IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls woman was arrested after she allegedly attacked a man with a knife Friday night.

Brandi K. Mcilraith, 41, is charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. She faces up to 15 years in prison and $50,000 in fines if convicted.

Police initially got a call at 12:43 a.m on Saturday from a home on Johnson Street. The victim told dispatch Mcilraith had stabbed him in the arm. Police arrived at the home and found the victim without a shirt, covered in blood and several visible wounds, according to court documents obtained by EastIdahoNews.com.

Mcilraith was in the home and immediately detained. When police searched the house, a knife with blood on the tip was found in the kitchen sink, appearing to have been washed with water. Police noted in their report that blood covered the floor throughout the home.

According to court documents, Mcilraith and the victim have been living together the past two weeks. She told police the victim had punched her in the face and that is why she allegedly grabbed the knife and allegedly stabbed the victim.

Police say in their report that Mcilraith had slight bruising to her head and was checked by medical staff at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. The victim told police Mcilraith had been in an altercation with her estranged husband two days earlier and that is where the injuries came from. The victim also said Mcilraith has “blacked out before” thinking her estranged husband is the man who she was in a relationship with and that is why she had allegedly grabbed the knife and attacked him.

“Based on (the victim’s) statements and injuries, two lacerations to the right arm and a puncture to the back. (The officers) agreed that (the victim’s) stab wounds were consistent with his statement about her waving the knife around,” according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The victim was examined at EIRMC and released.

Police then arrested Mcilraith, transporting her to the Bonneville County Jail. She appeared in court Monday and is being held on a $60,000 bond.

The following is a news release from the Idaho Falls Police Department.

On Tuesday, Dec. 11 at approximately 6:00 p.m., Idaho Falls Police were dispatched to the 1000 block of Irving Street in Idaho Falls for a welfare check. The officers attempted contact with the person of the house and discovered the resident was inside deceased.

Idaho Falls Police detectives were called to the location to assist with the investigation. The deceased was transported to Boise for a forensic autopsy.

Detectives are awaiting the final results of the autopsy, including toxicology, and the investigation is ongoing.

At this time, the Idaho Falls Police Department is not looking for other people involved and there is not threat to the public.

The deceased has been identified as 58-year-old Gina Singer.

The following is a news release from the state attorney general’s office.

BOISE – Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and the Idaho State Tax Commission are alerting Idahoans to a new tax scam targeting state residents.

The alert comes after a Nampa woman contacted the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division to verify the legitimacy of a document she’d received in the mail. The mailer was not legitimate, as it falsely claimed she owed $15,390 in income taxes to the State of Idaho.

The mailer was labeled as a “Notice of Default Pending Execution” and included two seals – though not official state seals – at the top. The scammers included a working telephone number in order to continue the fraud attempt via phone.

The mailer included a false return address of “Tax Processing Center, Branch 12 B” in Nampa. It was dated December 6, 2018 and was created to appear as though it originated at the “Canyon County Court House” in the “Office of Repossessions.”

“All scams pose a threat to those they target,” Wasden said. “But this one is particularly concerning because of how official the mailing looks. No matter how official a document appears, consumers should always initiate contact with proper authorities to double check. In this day and age, you just can’t be too careful.”

Idahoans can check the status of their state taxes with the State Tax Commission by calling 208-334-7660 or toll free at 1-800-972-7660.

“The more convincing a scam appears, the more dangerous it can be to taxpayers,” Idaho State Tax Commission Chairman Ken Roberts said. “Fraudsters continue to take advantage of people’s financial vulnerabilities and victimize innocent, hardworking citizens. The Tax Commission is committed to working with law enforcement to identify and stop this criminal behavior.”

The consumer alert is the second the Attorney General has issued in the last four days. The other detailed an uptick in the number of so-called imposter scams targeting Idahoans. Included on the list of active scams is the IRS scam, in which a caller pretends to be from the Internal Revenue Service and claims the target owes back taxes. The tax problems will disappear, the scammer says, if the recipient of the call pays the taxes via gift cards, iTunes cards, money wire, etc. Anyone who receives this type of call should hang up immediately.

If you have questions about these or other scams, call the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at (208) 334-2424 or toll free at 1-800-432-3545.

POCATELLO — Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen believes a local man may not have died if he had proper mental health treatment — something Nielsen said his jail is not equipped to provide.

Lance Allen Quick was arrested Dec. 8 and booked into the Bannock County Jail on a misdemeanor DUI charge. Quick apparently had a documented history of mental illness.

On Dec. 15, one week after being booked, Quick died of a heart attack just prior to being transported to State Hospital South for mental health treatment.

“He was too incoherent to be able to face arraignment. We had several calls to the Department of Health and Welfare to find a bed for him (in State Hospital South),” Nielsen said during a press conference Monday. “He was found incompetent and a danger to himself or others.”

Nielsen said Quick went into cardiac arrest while paperwork was being prepared for his transfer to the state hospital. Jail staff attempted CPR, and Quick was rushed to Portneuf Medical Center where he died. His death is now being investigated by the Tricounty Sheriff’s Association.

“Enough is enough. We’ve had a death in our jail. What else is it going to going to take to be able to get (mentally ill) people taken care of properly?” Nielsen said.

Nielsen said it’s common for people with mental illnesses to have misdemeanor charges against them. He said those charges are just a means to hold them in jail and keep them off the streets.

“It is not against the law to be mentally ill. But there are things that can be done to assist those that cannot assist themselves,” Nielsen said. “I, meaning representing the sheriffs, have more people in the Department of Correction and in the jails than the state does in state hospitals. And that should be an alarm.”

He said his office is not equipped or trained to properly care for those suffering from mental illnesses. He said it is the state’s responsibility to care for them.

The following is a news release from the city of Idaho Falls.

IDAHO FALLS – Pretty soon talking on the phone while driving could cost you.

The Idaho Falls Police Department will be out in the community on December 19th looking for people driving with phone-in-hand, talking or texting in violation of city code.

Residents who are spotted using their phones are going to be pulled over, but they won’t get a $100 fine just yet.

RELATED | Idaho Falls recent ban of cell phone use while driving prompting other communities to do the same

Officers will be specifically targeting phone using motorists that day to help educate them about the new hands-free law and to remind them that if they are pulled over after December 31, they won’t get a warning, they’ll get a ticket.

“This is a law that will help save lives,” says Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson. “We want to help people understand that if we see you on the phone, we can pull you over and issue you a citation. The first offense is $100. That may seem like a lot, but if you ask yourself what a life is worth, it really isn’t. Our goal here is not to write tickets, but rather to save lives.”

Driving while on the phone is a primary offense, meaning if police see someone on the phone while driving, they can be pulled over. The first offense is $100. The second is $200 and a third violation is a misdemeanor citation.

The ordinance was passed back in October, but the city has delayed enforcement in order to help educate residents and give them time to get used to putting the phones down, getting hands free devices or Bluetooth enabled equipment to allow them to be in compliance with the new law.

Since October, there have been a variety of news stories about the new law and there has been a social media effort to help make people aware, in addition to mobile electronic reader boards throughout the city.

Since Idaho Falls passed the ordinance, several other cities have also enacted or are considering hands free ordinances including Pocatello and Blackfoot.

IDAHO FALLS — A new partnership with the College of Eastern Idaho will allow students in the Idaho Falls School District 91 to earn a year’s worth of college credits while still in high school.

Starting in January, high school juniors and seniors in the district can apply for the “Jumpstart College Program,” which allows participants to earn up to 36 credits, or a year’s worth of college coursework, before graduating from high school.

“We are excited about being the first school district to partner with College of Eastern Idaho to expand opportunities for our students,” said Sarah Sanders, Idaho Falls’ Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education.

So-called GEM credits are typically required by colleges and include introductory coursework from across the curriculum, from English and communications to political science.

Credits earned in the program will count toward the district’s graduation requirements and are recognized by all of Idaho’s colleges and universities.

Participants will be able to use state-allocated funds for dual credit courses to complete the program – the $4,125 allocated to every Idaho student in grades 7-12 through the state’s Advanced Opportunities program.

To be accepted into the program, students must have enough high school credits to qualify as a junior in the district. They must also be at least 16 years old during their first semester. Other caveats include:

• Having a 3.0 grade-point average.
• Having good high school attendance.
• Having parent permission.
• Attending CEI’s April orientation and enrolling in CEI courses.

Most of the program’s classes will be offered on CEI’s campus, the district said, so participants must provide their own transportation.

This article was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on December 17, 2018. It is used here with permission.

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Like clockwork, whenever the U.S. Department of Interior’s top position opens up, names of Idaho politicians surface as potential nominees.

This isn’t without reason.

Typically the secretary of interior position is filled by someone from the West, which is home to the majority of federally owned land the agency oversees.

Additionally, Idaho has fielded two secretaries of interior: Democrat Cecil Andrus held the position from 1977 to 1981, serving under President Jimmy Carter; Republican Dirk Kempthorne held the position from 2006 to 2009, serving under President George W. Bush.

With the news of Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke’s departure at the end of the year, both outgoing Gov. Butch Otter and outgoing U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador appeared in national news reports over the weekend naming potential nominees. None of the reporting named the sources of this information.

Both Otter and Labrador were considered for the post by President Donald Trump in 2016 — the nomination went to Zinke of Montana.

The Associated Press reported Labrador planned to go to the White House on Saturday to discuss the job with officials, according to a “GOP congressional aide who spoke on condition of anonymity.”

Trump announced via Twitter on Dec. 15 that he will announce a new secretary of interior this week.

Secretary of the Interior @RyanZinke will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years. Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation…….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2018

…….The Trump Administration will be announcing the new Secretary of the Interior next week.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2018

“There is nothing I can say about the rumors going around regarding the governor and the position at Department of Interior,” Otter spokesman Jon Hanian told the Statesman on Monday.

Labrador’s office did not immediately respond to the Statesman’s query.

If Labrador is a serious contender, Trump would need to forgive and forget previous comments of Labrador’s about the president.

Last month the New York Times reported Gov.-elect Brad Little’s campaign had thwarted an effort by Labrador, who was challenging Little in the May GOP gubernatorial primary, to get Trump’s endorsement.

“When a group of lawmakers and White House aides lobbied Mr. Trump to endorse Representative Raul Labrador, a hard-liner running for governor in Idaho, supporters of a competing candidate, Lt. Gov. Brad Little, sprang into action. They assembled footage of Mr. Labrador criticizing Mr. Trump during the 2016 primary, when he was backing Senator Ted Cruz, and steered it to the West Wing,” the New York Times reported Nov. 7. “The endorsement was off. The day after Idaho’s primary, Mr. Trump phoned the triumphant Mr. Little and, unaware of the tape’s genesis, asked: ‘Did you see that video?’”

This article was originally published in the Idaho Statesman. It is used here with permission.

IDAHO FALLS — The Bonneville School District’s board of trustees named four in its search for a new superintendent.

Longtime superintendent Chuck Shackett is retiring at the end of this school year.

Trustees reviewed and discussed candidates’ qualifications for over two hours during an executive session Monday night. The board returned to open session and publicly forwarded four names on for further consideration.

Monday’s meeting was part of the school board’s self-imposed timeline to replace Shackett by Feb. 13. Semifinalists include:

Scott Woolstenhulme

Woolstenhulme is the Bonneville School District’s assistant superintendent. He directs the human resource office and is in charge of updating job descriptions, reviewing applications and hiring both certified and classified employees, according to the district’s webpage. Woolstenhulme also oversees “supervision and evaluation of all district employees, personnel files, equal opportunity and worker’s compensation,” the webpage reads.

Jon Abrams

Abrams is the superintendent of Laramie School District, in Pine Bluffs, Wyo. The district’s webpage outlines his commitment to “always put students first in every decision that we make,” adding that “(a)ll decisions in the school district will focus on how we can prepare our students to be successful and fulfill whatever their dreams are as they graduate from high school.”

Brian Recht

Recht is the superintendent of Pinnacle Charter School, in Westminister, Colo. A webpage provided by the Bonneville School District identifies Pinnacle as part of the Adams County Education Consortium, which is focused on career readiness. “ACEC’s programs are built to expose students to the skills that are critical in today’s workplace,” the webpage reads. “These skills are commonly referred to as 21st Century skills and include characteristics like critical thinking, problem solving, media and information literacy, collaboration, and more.”

Tom Meyer

Meyer is the superintendent of the Bellevue Community School District, in Bellevue, Iowa. Meyer touts on the district’s webpage a focus on “preparing our young people for success in an ever changing global society,” and an “outstanding preschool for both 3- and 4-year-old-students.” He also says the district provides programs and resources focused on “providing students with the skills and attitudes needed for success in a global society.”

This article was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on December 18, 2018. It is used here with permission.

REXBURG — An Idaho Falls man was arrested for two felonies after police say he attempted to steal about 40 items from the Rexburg Walmart.

Rexburg Police Chief Shane Turman says Kelton Jake Chapman, 28, traveled from Idaho Falls to Rexburg intending to use a tool to remove anti-theft sensors from products at the Walmart on Second East and steal them.

Police reports show Chapman showed up to the store without cash and took about 40 things from the electronics department. The items included Bluetooth speakers, drones and flashlights.

While he was trying to remove the anti-theft sensors, he was discovered by Walmart security, who alerted police, Turman said. Chapman was arrested for felony burglary and felony possession of burglary tools. He was booked into the Madison County Jail and will appear in court Tuesday afternoon.

Chapman has previously been arrested for petty thefts, a variety of drug charges and domestic abuse.

IDAHO FALLS — Authorities are asking for the public’s help to locate a female inmate who walked away from work release more than a month ago.

Shauna Kay Brumfield, 42, of Blackfoot, who was incarcerated on drug charges, left the Bonneville County Jail’s Work Release Center on Nov. 24 for her job. Deputies believe she worked her shift at Dairy Queen on 17th Street in Idaho Falls but failed to return to the jail during the early hours of Nov. 25.

Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputies have been investigating this case since that time, but have no concrete information about her whereabouts.

Sheriff’s spokesman Bryan Lovell says the office does get infrequent work release walkaways; however, most are found and returned quickly. Brumfield’s family has not seen her, and deputies have not receive credible tips on her whereabouts.

An arrest warrant has been issued in connection with the escape.

Idaho Falls/Bonneville County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information leading to Brumfield’s arrest. Anyone with information about her is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at (208) 522-1983 or www.ifcrime.org, or through their Facebook page.

You can remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward.

IDAHO FALLS — Comprehensive Care Clinics in Idaho Falls is officially open, and it’s honoring female veterans.

State and city leaders and members of the community gathered at 3302 Valencia Drive in Idaho Falls on Monday night for the ribbon cutting and open house.

Dr. Fahim Rahim says the clinic is to be a one-stop-shop that provides quality medical care at a lower cost.

“We will have a team of specialists — heart doctors, kidney doctors, along with orthopedic, spinal and pain surgeons (and others) all under one roof,” Rahim previously told EastIdahoNews.com. “You can see your family doctor in one corner. If you also need to see an orthopedic surgeon, you can just walk upstairs and get an x-ray on your knee. If the orthopedic surgeon decides you need surgery or some other procedure, you can get it done right here. You can get the labs done here and even visit a pharmacy.”

RELATED | New clinic offering ‘one-stop-shop’ healthcare opens this month in Idaho Falls

But the event wasn’t just about medical convenience for patients — a memorial honoring female veterans was unveiled on the north side of the building.

It was inspired by Carrie French of Caldwell, who died at the age of 19 in the Iraq war.

“Two years ago, I made a promise to (Paula Hylinski, Carrie’s mother) that we’d (honor) all female veterans of Idaho with a memorial. What you see here is the (culmination) of two years worth of work,” Rahim said.

The memorial was also partly inspired by Rahim’s mother, who is a veteran as well. He says having a place to honor all women who make sacrifices for freedom was important to him.

Kristol Coker, the creator of the memorial sculpture, said the focus of the memorial was not only to honor veterans but also to have veterans honor themselves.

“We do a good job of honoring our vets and thanking them for their service, but what really spoke to me was having vets honor themselves,” Coker said. “We know they honor those they work with, but to have them honor themselves and all they have accomplished was the focus of (this project) for me.”

The memorial was created to serve as a constant reminder about the price of freedom and be an inspiration for furthering that cause, Rahim says.

“This (memorial) is a simple way to add value to our community,” Rahim tells EastIdahoNews.com. “Every time we walk in this building, we can look at this sculpture to remind us (that the things we’re able to do today are possible because) there was someone’s hard work and sacrifice behind it.”

Also honored were several nonprofits selected by Rahim’s JRM Foundation, which included Building Hope Today, the Mayoral Scholarship Fund and PTSD Veteran Athletes, which received grants. Among those in attendance were Blane Uthman, the clinic’s CEO and administrator, Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper, Lt. Gov.-Elect Janice McGeachin and representatives from Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo’s office.

IDAHO FALLS — The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for several higher elevation areas, particularly along the Wyoming and Montana borders.

The advisory area includes Island Park and Victor and some parts of western Madison, Bonneville and Teton counties. Most of western Wyoming and southern Montana and nearly all the nearby mountain passes are also under the advisory. The warning is in effect starting Tuesday afternoon until 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Between 3 to 5 inches of snow is possible with localized amounts of 8 inches possible in some areas. Winds gusting as high as 30 mph will cause patchy blowing and drifting snow.

Officials urge caution as snow will accumulate on the road, and visibility may be limited.

IDAHO FALLS — A proposed city ordinance may soon make cat licensing a requirement for owners if several other conditions are not met.

In the past, licensing a cat was optional for its owner. Under the proposed ordinance, every cat that isn’t vaccinated, chipped or altered would have to be licensed yearly.

“(The ordinance) will give us more cats that are accounted for,” Idaho Falls Animal Control Officer Laramie Pancheri told EastIdahoNews.com. “We’ll know where they belong, that they’re actual pets as opposed just the wild stray ones running around.”

Pancheri said by knowing which cats are owned, animal control can know where to direct their resources.

RELATED: IFPD launches program to deal with feral cat problem

“That will help us be able to determine where we need to focus our attention and funding to help get a better handle on the overpopulation of cats,” Pancheri said.

Dog owners may already be familiar with these licensing requirements. City code regarding dog ownership is essentially staying the same. The only change is instead of renewing licenses every three years, the cat ordinance would be done yearly.

“For altered animals, it’s $10, unaltered it’s $30 — and that’s per year,” Pancheri said.

Licenses expire on Dec. 31 of the year in which the animal was licensed.

Any unaltered cats impounded at the Animal Control Shelter twice in one year will need to be spayed or neutered before the owners can reclaim them.

“As always, spay and neuter,” Pancheri said.

The City Council will vote on the ordinance Thursday.

Nearly everywhere I’ve gone this month, somebody has stopped me to say how much they’ve enjoyed our Secret Santa videos.

Some of you say it’s the highlight of your Christmas season. Many of you have been inspired to do your own Secret Santa type project. For all of us, I think it’s a reminder of how much we have to be grateful for and that there are so many good, strong, deserving people living among us who just need a break.

The Secret Santa stories have reached millions of people around the world. Yesterday we received a message from the Netherlands asking if Secret Santa could send the EastIdahoNews.com elves there. Australian media have written about our surprises and countless news organizations in America have covered the touching stories.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE LATEST SECRET SANTA SURPRISES

Secret Santa is not only changing the lives of those receiving a gift, but many of you have told us you’ve been changed. We’d like to know how.

You can remain anonymous but we may include your answers in an upcoming story.

This has been a magical season for all of at EastIdahoNews.com. We will be busy for the next week passing out gifts and maybe we’ll see some of you along the way. Please stop and say hi.

We’ve been helping Secret Santa for four years now but there’s something extra special this Christmas – and we are thankful to share the holiday spirit with all of you.

When Becky Madsen was eight years old, she got chicken pox on Christmas Eve. She took an Aspirin to lower her fever and it caused her to be in a coma for three months.

She is now blind and in a wheelchair. She is unable to work, but that didn’t stop her from going to college, getting married and adopting a baby. Her son was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and he is now 15 going to a local high school.

Becky has an automatic and manual wheelchair. Both are broken and she is unable to afford repairs or new chairs.

Secret Santa felt Becky was deserving of a new wheelchair so he asked the EastIdahoNews.com elves to go surprise her with the good news. Watch the video above to see the surprise!

SHELLEY — Shelley High School principal Eric Lords unexpectedly resigned Friday.

The resignation comes after two and a half years as Shelley High School’s principal. Shelley School District 60 Superintendent Dr. Bryan Jolley said the resignation was for personal reasons and couldn’t elaborate any more than that.

“We’re sad to lose Mr. Lords. He did a lot of good at that high school,” Jolley said. “He took over during a pretty trying time and turned the culture of the school around and turned it into a positive thing.”

Lords was originally hired in 2016. Prior to his role as principal he had worked in education for 22 years.

“It’s just unfortunate circumstances here that created the need for him to resign,” Jolley said.

Assistant principal Burke Davis will take over as interim principal for the time being.

“The board has full confidence he’ll do a great job for us. We’re excited to have him,” Jolley said.

GRAPHIC WARNING:This story contains graphic content of a sexual nature. Reader discretion is advised.

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah (KSL.com) — A Pleasant Grove man has been charged with the rape of a 14-year-old girl who believed he was an armed, retired CIA agent, according to jail and court documents.

David Pemberton, 52, was booked into the Utah County Jail on Dec. 6, according to jail records. He was charged with rape, obstructing justice and contributing to the delinquency of a minor about a week later, court records state.

Pemberton, who was considered a friend of the victim’s family, was in his home with his 15-year-old stepdaughter and the 14-year-old victim on Nov. 11 when he asked the victim to come into his bedroom to talk about another one of her friends, who also lived in the home, according to jail records.

After a short conversation about the victim’s friend, Pemberton gave her a “vaping e-cigarette,” and she asked if she could pay him cash for the device. He said, “no” but asked if he could touch her, court records state.

Pemberton then began rubbing her genitals and back and asked her to pull down her pants and underwear, according to court documents. When she did so, he had sexual intercourse with her, court documents state. The victim stated that she complied with his orders throughout the encounter because she believed he was a retired CIA agent who “held authority” and was known to carry a concealed firearm, jail records state.

As she was leaving his room, Pemberton told her to clean up and “not to worry about pregnancy because he had had a vasectomy,” according to court documents.

The victim told police she kept the encounter a secret for several days but finally told a close friend about it, as she began to experience depression and suicidal ideation, court records state.

Pemberton found himself alone with the victim outside her house a few weeks later and told her she should tell her friend that she fabricated the story about them having sex because, “You never know who you can trust these days,” jail records state. However, the victim told police that she didn’t recant her story.

Soon after, the victim’s mother became worried about her daughter’s symptoms of depression and went through her cellphone, where she found messages to friends detailing the sexual encounter with Pemberton, according to court records.

The incident was reported to police and the victim received treatment.

Police later asked the 14-year-old to call Pemberton while they listened in. The victim told Pemberton about her depression and suicidal ideation, ascribing it to their sexual encounter and asked him to admit what happened. Pemberton took a long pause and then denied the encounter, court documents stated.

Police said the victim’s story remained the same when describing the incident to police, a Department of Child and Family Services caseworker and Pemberton, adding “great credibility” to her account, jail records stated.

When police contacted Pemberton later that day, he told them he had talked to the victim on the phone about her experiences with depression and suicidal ideation brought on by “personal issues,” according to court records. When police pressed him on what “personal issues” she had disclosed, he said she had accused him of having sex with her.

Pemberton told police, however, that when the victim began to describe the sexual encounter to him, he cut her off, court records state.

“The police, having listened to and recorded the same phone conversation, knew this was not true,” court records say. “While they report that Mr. Pemberton did not admit having sex with (the victim), they describe his denials as weak and hesitant and inconsistent.”

Pemberton later confessed to his wife during a phone call at the jail that he had had sex with the victim, court records stated. His wife encouraged him to confess to police, and he told her he would.

Pemberton does have a previous history of serious criminal activity in Utah.

This article was originally published by KSL.com. It is used here with permission.

IDAHO FALLS — Police are investigating the suspicious death of a man found dead after a house fire.

Around 6:20 a.m. Wednesday, the Idaho Falls Police Department and Idaho Falls Fire Department were dispatched to a cardiac arrest call on Short Street.

Officers arrived on scene and found the reporting party. They were told there had been a fire inside the home, and there was a dead person inside. The fire also appeared to have been put out.

IFPD Lt. Joel Tisdale said the cause of death has yet to be determined. He said it’s unclear if the fire broke out before or after the man died. The man’s body is being sent to Boise for an autopsy.

The identity of the deceased has not been released yet.

Firefighters are investigating the cause of the fire.

REXBUG — Teacher candidates at Brigham Young University-Idaho appear to be in limbo after state officials determined some of the university’s middle school endorsement coursework falls short of state requirements.

In October, a 12-member state review team evaluated BYU-Idaho’s educator preparation program. Officials examined approximately 10 percent of the university’s institutional recommendation forms from 2015 to 2018. The forms are designed to verify that candidates have met state certification requirements. A draft report resulting from the October review shows that BYU-Idaho’s reviewed institutional recommendations did not meet state rule requirements for subject-area endorsements for grades 5-9 for at least one of the following reasons:

• Insufficient minimum credit requirements.
• Insufficient content.
• A math endorsement lacking appropriate subject-area assessment and content.
• Earth and space science and natural science courses that lacked a secondary science methods requirement.

BYU-Idaho, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and located some 30 miles north of Idaho Falls, in Rexburg, is a major supplier to Idaho’s teacher pipeline. The university’s teacher prep program graduated 384 students in 2017, according to the Federal Title II report numbers. By comparison, all other teacher preparation programs in Idaho saw 545 graduates that same year.

It’s unclear how the program’s shortfalls are affecting students seeking their 5-9 teaching endorsement, or what the university is doing to correct the problem. In an email obtained by Idaho Education News, BYU-Idaho Teacher Education Department Chair Karla LaOrange informed students of the state’s findings. While LaOrange assured students that “a team of faculty members, deans, and vice-presidents are working in (their) behalf,” she did not include specifics about addressing the issue, or if students will have to repeat coursework.

“Since we have been informed of this issue, BYU-Idaho has been working closely with the State to rectify the situation and allow you to obtain a teaching certificate,” LaOrange told students.

Idaho Education News requested more information from the university, including what the issue means for current students. BYU-Idaho spokesman Brett Crandall declined to comment.

The State Department of Education’s chief certification officer Lisa Colón Durham, a state observer of the October program review, stressed that the report was still in draft form, and that BYU-Idaho is within the timeframe for submitting either factual corrections or a rejoinder.

Colón Durham also acknowledged that the school’s program needs to address the problem.

“We’ve identified where the holes are,” Colón Durham said. “How they are going to fix this is up to them.”

This article was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on December 19, 2018. It is used here with permission.

BOISE (Idaho Statesman)– Two Idaho State University football players — one current, one former — are suing Idaho and Utah law enforcement agencies, claiming that they were illegally detained and arrested, and then spent more than 24 hours in police custody after being suspected of robbing an Idaho bank.

Nehemiah McFarlin and Atoatasi Fox, who are both African-American, played on the ISU football team together in 2016 as 18-year-olds. McFarlin played this season with the Bengals; Fox’s last year with the team was 2017, according to the athletic department.

“Other than being black, neither McFarlin nor Fox matched the description of the robbery participant,” states a complaint filed Dec. 5 in Utah federal court.

On Dec. 14, 2016, McFarlin and Fox were traveling home for the holidays in McFarlin’s 2017 Chevy Camaro. While driving on Interstate 15 near Malad, McFarlin hit a slick patch and briefly lost control of his car, which went into the median and sustained front-end damage. McFarlin decided to keep driving, but after traveling a few more miles, he pulled over at an exit in Box Elder County, Utah, and called a roadside assistance company.

While McFarlin and Fox were waiting for assistance, two Utah Highway Patrol officers arrived. With weapons drawn, the officers ordered McFarlin and Fox out of the car, searched them, handcuffed them and told them they were under arrest for robbing a bank in Malad.

Earlier that day, following an armed bank robbery, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office had put out an attempt-to-locate bulletin on a white passenger car with no license plate driven by a black male. A resident allegedly called Box Elder County dispatch and reported two black males in a white car at an I-15 exit.

Additional Utah and Idaho officers arrived on scene. McFarlin and Fox insisted that they were innocent, had alibis and could not have been in Malad at the time of the robbery, according to the documents.

Police transported McFarlin and Fox to Box Elder County Jail, where they were booked and told that they would be extradited to Idaho.

“Throughout the ordeal, McFarlin and Fox were coerced, berated and threatened, and informed they were going to prison for a very long time,” states the complaint.

Police also seized and searched McFarlin’s Camaro, finding no evidence from any robbery.

Eventually, “after Oneida County Sheriff [Jeff] Semrad finally listened to and examined a few of the obvious and apparent facts,” McFarlin and Fox were released at Oneida County’s request at 6 p.m. the following day.

McFarlin and Fox are seeking at least $10,000 apiece in damages for the alleged civil rights violations, including illegal search, seizure and arrest based on their race.

This story was originally published in the Idaho Statesman. It is used here with permission.