📰 Monday News: Fatal Gooding County Crash, First Flu Death in Idaho, and a Big Weekend for Local Sports

Monday, October 26, 2026 | Kat Kountry 106

  A fatal rollover crash in Gooding County, Idaho’s first flu-related death of the season, and a prison sentence following a police chase near the Jerome-Minidoka County line are among the top stories this Monday.

Meanwhile, high school football wrapped up its regular season with some stunning scores, the College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles had a big weekend on the volleyball court, and Boise State is climbing the national rankings. Here’s what’s happening across the Magic Valley and beyond. 👇

🚨 Fatal Rollover Crash Under Investigation in Gooding County

Idaho State Police are investigating a deadly rollover crash that occurred Sunday afternoon, October 25, in Gooding County.

According to investigators, the crash happened at approximately 4:32 p.m. on 1800 East near South 2251. A 21-year-old woman from Gooding was driving a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan southbound with a 20-year-old female passenger, also from Gooding.

Police say the driver lost control of the vehicle, which left the roadway and rolled.

The driver was transported by ground ambulance to a local hospital. Tragically, the passenger died at the scene.

Idaho State Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. 💔

🚒 Commercial Vehicle Fire Draws Multiple Agencies to Bellevue

Firefighters responded to a commercial vehicle fire early Saturday morning in Bellevue.

The Bellevue Fire Department quickly extinguished the blaze, with assistance from Blaine County Fire and Rescue, the Hailey Fire Department, and the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Officials asked the public to stay clear of the scene until the vehicle could be removed, with removal expected Monday morning.

No additional details about the cause of the fire were provided.

🤧 Idaho Reports First Flu-Related Death of the Season

Idaho health officials are urging residents to take precautions as flu activity increases across the state and the nation.

The first reported influenza-related death of Idaho’s 2026–2027 flu season involved an Owyhee County resident over the age of 65.

Idaho Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Kathryn Turner says western states are currently experiencing some of the highest flu activity levels in the country.

State officials also report that flu-related emergency department and urgent care visits have been higher over the past two weeks than during the same period last year.

Idaho has averaged approximately 60 reported flu-related deaths annually over the past five seasons, with most deaths involving people over age 50.

🩺 Health officials recommend taking precautions

The annual flu vaccine can help reduce the risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and death. This season’s vaccines are designed to protect against three influenza viruses expected to circulate.

Other recommended precautions include:

• 💉 Getting an annual flu vaccination.
• 🧼 Washing your hands regularly.
• 🤧 Covering coughs and sneezes.
• 🏠 Staying home when you’re sick.

Adults 65 and older, young children, pregnant women, and people with chronic health conditions are among those at higher risk for serious complications.

Flu symptoms can include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headaches, chills, and fatigue. Although many people recover within a few days, influenza can lead to serious complications.

❤️ Twin Falls Organizes Support Sessions Following Canyon Park West Shooting

The City of Twin Falls is coordinating community support sessions for people affected by the August 1 shooting at Canyon Park West.

The sessions will be conducted with NOVA, a national organization that helps communities recover after traumatic events.

The program will offer emotional support, explain common reactions to trauma, and connect participants with resources for continued recovery.

Support is intended for In-N-Out employees, first responders, nearby businesses, and other community members affected by the incident.

📅 Upcoming support sessions

• October 28: 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. and 6–7:30 p.m.
• October 29: 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. and 6–7:30 p.m.
• October 30: 9–10:30 a.m.
• November 7: 9–10:30 a.m.

The October 28 evening session will take place in the Canyon Ridge High School auditorium. The other sessions are scheduled for the boardroom at 160 Gooding Street West, although the city says final location and participation details are still being coordinated.

NOVA is also working with local schools to support staff. Longer-term plans include follow-up check-ins, guidance for memorials and anniversaries, and future training for local crisis responders.

The goal is to help community members continue their recovery and access support in the weeks and months ahead. 💙

🦌 Idaho Fish and Game Seeks Public Input on Hunting Rule Changes

Idaho Fish and Game is asking hunters and other residents to weigh in on proposed changes involving electronic tagging and chronic wasting disease management.

One proposal would expand electronic tagging options to additional bird species, including sage grouse, turkey, sandhill crane, and swan, as well as upland game permits.

The department already offers electronic tagging for salmon and steelhead, allowing anglers to notch tags on a phone and submit harvest information directly to Fish and Game.

Officials say expanding the option could make tagging more convenient for hunters who might otherwise have to deal with paper tags that become wet, fade, or get lost. Paper tags would remain available.

🦌 Proposed chronic wasting disease changes

The second proposal focuses on chronic wasting disease, commonly known as CWD, which affects deer and other members of the deer family.

The proposed changes would give Fish and Game greater flexibility to manage CWD zones down to individual game management units.

Under the proposal, whole carcasses could not be transported between units within a CWD management zone. Deer harvested in an affected zone would also need appropriate testing before being moved outside the area.

Fish and Game says the disease has been detected in Idaho’s Clearwater and Panhandle regions, but no cases have been found in the Magic Valley.

⏰ Public comments are due Wednesday, October 28. Residents can review the proposals and submit feedback through the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s website.

Officials say public input will help determine whether revisions are needed before the proposals are presented to the commission.

🚔 Texas Man Sentenced Following Police Chase Near Jerome-Minidoka County Line

A police pursuit that ended in a cornfield near the Jerome-Minidoka county line has resulted in a lengthy prison sentence for a Texas man.

Thirty-four-year-old Ashby Winchester Skeen was sentenced to concurrent terms of five years fixed for eluding police and five to 14 years for grand theft.

Authorities say Skeen stole a box truck from Caldwell in July. Investigators tracked the vehicle using GPS, leading officers on a pursuit along Interstate 84.

After police deployed tire spikes, the truck crashed through fences and irrigation lines near the Jerome-Minidoka county line before coming to a stop in a cornfield.

Skeen reportedly avoided capture for several hours before a nearby resident contacted authorities after he stopped at their home asking for water.

In addition to his prison sentence, Skeen was ordered to pay approximately $1,200 in property damage. Additional restitution for damage to the truck remains to be determined.

⚖️ Jerome County Defendant Could Face Deportation After Prison Treatment Program

A 36-year-old man sentenced in Jerome County on charges involving child sexual abuse material could face deportation after completing a treatment program through the Idaho Department of Correction.

District Judge Rosemary Emory sentenced Hector Martinez-Cabrera to 10 years in prison but retained jurisdiction, giving him an opportunity to complete treatment and potentially qualify for probation rather than serving the entire sentence.

According to Jerome County Prosecutor Sam Beus, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on Martinez-Cabrera. Federal authorities could take custody of him for possible deportation if he is released on probation.

The case began after investigators received a cybertip and discovered child sexual abuse material in a cloud account linked to an electronic device.

Martinez-Cabrera originally faced 15 felony counts but pleaded guilty to two under a plea agreement. He had already spent 540 days in jail.

Judge Emory emphasized the seriousness of the crimes, noting that the material involves real victims and that sentences must also serve as a deterrent.

🏈 High School Football: Hagerman Dominates Raft River in Top-Ranked Showdown

The regular season wrapped up across Southern Idaho with a major statement from Hagerman and several games that went down to the wire.

The biggest result of the weekend came when No. 1 Hagerman shut out No. 2 Raft River, 42–0.

Will Mavencamp accounted for five touchdowns, throwing for 236 yards and three scores while adding 97 rushing yards and two more touchdowns. Jace Leavitt caught five passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns, while Adam Nelson recorded three sacks.

Despite the lopsided result, both Hagerman and Raft River finished the regular season with 8–1 records.

🏆 Other area football scores

• Declo edged Buhl, 7–6.
• Murtaugh defeated Glenns Ferry, 30–24, in double overtime.
• Valley slipped past Hansen, 38–34.
• Dietrich beat Cascade, 18–8.
• Twin Falls topped Minico, 28–14.
• Burley defeated Mountain Home, 56–22.
• Canyon Ridge beat Jerome, 22–6.
• Wood River rolled past Filer, 47–7.
• Kimberly shut out Gooding, 42–0.
• Castleford outscored Richfield, 51–42.
• Carey blanked Lighthouse Christian, 64–0.
• Oakley shut out Shoshone, 54–0.

With the regular season complete, attention now turns to the postseason for teams chasing championship opportunities. 🏈

⚽ Twin Falls Falls in Double Overtime as Area Soccer Teams Wrap Up State Tournament

The Twin Falls girls soccer team came up just short in the 5A state championship, falling to Pocatello, 2–1, in double overtime.

Josie Carpenter scored the Bruins’ lone goal as Twin Falls finished second in the state.

Several other area teams finished their tournaments with consolation championships.

• Wood River girls: Defeated Vallivue, 1–0, to win the 5A consolation title.
• Kimberly girls: Beat McCall-Donnelly, 1–0, for the 4A consolation championship. Hannah Fisher scored the deciding goal on an assist from Cassidy Johnson.
• Wendell boys: Defeated Fruitland, 3–1, to win the 4A consolation championship. Edgar Tena, Jafry Bush, and Alexander Hurtado each scored.
• Sun Valley boys: Lost their third-place match, 2–1, in overtime.
• Wood River boys: Fell to Idaho Falls, 2–0, in the 5A third-place match.

Congratulations to the local teams on their tournament runs! ⚽

🏐 Nine Area Volleyball Teams Prepare for State Tournament

Idaho’s state high school volleyball tournaments open Thursday, October 29, with nine area teams preparing to compete across five classifications.

Kimberly enters the tournament as the top seed in 4A, while Carey, Oakley, and several other local teams will look to make a run at state titles.

📍 Area teams and opening matches

5A — Post Falls High School

• Wood River vs. Pocatello at 1 p.m.
• Twin Falls vs. Hillcrest at 5 p.m.

4A — Lake City High School

• Filer vs. Preston at 5 p.m.
• Kimberly vs. Sugar-Salem at 7 p.m.

3A — Lewiston High School

• Buhl vs. Ambrose at 7 p.m.

2A — Madison High School

• Valley vs. Tri-Valley at 1 p.m.
• Hagerman vs. Troy at 3 p.m.
• Murtaugh vs. Potlatch at 5 p.m.

1A — Thunder Ridge High School

• Carey vs. Rockland at 7 p.m.

Kimberly, the top seed in 4A, will open against eighth-seeded Sugar-Salem. Buhl faces a tough opening matchup against top-seeded Ambrose, while Carey takes on top-seeded Rockland in 1A.

Good luck to all nine area teams as they take the court! 🏐

🦅 CSI Volleyball Sweeps Weekend Series Against North Idaho

The No. 11 College of Southern Idaho volleyball team is heading into the final week of the regular season with momentum after sweeping its weekend series against North Idaho.

The Golden Eagles won Saturday’s match in four sets: 26–24, 22–25, 25–16, and 25–22. It was CSI’s third consecutive victory and its second four-set win over the Cardinals in as many days.

Emma Pannell led the offense with 21 kills and added 20 digs. Vivian Goto, Isadora Bueno, and Laura Grasel each contributed 11 kills.

Emerson Heatwole led the defense with 21 digs and added nine assists, while Dalayni Brindley recorded a match-high 32 assists. Bueno finished with seven blocks, and Nana Lobzhanidze added five.

CSI improves to 19–6 overall and 8–2 in conference play.

The Golden Eagles close out the regular season with two matches at Colorado Northwestern, beginning Friday at 6 p.m.

⚽ CSI Women’s Soccer Earns Big Win; Men’s Season Ends

The CSI women’s soccer team earned a 1–0 road victory over No. 15 Snow College on Saturday, while the Golden Eagles men suffered a season-ending 1–0 defeat against the same opponent.

Bailee Collings scored in the 46th minute off an assist from Halle Hall to lift the 20th-ranked CSI women. Goalkeeper Avery Charlesworth recorded three saves for her second consecutive shutout.

The Golden Eagles overcame a 15–7 disadvantage in shots to secure the win, finishing the regular season at 10–4.

The women head into their first conference tournament appearance, which begins Thursday, October 29. A rematch with Snow is a possibility.

For the CSI men, Snow scored in the 80th minute to claim the victory and end the Golden Eagles’ season. CSI finished with five shots, including one on goal from Juan Porto Pascual. Goalkeeper Lasse Brier made four saves.

The men close the season with a record of 6–5–2.

🏀 CSI Men’s Basketball Opens Friday With Championship Ambitions

The College of Southern Idaho men’s basketball team begins a new season Friday night with expectations of another deep postseason run.

The Golden Eagles open at home against Central Wyoming College at 7 p.m., following a 34–3 campaign that ended with a national runner-up finish.

CSI enters the season ranked No. 4 in the NJCAA preseason poll. Head coach Jeff Reinert returns six core players, including team captain Kobe Kesler, D.J. Fizer Jr., Kyah Farris-White, and Emil Hirvonen.

The roster also features 6-foot-10 Cutter Beus and local player Mason Hill. With six players standing 6-foot-8 or taller, size could be a major advantage.

Rebounding will be a priority as the Golden Eagles prepare for a challenging conference schedule featuring North Idaho, Salt Lake, and Snow.

CSI also has a championship rematch scheduled against Howard on December 17 in Las Vegas, giving the Golden Eagles another opportunity against the team that defeated them for last season’s national title.

First, however, the focus is on Friday’s season opener in Twin Falls. 🏀

🏈 Boise State Climbs to No. 20 After Dominant Fourth Quarter

The Boise State Broncos are back in the AP Top 20 after a convincing 31–10 road win over Washington State.

Boise State scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull away, improving to 6–1 overall and 3–0 in conference play. The victory extended the Broncos’ winning streak to six games.

Running back Dylan Riley was the star of the afternoon, rushing for 128 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries. He scored on runs of 33 and 72 yards, accounting for 106 rushing yards in the fourth quarter alone.

Quarterback Maddux Madsen threw for 149 yards and a touchdown, connecting with Cam Bates for a six-yard score early in the fourth quarter.

The defense limited Washington State to just 53 rushing yards and recorded four sacks.

Boise State moved up one spot to No. 20 in the AP Top 25 and sits at No. 22 in the Coaches Poll. The Broncos are also bowl-eligible for the 29th consecutive season, the second-longest active streak in the country behind Georgia.

Head coach Spencer Danielson earned his 30th career victory.

Next up, Boise State returns to Albertsons Stadium to host Texas State on Saturday, October 31. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Mountain Time, with national coverage on The CW.

🏈 Idaho Vandals Win It With a 53-Yard Field Goal at the Buzzer

The Idaho Vandals delivered a dramatic Homecoming victory Saturday, defeating Southern Utah, 31–28, on a career-long 53-yard field goal by junior kicker Owen Forsman as time expired.

A season-high crowd of 10,369 fans watched the finish in Moscow.

Idaho appeared to have control late in the fourth quarter, leading by 10 after quarterback Joshua Wood connected with tight end Gus Donnerberg for his first career touchdown. But Southern Utah rallied to tie the game at 28 with just over a minute remaining.

The Vandals then had 75 yards to cover in 42 seconds.

Wood connected with Donnerberg and later found Zack Card near the sideline to set up Forsman’s game-winning attempt. From 53 yards out, the kick sailed through as time expired.

Wood finished 15 of 25 for 151 yards and two touchdown passes. Damonte Bias led the rushing attack with 89 yards, including a career-long 37-yard run.

Defensively, Idaho held Southern Utah standout Floyd Chalk to just 58 rushing yards, his first game of the season under 100 yards.

The victory gives Idaho back-to-back wins and moves the Vandals to 3–5 overall and 3–2 in Big Sky play.

Idaho heads to Portland State on Saturday, October 31, with coverage available on ESPN+ and the Vandal Radio Network. 🏈

🐅 Idaho State Football Ends Losing Streak With 38–8 Win

Idaho State snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday, rolling past Portland State, 38–8, in Pocatello.

Quarterback Jordan Cooke threw for 334 yards and a touchdown while rushing for two more scores. The Bengals built a 24–0 halftime lead, limiting the Vikings to just 57 yards before the break.

Tytan Mason rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown, while Tommy Poe and Julian Mason each topped 100 receiving yards.

The Bengals also delivered a strong defensive performance, allowing just one third-down conversion in 12 attempts and recording a season-high four rushing touchdowns.

Idaho State improves to 5–3 overall and 2–3 in the Big Sky Conference.

The Bengals visit Utah Tech in St. George on Saturday, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.

Idaho State volleyball, meanwhile, fell to Montana State in four sets. The Bengals rallied to win the third set but couldn't maintain the momentum, losing 25–16, 25–22, 19–25, and 25–14.

Mia Walsh led Idaho State with eight kills and 10 digs. The Bengals fall to 15–7 overall, with their conference record now even with Montana State at 7–3.

🌤️ Southern Idaho Weather: Frost Early, Clouds and Possible Showers

Southern Idaho residents should prepare for a chilly start Monday, with patchy frost early this morning before clouds increase.

🌡️ Monday: High near 66 degrees, with a 30% chance of showers late in the day and this evening. Southwest winds could gust around 20 mph.

🌙 Monday night: Skies gradually clear, with a low near 35 degrees.

☁️ Tuesday: Cooler and mostly cloudy, with a high near 56 degrees. Overnight lows could fall to around 31 degrees.

☀️ Wednesday: Sunshine returns, with a high near 59 degrees.

🌤️ Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63 degrees.

🌦️ Friday through Sunday: Cooler conditions continue, with highs in the mid-to-upper 50s and chances for showers increasing over the weekend. Saturday carries a 40% chance of showers during the day and a 50% chance Saturday night.

With patchy frost possible early in the morning and overnight temperatures dipping near freezing, be mindful of sensitive plants and allow a little extra time for the morning commute.

📻 Stay Connected With Kat Kountry 106

From breaking local news and community updates to high school sports and the latest from Idaho’s college teams, Kat Kountry 106 is keeping you connected to the Magic Valley.

Check back for updates on developing stories, upcoming state tournaments, and everything happening across Southern Idaho.

Have a great Monday, and thanks for making Kat Kountry 106 part of your day! 🤠🎶