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“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.'”

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.”

Idaho Falls, ID (KIFI) – Many students are celebrating their final day of school and beginning the hunt for a fun summer job: an opportunity to receive a first paycheck, learn responsibility, and gain a preview of independence while building a resume. However, the 2026 statistics show that this generational rite of passage might become increasingly harder to come by.

New labor projections show teen summer hiring is expected to fall to its lowest level since the government began tracking the data in 1948, according to a recent report from the National Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey. In fact, for a group that makes up 29.5% of the national workforce, the number of teenagers employed as of April 2026 was 5.19 million, down from the 5.48 million reported at the same time last year.

Experts say a combination of rising inflation, economic uncertainty, gas prices, and slower hiring across entry-level industries is contributing to this steady decline.

Businesses that traditionally rely on teen workers during the summer months — including local restaurants, retail stores, camps, and recreation facilities — are reportedly hiring fewer seasonal employees this year. When stopping by local outlets, Local News 8 found very few opportunities for summer job openings.

At the same time, competition for available positions appears to be increasing. Many teens now face a more challenging application process, with employers often requiring online applications and, in some cases, prior experience for jobs once considered entry-level. For high school students Hayden Owens and Ben Strock, this small window of opportunity is taking a toll on their summer plans and ambitions.

“I keep scrolling on Indeed trying to find jobs, and the ones that interest me, I click on them, and I find out that there’s no part-time option, which is hard because we have summer activities that we’re trying to do, and we can’t work full-time,” Owens said. “I’m trying to save up to take voice lessons and to pay insurance and all these things…and I just can’t do it if I don’t have a job.” Owens said.

“I guess it just feels frustrating because there’s just not a lot of options,” Strock said, adding onto Owen’s remarks. “So it’s hard to figure out the best plan to move forward.”

Despite the slowdown in job listings, some industries are still actively hiring as they head into the busy summer season.

Positions such as lifeguarding, camp counseling, childcare, and select retail jobs remain in demand in many communities. Recruiters recommend that the best way to stand out is to skip the online application and head into stores for a physical interview. With the saturation of websites like Indeed and LinkedIn, personal interaction with potential employees increases the likelihood of a hire when recruiters recall their options.

Career experts also encourage teens to apply early, network with adult mentors in their lives, follow up with employers directly, and consider expanding their search to include community programs, local businesses, and volunteer opportunities that can help build experience.

While the traditional summer job may be harder to land this year, experts say gaining workplace skills and experience remains valuable for teens entering the workforce. One thing remains clear: the 2026 job market is teaching a lesson of patience and persistence.

STANLEY, Idaho (KIFI)—Three women were rescued from their car after it went into the Salmon River near Mormon Bend on State Highway 75, east of Stanley.

The Custer County Sheriff’s office was notified of the crash at 5:51 p.m. on Thursday, May 28. It took rescue crews over an hour to get the occupants safely into a lifeboat. The woman were then transported by ambulance to a hospital. Their condition is unknown.

The car was being removed from the river on Friday morning.

The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.