Your Daily Briefing – 10/02/2026

POLITICS & ELECTIONS

FORMER ATTORNEYS GENERAL BACK HICKMAN

Two former Republican Idaho attorneys general are backing Democrat Lori Hickman against incumbent Raúl Labrador. Lawrence Wasden and Jim Jones announced their endorsements yesterday, joining dozens of former attorneys from the office. Labrador’s campaign dismissed the group as disgruntled former employees.

BERCH LEADS LEGISLATIVE FUNDRAISING

Boise Democrat Steve Berch leads Idaho legislative candidates in fundraising, bringing in more than two hundred twelve thousand dollars. He’s the only candidate above two hundred thousand. His Republican challenger, Steve Keyser, has raised about thirteen thousand six hundred.

TWIN FALLS SCHOOL LEVY

Twin Falls voters will decide November third whether to renew the school district’s seven-point-two-million-dollar supplemental levy for two more years. The district says there’s no tax-rate increase. Funding supports school security, staffing, specialized programs, maintenance and free extracurricular activities.

ROADS & RECREATION

SOUTH JEROME INTERCHANGE CHANGES

Changes are coming Tuesday night to I-84’s South Jerome interchange at Exit 168. Lincoln Avenue will open to two lanes each way, with traffic signals expected to switch on at nine p.m. Flaggers will guide drivers. Construction is expected to wrap up next month.

MILNER RECREATION AREA IMPROVEMENTS

Milner Recreation Area is getting road repairs and new shade structures with better access for visitors with disabilities. The Bureau of Land Management expects the shelters finished before November. The area remains open, but drivers may encounter traffic disruptions during construction.

PUBLIC SAFETY & COURTS

FATAL I-15 COLLISION

A 19-year-old Downey man died after his pickup rear-ended a semi’s trailer on Interstate 15 just north of Inkom yesterday. Idaho State Police say both vehicles were heading south when they collided around five-forty p.m.

PROBATION OFFICER’S LAWSUIT DISMISSED

A federal judge has dismissed an Idaho probation officer’s civil rights lawsuit against Nampa and Canyon County officials. Cliff Ohler sued after investigators searched his phones during a murder investigation. The judge ruled Ohler failed to prove officials violated his constitutional rights.

NAMPA MOTHER SEEKS TO WITHDRAW PLEA

A Nampa mother wants to withdraw her guilty plea in the cover-up of her newborn son’s accidental death. Allysen Armenta’s sentencing is canceled while a judge considers her request. Prosecutors object, and a hearing is set for January eighth.

FRIDAY SPORTS — HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

VALLEY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Two unbeaten teams look to keep rolling as high school football returns across the Magic Valley tonight. Carey is five-and-oh and hosts Hansen, while five-and-oh Raft River welcomes three-and-one Shoshone. Buhl takes a four-and-one record into its home matchup with Gooding. Jerome heads to Burley, Minico visits Canyon Ridge, and Twin Falls hosts Mountain Home. Elsewhere, four-and-one Castleford travels to Lighthouse Christian, and Hagerman hosts Murtaugh. Richfield visits Dietrich, while Glenns Ferry heads to Valley. On the road, Filer plays at Aberdeen, and Kimberly travels to Teton. Wendell looks for its first win when Bear Lake comes to town, while four-and-one Wood River hosts Caldwell. All fourteen games kick off tomorrow night at seven.

HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER

BOYS SOCCER — CANYON RIDGE COMEBACK

The soccer regular season wrapped up yesterday, with a comeback and a big shutout highlighting the boys’ scores. Canyon Ridge erased a two-goal deficit to tie Twin Falls, two-two. Burley and Jerome finished one-one, with Javier Caldera scoring for the Bobcats.

BOYS SOCCER — WOOD RIVER SHUTOUT

Wood River rolled past Minico, twelve-nothing. Eleven Wolverines scored, with Fabian Moreno netting two goals. Wyatt Gilmour, Hayden Gvozdas and Wes Nichols each delivered three assists. Elsewhere, Vallivue edged Mountain Home, two-one.

GIRLS SOCCER — REGULAR SEASON RESULTS

In girls soccer, Twin Falls and Canyon Ridge battled to a scoreless tie. Wood River shut out Minico, four-nothing, and Jerome blanked Burley, three-nothing. District tournament play is next.

BOYS & GIRLS SOCCER — UPCOMING MATCHUPS

An unbeaten visitor gives Wood River a big test in boys soccer. The Wolverines are twelve-and-two and host nine-and-oh Teton at eleven. At one, Filer visits Sun Valley Community School, which comes in at ten-and-two. On the girls’ side, Filer travels to Sun Valley Community School for an eleven o’clock start. Then at noon, Wendell takes a seven-and-six record to Fruitland, where the Grizzlies remain unbeaten with eleven wins and two ties.

HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

BUHL ENDS SKID — RAFT RIVER WINS IN FIVE

Buhl snapped a ten-match losing streak, and Raft River went the distance in yesterday’s volleyball action. Buhl swept Declo, three-nothing, behind seventeen kills from Addy Vulgamore. Raft River outlasted Dietrich, three-two, taking the deciding set fifteen-seven.

MINICO, TWIN FALLS & WOOD RIVER SWEEP

Minico swept Canyon Ridge, three-nothing, with Brooke Seamons serving twelve aces. Twin Falls beat Burley, three-nothing, as Ivie Bohrn handed out twenty-six assists. Wood River also swept Jerome.

GOODING & HAGERMAN WIN

Elsewhere, Gooding topped Wendell, three-nothing, led by eleven kills from Blayke Brunson. Hagerman swept Kimberly’s junior varsity, with Ava Chizum collecting fifteen kills and thirteen digs. The Pirates head to the Butte County tournament tomorrow.

WEEKEND VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTS

Tournament volleyball puts Kimberly and Hagerman on the road this weekend. Kimberly takes a twenty-and-five record into the Rocky Mountain Invitational, with play starting at nine tomorrow morning and continuing Saturday. The field includes twenty-five-and-two Rigby, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Coeur d’Alene and host Rocky Mountain. Also competing are Cole Valley Christian, Timberline of Boise, Eagle, Highland of Pocatello, Nampa Christian, Lakeland and Lewiston. Meanwhile, nine-and-two Hagerman heads to Butte County on Saturday for the I Pink I Can Tournament. Salmon, Leadore and Clark County are also in the field, with play scheduled to start at nine.

COLLEGE ATHLETICS

CSI NAMES ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

A familiar face is taking on a new role with Golden Eagle athletics. CSI has named Bobbi Stannard its new assistant athletic director. She’s worked at the college since twenty-twenty, most recently leading student access programs. Stannard also brings athletics experience from Boise State and Washington, where she directed volleyball operations.

BOISE STATE OPENS PAC-TWELVE FOOTBALL PLAY

Boise State opens a new football chapter tomorrow, hosting Utah State in its first Pac-Twelve conference game. The twenty-second-ranked Broncos have won twenty-six straight conference openers and ten straight against the Aggies. Quarterback Maddux Madsen enters with nine touchdown passes and no interceptions. Boise State will also honor its two-thousand-six Fiesta Bowl team.

IDAHO STATE EARNS BIG SKY HONORS

Idaho State football’s first four-and-oh start since nineteen-ninety-five has earned the Bengals Big Sky Team of the Month honors for September. Now ranked twelfth nationally, Idaho State hosts nineteenth-ranked Northern Arizona tomorrow—the first matchup between ranked teams in Pocatello since two-thousand-three.

BOISE STATE SOCCER WINS SEVENTH STRAIGHT

Boise State soccer opened Pac-Twelve play with a four-one win at San Diego State last night. Mia Lane scored twice as the Broncos won their seventh straight. Boise State hosts Gonzaga Sunday afternoon at one at Boas Soccer Complex.

IDAHO STATE SOCCER DRAWS AT EASTERN WASHINGTON

Idaho State women’s soccer opened Big Sky play with a scoreless draw at Eastern Washington yesterday. The Bengals outshot the Eagles twelve-seven and allowed just one shot on goal. Goalkeeper Aliya Garrett earned her third shutout of the season. Idaho State heads to Moscow to face the Idaho Vandals Sunday afternoon at two, Mountain Time.

IDAHO SOCCER DRAWS WITH WEBER STATE

Idaho soccer opened Big Sky play with a one-one draw against Weber State last night. Caitlyn Riggs scored just before halftime, but the Wildcats tied it in the eighty-sixth minute. The Vandals host Idaho State Sunday at two p.m. Mountain Time inside the Kibbie Dome.

WEATHER — DRIVE-TIME FORECASTS

AM DRIVE

A warm, mostly sunny Friday across the Magic Valley, with a high of eighty-four and light winds. Partly cloudy tonight, dropping to fifty-two. Tomorrow brings more sunshine and eighty-one, then Sunday warms to eighty-eight. We’ll stay dry into next week, with highs settling into the lower eighties.

PM DRIVE

A warm Friday afternoon across the Magic Valley, with mostly sunny skies and a high of eighty-four. Partly cloudy tonight, falling to fifty-two, with light winds. Your weekend brings sunshine and eighty-one tomorrow, then eighty-eight Sunday. Dry weather continues next week, with highs easing back into the lower eighties.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT

A mild night across the Magic Valley, with partly cloudy skies, light winds and a low of fifty-two. Saturday brings mostly sunny skies and a high of eighty-one, followed by a mostly clear night near fifty-one. Sunday turns warmer, reaching eighty-eight under sunny skies. Dry weather continues into next week.