Your Daily Briefing – 10/13/2026 – Lee Family Broadcasting

ELECTIONS & EDUCATION

EARLY VOTING — Magic Valley Dates and Deadlines

Election Day is still weeks away, but some Magic Valley voters can cast their ballots starting today. Early voting opens October 13 in Twin Falls, Blaine and Lincoln counties ahead of the November 3 general election. In Cassia, Camas, Gooding, Jerome and Minidoka counties, early voting begins October 19. Availability varies across Idaho, so check with your county clerk for voting locations and hours. All early voting must end by 5 p.m. October 30. Prefer to vote by mail? The deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 23. And while most Idaho counties offer early voting, 6 are offering in-person absentee voting instead. Your county clerk can explain which options are available where you live.

SUPERINTENDENT DEBATE — Three Candidates Discuss Idaho Schools

Idaho’s three candidates for superintendent of public instruction took part in a televised debate: Republican incumbent Debbie Critchfield, Democrat Becky Sundin Mitchell and Constitution Party candidate Teresa Roundy. Topics included school funding, student achievement, special education, school choice and teacher recruitment and retention.

COURTS & PUBLIC SAFETY

KOHBERGER CASE — Hearing on Request for a Different Judge

Bryan Kohberger’s effort to undo his guilty plea returns to court Thursday, with a hearing on his request for a different judge. His attorneys argue Judge Steven Hippler’s comments at sentencing show bias. They also want the case moved back to Latah County. Kohberger is serving 4 consecutive life sentences after admitting to killing University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves in Moscow in November 2022. He now claims innocence and alleges his attorneys pressured him into pleading guilty—although he told the court under oath that his plea was voluntary. Thursday’s hearing concerns who will oversee the proceedings; it does not decide whether his guilty plea will be withdrawn. Additional hearings are scheduled for June 2027. Thursday’s hearing begins at 1:30 Mountain Time and will stream on the Fourth Judicial District’s YouTube page.

FIREARMS POLICY — ATF Registration Enforcement Changes

Federal officials are changing how they enforce registration rules for gun suppressors, short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns. Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador says new ATF guidance extends a court victory involving Idaho and 14 other states nationwide. The lawsuit challenged registration requirements after Congress eliminated the $200 federal tax on those items. Buyers must still complete federal purchase paperwork and a background check, and dealers must follow state and local laws. The change is an enforcement policy that could be reversed—not a permanent repeal of the registration provisions. Labrador is urging Congress to make the change permanent.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT — Sessions for Those Affected by Twin Falls Shooting

Support sessions continue today for people affected by the August 1 shooting at the In-N-Out restaurant in Twin Falls. The city is working with NOVA, a national victim assistance organization, to provide emotional support, explain common reactions to trauma and connect people with ongoing resources. Today’s sessions run from 11:30 to 1 in the boardroom at 160 Gooding Street West, and from 6 to 7:30 tonight at First Federal Bank, 303 Shoshone Street North. Another session is scheduled there tomorrow morning from 9 to 10:30. The effort includes support for restaurant employees, first responders, nearby businesses and community members, along with separate coordination with local schools. Additional community sessions are planned October 28 through 30 and November 7. The city will share participation details and any location updates.

FATAL CRASH — Semi Overturns on I-84 East of Boise

A 74-year-old Reno, Nevada, man died after his semi overturned on Interstate 84 east of Boise early yesterday morning. Idaho State Police say the truck and trailer were heading east near milepost 62 around 3:08 a.m. when they left the roadway, traveled along an embankment and overturned. The driver was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he later died. The right eastbound lane was blocked for about 3 hours. State police are investigating.

HOUSING

IDAHO RENTERS — Fewer Moves as Homeownership Costs Remain High

More Idaho renters are staying put—and the cost of buying a home may help explain why. A TurboTenant analysis of Census data shows Idaho’s renter mobility rate fell from about 33% in 2014 to 29.1% in 2024. Even with that decline, Idaho ranked 3rd nationally, behind Utah and Colorado. The slowdown extends beyond renters. Many homeowners are holding onto low mortgage rates, making a move more expensive and limiting options for buyers. Nationally, first-time buyers accounted for just 21% of home purchases in 2025, and their median age reached 40—both records, according to the National Association of Realtors. Staying put can save renters moving expenses and help landlords avoid vacancies and turnover costs. But for renters hoping their next move comes with a house key of their own, affordability remains a major hurdle.

WEATHER ALERTS & WINTER RECREATION

FROST & FREEZE — Morning Advisories Across the Magic Valley

This morning there’s a threat of frost and freezing temperatures across the Magic Valley. The freeze warning this morning is from 4 to 9 for the Eastern Magic Valley and Shoshone Lava Beds, with temperatures possibly dropping to 29 degrees. Cloud cover could keep that freeze brief. Meanwhile, Gooding, Jerome and Twin Falls counties are under a frost advisory through 10 this morning. Expect lows of 33 to 35, with a chance of below-freezing temperatures tomorrow morning. Cover sensitive plants and protect exposed outdoor plumbing.

POMERELLE — First Snow Arrives as Resort Prepares for Opening

The first snow of the season has arrived at Pomerelle, but skiers will have to wait a little longer before hitting the slopes. General Manager Zack Alexander says crews are wrapping up maintenance, lift inspections and equipment preparations. The resort hopes to open Thanksgiving weekend, depending on snow conditions. Pomerelle has some snowmaking equipment, but Alexander says natural snowfall is essential to opening the mountain. After a dry start last winter, he says the early snow is encouraging. Season passes remain on sale through the end of October, with a ski swap ahead and the resort’s first “Pray for Snow” event planned for November. Watch Pomerelle’s website for conditions and opening-day updates.

TUESDAY SPORTS — SOCCER

BOYS SOCCER — Wood River Wins Third Straight District Title

3 straight district titles—and another trip to state for Wood River. The Wolverines beat Twin Falls 4-1 yesterday to claim the 5A Great Basin Conference boys soccer championship. Fabian Moreno, Wyatt Gilmour, Favi Hernandez and Rafa Serrato each scored for Wood River. Jacob Gleckler had the Bruins’ lone goal. Wolverines senior goalkeeper Elian Servin credited his head coach for pushing the team and helping it perform at a high level. Wood River improves to 16-2 and will learn its opening opponent Sunday when the state tournament bracket is released. State play is in Sandpoint. Elsewhere in district tournament action, Sun Valley Community School shut out Filer 7-0, improving to 14-2. Wendell defeated Buhl 3-1 to move to 12-2-3.

BOYS SOCCER — Wood River Returns to State

Wood River is headed back to state after winning its 3rd straight district championship. The Wolverines beat Twin Falls 4-1 yesterday for the 5A Great Basin Conference boys soccer title. Fabian Moreno, Wyatt Gilmour, Favi Hernandez and Rafa Serrato each scored for Wood River, while Jacob Gleckler scored for the Bruins. Senior goalkeeper Elian Servin credited the Wolverines’ head coach for pushing the team to perform at a high level. Wood River improves to 16-2 and will learn its first-round opponent Sunday when the state bracket comes out. The tournament is in Sandpoint. Elsewhere in district play, Sun Valley Community School blanked Filer 7-0 to improve to 14-2, and Wendell beat Buhl 3-1, moving to 12-2-3.

BOYS SOCCER SCHEDULE — Canyon Ridge Faces Highland

Canyon Ridge heads to Pocatello today with its postseason hopes on the line in district boys soccer. The Riverhawks, 8-7-2, face 9-7-2 Highland at 7. Elsewhere on the district tournament schedule today, Skyline visits Century at 4, while Columbia and Vallivue meet at Ridgevue, also at 4. McCall-Donnelly takes on Fruitland at Fruitland Middle School at 5. Up north, unbeaten Coeur d’Alene hosts Lake City at 6:30, bringing a 12-0-1 record into that matchup. And Lakeland visits 13-1-2 Sandpoint at 7:30.

GIRLS SOCCER SCHEDULE — District Tournament Matchups

Unbeaten records meet postseason pressure today in Idaho girls district soccer. Fruitland, 14-0-3, hosts 13-1-1 McCall-Donnelly at 4. And unbeaten Timberline welcomes 15-3 Owyhee to Boise at 4:30. The schedule opens at 3:30 with Coeur d’Alene visiting Lake City and Moscow traveling to Sandpoint. At 4, Pocatello and Skyline meet at Ravsten Stadium in Idaho Falls, with both teams coming in with 13 wins. Caldwell and Skyview play at Caldwell at 6, and Madison visits Rigby at 7 to round out today’s district tournament action.

TUESDAY SPORTS — VOLLEYBALL

LOCAL VOLLEYBALL RESULTS — Buhl Beats Gooding in Five Sets

Buhl went the distance last night, beating Gooding in 5 sets to highlight the local volleyball scoreboard. The Indians won 3-2 on the road, improving to 6-14, while Gooding falls to 7-16. Carey swept Dietrich 3-0 to move to 11-4, with the Blue Devils dropping to 7-9. Castleford picked up a 3-0 sweep at Hansen, improving to 13-5. The Huskies are 0-15. And Lighthouse Christian swept Richfield 3-0 on the road. The Lions improve to 13-4, while the Tigers fall to 3-12.

LOCAL VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE — Filer at Kimberly; Glenns Ferry at Valley

A pair of 25-win teams square off tonight in Magic Valley volleyball. Filer takes its 25-10 record to Kimberly for a conference matchup at 6:30. The Bulldogs enter at 26-6. Then at 7:30, district tournament action takes center stage at Valley, where the 20-2 Vikings host 3-12 Glenns Ferry.

IDAHO STATE VOLLEYBALL — Bengals Host Weber State

Idaho State volleyball looks to bounce back tonight as Weber State visits Reed Gym in Pocatello. First serve is at 7, with coverage on ESPN+. The Bengals are 13-5 overall and 5-1 in the Big Sky after a loss to Utah Tech. Weber State comes in 10-6, including a 3-3 conference record. Idaho State’s Aspen Boice has earned Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors 3 times this season and leads the Bengals with 293 digs. Senior middle blocker Jaydin Watts recently set a program record with an .824 hitting percentage against Southern Utah. The Bengals stay home Thursday to face Northern Colorado at 7, also on ESPN+. The Bears enter the week 9-8 overall and match Idaho State’s 5-1 conference record. After that, the Bengals host Montana before traveling to Montana State.

TUESDAY SPORTS — GOLF

STATE GOLF — Twin Falls Girls and Canyon Ridge’s Humphries Lead

Twin Falls leads the 5A girls team race, and Canyon Ridge’s Danika Humphries sits atop the 6A girls leaderboard after the opening day of state golf in northern Idaho. Humphries fired a 5-under-par 68. In 5A, the Twin Falls girls posted a 334, with Jerome 4th at 362. The Bruins’ Katie Thompson leads individually with a 78, while teammate Mae Lickley is tied for 2nd after a 79. Jerome’s Dempsey Smith is 6th with an 81. Jerome’s Capreese Beilke and Twin Falls’ Kolette Jenkins are tied for 7th at 82. On the boys’ side, Twin Falls is tied for 3rd at 309, and Minico is 9th at 348. The Bruins’ James Dunn, Brigg Payne and Braden Scott each shot 77 to tie for 13th. Teammate James Thompson is tied for 20th at 78, and Jerome’s Kyler Baker is tied for 23rd at 79. Those opening-round scores remain subject to change.

VANDALS GOLF — Idaho Teams Continue Three-Day Tournaments

Both Idaho golf teams are back on the course today as their 3-day tournaments continue. The Vandal men are in Stockton, California, for the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational at the Reserve at Spanos Park. Henrik Koglin leads Idaho’s lineup, followed by Carter Frisby, Charley Simpson, Brae Rogalczyk and Ben Buchanan. The field includes 2 other Big Sky programs. Meanwhile, the Idaho women are competing against a field that includes 4 other Big Sky schools at the Golf Iconic Classic in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Diya Brar holds the Vandals’ top spot, joined by Ella Kozak, Zoe Newell, Amber Hou and Fjola Vidarsdottir. Both tournaments wrap up tomorrow.

TUESDAY SPORTS — TENNIS

BOISE STATE TENNIS — Women Open Regional Play in Provo

A shot at the NCAA Championships is on the line as Boise State women’s tennis opens regional play today in Provo, Utah. The Broncos have 8 players competing in singles or doubles at the ITA Regional Championships, which run through Saturday. Singles qualifying and the doubles main draw begin today. Stella Beldiman, Carla Grignac, Allison Isaacs, Tereza Polakova, Valentina Vachkova and Masa Viriant have automatic singles bids and begin that competition tomorrow. The 2 singles finalists and the championship doubles team will earn NCAA tournament berths in Athens, Georgia, next month. Deep runs could also send Broncos to the sectional championships in Los Angeles. Polakova reached last year’s regional quarterfinals and advanced to sectionals. Boise State comes off a 10-10 singles showing at the San Diego Invite, where Isaacs reached the quarterfinals.

IDAHO STATE TENNIS — De Visser Makes Program History

A history-making week for Idaho State tennis. Junior Sep de Visser became the first Bengal to reach both the singles and doubles semifinals at the ITA Mountain Regional Championships in Provo, Utah. His singles run featured 4 straight wins, including a 3-set quarterfinal upset of top-seeded Marko Maksimovic, before falling to Dylan Davies in the semifinals. De Visser also teamed with his brother, Timo, to reach the doubles final 4, winning 3 consecutive matches before losing to a Montana duo. Timo added a trip to the singles round of 16 after advancing through qualifying. In all, 5 Bengals played their way through qualifying into the singles main draw. Head coach Oliver Good praised the team’s depth and preparation. Idaho State returns to action in a couple of weeks at Montana State’s Bobcat Invitational.

TUESDAY SPORTS — FOOTBALL

IDAHO STATE FOOTBALL — Native American Heritage Recognition Game

Idaho State football will celebrate Native American heritage when the Bengals host Portland State October 24 at the ICCU Dome in Pocatello. The university’s first Native American Heritage Recognition Game will honor the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, with a pregame Native drum group and dancers, participation from Tribal leaders, and recognition of Native students, athletes, alumni and community members. Players will wear special helmet decals featuring the Bengal logo and crossed spears, developed with members of the Shoshone-Bannock community. Part of the proceeds from commemorative merchandise will support ISU’s Native American Student Services. Tribal Elder Leo Teton will also help players learn about the design’s cultural meaning before the game. The Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel is sponsoring the event, which university officials hope becomes an annual tradition.

WEATHER — DRIVE-TIME FORECASTS

MORNING DRIVE

Showers likely for your morning drive, then sunshine returns this afternoon. Today’s high, 52, with west winds gusting to 21. Clear tonight, down to 30, with widespread frost tomorrow morning. Sunny Wednesday, high 58. The warming trend continues: 64 Thursday, near 70 Friday, and low 70s this weekend.

AFTERNOON DRIVE

Sunshine returns this afternoon, with a high of 52 and west winds gusting to 21. Mostly clear tonight, dropping to 30, with widespread frost for your Wednesday morning commute. Tomorrow turns sunny, high 58. We’ll warm to 64 Thursday, near 70 Friday, and the low 70s this weekend.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT

Mostly clear tonight, with a low of 30 and widespread frost by morning. Give yourself extra time to scrape the windshield before heading out. Wednesday brings sunshine and a high of 58. More frost early Thursday, then sunny and 64. Highs reach 70 Friday, with low 70s this weekend.

WEATHER — EXTENDED FORECAST

WEDNESDAY

Widespread frost before 10 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 58. South southwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Patchy frost after 5 a.m. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 34. West wind 5 to 7 mph becoming south southwest after midnight.

THURSDAY

Patchy fog between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Areas of frost before 9 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 64.

THURSDAY NIGHT

Clear, with a low around 35.

FRIDAY

Sunny, with a high near 70.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Clear, with a low around 38.

SATURDAY

Sunny, with a high near 73.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

SUNDAY

Sunny, with a high near 72.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Clear, with a low around 43.

MONDAY