Magic Valley News, Sports & Weather

Public Safety & Investigations

SHOSHONE STREET CRASH

PEDESTRIAN STRUCK BY VEHICLE ON SHOSHONE STREET IN TWIN FALLS

A man was taken by ambulance after being struck by a vehicle on Shoshone Street in Twin Falls.

Police say the crash happened just outside Wills Toyota, with the call coming in shortly before 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

Twin Falls Police Lieutenant Steven Gassert says the pedestrian suffered injuries, but fortunately, they’re not believed to be life-threatening.

Authorities haven’t released details about what led up to the crash, and the investigation is continuing.

FORT HALL GUNFIRE

BULLETS STRIKE FORT HALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHILE 88 CHILDREN EAT BREAKFAST

A frightening morning at a Southern Idaho elementary school, where bullets struck school property while 88 children were inside eating breakfast!

Authorities say gunfire erupted just before 8 o’clock Wednesday morning near Fort Hall Elementary School.

Tribal prosecutors say Adan Diaz allegedly fired four to five shots at another man during an argument at a home directly behind the school.

One bullet reportedly struck playground equipment, while another hit a school building.

The gunfire prompted an immediate lockdown, with 88 students inside the gym having breakfast.

Blackfoot School District Superintendent Brian Kress emphasizes this was NOT a school shooting, but an incident that happened nearby.

Diaz now faces 93 misdemeanor charges in Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Court, including 88 counts of endangering a minor.

Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating what it describes as a possible drug deal gone wrong.

No federal charges have been filed, and investigators have not confirmed whether the other man was injured.

MICHAEL VAUGHAN CASE

NEW COURT DOCUMENTS REVEAL DISTURBING DETAILS IN MICHAEL VAUGHAN DISAPPEARANCE

New details are emerging in the disappearance of five-year-old Michael “Monkey” Vaughan, who vanished from his Fruitland neighborhood more than five years ago.

New court documents reveal Sarah Wondra allegedly told a jailer in 2022 that she had seen a body inside a bag, but didn’t know whose body it was.

Investigators also uncovered messages sent just 12 days after Michael disappeared in July of 2021, in which Wondra told her then-husband she wanted to move out of their neighborhood and house.

Court documents don’t explain why she wanted to leave.

Wondra was arrested Tuesday and is now facing first-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping and concealment of evidence charges. Her bond is set at one million dollars.

Her former husband, Stacey Wondra, is also charged in the case. He’s pleaded not guilty, with a trial scheduled for 2027.

Despite an extensive search of the couple’s Fruitland property, Michael’s remains have never been found.

Technology

MICROSOFT OUTAGE

MICROSOFT OUTAGE CONTINUES TO DISRUPT EMAIL AND ONLINE SERVICES

If you’ve been having trouble sending emails or getting into your Outlook account, you’re certainly not alone this morning!

A massive Microsoft outage is causing headaches worldwide, and businesses, schools and offices across Southern Idaho could be feeling the effects.

The trouble began yesterday, leaving thousands of users unable to send or receive emails or access their accounts.

Microsoft says the outage is also affecting Teams, SharePoint, Copilot and several other Microsoft 365 services.

For businesses and offices from Twin Falls and Jerome to Burley and Rupert, that could mean delayed messages, scheduling problems and disruptions to everyday operations.

Microsoft says the trouble involves overwhelmed servers that stopped processing connections.

Engineers are gradually restoring services, but recovery remains inconsistent.

The company says there’s no evidence of a cyberattack, and there’s still no timetable for a complete fix.

So, if you’re waiting on an important email this morning, you might want to pick up the phone instead!

Health & Health Policy

HEALTH INSURANCE ENROLLMENT

IDAHO HEALTH INSURANCE ENROLLMENT UNDERWAY — SOME MAGIC VALLEY RESIDENTS COULD SEE LOWER PREMIUMS

Health insurance rates are going up in Idaho, but some Magic Valley residents could actually end up paying less!

Open enrollment is underway through Your Health Idaho, the state’s health insurance marketplace, with a December 15th deadline.

While insurance premiums are increasing an average of 12 percent next year, federal tax credits could help offset those higher costs.

Your Health Idaho Executive Director Pat Kelly says a single person living in the Magic Valley earning 36-thousand dollars a year could actually see their monthly premium drop by about 30 dollars.

But those savings aren’t guaranteed. They depend on your income, household size, where you live and the insurance plan you select.

Your Health Idaho offers online tools to compare plans, estimate tax credits and connect with local insurance agents who can help at no charge.

Coverage begins January first.

To learn more or enroll, visit YourHealthIdaho.org.

Again, the enrollment deadline is December 15th.

DAYCARE VACCINE LAW APPEAL

IDAHO DAYCARE CHALLENGES STATE VACCINE LAW IN FEDERAL APPEALS COURT

A legal battle over vaccine requirements and how daycares handle sick children in Idaho is headed to a federal appeals court.

A Boise daycare and three parents are appealing a September ruling that dismissed their lawsuit challenging Idaho’s Medical Freedom Act.

The law, passed last year, prohibits businesses, schools and government agencies from requiring vaccinations or certain other medical treatments.

The daycare argues the law is too broadly written and could interfere with basic health precautions, including sending home sick children.

But Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador maintains the law is clear, and a federal judge agreed, dismissing the lawsuit.

Governor Brad Little’s office has also said the law does NOT prevent daycares or schools from sending home children with contagious illnesses.

The case is now before the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where arguments from both sides are pending.

ABORTION BAN APPEAL

IDAHO ABORTION BAN REMAINS FULLY ENFORCEABLE DURING APPEAL

Idaho’s near-total abortion ban remains fully enforceable after a federal judge paused his earlier declaration that portions of the law violated the U.S. Constitution.

U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill had ruled that the state could not prevent a physician from performing an abortion when continuing a pregnancy created a substantial risk of serious and lasting harm to the patient’s health. His ruling also covered circumstances involving a risk of death through self-harm.

The Idaho attorney general and Ada County prosecutor appealed. The Ninth Circuit subsequently suspended Winmill’s injunction while the case moves forward.

Winmill has now also stayed his related declaratory judgment. In his order, the judge said he strongly disagreed with the appellate panel’s decision but was legally required to follow it.

The stay means Idaho physicians remain subject to the existing abortion restrictions while the federal appeals process continues.

Education

IDAHO SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

IDAHO PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT DROPS BY NEARLY 9,000 STUDENTS

Idaho public schools recorded their largest enrollment decline in at least a decade this fall.

State Department of Education data show enrollment fell by 8,983 students over the summer, a decrease of 2.9%. Idaho now has 304,871 students attending public schools.

Only 15 of the state’s 117 traditional school districts maintained or increased enrollment. Boise lost 1,085 students, West Ada dropped by 745, Nampa lost 646 and Pocatello declined by 518. Charter schools collectively gained nearly 1,000 students, helped partly by the opening of seven new schools.

The decline coincides with the first year of Idaho’s school-choice tax credit, which received applications involving 12,561 students. However, the available data do not establish that the credit caused the enrollment losses.

Other possible factors include declining birth rates, housing costs, homeschooling, private-school enrollment and continued movement away from virtual public schools.

ISU DISCRIMINATION JUDGMENT

IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITY ORDERED TO PAY MORE THAN $728,000 IN DISCRIMINATION CASE

A former Idaho State University pharmacy student has won a major legal victory after a jury found she was retaliated against for reporting racial discrimination.

A Bannock County judge has ordered ISU to reinstate Chanica Sintima and pay a total judgment of more than 728-thousand dollars.

Sintima was removed from the university’s pharmacy program in 2024 after raising concerns about unfair treatment during a hospital rotation.

In April, a jury awarded her 160-thousand dollars. The remaining money covers attorney fees and court costs.

The judge also ordered her failing grade changed to an incomplete, giving her an opportunity to retake the course and finish her pharmacy degree.

Sintima says she’s dreamed of becoming a pharmacist since the fifth grade, and the ruling gives her another chance to pursue that dream.

Idaho State University says it’s reviewing the judge’s decision and considering its options.

Friday Sports

MAGIC VALLEY FOOTBALL SEMIFINALS

FIVE MAGIC VALLEY FOOTBALL TEAMS BATTLE FOR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BERTHS

Five Magic Valley high school football teams are one win away from a state championship game, and tonight, two of them face each other!

Hagerman hosts Oakley in a 2A semifinal at seven. The Pirates edged the Hornets 36 to 30 back in September, but Hagerman coach Jacob Hicks says his team must start faster and clean up mistakes, especially after 13 penalties in last week’s quarterfinal.

Oakley coach Brennan Jones says his Hornets have gotten better every week and are prepared for a physical rematch.

Raft River also plays tonight, facing Prairie in Lewiston at four Pacific time. That’s five Mountain.

And Declo meets Melba at 8:15 tonight inside Pocatello’s ICCU Dome.

Then tomorrow, Saturday, Carey takes on Rockland at 3:45, also at the ICCU Dome.

For Hagerman and Oakley, tonight guarantees one Magic Valley team a shot at a state title, and sends the other home.

BOISE STATE FOOTBALL

BOISE STATE LOOKS TO CLINCH PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE

Boise State is back in the national spotlight, and Saturday’s game could bring the Pac-12 title game to The Blue!

The 24th-ranked Broncos host Oregon State tomorrow at four, and a win clinches the right to host the conference championship.

ESPN’s College GameDay returns to campus for the first time since 2010, broadcasting from DeChevrieux Field from seven until ten tomorrow morning.

Boise State has won eight straight, coming off a 64-to-38 victory at Colorado State.

Running back Dylan Riley leads the nation with 1,241 rushing yards, and totaled 300 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in that win.

Backup quarterback Max Cutforth threw for 317 yards and four scores, while freshman Rasean Jones had 116 receiving yards.

The Broncos are eight-and-one overall, five-and-oh in Pac-12 play. Kickoff is four o’clock tomorrow afternoon at Albertsons Stadium.

CSI MEN’S BASKETBALL

CSI MEN’S BASKETBALL ROLLS PAST WESTERN NEBRASKA IN BATTLE FOR THE BOOT

The nation’s fourth-ranked CSI men’s basketball team put on quite a show in Twin Falls yesterday, rolling past Western Nebraska 89 to 56 in the opening round of the Battle for the Boot!

And it was the Golden Eagles’ bench that stole the spotlight!

CSI got an impressive 50 points from its reserves, led by Carter Davis with 15 points and six rebounds.

DJ Fizer Junior added 14 points in his first game of the season, while Kyah Farris-White chipped in another 14.

The Golden Eagles dominated inside, outscoring Western Nebraska 48 to 16 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle 54 to 27.

And they did it in front of hundreds of cheering elementary school students!

The victory moves CSI into the winners’ bracket, where they’ll take on Casper College tonight at seven in Twin Falls.

Casper advanced with a 106-to-93 win over Clarendon College.

BOISE STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BOISE STATE WOMEN PUT 25-GAME HOME WINNING STREAK ON THE LINE AGAINST UTAH

Boise State women’s basketball puts an impressive 25-game nonconference home winning streak on the line tonight against Utah!

The Broncos welcome the unbeaten Utes to ExtraMile Arena at 6:30.

Utah enters the matchup at 3-and-0, led by Lena Girardi, who’s averaging nearly 20 points and seven rebounds per game.

But Boise State has been lighting up the scoreboard itself, scoring at least 80 points in each of its first three games!

CJ Latta leads the Pac-12, connecting on better than 71 percent of her three-point attempts, while the Broncos’ bench is averaging 39 points per game.

And there’s another home matchup coming Sunday, when Boise State welcomes Utah Tech at one in the afternoon.

The Trailblazers are 2-and-1, led by Savannah Stoker, who’s averaging 20 points per game.

Both games will be streamed live on the Pac-12 YouTube channel.

IDAHO STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

IDAHO STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL LOOKS FOR FIRST WIN AGAINST SEATTLE U

The Idaho State Bengals are still looking for their first men’s basketball win of the season, and tomorrow night they’ll try to get it in Seattle!

Idaho State is 0-and-3 after opening the season with road losses to Utah State, Wyoming and Air Force.

But the Bengals showed some offensive spark last weekend, scoring a season-high 82 points against Air Force.

MaCarhy Morris leads Idaho State with 18 points per game, fourth-best in the Big Sky Conference.

Defensively, Kenyon DeMuynck has been a force, averaging four blocks per game, while the Bengals lead the conference in blocked shots.

Seattle U enters at 1-and-2, coming off an 86-to-59 loss to UTSA.

The Redhawks also hold a 28-to-6 advantage in the all-time series.

Tipoff tomorrow night is eight Mountain Time on ESPN Plus.

The Bengals return to Pocatello next Friday, hosting South Dakota State at two in the afternoon.

IDAHO VOLLEYBALL

MONTANA SWEEPS IDAHO VOLLEYBALL — VANDALS PREPARE FOR SENIOR NIGHT

The University of Idaho volleyball team had a rough night in Moscow, as Montana used a powerful serving attack to sweep the Vandals in three straight sets!

The Grizzlies delivered an impressive 16 service aces, the most Idaho has surrendered in a match since at least 2013.

And while the Vandals actually outblocked Montana eight to two, they couldn’t overcome the Grizzlies’ serving advantage.

Kiana Greer led Idaho with a match-high ten kills, while Sarah Sullivan and Sophie Danielson added six apiece. Gabi Smith finished with four blocks.

The loss drops Idaho to 12-and-15 overall and 3-and-12 in Big Sky Conference play, allowing Montana to move ahead in the standings.

The Vandals will wrap up their home schedule tomorrow, Saturday, against Montana State for Senior Night.

First serve is set for seven o’clock Mountain Time, with senior recognition following the match.

IDAHO STATE VOLLEYBALL

IDAHO STATE VOLLEYBALL WINS FIVE-SET THRILLER OVER PORTLAND STATE

Idaho State volleyball pulled out a five-set thriller in Portland last night, beating Portland State three sets to two!

The Bengals dropped the opening set, then won the next two before the Vikings battled back to force a deciding fifth set.

But Idaho State finished strong, winning that final set 15 to 10!

Freshman Mia Walsh led the charge with 17 kills and a career-high 23 digs, recording her 12th double-double of the season!

Nora Waddoups added 44 assists and 17 digs, while Gracie Vohs chipped in 14 kills. Annelie Wilson finished with 12 kills and Jaydin Watts added 10.

The Bengals also outblocked Portland State five to three, improving to 18-and-9 overall and 7-and-5 in Big Sky Conference play.

Next up, Idaho State heads to Flagstaff to face Northern Arizona tomorrow morning, with first serve at eleven Mountain Time.

IDAHO WOMEN’S SOCCER

IDAHO WOMEN’S SOCCER BATTLES WEBER STATE FOR SPOT IN BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP

The University of Idaho women’s soccer team is just one win away from playing for a Big Sky Conference championship!

The fourth-seeded Vandals face top-seeded Weber State today at 1:30 Mountain Time in Missoula, Montana.

Idaho earned its spot with a dramatic victory over Utah Tech on Wednesday!

The Vandals jumped out to a two-nothing lead on early goals from Mia Boltz and Quinn Mueller, but Utah Tech battled back to force overtime.

After a two-two tie, Idaho won the penalty kick shootout four-to-two, with freshman Kailiey King delivering the deciding kick!

Now comes a tough test.

Weber State won the Big Sky regular-season championship, led by conference Offensive MVP Lily Blum, who has 14 goals this season.

Today’s winner advances to Sunday’s Big Sky Championship match at one o’clock Mountain Time.

The conference champion will earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Outdoors

SKI RESORT OPENINGS

SOUTHERN IDAHO SKI RESORTS ANNOUNCE OPENING PLANS AS WINTER APPROACHES

Ski season is getting closer, and Southern Idaho resorts are starting to announce when they’ll welcome skiers and snowboarders back to the mountains!

Bogus Basin is targeting November 21st, weather permitting. The resort is adding two new advanced ski runs, Lucky Friday and Utopia, and managed to preserve about 60 percent of last winter’s snow under insulated panels throughout the summer!

Closer to home, Pomerelle is hoping to open Thanksgiving weekend, but says it still needs enough natural snowfall.

Sun Valley plans to open Bald Mountain Thanksgiving Day, November 26th, with Dollar Mountain following in December.

Magic Mountain near Kimberly is aiming for December first, after a disappointing winter that kept the resort closed all last season.

And Soldier Mountain near Fairfield is targeting December 19th, although earlier openings are possible if the snow cooperates.

The bottom line? Winter is coming, but Mother Nature will ultimately decide when those lifts start turning!

RAINBOW TROUT STOCKING

IDAHO FISH AND GAME STOCKING THOUSANDS OF RAINBOW TROUT — INCLUDING MAGIC VALLEY WATERS

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to grab your fishing pole and get outdoors, Idaho Fish and Game has some good news!

More than 60-thousand catchable-sized rainbow trout are being stocked in lakes, ponds and rivers across Idaho this month!

That includes more than 14-thousand in Southwest Idaho, and right here in the Magic Valley, 900 trout are scheduled to be released into Filer Kids Pond and Filer Pond during November.

The fish typically measure between 10 and 12 inches, making them perfect for a family fishing trip!

And here’s a reminder. Idaho children under 14 don’t need a fishing license, although Filer Kids Pond is reserved for children 12 and younger.

Adults can purchase fishing licenses online and start fishing immediately.

Fish and Game says stocking dates may change depending on weather and water conditions.

For stocking locations, fishing regulations and license information, visit Idaho Fish and Game’s website at IDFG.Idaho.gov.

Weather

(MORNING DRIVE) We’re wrapping up the workweek with increasing clouds and a high near 63 today. Winds could gust up to 28 miles an hour. Rain moves in late tonight, with lows around 40. Tomorrow, Saturday, look for early showers, then clearing skies, breezy and cooler with a high near 50. Sunday brings sunshine and 58.

(AFTERNOON DRIVE) Clouds continue to build across the Magic Valley this afternoon, with highs near 63 and winds gusting up to 28 miles an hour. Rain moves in late tonight, with lows around 40. Tomorrow, Saturday, expect a few early showers, then gradual clearing. It’ll be windy and cooler, with a high near 50. Sunday brings sunshine and 58.

(EVENING/OVERNIGHT) Rain is moving into the Magic Valley overnight, with showers likely late tonight and lows around 40. Winds could gust up to 25 miles an hour. Tomorrow, Saturday, expect a few early showers before skies gradually clear. It’ll be windy and cooler, with a high near 50. Sunday brings sunshine and a high near 58.

(WEEKEND) We’re looking at a cooler, windy start to the weekend across the Magic Valley! Tomorrow, Saturday, a few early showers give way to clearing skies, with a high near 50 and wind gusts up to 31 miles an hour. Saturday night drops to 32. Sunday looks mostly sunny and warmer, with a high near 58!