Your Daily Briefing – 10/22/2026

🗳️ ELECTIONS & STATE GOVERNMENT

🗳️ ABSENTEE BALLOT & REGISTRATION DEADLINES

Idaho voters planning to vote absentee have a deadline tomorrow. Requests must reach the county clerk by 5 p.m. local time Friday, October 23, for the November 3 general election.

Voters must already be registered to request an absentee ballot. Requests can be made at Vote Idaho dot gov or through the county clerk’s office. If you’re mailing a request, it must arrive by the deadline.

Friday is also the deadline to register in advance. Eligible voters who miss that deadline can still register at their polling place on Election Day. Early voting is another option, with availability through county election offices.

This year’s ballot includes races for governor, attorney general, all 105 Idaho legislative seats and 3 congressional seats, along with statewide ballot measures and local contests. To check your registration, find your polling place or see a sample ballot, visit Vote Idaho dot gov.

💰 TOBACCO CONTRIBUTIONS — LITTLE & LABRADOR

Tobacco and nicotine companies have contributed more than $20,000 each to the re-election campaigns of Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Governor Brad Little.

The Idaho Capital Sun reports Labrador received $27,000, while Little received $25,000. The contributions come in the first statewide election cycle since Labrador reached a 2024 agreement with tobacco manufacturers over disputed settlement payments.

That deal secured money for Idaho upfront, but left the state without additional millions it might have recovered through continued litigation. Labrador says the agreement reduced legal costs and the risk of losing future cases.

Labrador says he did not discuss campaign contributions with the manufacturers and that the donations came after the litigation ended. Little’s campaign could not immediately be reached for comment.

Philip Morris International’s U.S. businesses say their political contributions are transparent and support candidates who understand issues affecting the company, its customers and trade partners.

🤖 AI DETECTORS FLAG OFFICIALS’ WRITING

Two commercial artificial intelligence detectors flagged articles and statements published under the names of Governor Brad Little, Attorney General Raúl Labrador, Superintendent Debbie Critchfield and other officials. None of the flagged texts disclosed AI assistance. Little’s and Labrador’s offices acknowledged using those tools but denied that AI had produced the entire pieces.

🚨 PUBLIC SAFETY & TRANSPORTATION

🚧 HIGHWAYS 25 & 24 — RAILROAD CROSSING CLOSURE

Drivers near the junction of State Highways 25 and 24 will need another route starting tonight. The railroad crossing closes in both directions at 8 p.m. with replacement work scheduled through Monday, October 26.

Crews will replace concrete, repair the ground beneath the crossing and put down new pavement to smooth out the rough roadway. The Idaho Transportation Department says this is the last crossing scheduled for those improvements, following similar projects in Buhl and Wendell.

Drivers should plan an alternate route and allow extra travel time.

🏍️ FILER — MOTORCYCLE & BACKHOE CRASH

1 person was flown to the hospital after a crash involving a motorcycle and a backhoe in Filer yesterday afternoon. Idaho State Police say it happened around 2:30 on North 2600 East, north of 4000 North.

A trooper at the scene said the backhoe was turning left when the motorcyclist tried to go around it on the left side and went off the road. There’s no word on the injured person’s condition.

State police and the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office responded, and North 2600 East was closed while crews worked at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.

⚖️ HEYBURN — CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION SENTENCE

A Heyburn man will spend at least 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to 6 counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

Caden Pharis was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years to life on each count. Those sentences will run concurrently.

Pharis originally faced 30 charges following his arrest in February. Investigators searching his home found electronic devices containing nearly 200 videos of child sexual abuse material. According to arrest records, numerous videos showed Pharis participating in the abuse, and many were produced on his devices.

The court also ordered Pharis to have no contact with any of the children involved.

🚔 MERIDIAN — APPARENT MURDER-SUICIDE

Meridian police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide after finding 2 people dead inside a home Tuesday afternoon.

Officers responded to a residence on North Christian Avenue around 1:48 for a welfare check. Police say concerns about someone inside included reports of a possible domestic violence incident.

Investigators say preliminary evidence indicates a husband fatally shot his wife before shooting himself. The circumstances remain under investigation.

Police urge people to take abuse and threats of violence seriously. Anyone who believes they or someone else is in immediate danger should call 911.

🚆 BONNER COUNTY — FATAL TRAIN COLLISION

A 23-year-old Spokane man died after being struck by a train early yesterday morning in northern Idaho.

Idaho State Police say it happened just before 2:55 a.m. near Dufort Road and Lakeshore Drive, west of Sagle in Bonner County. Investigators say the man was lying across the tracks when a northbound train struck him.

The train used its emergency brakes and stopped shortly afterward. The man’s family has been notified, and the investigation continues.

🚉 CALDWELL — RAILROAD QUIET ZONE DELAY

Train horns are still sounding through Caldwell—about 2 months after the city expected its new railroad quiet zone to take effect.

The city spent more than $200,000 installing raised medians at 7 crossings to keep drivers from going around lowered gates. But officials tell KTVB that federal approval remains on hold over a gap in the median at Ustick Road.

That opening allows irrigation crews to reach a ditch access road. Federal inspectors questioned whether it sits too close to the tracks. The city has submitted updated measurements it says show the crossing meets safety standards.

There’s no word on when federal regulators will make a decision. If the opening is rejected, the city will work with the irrigation district on another solution.

Residents remain divided. Some welcome relief from overnight train noise, while others want the audible warning to stay. Even with a quiet zone, engineers could still sound their horns in an emergency or when they spot a hazard.

🎓 EDUCATION

🏫 MARSING & HOMEDALE — ARMED SCHOOL EMPLOYEES

Marsing and Homedale approved policies allowing teachers and other employees to carry concealed firearms in schools. The rules were copied, word for word, from the program implemented by the Kimberly School District last year. Participants will need an Idaho enhanced concealed carry license, the superintendent’s recommendation, physical and psychological evaluations, annual school board approval and at least 40 hours of training.

📉 BLAINE COUNTY — SCHOOL ENROLLMENT DECLINE

The Blaine County School District began the school year with 2,685 students, down 6.6% from last spring and 16.3% from five years ago. Enrollment came in 5.1% below the projection used to prepare the budget. More than half of those who left the district moved to another county or state.

🔎 BLAINE COUNTY — SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH

Blaine County residents will have a chance to help shape the search for their next school superintendent. Jim Foudy plans to retire at the end of the 2026–2027 school year after more than 30 years in education.

The school board has hired HYA Associates, the same firm that helped with its last superintendent search. Board Chair Lara Stone says the advance notice gives the district time to hear from families, staff and the community.

Focus groups and public forums are planned for November 10 through 14. Residents will also be able to complete a survey about what they want in the district’s next leader.

The board hopes to begin interviews in early January and announce its choice by the February 9 board meeting. Candidates from Idaho and across the country will be considered.

Foudy says he’ll remain focused on supporting students and staff through the end of the school year. Details about the search and opportunities for public input will be posted on the district’s website.

🎓 UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO — ENROLLMENT & LAW SCHOOL

Fewer students are enrolled at the University of Idaho this fall, but its law school is welcoming its largest first-year class ever. The university reports 12,275 students overall, down about 1% from last year.

Undergraduate enrollment fell 3.4%, with international undergraduate numbers dropping nearly 22%. Graduate enrollment also slipped slightly.

The College of Law is moving in the other direction. Total law school enrollment climbed more than 10% to 553 students, alongside that record incoming class.

Meanwhile, the percentage of freshmen returning for their second year held steady at just over 77%. University leaders say keeping students enrolled remains a priority.

🏘️ COMMUNITY & HISTORIC PRESERVATION

🏛️ MINIDOKA — $5 MILLION RESTORATION

Historic buildings at Minidoka are getting a $5 million restoration to help preserve the stories of Japanese Americans incarcerated there during World War 2.

Federal funding will restore a root cellar, mess hall and barracks at Minidoka National Historic Site near Jerome. Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson joined park staff, local officials and Friends of Minidoka Wednesday to highlight the work.

Friends of Minidoka has also secured $650,000 in grants for exhibits and a digital mapping project identifying historic barracks and individual living quarters. The group is raising a final $100,000, with completion targeted for spring 2028.

More than 13,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated at Minidoka between 1942 and 1945, forcibly removed from their homes without due process or criminal charges.

Survivor Karen Hirai Olen, who was born at the camp in 1943, says she hopes visitors will learn what families endured—and remember that it should never happen to anyone else.

🏘️ BUHL — COMPREHENSIVE GROWTH PLAN

Buhl is planning for growth while working to preserve its small-town feel. The city adopted a new comprehensive plan in September—its first since 2017—to guide decisions on housing, development and transportation over the next decade.

The plan follows 2 years of community input. Planning and Zoning Clerk Pamala Pehrson says residents called for more affordable housing options, downtown economic development and growth that protects Buhl’s character.

Local business owner Lee Thompson welcomes the downtown focus. She says competing with nearby Twin Falls can be challenging, but customers appreciate being able to shop closer to home.

The comprehensive plan doesn’t establish specific policies or projects. Instead, it gives city leaders a guide for future decisions. Officials say the full plan will be available on the city’s website.

🏆 THURSDAY SPORTS

⚽ PREP SOCCER — STATE TOURNAMENTS BEGIN

The chase for state soccer championships starts today—and 7 Magic Valley teams are taking their shot at bringing home a trophy. Area schools have won at least 1 state soccer title in each of the past 9 years.

In Sandpoint, Twin Falls enters the 5A girls tournament as the No. 1 seed. Addisen Kohring leads the Bruins with 21 goals, followed by Ava Fleming with 19. Twin Falls has scored 73 goals this season while allowing fewer than half a goal per game. No. 3 seed Wood River is also in the field, coming off a 4–1 play-in victory over Skyview.

On the boys side, defending 5A champion Wood River opens against Columbia. The No. 2 Wolverines have won 10 straight, outscoring opponents 64–7 during that stretch. Hayden Gvozdas leads the attack with 20 goals and 16 assists. No. 4 Jerome is also a contender after beating Moscow 7–0 in its play-in game. The Tigers handed top-seeded Sandpoint its only loss of the season.

The 4A girls tournament is at Twin Falls High School, where No. 3 Kimberly opens against Teton. The Bulldogs are 17–1, with 88 goals scored and just 5 allowed. Hannah Fisher leads Kimberly with 25 goals as the Bulldogs pursue their first state championship.

And at Burley High School, No. 4 Sun Valley Community School faces Fruitland in the 4A boys tournament. Rasmus Lahdesmaki leads the Cutthroats with 16 goals. Wendell opens against Sugar-Salem, looking to reverse a 2–0 regular-season loss. Edgar Tena leads the Trojans with 23 goals as Wendell goes after its second state title in 3 years.

🏐 PREP VOLLEYBALL — STATE SEEDS & PLAY-IN MATCHES

Kimberly takes the top seed, Filer gets another shot, and 2 Magic Valley teams face win-or-go-home volleyball matches Saturday. The state tournament picture is coming together after Wednesday’s release of the final MaxPreps rankings.

Kimberly enters the 4A state tournament as the No. 1 seed at 29–6. The Bulldogs are unbeaten in 8 matches against teams in the 4A state field, with all 6 losses coming against 6A opponents. The last time Kimberly held the top seed, in 2022, the Bulldogs won their only state volleyball championship.

Filer also heads to state after securing an at-large berth. The Wildcats are 26–13 and take the No. 4 seed, up from No. 7 last year. Filer earned its spot despite falling to Kimberly in Tuesday’s district championship.

In 2A, Valley carries the No. 2 seed and a 23–2 record into the state tournament at Madison High School. Both losses came against Butte County. The district champion Vikings begin their pursuit of the program’s first state volleyball title Thursday, October 29.

Meanwhile, Hagerman earned an at-large opportunity but still needs a play-in victory to reach state. The Pirates host Grace Saturday at 1 p.m. Murtaugh hosts Garden Valley at the same time. For both teams, a win means a trip to state—a loss ends the season.

🏐 CSI VOLLEYBALL — HEATWOLE’S NATIONAL HONOR

A Kimberly native is getting national recognition for her work on the volleyball court. CSI sophomore Emerson Heatwole is the NJCAA Defensive Player of the Week, adding a national honor just 1 day after earning the conference’s weekly defensive award.

Heatwole totaled 35 digs and 11 assists across 7 sets against No. 2 Salt Lake last weekend. That included 25 digs and 9 assists in Saturday’s 4-set victory.

She now has 342 digs this season and 447 for her CSI career, putting her within reach of the 500 mark.

Heatwole and the 11th-ranked Golden Eagles host in-state rival North Idaho College Friday and Saturday.

⚽ IDAHO WOMEN’S SOCCER — HOMECOMING MATCH

Homecoming brings Idaho women’s soccer back to the Kibbie Dome tonight. The Vandals host Utah Tech at 7, with tickets priced at $5.

Idaho comes off a bye week at 7–3–4 overall and 1–1–2 in Big Sky play, looking to get back in the win column as the regular season winds down.

Utah Tech arrives at 7–6–2 overall and 3–2–1 in conference play after a 2–0 loss to Northern Arizona Sunday.

Tonight’s festivities include a student spirit competition, with fans encouraged to wear black and gold. The Vandals stay home Sunday to face Southern Utah at 1 p.m. for their senior celebration.

🏀 IDAHO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL — PRESEASON PICKS

The defending Big Sky champions have another preseason prediction to beat. Idaho women’s basketball is picked to finish 2nd behind Montana State in both the conference coaches and media polls released Wednesday.

The Vandals received 2 first-place votes from coaches and 3 from the media after winning last season’s regular-season and tournament championships.

Head coach Arthur Moreira returns 6 players, including 3 starters, while adding 8 newcomers. Returning guard Hope Hassmann, last season’s conference tournament MVP and a first-team all-conference selection, also earned a spot on this year’s preseason all-conference team.

The newcomers include transfers Keanna Salave’a from Sacramento State and Brynna Pukis from Long Beach State.

Idaho State, meanwhile, is picked 7th by the coaches and 6th by the media. Montana State’s Taylee Chirrick is the preseason conference MVP.

🏀 IDAHO STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL — EXHIBITION OPENER

Idaho State women’s basketball gets its first game action tomorrow, with the Bengals picked near the middle of the Big Sky preseason standings.

Idaho State landed 6th in the media poll and 7th in the coaches’ poll released Wednesday. Montana State is the favorite in both, followed by defending conference champion Idaho and Northern Colorado.

The Bengals host College of Idaho for an exhibition Friday at Reed Gym, then open the regular season November 3 at BYU.

Southern Utah and Utah Tech join the conference schedule this season. Idaho State hosts Southern Utah December 3 and Utah Tech December 5.

The season builds toward the Big Sky tournament March 5 through 10 at Idaho Central Arena in Boise.

🏈 IDAHO STATE FOOTBALL — PORTLAND STATE PREVIEW

Idaho State is looking for answers on offense—and a way to stop a 2-game skid—as Portland State comes to Pocatello Saturday.

Head coach Cody Hawkins says the Bengals’ last 2 games have been their worst back-to-back offensive performances of his tenure in points and yards. He says improvement starts with both the players and the coaching staff.

The quarterback situation remains unsettled. Hawkins says Jordan Cooke handled being replaced last week with maturity, staying engaged and helping teammates. After reviewing the film, Hawkins acknowledged some of the problems weren’t Cooke’s fault.

One bright spot is Juice Mason, who has scored a touchdown in 3 straight games. Hawkins says getting Mason more opportunities needs to be a priority.

Portland State presents a challenge with multiple quarterbacks and different offensive looks. Hawkins says the Vikings are creating big plays, winning the turnover battle and performing well on third down and special teams.

The Bengals host Portland State Saturday, October 24, at the ICCU Dome.

🏈 NFL WEEK 7 — BOISE STATE CONNECTIONS

From an early kickoff in France to Sunday night in Seattle, Boise State connections are all over the NFL’s Week 7 schedule.

Kellen Moore’s New Orleans Saints face Pittsburgh in France Sunday morning at 7:30 Mountain on NFL Network. The Saints are coming off a 34–27 win over the Giants that snapped a 3-game losing streak.

At 2:05, Denver visits Arizona on CBS. Former Broncos Kage Casey and JL Skinner are with a Denver team sitting at 4–2. Skinner made 2 special-teams tackles in last week’s win over Seattle.

At 2:25, Ashton Jeanty and the Raiders host the Rams on FOX. Jeanty scored his first rushing touchdown of the season last week and has more than 250 yards both rushing and receiving this year. Also at 2:25, Ahmed Hassanein and Detroit host Green Bay.

Then George Holani, DeMarcus Lawrence and the Seahawks welcome Kansas City for Sunday Night Football. Holani rushed for a touchdown last week, while Seattle’s defense leads the league in fewest yards allowed. Kickoff is 6:20 Mountain on NBC.

🔥 BOISE — OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY PROPOSAL

The Olympic flame could be headed back to Idaho. Boise is considering an agreement to host a stop on the torch relay ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The agreement went before the Boise City Council Tuesday. It calls for the city to help coordinate the relay and provide traffic control, medical services, security and cleanup. Boise could also nominate local residents to carry the torch, subject to Olympic approval.

The city says the agreement has no fiscal impact. A relay date has not been announced, but the Games open July 14, 2028.

The Olympic torch last visited Boise in January 2002, ahead of the Salt Lake City Winter Games. That route passed through Caldwell, Nampa and Meridian before a celebration at Boise’s Grove Plaza. The flame continued to Twin Falls the following day.

🌦️ WEATHER

🌅 MORNING DRIVE

Enjoy the warmth today—changes are coming! Mostly sunny with a high of 74 and a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Showers tonight, low 45. Tomorrow turns cloudy, wet and windy—just 50, with gusts to 32 miles an hour. Sunshine returns this weekend, with highs of 54 Saturday and 59 Sunday.

🌇 AFTERNOON DRIVE

Big changes on the way tonight! A chance of thunderstorms this afternoon, with a high near 74. Showers tonight, possibly a thunderstorm, and a low of 45. Tomorrow turns cooler and windy—showers likely, a high of just 50, and gusts to 32 miles an hour. Sunshine returns this weekend.

🌙 EVENING/OVERNIGHT

Keep an umbrella handy tonight—showers and possibly a thunderstorm, with a low around 45. Friday turns cooler and windy, with showers likely, a high of just 50, and gusts to 32 miles an hour. A few showers linger Friday evening, then sunshine returns Saturday with a high of 54.

🌧️ FRIDAY

Showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 50. West wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

🌙 FRIDAY NIGHT

A 30 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. West southwest wind 7 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.

🌤️ SATURDAY

Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.

🌙 SATURDAY NIGHT

Patchy fog after 3am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 32.

☀️ SUNDAY

Sunny, with a high near 59.

🌙 SUNDAY NIGHT

Mostly clear, with a low around 35.

☀️ MONDAY

Sunny, with a high near 62.

🌙 MONDAY NIGHT