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SHELLEY, Idaho (KIFI)— A two-car crash near Shelley on Sunday afternoon claimed the lives of a Rexburg woman and a 2-year-old girl after their vehicle overturned into a canal and became fully submerged.

According to the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, the accident happened around 1:41 p.m. on October 5 near the intersection of 1100 E. and 1300 N.

When a Shelley Police officer arrived, several citizens were already in the canal, trying to reach the submerged 2011 Hyundai Sonata. Working alongside first responders, the group managed to turn the vehicle onto its side and pull out four occupants.

The Sheriff’s office said the woman and a toddler were unconscious and not breathing when they were pulled out. CPR was immediately started, and both were rushed to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where they later died from their injuries. The other two passengers, a 43-year-old man and an 11-year-old boy, were also taken to EIRMC with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to Bonneville County Coroner Shante Sanches, the Rexburg woman was Jaime Stebelton, 35. She couldn’t release the name of the toddler because of their age.

The other vehicle involved, a 2022 Hyundai Palisade, carried a 27-year-old man and two young boys, ages 6 and 4. The driver was hospitalized with minor injuries; the children appeared unharmed.

Investigators shut down the intersection for about three hours to conduct a crash reconstruction. The Sheriff’s office said the Sonata was traveling south on 1100 E. and failed to yield at a two-way stop, pulling into the path of the eastbound Palisade. The impact sent the Sonata into the canal and the Palisade into a power pole.

Seat belt use was inconsistent. The 2-year-old in the Sonata was properly restrained in a car seat, but the other three occupants were not wearing seat belts. In the Palisade, the children were buckled in, but the driver was not.

The Bingham County Sheriff’s Office expressed deep gratitude to the citizens who jumped into action and to all responding agencies. “Our hearts go out to the families affected and all that were involved,” the department said. “Please, buckle up every time you ride in a vehicle—it can save lives.”

The investigation is ongoing, and no names have been released.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KIFI) – Thousands of mourners are bidding farewell to President Russell M. Nelson.

Crowds lined up at the Conference Center to pay respects to the late church president. According the church, Nelson’s body is lying in repose in an open casket in the Hall of the Prophets on the Conference Center’s third floor. Bronze busts of each of the Church’s presidents line the walls of the Hall.

“It felt very sacred being able to pay my respects to the prophet, a man that we look up to so highly,” said Alan Johnson, 24, who taught the words of President Nelson while he served as a full-time missionary in New Jersey.

President Nelson was the 17th president to lead the church. He passed away on Sept. 27 at age 101.

President Nelson’s funeral will be held in the Conference Center on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at 12 p.m. MDT.

You can watch the funeral live on Local News 8 – Channel 8.1.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– Domestic violence and abuse continues to be an issue around the world, but in Southeast Idaho, resources are available. Sarah O’Bannion is the executive director of family services in Pocatello and explained the signs of domestic violence

She defines domestic violence as “any behavior that is meant to scare someone or is aggressive in nature, something that is trying to get power over another person. And so that can look like anything from coercive behavior to threatening behavior to physical harm, like hitting or kicking or strangling.”

Signs of someone being an abuser can be telling, but O’Bannion says abusers rarely show signs of violence at the start of the relationship.

“We see things like a lot of jealousy, threatening behavior, doing things that bother you, like think about the fact that you live in the home, often with the person who is harming you,” O’Bannon said, “Many people who use power and control mask their behavior to people outside of their home. So sometimes you will think, ‘oh my goodness, this is the nicest person in the entire world, they’re a rock star in the office,’ They’re a great person to hang out with, but they’re also harming their partner at home.”

There are also telling signs that someone close to you may be experiencing domestic abuse.

“A couple other things that we often see in survivors that are just trying to survive on a daily basis is a lot of isolation. Often people who use power and control stop their victims from connecting to their friends and their families and their resources and their churches and their neighborhood barbecues. We see that a lot. And then just some general changes in someone’s personality,” O’Bannion said.

To help, the best way you can be there for the victim is to understand and have compassion.

“When you are concerned about a friend or family member, I think the one thing that you can really do for that person is to love them. You can really love them and believe them. When someone comes to you and they’re willing to share those really difficult things, those, things that feel embarrassing and have been a secret. Sometimes when you are able to listen without judgment, that can be incredibly empowering and incredibly healing,” O’Bannion said. 

There are always resources available, if you are in immediate danger, call 911.

The Family Services Alliance also provides free and confidential help for victims. They can assist you with housing, emotional support and court matters.

They will also host a free pumpkin decorating event to raise awareness against domestic violence, which will be on Oct. 27, 2025 from 4:00-5:30 P.M. at the OK Ward Park in Pocatello, Idaho.

The Family Services Alliance’s 24 hour hotline is 251-HELP, or (208)-251-1435.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), is a program that helps lower income Americans purchase baby formula, produce and other nutritional goods. The current government shutdown means the nationally supported but state run program has not been funded for the new fiscal year, which started October 1st.

In a statement issued just as the federal shutdown began, the National WIC Association (NWA) expressed concern their finances would deplete soon, if they weren’t funded by the government.

The full statement can be found HERE, but one key paragraph states: “As we head into a partial federal government shutdown, NWA anticipates that WIC has enough funding on hand to remain open for the short term—likely one to two weeks. The timing of this shutdown at the start of the new fiscal year puts WIC at risk of rapidly running out of funds. This failure needlessly jeopardizes the health and nutrition of millions of pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and young children who rely on WIC.”

Local News 8 reached out to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, which is over the WIC program, to see what they’re current funding status was and if they had the means to continue normal operation. We were unable to get a response in time for this story. The National WIC program generally funds state programs in lump sums, meaning it is possible the state could have extra money to support the program for a time without federal support. We are will update this story when we get a response.

Local News 8 was able to talk to representatives from local offices in eastern Idaho. They were unable to comment directly about the financial situation. However, they’ve been told to operate as normal, despite the funding issues at the national level.

“From the local area WIC offices, we are open and operating as normal,” said Kami Christensen, a WIC representative from Preston. “Of course, that does depend on funding. But for now, if we are able to, [we] operate as normal and function as usual.”

Christensen says that if something does change, they will notify WIC users and pivot as needed, but says those that qualify and need WIC’s services shouldn’t back away from getting help.

“I would just encourage participants to keep your appointments as scheduled,” said Christensen. “We’re here, we’re ready to see you, and ready to help with any needs that you may have.”

Local food bank leaders say they hope programs like WIC are funded soon. They say a shutdown of federal programs like WIC, even if its temporary, would force a lot of families to make hard choices.

“We’re actually really worried about it, about any food program of ending or running out of funding,” said Ariel Jackson, the Executive Director of the Community Food Basket in Idaho Falls. “The charitable food system can’t absorb everyone who is getting assistance on these programs.”