new course fees for the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance (IDLA), aligning the fees with a law enacted earlier this month. 

In addition to cutting the online course platform’s state funding in half, House Bill 940 set a $40 cap for IDLA courses that meet state graduation requirements along with a $100 baseline for courses that aren’t required for graduation. These fees apply to public school districts and charter schools that deliver in-person learning. 

Virtual-only schools now have to pay the full course fee — $445 — according to the new law. Private- and home-school students also must pay the full fee, although a separate bill passed this year allowed recipients of the Parental Choice Tax Credit to claim IDLA as a reimbursable expense. 

The State Board unanimously approved the new fees.

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Kevin Richert

Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on April 27, 2026

By: Kevin Richert

POCATELLO, Idaho — Idaho State University will pay $160,000 in damages in a racial discrimination case.

A Bannock County jury Thursday ruled in favor of Chanica Sintima, a Black student pursuing a doctoral degree in pharmacy. Sintima said she was wrongfully removed from a clinical rotation at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls in the fall of 2023.

As a result, Idaho State gave Sintima a failing grade midway through the semester, and expelled her early in 2024. During the trial, Sintima said Idaho State applied its attendance and tardiness policies inconsistently, treating Sintima more severely than a white classmate, the Idaho State Journal reported Friday.

“We do not have to prove that Ms. Sintima’s midpoint grade was influenced by the color of her skin,” Sintima’s attorney, J. Grady Hepworth of Boise, told the jury, according to the Journal. “We just have to prove that Ms. Sintima had a reasonable concern that she might be being treated differently because of the color of her skin.”

“Idaho State University has established policies and processes in place to ensure students have a safe and respectful learning environment, and ISU’s employees work diligently to create a supportive educational experience for all students,” the university said in a  statement to the Journal. “While we do not agree with the conclusion that retaliation occurred, we respect the judicial system and look forward to moving beyond this issue.”

Sintima had originally claimed $3.4 million in damages. The bulk of the $160,000 will go toward vocational rehabilitation and retraining and lost earnings, the Journal reported; she will receive no award for pain and suffering or lost future earnings.

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Seth Ratliff

EASTERN IDAHO (KIFI) — Calling all caped crusaders and pop culture enthusiasts: this Saturday, May 2nd, marks the 24th annual Free Comic Book Day, and several locations across Eastern Idaho are suiting up for the action.

For over two decades, comic shops around the world have opened their doors to welcome fans old and new, offering a wide selection of special edition comics at no cost. The tradition began in 2002—the same weekend Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man swung into theaters—and has since grown into a massive community “thank you” to fans.

This year, fans can swipe an issue of titles like Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Dungeon Crawler Carl. For more information on Free Comic Book Day and a full list of available titles, click HERE.

Pocatello: Marshall Public Library & Captain Bengal’s

In the Gate City, the Marshall Public Library is once again teaming up with Captain Bengal’s Comic Cove to offer a number of this year’s titles. The library credits Bob Benson, the owner of the local comic book store, for providing the comics for the giveaway.

The event is open to all ages. Giveaways will begin at 10 a.m. when the library opens and continue while supplies last. Along with the giveaway, the library’s Exploration Center will host comic-themed craft projects and a community Spider-Man puzzle.

Captain Bengal’s will also be participating in the event directly at their storefront. Doors at the shop, located at 348 N 3rd Ave, will open at 12:00 PM, giving fans another chance to swipe one of the special titles and browse the local collection.

Rexburg: Firefly Books and Comics Joins the Fray

Further north, Rexburg’s Firefly Books and Comics, which opened last November, is participating in its very first Free Comic Book Day. For fans in America’s Family Community, this means finally having a local “home base” for the festivities.

In a Facebook post, the store owners expressed their excitement to join in the fun!

“Our team is sorting and organizing everything now so the day runs as smoothly as possible,” states the post. “We’ve even added extra display tables to make browsing easier and to showcase the huge variety of titles available.”

Everyone who visits the Rexburg location can select up to five free items from the special selection, with a limit of one copy per title per person. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. at 29 College Ave.

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