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American Falls girl crowned statewide National Civics Bee champion">American Falls girl crowned statewide National Civics Bee champion

American Falls girl crowned statewide National Civics Bee champion">

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Lainey Moore, of William Thomas Middle School in American Falls, won the battle of the minds at the first-ever National Civics Bee competition held in Idaho.

“It feels good,” Moore said. “I’m happy that I’m able to represent Idaho and just be able to do this for my state.”

Twenty talented students took the stage Friday at the National Civics Bee Friday at Melaleuca’s headquarters in Idaho Falls.

The finalists hail from sixth- through eighth-grade classrooms across Idaho and prepared vigorously for the competition.

“It takes determination, and you have to be brave and have grit,” said Idaho Falls competitor Carolyn Xia.

Each of the finalists previously submitted an essay selecting a problem or concern in the community and developing a solution.

“I wrote my essay about parent and guardian awareness of young children’s mental health,” Moore said. “At my school, there is a group called ‘Sources of Strength’ that helps with teen mental health. … I thought that it was odd that they didn’t have anything like that for younger kids.”

Lainey Moore, McKenna Vaughan, Ali Donahoo, Teagan Eilenfield, and Esmae Hazelton took the Top 5 places at Idaho’s National Civics Bee.

Students advanced through two rounds of 10 difficult questions on government and the U.S. Constitution – with difficult questions ranging from Constitutional amendments to immigration law.

“There’s questions on a computer, and we click which one is right,” Xia said. “Then the third round is the final round, where … the judges will ask us questions and answers.”

All Idaho middle school students participating in public education, private school or homeschooling were eligible to participate in the competition.

Moore earned a $1,000 award, $5,000 for her middle school, a trip to Washington, D.C., and the chance to compete for a $100,000 education savings plan.

Sponsored by the U.S. Chamber Foundation, Melaleuca, and the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber, the event encourages students to study the mechanisms of government, learning how they can contribute to their hometowns and nation.

All 20 finalists at Idaho’s 2026 National Civics Bee.

5.28.2026 – FLASHPOLL: Should we rebuild the Teton Dam? – Also NGO’s and UAP Disclosure">5.28.2026 – FLASHPOLL: Should we rebuild the Teton Dam? – Also NGO’s and UAP Disclosure

5.28.2026 – FLASHPOLL: Should we rebuild the Teton Dam? – Also NGO’s and UAP Disclosure">

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Nine days after the election, we’re still processing how much noise we all got dragged into—dark money, viral single-issue drama, and the constant firehose of information that can make us worse at decisions instead of better. We talked about how distrust has become the default setting: people reflexively argue, pick teams, and assume bad intent, even when the facts (like how legislators actually vote in Boise) are sitting right in front of us. That same skepticism spilled into our UAP/UFO chatter too—between AI, government credibility issues, and the possibility we’re being “slow-walked” into disclosure, we’re basically at “call us when the mothership parks downtown” levels of belief.

From there, the show shifted into a bigger political frustration: alleged NGO/grant money laundering and how hard some systems seem to work to avoid scrutiny—highlighted by Trump’s claims about massive last-minute grant dumps and a viral clip about California’s proposed “Stop Nick Shirley” bill. Then we pivoted local and practical with a flash poll that lit up the text line: should we rebuild the Teton Dam (safely, and likely not in the exact same way or place) for water storage, power, and recreation? The response was overwhelmingly “yes,” but with real pushback too—geology, ecology, trauma from the 1976 disaster, and concerns about long-term feasibility. Bottom line: everyone wants a stable water future in East Idaho; nobody agrees on a single magic fix, and we’re going to have to stack solutions.

### Highlights
– Post-election clarity: we obsessed over distractions and forgot to focus on how lawmakers actually behave in Boise
– Trust is collapsing: “reflexive disagreement” is replacing thoughtful debate
– NGO/grant fraud concerns: claims of taxpayer money being funneled through nonprofits and efforts to shield them from scrutiny
– Flash poll: strong support for rebuilding the Teton Dam—tempered by geology, wildlife, and flood-trauma concerns
– Water solutions aren’t one-and-done: raising Jackson Lake, adjusting American Falls, recharge credit, and structural reforms all came up

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‘Flood of memories:’ Week of major Teton Dam Flood 50th anniversary activities kicks off in Rexburg">‘Flood of memories:’ Week of major Teton Dam Flood 50th anniversary activities kicks off in Rexburg

‘Flood of memories:’ Week of major Teton Dam Flood 50th anniversary activities kicks off in Rexburg">

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) – Fifty years after a wall of water pulverized communities in the flood path of the Teton Dam, a new exhibit at Rexburg’s City Hall celebrates the resilience of residents whose lives and homes were forever altered by the dam’s collapse.

“People just feeling overwhelmed and devastated with our own flood, they said hope came when we saw people show up for us,” said Jed Platt, Cultural Arts director for the City of Rexurg.

A ribbon cutting for the “Just Add Water: The Dam that Broke Us and Built Us” exhibit on Thursday officially launched next week’s “Flood 50” of celebration and activities running from June 1 through June 6.

The brand-new exhibit digs into the flood’s impact on those directly in the water’s wake.

“If you want facts and figures, Google it,” Platt said. “If you want to go experience it, come to this exhibit.”

The interactive exhibition features stories, artifacts, models and artwork commemorating day the Teton Dam broke.

The exhibit has been moved to City Hall from the Rexburg Tabernacle as it prepares for renovations.

In addition to recognizing the past, Rexburg community members have raised more than $50,000 this year to assist people in Laie, Hawaii, who were devastated by flooding in March 2026.

“For our sister community in Laie, where homes were destroyed, there was about three or four feet of water in their homes at 1 AM,” said Kieiki Pouha, a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “They woke up with water next to their beds. So many families were trapped in their homes, elderly that couldn’t get out, children that couldn’t get out. It was just immediate and devastating.”

The City of Rexburg will be hosting events daily next week. For a full list of activities, visit tetonflood50.org, or check out the list below.

“Next to potatoes, the best crop to come out of our soil are our stories,” Platt said. “This will be a place to share those stories. … Daily, I’m hearing new stories from people and they said, ‘I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone that story.'”

‘All the world is one’: Hindu statesman visits Brigham Young University-Idaho">‘All the world is one’: Hindu statesman visits Brigham Young University-Idaho

‘All the world is one’: Hindu statesman visits Brigham Young University-Idaho">

REXBURG, IDAHO (KIFI) – An ambassador of Hinduism, the oldest religion on Earth, visited the campus of Brigham Young University-Idaho to speak with students on Thursday in an act of interfaith outreach and good will.

Rajan Zed, President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, met with BYU-Idaho’s Interfaith Leadership Academic Society.

“It is a wonderful occasion to mingle with other religions. So, I am grateful to them to have their students to be exposed to Hinduism, which is the oldest and the third largest religion,” said Zed.

Approximately 3.2 million Hindus live in the United States, out of a world population of 1.2 billion Hindus.

The student-led Interfaith Society is composed of about 400 members.

In an interview with Local News 8, Zed described the sacred texts of Hinduism.

“I usually read from Rig Veda, which is the oldest scripture of mankind, and then Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita. Those are the scriptures,” he said.

Zed travels the United States building bridges and sharing a message of love and respect.

He has offered opening prayers at the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Idaho Senate, a Bonneville County Commissioner meeting and the St. Anthony, Arimo, Burley, Boise and Meridian City Councils.

“All the world is one,” Zed said. “That is in Hinduism’s message. We are all one.”