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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)—Search and Rescue teams are looking for a man who may have fallen into the Snake River and never surfaced.

The search in the water has been called off as of Thursday evening and will resume Friday morning.

The call came in at 3:52 p.m. of a person was in the water near the area of the Broadway Bridge.

The Sheriff’s Office says, “Deputies learned the victim was from out of state, visiting Idaho Falls with a co-worker and looking at the falls, when he slipped on the rocks and fell in.” The man went into the river just above the Broadway Bridge.

The Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, “Water levels and strong currents in the area prevented divers from safely entering the water. Surface, sonar and drone resources were utilized to search into the early evening. Sheriff’s Deputies and rescue personnel plan to resume search efforts tomorrow morning at daylight. Current water conditions along the Snake River are at very high levels and extremely swift. Visibility in the water is limited with floating and sub-surface debris. Additionally water temperatures are in the low 40’s, making the ability to self rescue extremely difficult.”

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Following an afternoon briefing in the Oval Office where Energy Secretary Chris Wright promised a major announcement before the “sun goes down,” the Department of Energy (DOE) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have declared the “rebirth of America’s nuclear industry.”

On Thursday afternoon, June 4, the DOE announced that the Los Angeles-based Antares Nuclear’s advanced reactor design, the Mark-0, completed a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration at the Idaho facility. In other words, the newly assembled reactor has reached a successful self-sustaining fission chain reaction.

“This milestone reflects years of focused work by Antares, the U.S. Department of Energy, and teams across Idaho National Laboratory,” said Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner. “Congratulations to everyone involved in reaching zero-power criticality and advancing the next era of nuclear energy.”

According to the DOE, this successful test confirms the reactor can operate safely and “establishes a basis that would allow subsequent reactors to produce electricity in 2027 and beyond.” Developed under the DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program, the milestone marks a massive leap forward for small modular nuclear technology.

The Mark-0 is the first of several anticipated advanced reactors to achieve criticality ahead of the July 4th deadline established by President Trump in a May 2025 executive order.

“It is fitting that on the eve of our nation’s 250th anniversary, we are witnessing a historic moment for American energy,” said Secretary Wright in a release announcing the development. “For the first time in more than four decades, a new privately developed non-light-water reactor has reached criticality in the United States.”

This is a developing story. Local News 8 will provide additional updates throughout the evening.

NEWDALE, Idaho (KIFI) – Dozens of ‘Flood 50’ boaters flowed down the Teton River, respectfully marking the anniversary of the Teton Dam’s collapse with guided tours Thursday. 

“The disaster happened, and what we are really celebrating is the way the community came together to recover from the disaster – all of the volunteer help that came to help us recover and shovel out the mud and all those kind of things,” said Rexburg Mayor Jerry Merrill.

Local outfitters navigated rapids, accompanying guests on boats and rafts through jagged canyon walls on the picturesque riverway.

“We’re just rowing people down the beautiful Teton River,” said Teton Valley Lodge Fishing Guide Cody Salley.  “I’m just super stoked to be here. It’s a beautiful day. It’s beautiful river – glad to share it with all these folks.”

The scene was in sharp contrast to 50 years ago, when the catastrophic failure of the Teton Dam unleashed a torrent of water that flooded homes, farms, businesses and communities downstream.

“I had family in Roberts, and they actually watched people floating down the river that had passed away,” said Charlotte Moore, a boat passenger from Menan. “They actually watched the wildlife and the animals that were dead from the water going down. So it definitely had an impact.  …I think most of the people around here are against the dam being rebuilt.”

However, high-level discussions have stirred possibilities of reconstructing the dam.

The Idaho Legislature passed a Senate Joint Memorial 101 in 2025, “encourag(ing) the Bureau of Reclamation, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Governor of the State of Idaho, the Idaho Water Resource Board, the Idaho Department of Water Resources” and other agencies to “update and conduct studies to identify and construct additional water storage in Idaho, including reconstruction of the Teton Dam.”

A contingency of legislators, farmers and activists visited with Idaho’s Congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., last year to discuss the potential project.

“We have to have conversations because there’s a lot of different viewpoints. The need for the dam is even more acute today than it was 50 years ago,” Merrill said. “We still need water storage. We still need power generation. We still need more recreation areas, flood control and those kinds of things.”

“The need is still there. But there are also concerns – safety concerns, of course, that we’ve got to address to make sure that if it is built, that it’s built safely,” he continued. “We need to address the ecology of the area. How can we make sure that, you know, fish and other wildlife can thrive?”

Crucial discussions over the legacy and future of the Teton Dam site will continue for decades to come.

Be sure to tune into our full, 30-minute documentary on “Teton Dam: The Failure and the Future” this Friday.

It will air at 9:25 PM on FOX and 10 PM on CBS.

Idaho Falls, ID (KIFI) – The sale of Kratom will be banned in Idaho Falls in a new law set to take effect on July 1, after a unanimous vote was passed in the Idaho Falls City Council meeting Thursday evening.

This comes after local health officials and leaders linked the substance to multiple deaths in Bonneville County. Bonneville County Coroner Shante Sanchez released a statement in October of 2025 that her office confirmed six kratom-related deaths over the last 18 months, including four cases where the primary active compound, mitragynine, in kratom was determined to be the sole cause of death.

Those findings prompted city leaders and council members to begin discussions this week about whether kratom should continue to be sold in Idaho Falls. City Council members heard compelling testimony from the county coroner, local law enforcement, medical professionals, and members of the public who argued the product poses a growing public health risk.

The ban was passed unanimously, with all five council members approving the ordinance, following public commentary on the proposal.

Before making the motion to adopt the ordinance, Councilor Michelle Ziel-Dingman acknowledged the limits of the local ban. “I’ve recognized that kratom will continue to be sold online in other cities and counties,” she said. “But this ordinance makes it clear where our community stands on this drug, and if our ordinance saves one life, as Councilor Jim Freeman said, or serves as a tool for educating our community, I believe this ordinance is therefore appropriate.”

Mayor Lisa Burtenshaw announced that the city will begin an awareness campaign to inform the public about the new kratom ban.

“I do sympathize with parents who have no idea that these products are sitting on the shelf,” Burtenshaw said. “That is something that we will address with the Idaho Falls Police and through the mayor’s office and through the school district.”

While Idaho Falls has moved forward as one of the largest cities in Idaho with a local ban, kratom remains legal statewide for now. At the state capitol, lawmakers have been debating whether to ban the substance altogether or to regulate its sale and distribution. Several competing proposals have been considered during the 2026 legislative session.

For Idaho Falls retailers, the city’s action to ban kratom products means it will soon be removed from store shelves inside the city limits, even as statewide debates continue into the future.

To see previous stories linked to Idaho Falls’s kratom-related deaths, visit here.