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48-year-old driver identified in fatal I-15 crash near Pocatello

The Bannock County Coroner’s Office has identified the driver who died in Thursday’s fatal crash between Fort Hall and Pocatello as 48-year-old Darrin Ralph Moore from Inkom, Idaho.

The driver has been identified as 48-year-old Darrin Ralph Moore of Inkom, Idaho.

On Thursday, April 24, at around 1:55 p.m., Idaho State Police were called to a crash on southbound I-15 at milepost 74.5, north of Pocatello.

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Health concerns prompt temporary closure of Pocatello Animal Shelter

The Pocatello Animal Shelter has temporarily closed its doors. The news comes from a post on the Pocatello Animal Services Facebook page.

According to the post, the closure is due to a recent health concern affecting some of the animals.

“For the health and safety of our animals and the community, our shelter will be temporarily closed to the public effective immediately,” said the post. “This decision comes as we take proactive measures to address a recent health concern affecting some of our residents.”

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Pocatello hosts largest hiring fair of the year to fill city jobs

Pocatello city departments are seeking job candidates for roles ranging from zookeepers to lifeguards, and they are accepting applications at their hiring fair on Friday, April 25.

The annual hiring fair is the city’s largest effort to draw workers to municipal jobs in sanitation, parks and recreation, groundskeeping, and many more, with the event giving people an opportunity to meet city workers and get tours of facilities and equipment.

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National Drug Take Back Day pickup locations scheduled across Southeast Idaho

Southeastern Idaho Public Health and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are partnering to pick up unused medications across the area for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 26.

At select locations, public health officials and police will collect any unused prescription or over-the-counter medications, veterinary medications, and vape pens and cartridges to be safely disposed of and to prevent misuse.

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Judge rules autism diagnosis won’t shield Bryan Kohberger from Death Penalty if convicted

Bryan Kohberger’s recent autism diagnosis will not affect the prosecutor’s decision to seek the death penalty if he is convicted in his upcoming quadruple murder trial.

In a new ruling Thursday, Steven Hippler ruled that the state of Idaho can pursue the death penalty against Bryan Kohberger despite his autism diagnosis.

Bryan Kohberger has been charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho Students, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle, at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022.

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Drink Up – Rexburg boil order lifted

As of Wednesday morning, Parts of Rexburg remain under a boil order after a waterline on 2nd E ruptured over the weekend.

Crews worked overnight to restore water pressure and place a temporary fix on Tuesday. However, according to the City of Rexburg, a larger issue was discovered while attempting to fix the line. This issue created the need for an urgent repair, says the city.

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Bonneville County Jail holding open house event this Friday and Saturday

The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) will be holding an open house event at the new Special Housing Unit (SHU) addition to the Bonneville County Jail April 25th and 26th from 10am to 2pm each day.
“With the finishing touches nearing completion, the Sheriff’s Office team wanted to provide an opportunity for our community to tour the facility and learn more about how the jail serves our area.”

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Idaho Department of Education

The Idaho Department of Education hosts Teacher Career Fair

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Department of Education is hosting a series of educator career fairs throughout the state, and they were in Idaho Falls Wednesday night. People from the department were on hand to answer applicant questions about certifications and among other requirements. School Principal Bryan Jensen said it was nice to meet with applicants and help them learn about

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Law enforcement captures armed suspect without injury following late-night attempted robbery

A California man is now in custody after allegedly attempting to rob a shop in Shelley and firing multiple shots at responding officers, according to the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office. The incident was resolved without injury to law enforcement, the suspect, or area residents.

27-year-old Luke Thomas Herzberger of California has been charged with 2 counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon Enhancement.

According to a press release from the Bingham County Sheriff, Jeff Gardner, dispatch received a call at around 1 AM of a possible burglary in progress at a shop near 1150 E and 1300 N. The caller reported seeing a man who had run off and also told dispatch they had heard gunshots shortly after.

Upon their arrival, responding deputies and officers with the Shelly Police Department heard multiple gunshots and a bullet struck a police vehicle, according to the release.

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Local volunteers assembling hygiene kits for Global Youth Service Day

Saturday, April 26, Idaho Falls volunteers are marking the world’s longest-running annual youth service event. This year, JustServe Idaho Falls is encouraging youth to assemble hygiene kits for local people in need, in commemoration of Global Youth Service Day.

Starting Wednesday, April 23, volunteers will be gathering donations at the Idaho Falls humanitarian center. The community is invited to donate items leading up to April 26.

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Simplot employees hit the streets to clean litter in honor of Earth Day

Employees of the Simplot Don Plant took to their two-mile stretch of adopted Highway 30 on Wednesday to pick up trash in recognition of Earth Day.

Simplot adopted the stretch of road near the plant in 2005, and, since then, employee volunteers have tidied litter from the sides of the highway twice a year on dates scheduled near Earth Day in the spring and National Pollution Prevention Week in the fall.

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National Prescription Drug Take Back Day set April 26

Local law enforcement agencies and health departments are collaborating to allow individuals to anonymously drop off unused medications. On Saturday, April 26, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and its state and local partners will hold National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

The DEA began the initiative in 2010 to provide easy, anonymous opportunities to remove medicines in the home that are highly susceptible to misuse and theft.

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Rigby Police arrest Montana woman found driving stolen Mercedes-Benz

An officer with the Rigby Police Department was patrolling traffic along highway 20 when a driver in a white SUV, later identified as Kerry L Lira, sped past, traveling 83 miles per hour in a 70 mph zone.

According to Rigby PD, the officer activated his patrol vehicle’s emergency lights, but the SUV accelerated to 130 mph and turned west on Menan Lorenzo Hwy, then south on 4100 E.

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Gas line damaged in Madison County

Emergency responders are reporting damage to a “very large gas line” in the area of S 2nd E and the Crestview Subdivision in Rexburg.

“The immediate area at risk has been evacuated,” writes the Rexburg Police Department on its Facebook page. “We are asking residents within the subdivision to stay inside your (their) home.”

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Gov. Little issues executive order to safeguard Idaho’s federal forests

Tuesday, the governor issued a new executive order, the “Make Forests Healthy Again Act,” directing the Idaho Department of Lands to expand its partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to increase management activities and reduce fire risk in Idaho’s federally managed national forests.

“For too long, millions of acres of national forests in Idaho have remained totally untouched, creating a tinderbox of fuel that threatens communities, air quality, and the environment,” Governor Little said in a written statement highlighting the order. “The State of Idaho has led the country in standing up programs to help our federal partners increase the pace and scale of active management on federal ground.”

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The future of Ammon Elementary School remains uncertain

School district board members have proposed the idea of relocating the Praxium Mastery Academy to the Ammon Elementary School building, due to the overwhelming popularity and success of the program.

The academy is currently held in an auxiliary building near Rocky Mountain Middle School.

Superintendent Scott Woolstenhulme says many students at the academy have expressed the desire to continue on in the program into High School, but have been unable to due to space limitations. If the students were allowed to continue in the program from 7th to 12th grade, the district estimates a maximum enrollment of 450-500 students.

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ITD and JustServe team up for 37th Global Youth Service Day

Saturday, May 3, children and families throughout Southeast Idaho are invited to take part in the world’s longest-running annual youth service event.

In partnership with the Idaho Transportation Department and Madison, Jefferson, and Fremont Counties, the global service organization JustServe is organizing a large-scale highway clean-up project for the first Saturday in May. The project celebrates the 37th Global Youth Service Day.

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Beware of stowaways: State Dept. of Agriculture urges boaters to watch for invasive species

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) warns people to watch for any invasive species that may be hitchhiking on watercraft this spring.

Cole Morrison, section manager of ISDA’s invasive species, noxious weeds, and grasshopper/Mormon crickets division, said aquatic invasive species are often brought in on boats coming into Idaho’s waters from out of state.

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Simplot awarded for work cleaning up their adopted stretch of Highway 30

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) awarded JR Simplot Company the ‘Adopt-A-Highway Group of the Year Award for Southeast Idaho’ on Friday, in recognition of the company’s hard work keeping their stretch of adopted road clean.

In 2005, Simplot adopted a two-mile stretch of US Highway 30, and, since then, employee volunteers have picked up trash twice a year and average about 1,600 pounds of litter cleaned up annually.

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City of Blackfoot water tower

Local high schoolers selected as recipients of the 2025 Bingham County Mayors Scholarship

64 lucky local high schoolers have been selected to receive a portion of $32,000 in scholarships as recipients of the 2025 Bingham County Mayors Scholarship.

All scholarships will be awarded at the annual Bingham County Mayors Scholarship Awards Gala, scheduled for Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 6:00 pm at Aberdeen High School, 268 S 4th St W in Aberdeen. The recipients were chosen by the Bingham County Mayors Scholarship Selection Committee out of 74 applicants.

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Teton County man arrested after allegedly firing shots in downtown Victor

At around 2:25 AM on April 21, the Teton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of shots fired near downtown Victor. The deputies determined that a Jeep and a Subaru had left the area together, the shots coming from the Subaru, according to the Sheriff’s office.

Deputies located the Subaru in Driggs, where they ultimately arrested the passenger, Jose Facio Garcia, for Attempted Assault and Carrying a Concealed Weapon while under the influence.

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Idaho murder trial judge to allow ‘bushy eyebrows’ testimony, but jury can’t hear about suspect’s autism unless he testifies

By Lauren del Valle and Jean Casarez, CNN (CNN) — Bryan Kohberger’s legal team won’t be able to tell a jury in his upcoming death penalty trial about his autism diagnosis unless he takes the stand in his own defense, a judge ruled Friday. Kohberger faces four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of

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Montana sees first Measles cases in over 30 years

The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and regional health officials are investigating five confirmed cases of measles in Gallatin County, Montana. All five cases involve adults or children who are either unvaccinated or whose vaccine status is unknown.

“While it is unfortunate to have cases of measles after 35 years of disease inactivity in Montana, we have been working diligently with our local partners to prepare,” said DPHHS Public Health Physician, Dr. Maggie Cook-Shimanek.

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Firefighters emphasize 911’s importance after a false call nearly delays a kitchen fire response

“This is a real example of why calling 911 when it’s not an emergency could lead to potentially tragic consequences,” said Idaho Falls Fire Department Battalion Chief Rob Hall. “Had the unfounded 911 call came in even two minutes later, critical resources needed to respond to this real house fire would’ve been unavailable on the other side of town.”

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Pocatello Animal Shelter’s annual marathon event to take place Saturday

The Pocatello Animal Services Department and Friends of the Pocatello Animal Shelter will host the 28th annual ‘Run with the Big Dogs’ marathon event on Saturday, April 19.

The event will have a 2k walk/run and 5k run available for people (and their pets) along with vendors, raffle prizes, a silent auction, splash pools for dogs, and refreshments for participants and dogs.

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Local young woman chosen to represent the U.S. at World Expo in Japan

Samantha Carrell, of Pocatello, is one of 88 youth ambassadors from the USA chosen to represent the nation at the 2025 Osaka World Expo in Japan this summer.

“Each country gets to show off some of their culture, some of the cool things they’re doing in science, in the arts,” said Carrell. “Then people get to interact both with those exhibits and with each other. So it’s a really great chance for connection, for kind of meeting people from all over the world.”

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Idaho Falls Zoo announces lion leaving for cross-country breeding program

The Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park’s lion, Hondo, is heading to a zoo in Pittsburgh as part of a nationwide breeding program to preserve animal populations.

The Idaho Falls Zoo is part of a ‘species-specific program’ connecting them to breeding programs at zoos around North America and Europe, and because of Hondo’s strong genes, the lion will be sent to breed with two lionesses on the East Coast.

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Pocatello Catholic school celebrating Easter with annual all-student play

Holy Spirit Catholic School invites the community to their annual K-5 student Easter play on April 25.

“When you watch children presenting this play, it gives you hope,” said Margie Gabiola, principal of Holy Spirit Catholic School. “When you see the kids that are playing the disciples and playing Mary and Jesus, you’re filled with this hope, and it’s the best story ever–the story doesn’t end with Jesus dying, the story is that he’s resurrected.”

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“It’s going to take a very long time for our community to heal from this,” – City of Pocatello releases video related to fatal Police shooting

Mayor Brian Blad is providing updates on the case of the police shooting that led to the death of 17-year-old Victor Perez of Pocatello.

The move comes after a prominent California-based civil rights firm, known for representing Rodney King in his case against Los Angeles Police officers, filed a wrongful death and civil rights violation claim against the city on behalf of the family of Victor Perez.

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American Falls man convicted of embezzeling $129K from Housing Authority

72-year-old Bruce Hauber of American Falls is sentenced to 5 years of probation for stealing over $129,000 from the American Falls Housing Authority (AFHA). The news comes from the Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott.

Between 2019 and 2023, Hauber was responsible for paying bills, managing rent, and handling the authority’s bank accounts.

But instead of sticking to official business, prosecutors say Hauber started using AFHA credit cards for personal purchases. According to court records, Hauber used the cards to pay for meals, airplane tickets, utilities for his home, medical expenses, and purchases at retailers.

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Gabriel Perkins pleads guilty to manslaughter in connection to Compass Academy shooting

20-year-old Gabriel Perkins pleaded guilty Wednesday to Voluntary Manslaughter in the death of Alex Barber and Aggravated Battery in the shooting of an Idaho Falls man at the Compass Academy in Idaho Falls, in February 2024. 

Under a plea agreement, the parties will recommend that Perkins face up to 40 years in prison, according to Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney Randy Neal.

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Civil rights firm files wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Victor Perez’s family

Only a day after the funeral of the disabled 17-year-old shot by Pocatello Police officers, a major civil rights firm, Burris Nisenbaum Curry & Lacy (BNCL), has filed a wrongful death and civil rights violation claim against the city of Pocatello on behalf of the family of Victor Perez.

“The family wanted the police to help their son, not kill him,” said John Burris, an attorney with 40-plus years of representing victims of police abuse, including representing Rodney King in his case against Los Angeles Police officers. “The officers’ conduct shocks the conscience of all families needing assistance with developmentally disabled kids.” 

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Idaho Falls Regional Airport adds new flight to Chicago

“American looks forward to welcoming customers on our new service between Idaho Falls Regional Airport and our Chicago O’Hare hub,” said Joe Hughes, Managing Director, Government Affairs at American. “This new flight will offer customers convenient access to all that Chicago has to offer and shorter travel times with American to destinations like New York, Washington, D.C., and global cities such as London and Barcelona.” 

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11 Idahoans convicted for their roles in major fentanyl trafficking conspiracy

11 Idaho defendants have been convicted on federal drug trafficking charges after attempting to distribute large amounts of fentanyl in southern Idaho, according to a release by Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott.

According to court documents, the group had recruited recent parolees during their time in prison in a conspiracy to traffic fentanyl from the United States/Mexico border to distribute in Idaho.

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