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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Heise Hot Springs opened its summer pool this week for Spring Break, and kids are soaking in the sun and welcoming the warm weather.

“We noticed a lot of schools are out, so we’ve opened it up from 12 to 8 P.M. every day,” said Heise Hot Springs General Manager Sam Wilson. “Then that includes our water slide. It’s free all week too. So everyone come and have fun!”

The resort expects the crowds to continue on Friday and Saturday.

“I’m just here for Spring Break, and I really like the slide because it’s just fun. It’s really long to go on,” said Jalaine Jagielski, a swimmer at Heise.

Gabe Radford agrees with her assessment.

“I think the slide’s probably the funnest part about it,” he said.

His cousin Jackson Karraker likes the big pool.

“I think that Heise, like, you just get to have fun. You don’t have to do certain things,” he said. “I mean, you do, but, like, it’s just pretty fun, I guess.”

Kaizlee Brooke is a major fan of the resort.

“We can go on the diving board, and the slide is really here,” she said. “Why I’m here is because Spring Break is out for my school. It’s just really fun, and it’s one of my favorite places to go swimming.”

Her sister Mayleigh Brooke  enjoys the hot pool next door as well.

“My favorite part about Heise Hot Spring is the slide, the extra extra pools, the other pools, the diving board and meeting new friends that you don’t know,” she said.

The summer pool features 95-degree water. It will also be open most Saturdays throughout April and May.

For those who prefer putting to swimming, the golf course is ready for business as well.

On Memorial Day weekend, the Heise’s resort officially opens full-time – adding the zip line, camping, snack bar and pizza to the mix.

For more up-to-date information on pool availability, you can visit Heise’s Facebook page.

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) – The Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce is celebrating a century of helping business grow in the area. Thursday night, the chamber held its annual Farmer Merchant Banquet at Madison High School.

Around 500 people filled the gym to celebrate the milestone and raise money for future chamber events. The event honored some of the outstanding businesses and leaders in the Rexburg and Sugar City area with prizes and awards.

This year’s banquet also celebrated the Chamber’s 100th anniversary. Chamber Chairman of the Board, JC Weber says it is “a big deal for any organization to make it 100 years.” The Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1926 on Main Street where the Key Bank is today.

With 100 years under its belt, Weber believes the future of the Chamber will be “bigger and better.”

“We have continual growth. We are so excited to see the growth in all of those that are coming to this area.” Weber reports the Chamber is seeing record membership this year.

Weber is a lifelong resident of Rexburg. He says his business has seen the benefits of Chamber membership.

“When I bought the Circle of Love from by parents six years ago, they said the number one thing you need to do is be part of the Chamber of Commerce. You only get out of something as much as you are willing to put in.”

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Sheriffs’ Association (ISA) is pushing back against what it calls a “deliberate attempt” by out-of-state political forces to resurrect a controversial immigration enforcement bill that died in a Senate committee.

The backlash follows reports that Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor, allegedly contacted Idaho’s executive and legislative leadership on March 17 to pressure them to resurrect House Bill 659.

The bill, which would mandate that all local law enforcement enter 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), had died in the Idaho Senate’s State Affairs Committee just the day before.

Following the alleged call from D.C., the Senate State Affairs Committee pressed forward this week reintroducing printing three draft pieces of legislation.

State Senate Pro Tempore Kelly Anthon, (R)-Rupert, presented draft bills regarding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and an Idaho Refugee and Illegal Alien Accountability Act. State Senator Lori Den Hartog, (R)-Meridian, presented a third draft bill on Federal Immigration Detainers.

An “Affront to Democracy”

In a scathing letter to the Idaho Legislature, Idaho Sheriffs’ Association President Dave Hansen denounced the move to bypass the State Affairs Committee’s March 16th decision. He labeled the immigration mandate redundant, costly, and a violation of local control.

“For leadership to try to resurrect the bill because they didn’t like the committee’s answer after fair debate is disingenuous,” Hansen wrote. “Idaho law should be written by Idahoans, rather than driven by pressure from Washington, D.C.”

Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue, a former president of the National Sheriff’s Association, was equally blunt about the legislative overreach. Watch our complete interview with Sheriff Donahue below.

“Pick a side. Get off the fence,” Donahue said in an interview with Local News 8. “We are either for conservative values and local control, or you want to piecemeal it out at your discretion when it feels good or when you’re in a campaign. You’re political posturing. Why does the legislature feel they should mandate that sheriffs do the federal government’s job?”

What is the 287 (g) Program

The 287(g) program delegates limited federal immigration enforcement authority to designated local officers, allowing them to identify, process, and detain illegal aliens with pending criminal charges. 

According to ICE’s website, the program operates under three main models:

• Jail Enforcement Model: Identifies removable aliens already in local custody.
• Task Force Model: Allows officers to exercise immigration authority during routine duties.
• Warrant Service Officer (WSO): Authorizes local officers to execute ICE administrative warrants.

While several Idaho counties have already opted into these programs voluntarily, the ISA stresses that many have chosen not to opt into the program due to the financial and manpower costs involved.

“We don’t have the facilities. We don’t have the manpower. We don’t have people that we can put out on task forces,” explains Donahue.

The Hidden Cost of Mandates

Supporters of HB 659 argue that ICE reimburses the costs for training and equipment. However, Sheriff Donahue argues those promises ignore the reality of a national police shortage.

“[Supporters] say ‘they’re going to give you cars,’ ‘they’re going to give you overtime.’ Yeah, they would. But I still have to send my people out for training,” Donahue explained. “I have to take commissioned patrol officers off the streets. I can’t just reach into a bucket and hire some more patrol officers. It takes a year and $100,000 to get somebody trained through the academy and onto the road.”

Redundancy: A Solution in Search of a Problem?

The ISA stresses that Idaho sheriffs already partner regularly with federal authorities. According to President Hansen, sheriffs currently share booking information, honor lawful detainers, and coordinate transfers effectively.

“Any claim that Idaho sheriffs are failing in this responsibility is false and misleads the public,” Hansen wrote.

“There is not one example in the state of Idaho where a jail or a sheriff’s officer or a police officer, a chief of police, has not answered the call of ICE or any of our federal partners, such as DEA, ATF, FBI. We work in concert with them,” echoes Sheriff Donahue.

Beyond the financial impact, the ISA argues the bill contradicts the core Idaho value of local control. The legislation would not only mandate participation in the current 287(g) program but also force local agencies to join “any future program or successor” created by the federal government.

“You are bringing a solution to a problem that does not exist in Idaho,” Donahue warned. “What if the next federal administration doesn’t want to enforce ICE? We would be caught between the federal and state governments. Who do we answer to, and who sues us first?”

The ISA concluded its letter by urging lawmakers to reject any “rushed or opaque” attempts to repackage the bill, insisting that any policy of this magnitude must include the input of the officers responsible for carrying it out.

Local News 8 has reached out to Governor Little for comment on the alleged call from Stephen Miller and how that is impacting the legislative process. We’ll provide further updates as we receive a response.

The Idaho Sheriff’s Associtation full letter to the members of the Idaho Legislature is included below.