A tearful Iranian refugee was sentenced on Friday in Twin Falls 5th District Court to 18 years to life in prison for fatally shooting a long-time partner in the face almost a year ago.

Majid Kolestani, a 42-year-old transgender male who identifies as a woman, had pleaded guilty in June to first-degree murder, in an agreement that laid out the sentence handed down Friday by Judge Randy Stoker.

Kolestani was accused of shooting housemate and fellow Iranian refugee Ehsan Velayati Kababian, 29, on Aug. 25, 2008.

If you live in Twin Falls, maybe you've heard the city plans to raise your water rates by 12 percent.

But don't fret if you haven't. You'll eventually notice. The city's got about 15 years of debt to pay off - and rates are expected to increase for at least the next few years.

The Twin Falls City Council last week heard a presentation from staff for the $48.7 million preliminary budget for next year, a 3 percent decline from the current year's budget. Despite the spending drop, residents will be asked to pay more for water as the city meets federal arsenic standards.

Republican Rep. Frank Henderson of Post Falls is recovering from quadruple bypass surgery at the Kootenai Medical Center.

NASA scrubbed space shuttle Endeavour's scheduled launch Saturday after nine lightning strikes were reported near the pad.

President Barack Obama says his trip to Africa at the end of a whirlwind world tour is designed to illustrate that "Africa is not separate from world affairs."