The Ranch Podcast

John Shirts is an Idaho state representative and former federal prosecutor. He came in to explain the process and obligations that various agencies had in the recent FBI operation in Wilder. Many have offered conflicting stories about who was in charge or what agency spearheaded the operation, and John came on to explain the process that is required and why so many various agencies appeared to be...

Rob Hanson is a member of the Braver Angels organization right here in Idaho. This group has been working for almost a decade nationally to engage the hyper polarized country that we find ourselves in and offer a framework to build bridges and connect with our fellow countrymen again. They host live and virtual events, and you can find them online and on Facebook. If you have the time or interest,...

Scott Nichols is a geothermal expert who has been working in the industry for decades. He came in to explain the nature and potential of geothermal power, from heating buildings to producing energy for our lights. The problem, however, is that although geothermal is indeed a baseload, green energy source, it takes considerable time to find and build out. Additionally, you’re not looking at making...

Richard McPherson is a world leading authority on Nuclear Technology. In Episode 16 of the American Nuclear series, we discuss the infamous Chernobyl disaster, whereby local operators engaged in an experiment with the reactor that was expressly forbidden in the operations manual, which resulted in loss of life. The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organiz...

Dave Murray is a longtime Middleton resident and is running for re-election for City Council. He is passionate about Middleton, the culture, the growth, and the direction the city is going. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media.  The Ranch Podcast is the premier source for long format interview...

Jason Van Gilder is the director of public works for Middleton and came in to speak on the issue of the waste water treatment plant that Middleton is slated to build. The driving force behind the upgrade is in fact not growth, but instead a revision made by the Idaho Dept. of Environmental Quality that was made in 2015 that requires phosphate levels to be dropped from 5 parts per million down to b...

Liz Flower is a longtime Star resident and is running for City Council. She is passionate about Star, the culture, the growth, and the direction the city is going. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media.  The Ranch Podcast is the premier source for long format interviews and information in the T...

Steve Day is a Star resident and is running for City Council. He is passionate about Star, the culture, the growth, and the direction the city is going. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media.  The Ranch Podcast is the premier source for long format interviews and information in the Treasure Val...

Phil McGrane is the Secretary of State for Idaho and came in to talk about the finding and prosecuting of illegal votes and voters in the state. With the support of the state and federal government, McGrane’s office has been able to identify several dozen individuals who have registered or registered and voted in Idaho that were not legally allowed, and from that roughly a dozen people are being p...

Scott Brock is a seasoned security agent and runs the private security force working within the Middleton School District. Part of the levy that is coming up in the district is for security, and Scott came in to explain what he does, what his security force does, and how Middleton families can sleep better knowing that Scott and his team are there. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In...

Kristina Glascock is the Twin Falls County Clerk and kindly invited me to come chat about national election grifters that come to her office insisting that we modify Idaho’s election system. Things like hand counting votes is a common idea, but other things like “giving elections back to the people,” and eliminating the county clerks and statewide voter registration were new ideas I had never hear...

Stan Ridgeway is a former mayor of Eagle and the Eagle Senior Citizen organization that sued and won against the city of Eagle. There are many details regarding the lawsuit that should be understood, including the hundreds of thousands of dollars that the city of Eagle now has to pay in legal fees to the Eagle Senior Citizen organization. It has also come to pass that the building that was funded...

Bruce Skaug is an Idaho State Representative out of Nampa and came in to talk about handling some of the darker sides of Idaho. The Gem state has its share of problems, and Bruce is working to address them head on. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media.  The Ranch Podcast is the premier source...

Trevor Chadwick is the mayor of Star, Idaho, the fastest growing town in the state by percentage. With the unprecedented growth, Star has found itself in a very difficult spot, both with services and with cultural transmission, but Mayor Chadwick and the city council are delicately navigating the city through. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media o...

Mary Ludemann is running for Star Fire District Commission Candidate. She is passionate about the fire district, its finances, and its future. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media.  The Ranch Podcast is the premier source for long format interviews and information in the Treasure Valley and gr...

Robert Wagner is the President of Idaho State University and came on to discuss the nuclear renaissance that Idaho and the US is going through. Nuclear power was all but born in the state of Idaho, and with the recent resurgence of interest, Idaho stands to supply the country with the technology, the physical plants, and the skilled, educated people to work them. Robert Wagner and ISU will be inst...

Richard McPherson is a world leading authority on Nuclear Technology. In Episode 15 of the American Nuclear series, we discuss Richard’s background as a student of energy and what specifically makes him one of the foremost experts on not just nuclear, but also that American energy system in general. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization...

Adam Richins is the Chief Operating Office for Idaho Power and came in to speak about a few key energy questions. Why are irrigation farmer power rates higher than large load customers like Micron but LOWER than residential customers? Why are credit rates for excess power for rooftop solar customers changing? And why is Idaho power going through so much chaos with transmission lines that buy and s...

Trent Tripple is the Ada County Clerk and invited me into the new Ada County Election office. The building is now transparent, like literally. You can see from the parking lot all the way to the back wall of the elections area. There are also over 3 dozen cameras live streaming the happening of the elections counting, storing, and monitoring systems. You can tour in person or just checkout the liv...

Gordon Jones is the President of College of Western Idaho. Gordon has worked in innovation across the education field from BSU to Hardvard but has been focused on CWI and its students since 2021. The focus of CWI and President Jones is clear: offer an attainable education to students that delivers a self evident “why.” Many higher education systems argue that it is imperative that the schools focu...

Ray Waltemate is a Middleton resident and is running for City Council. He is passionate about Middleton, the culture, the growth, and the direction the city is going. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media.  The Ranch Podcast is the premier source for long format interviews and information in th...

Debbie Critchfield is the State Superintendent of Education and came in to speak about the nation leading CTE program that Idaho has developed. Over the last three years, Idaho has invested 60 million dollars into its CTE infrastructure, and the results are phenomenal. Critchfield also spoke about how Idaho is, in essence, working to consistently answer the question of, “why public education?” It...

Jessica DeAngelo is a Chief Hiking Officer and author of The Wild Advantage. After years of working with top fortune 500 companies and then privately consulting, Jessica found herself trapped by not only her success but by the thing that was supposed to optimize and simplify her life: technology. Facing horrendous burnout and lack of creativity, she pushed herself to take a timeout on a hike, at 6...

Jordan Morales is a longtime Boise resident and is running for re-election for City Council. He is passionate about Boise, the culture, the growth, and the direction the city is going. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media.  The Ranch Podcast is the premier source for long format interviews and...

Greg Timinsky is the Fire Chief of the Star/Middleton Fire District and is running a levy on the upcoming ballot. Star has grown roughly 140% over the last five years, and the budget for the fire district has only grown roughly 40%. Taxing in Idaho works differently than other surrounding states, so although there are many more rooftops, the budget has not grown in step. Greg came on to explain a...