IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The 13th annual Field of Honor for our veterans and heroes is happening in Idaho Falls this weekend. It’s being put on by the Exchange Club of Idaho Falls.

The club says they were impressed by the number of volunteers who came to set up flags Friday morning, May 23rd. With 70 volunteers, one thousand flags were planted this morning in Freeman Park in 90 minutes.

The project chairman says it’s important that we honor our local heroes.

“Well, imagine the country that you live in and the liberties that we all enjoy. How that came to be and the soldiers that sacrificed everything and died for the cause is are worth remembering. And that’s why we do it.”

The Field of Honor will be open 24-7 until the end of Memorial Day.

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) – Five heroes of war will be honored with Fallen Heroes Memorial Signs throughout Monterey County in honor of their sacrifice.

Hosted by the Monterey County Veterans Day Parade Committee, the ceremony will honor the five fallen with these signs, eight years after first processing the signs for the respective Monterey County highways.

The five fallen are:

U.S. Army Specialist Eduardo S. Silva of Greenfield

U.S. Army Private First Class George J. Howell of Prunedale

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert S. Johnson of Seaside

U.S. Army Specialist Roger Lee of Monterey

U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Sean K. Mitchell of Monterey

All five were killed while serving overseas in the Middle East between 2004 and 2010.

The ceremony will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Salinas PAL building at 100 Howard Street on Memorial Day.

Jerusalem CNN —

US special envoy Steve Witkoff has told CNN that a ceasefire-hostage deal for Gaza is currently on the table with a pathway to end the war, and urged Hamas to accept it.

The proposal would see the release of half of the living hostages and half of those who have died in exchange for a temporary ceasefire before negotiations begin for a comprehensive agreement to end the war.

He declined to specify how long that temporary truce would last, which has been a key issue in the negotiations.

“Israel will agree to a temporary ceasefire/hostage deal that would see half of the living and half of the deceased return and lead to substantive negotiations to find a path to a permanent ceasefire, which I have agreed to preside over,” Witkoff told CNN on Monday. “That deal is on the table. Hamas should take it.”

He said Hamas has yet to accept the deal.

A US official told CNN Witkoff has not met directly with Hamas. According to a source familiar with the matter, Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah met with Hamas in Doha about the proposal. Bahbah, who led the group “Arab Americans for Trump” during the 2024 presidential campaign, has been working on behalf of the administration.

Witkoff’s comments to CNN mark the first time he has said he would preside over negotiations for an end to the war during the temporary ceasefire.

Hamas has long sought assurances that Israel seriously engages in negotiations to end the war if it agrees to another temporary ceasefire, after Israel refused to do so during the last truce. Witkoff’s involvement in negotiating a permanent ceasefire appears to be aimed at providing Hamas with assurances from Washington that Israel will engage in such negotiations in the future.

Reuters reported earlier on Monday that Hamas had agreed to a proposal that would see the release of 10 hostages in two groups in exchange for a 70-day truce. Witkoff told CNN that was not his proposal.

“What I have seen is completely unacceptable,” Witkoff said, referring to the report.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian official close to the negotiations also told CNN that Hamas has agreed to Witkoff’s proposal, but did not provide additional details about what the deal entailed.

CNN has reached out to the Israeli government for comment.

In a video message posted to social media on Monday night, Netanyahu said getting the hostages released is a top priority.

“I very much hope we’ll have something to announce on that front,” he said. “And if not today, then tomorrow – we are not giving up.”

Two Israeli officials later clarified that there was “no progress” in the negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal and that “Hamas continued to hold firm in its refusal.”

“The prime minister meant that a breakthrough could happen only if Hamas aligns with the Israeli position,” one of the officials said.

Plans for an ‘unprecedented attack’

The proposal comes at a crucial point in the war, as the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for most of southern Gaza ahead of what its spokesperson said would be an “unprecedented attack” on the territory.

The order covers the city of Khan Younis and much of the surrounding area, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic language spokesperson Avichay Adree. He described the Khan Younis governorate as a “dangerous fighting zone that has been warned several times.”

The evacuation zone goes all the way south to the Gaza-Egypt border where Israeli forces have occupied the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer (8-mile) strip along the frontier. It appears to include the entirety of Khan Younis, a densely packed city with many displaced Palestinians. The order instructs Palestinians to move to the Al-Mawasi area, a narrow strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea.

Earlier Monday, the IDF said three rockets were fired from southern Gaza, two of which landed within the Gazan territory and one of which was intercepted.

The order, which also cover parts of eastern Gaza, comes after the military laid out its strategy to take control of the territory, where it has been fighting a war since October 2023 to eradicate Hamas following the militant group’s attack on Israel.

An Israeli military official told CNN on Monday that Israel plans to occupy 75% of Gaza within two months as part of its new offensive.

If carried out, the plan would force more than two million Palestinians into a quarter of the coastal enclave, surrounded on nearly all sides by Israeli forces. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this month the entire population would be displaced to southern Gaza.

The IDF now has five divisions operating in Gaza, the military said Friday, totaling tens of thousands of troops. On a visit to troops in Khan Younis Sunday, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said, “You are fighting on the central front of the state of Israel. This is a prolonged, multi-arena war.”

On Monday, Hamas’ Government Media Office said Israel already “effectively” controls 77% of Gaza through “heavy firepower that prevents Palestinian civilians from accessing their homes, areas, lands, and properties, or through oppressive forced evacuation policies.”

Israel is under growing international pressure – including from long standing allies – over its decision to expand the war and, in the words of one Israeli minister, “conquer” the territory.

The United Kingdom has paused trade talks and sanctioned extremist settlers in the West Bank. Canada and France have threatened sanctions. And the European Union – Israel’s biggest trade partner – is reviewing its landmark Association Agreement with the country.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told German public broadcaster ARD on Monday that the actions of the Israeli military in Gaza “can no longer be justified on the grounds of a fight against Hamas terrorism.”

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, however, reiterated US support for Israel on Sunday.

She met with Netanyahu and expressed appreciation for the prime minister’s conduct of the war, according to a statement from the Israeli Government Press Office.

CNN’s Dana Karni, Lauren Izso and Kylie Atwood contributed to this report.

Tehran, Iran CNN —

Iran and the United States concluded a fifth round of high-stakes nuclear talks in Rome on Friday amid growing skepticism in Tehran about the chances of a deal as Washington hardens its position.

A senior Trump administration official said Friday more talks are needed and both sides agreed to meet “in the near future.”

“The talks continue to be constructive – we made further progress,” the official said, “but there is still work to be done.” The US side said the discussions, which was attended by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, lasted more than two hours.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday’s nuclear talks with the US “are too complicated to be resolved in two or three meetings.” He said however that Iran and US delegations “have completed one of the most professional rounds of negotiations,” in a televised interview on state-run IRIB news.

Two Iranian sources have told CNN the talks seem unlikely to lead to an agreement, with the US insisting that Tehran dismantles its uranium enrichment program – a demand Iranian officials say would cause the nuclear negotiations to collapse.

The sources said Iran’s participation in the Rome talks was solely to gauge Washington’s latest stance rather than pursue a potential breakthrough.

Araghchi reiterated Tehran’s red lines before he departed for Rome on Friday.

“Figuring out the path to a deal is not rocket science,” he posted on X before his flight. “Zero nuclear weapons = we DO have a deal. Zero enrichment = we do NOT have a deal.”

The Trump administration has demanded Iran stop all uranium enrichment activity, which Witkoff says “enables weaponization.” Uranium, a key nuclear fuel, can be used to build a bomb if enriched to high levels. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and says it is willing to commit not to enrich uranium to weapons-grade as part of an agreement.

Araghchi met on Friday with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi in Rome “during the continuation of this round of talks,” and the two ministers “reviewed the latest status of today’s talks and consulted on how to continue the work,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

“The time and place of the next round of talks will be determined and announced later,” the statement added. US officials have yet to comment publicly on the outcome of Friday’s talks.

Al-Busaidi, who mediated the talks, said, “We hope to clarify the remaining issues in the coming days, to allow us to proceed towards the common goal of reaching a sustainable and honourable agreement,” in a post on X on Friday.

Iran preparing for ‘Plan B’

On Saturday, a senior Iranian lawmaker told CNN that Tehran is disappointed with the progress of nuclear talks and is considering a “Plan B” if they fail – though he did not specify what it would entail.

“We do not have hope yet, because the American side is still insisting on zero enrichment and I know the Islamic Republic of Iran will never agree with zero enrichment,” Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said in an interview at the Iranian parliament Saturday. “I got disappointed and do not have much hope that the negotiations will lead to a deal. We are preparing for plan B.”

Rezaei said it was too early to judge whether the talks could succeed. “So far we have not seen much seriousness on their (US’) part,” he added.

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the Bushehr nuclear reactor in Iran on May 1. Planet Labs PBC/AP

Speaking Thursday, Araghchi said Iran was open to enhanced monitoring by international inspectors but would not relinquish its right to pursue nuclear energy, including uranium enrichment. Washington is offering to wind back crippling economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for de-nuclearization.

The US had previously sent mixed signals about whether Iran would be allowed to enrich uranium, but in recent weeks it has hardened its stance, insisting that no enrichment will be permitted.

That shift has prompted officials in Tehran to question Washington’s commitment to a deal, as Iran has repeatedly said enrichment is a red line in negotiations.

The two Iranian sources told CNN that Tehran harbors mounting doubts about the US’ sincerity in talks.

“The media statements and negotiating behavior of the United States has widely disappointed policy-making circles in Tehran,” the sources said in a joint message. “From the perspective of decision-makers in Tehran, when the US knows that accepting zero enrichment in Iran is impossible and yet insists on it, it is a sign that the US is fundamentally not seeking an agreement and is using the negotiations as a tool to intensify pressure.”

Initially, the sources noted, some Iranian officials believed Washington might seek a “win-win” compromise. However, a consensus has emerged that the Trump administration is steering discussions toward a deadlock.

The sources said that although neither the US nor Iran wants to leave the negotiating table, the position of the US is making the talks unproductive and formal meetings are unlikely to continue much longer.

They said that Tehran no longer takes seriously US efforts to distance itself from Israel’s hardline stance on Iran, and it sees proposals made by the American side as following the agenda of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has insisted that no enrichment be allowed in Iran.

Witkoff on Friday met with Ron Dermer, a confidant of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Rome on the sidelines of talks, a source familiar with the meeting told CNN.

US imposes more sanctions before talks

Washington has kept up the pressure on Iran with fresh sanctions and threats of war even as diplomatic talks continue.

On Wednesday, the US State Department announced new measures, identifying Iran’s construction sector as being “controlled directly or indirectly” by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and 10 strategic materials that it said Iran is using in connection with its nuclear, military or ballistic missile programs.

“With these determinations, the United States has broader sanctions authorities to prevent Iran from acquiring strategic materials for its construction sector under IRGC control and its proliferation programs,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson criticized US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the move, calling it “as outrageous as it is unlawful and inhuman.”

“The US’s consecutive rounds of sanctions only reinforce our people’s deeply held belief that the American decision makers are set to make every malign effort to hinder Iran’s development & progress. These sanctions, announced on the eve of the fifth round of Iran-US indirect talks, further put to question the American willingness & seriousness for diplomacy,” Baqaei wrote on X.

A ‘misreading of Iranian psychology’

Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group in Brussels, said there is a misguided perception in Washington that a weakened Iran is more likely to compromise.

“The weaker Iran is, the more reluctant it will be to make major concessions,” he said, adding that it is unlikely that Tehran will agree to a deal that is based solely on US terms.

“That’s a complete misreading of Iranian psychology,” Vaez said. For Iran, capitulation is seen as a worse than an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities, he added.

“Iran would be reluctant to make concessions from a position of weakness, because if it does so, then it will put itself on a slippery slope that could result in regime collapse,” Vaez said.

Multiple American officials told CNN this week that the US has obtained new intelligence suggesting that Israel is preparing to strike Iranian nuclear facilities even as the Trump administration pursues a diplomatic deal with Tehran.

But threats of war will only lead to Iran “doubling down on its current position,” Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at London’s Chatham House think tank, told CNN. “The best way to invigorate the talks would be through backchannelling and quiet discussions between both sides.”

In an interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto on Thursday, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee signaled potential American support for Israel’s nuclear plans under the right conditions.

“I can’t imagine the US would object to a sovereign nation defending itself against what they perceive as a legitimate threat to their very lives,” Huckabee said.

He acknowledged that the US is aware Israel is making preparations for potential military action.

“We certainly are aware of what the Israelis are at least preparing for. But it’s not that they have made a firm decision. I think they recognize they face an existential threat from Iran.”

Experts say an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities would likely spell the end of its negotiations with the US, and could even prompt Tehran to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which promotes nuclear disarmament.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute in Washington, DC, said the Trump administration has “unnecessarily walked themselves into a dead-end by insisting on zero enrichment,” fueling the idea that Israeli strikes will follow if Iran doesn’t back down. Iran, he added, is probably not taking those threats seriously.

But if they do materialize in the midst of nuclear talks with the US, he said, Tehran is likely to respond with massive retaliation. “They won’t play the patience game any longer,” Parsi said.

“If the Israelis were to do anything, it has to be clearly understood that it is not about destroying the program at this point, because they don’t have that capability.” Parsi added. “It is only about destroying diplomacy.”

This story has been updated with additional developments.

MADISON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) – Memorial Day is reserved to remember the brave men and women who died while serving our country. In the Teton-Newdale Cemetery, that remembrance lives on every day at the Veteran Memorial.

At first glance, the cemetery seems like any would; quiet, peaceful, and lined with hundreds of headstones detailing the lives of loved ones. But among the lines of graves lie numerous stories of selfless service, patriotism, and dedication to freedom.

There are currently 303 veterans buried at the Teton-Newdale Cemetery, which represents 12% of the graves there. Brothers Gene and Quin Mace are a driving force in preserving those veterans’ stories.

Years ago, “We put flags on every veteran’s graves, and so that’s where we started,” Quin says.

As more veterans were buried in that cemetery, the project became more complex. “We had problems not finding and getting flags on all the veterans that were buried out here,” Gene says. Then, eventually, “We go, ‘Let’s do our own memorial.'”

So in early 2020, they got to work taking inspiration from Plano, Texas’s Veterans Memorial.

With help from community members, the brothers took on the task of organizing numerous records and designing the layout, then the memorial finally started to take shape.

The total cost to build the Teton-Newdale Cemetery Veteran Memorial was $40,838, not including labor. But even at that high price tag, thanks to generous local donations, it was completed that same year.

Quin says, “My favorite part of the process was the community all coming together and wanting to make this happen. Whether donating money, donating time and donating materials. Just everybody rallying around saying, ‘We need to get this done.'”

While the initial build is complete, it still takes hours of work to maintain. But for the Maces, that time is never wasted. “We need to show respect and honor to those that served” Quin says. “When they die,” Gene says, “This is home. They all come back here to be buried in this cemetery.”

Constant upkeep is still necessary at the Teton-Newdale Veteran Memorial – whether engraving more names or updating flags – which is why donations are always appreciated.

Donations can be made at any Beehive Federal Credit Union under the account ‘Teton-Newdale Cemetery Veteran Memorial.’ Checks can be made out to the same name.

Those who want to donate through Venmo can send funds to the account ‘@Eileen-57.’

For more information or questions, contact Gene Mace at (208) 709-1644 or Quin Mace at (208) 520-2067.

Because of the Mace’s efforts, no veteran buried in the Teton-Newdale Cemetery is forgotten.