Idaho Matters

A large rockslide on Idaho State Highway 55 closed down the road between Smiths Ferry and Round Valley Road just before Thanksgiving 2021. ( Idaho Transportation Department) Tuesday, BoiseDev.com broke a story about the safety of Idaho State Highway 55 along a construction zone in central Idaho. The story came about after three landslides hit the road between Boise and Valley County in less than a...

Doctor holding Paxlovid pills for the treatment of covid-19. (Diverse Stock Photos / Flickr) The FDA is talking about a new kind of COVID - 19 booster for the fall and Dr. Anthony Fauci has Paxlovid Rebound . We’ll find out what that is and why it can be a problem for some - and how Idaho is doing when it comes to COVID-19 infection.? Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke's Health System and a cu...

(Joe Wolf / Flickr) A Boise high school senior is running for a seat on the Boise School District Board of Trustees. Shiva Rajbhandari made the announcement earlier this month, saying students deserve a voice in their education. He joined Idaho Matters to talk more about the issues he's seeing in schools and the changes he'd like to make.

Doctor holding Paxlovid pills for the treatment of covid-19. (Diverse Stock Photos / Flickr) The FDA is talking about a new kind of COVID - 19 booster for the fall and Dr. Anthony Fauci has Paxlovid Rebound . We’ll find out what that is and why it can be a problem for some - and how Idaho is doing when it comes to COVID-19 infection.? Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke's Health System and a cu...

(James Dawson) Idaho has been working for years to try to get more kids to go on from high school to college with mixed success. New challenges have popped up, the covid-19 pandemic is one of the biggest, but there are other factors that are causing concern for Idaho colleges which want to recruit more students to keep their doors open. Kevin Richert, senior reporter and blogger with Idaho Educati...

Idaho Power recently completed its second island floodplain project as part of its Snake River Stewardship Program, designed to improve habitat and water quality. (Idaho Power) Last fall, Idaho Power finished adding 16 acres of floodplain to an island in the Snake to help fish thrive in that river. Rippee Island sits between the Swan Falls Dam and Marsing. This is desert land and the sun can warm...

Our region’s long drought is putting pressure on drinking water supplies. Add in a water main break and the situation can be catastrophic. Idaho Matters takes a look at one area that had a week-long loss of drinking water this spring and is now restricting usage.

Folks at the Boise Public Library get a lot of questions from patrons, usually about books. But sometimes those questions are more personal in nature. So the library has hired a mental health coordinator to help out. Ashley Hammond, the new coordinator and Jessica Dorr, the director of the library, sat down with Idaho Matters.

The U.S. Supreme Court (Jose Luis Magana / AP) Just after 8 a.m. Friday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, reversing Roe v. Wade, the court's five-decade-old decision that guaranteed a woman's right to obtain an abortion. As protests continue in Washington D.C. outside the Supreme Court, trigger laws outlawing abortion in certain states are going in...

Political leaders across Idaho have weighed in on Friday’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which sends control of abortion rights back to U.S. states. Idaho Gov. Brad Little welcomed the ruling, calling the right to an abortion a "judicial creation." But House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel said the ruling reversed 50 years of precedent. "It eviscerated the fundamental constitutional...

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling Friday overturned the constitutional right to an abortion. In Idaho, that means an abortion ban with few exceptions is set to go into effect in 30 days. Planned Parenthood says it will continue to provide abortion care in Idaho as long as it's legally able to. Morning Edition Host George Prentice spoke with Mistie DelliCarpini-Tolman, the Idaho State Director for Plan...

As water reservoirs in the West drop dramatically, federal officials say seven Western states must conserve more water now.

A chat with Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee about how tips from the public can help keep communities safer.

(Federal Register / Flickr) The Federal Reserve has hiked interest rates, housing prices are still sky high in Idaho and local companies may be feeling the pinch when their employees can’t find a place to live. Idaho Matters takes a deep dive into these topics with a mid-year economic update.

(Zachary Long / Flickr) It looks like summer weather may finally be here and we’ve got tips on which shows to watch when those warmer temperatures drive you inside to beat the heat. Idaho Matters turns to our resident movie critic – and Morning Edition host – George Prentice for tips on Mr. Malcolm’s List, Brian Wilson, Back to the Future and George’s best Christopher-Lloyd-as-Doc-Brown-impersonat...

Controversy over childhood vaccines may make it too easy to embrace what appear to be new vaccine benefits. (Dmitry Naumov / iStockphoto) Both the FDA and the CDC have given the green light for COVID-19 vaccines for America's 20 million kids who are six months and older. The Biden administration is making ten million doses available this week. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are now available...

Black and white hands joined together (wantedtemo97 / Flickr) For many, travel over the last few years has been limited, but this weekend you’ll have the chance to visit 15 international cultures, all without leaving Boise. Starting Friday the World Village Festival is back for three days of music, dancing, food, art and more. Celebrating the Treasure Valley's diverse and growing community, all wh...

Climate change is reshaping the natural world, but one animal is doing its part to fight back . A new study lays out all the ways that beavers are helping reshape rivers and streams and creating healthy waterways that are more resistant and resilient to the worst effects of climate change. KUNC’s Alex Hager has more for the Mountain West News Bureau.

Downtown Boise ( Kelsey Thomson) The latest on arrests near a Pride event in Coeur d'Alene, a debate over guns in the Idaho Statehouse and Micron and a possible Boise expansion - it’s Friday - which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable when Idaho Matters gets you up-to-date on all the news that made headlines this past week. Our journalist panel today: Heath Druzin with Boise State Public R...

Monday marks the 157th anniversary of Juneteenth. The holiday commemorates the freedom of the last slaves in the nation, as news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally made its way to slaves in Texas, two years after president Abraham Lincoln's speech. The day has special significance to one Idaho family. Two years ago, when COVID-19 was keeping everyone indoors, our Morning Edition host George...

This is a close view of a specimen, prepared for the CDC serologic test to identify the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, which is a sign of past infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. (James Gathany / CDC PHIL Library) The FDA is meeting Wednesday to consider giving the COVID-19 vaccine to kids five and under, a day after they voted to authorize the Moderna shot for kids six and up. A ne...

Stephanie Laishy founded Flamencos United to spread awareness about the dance through performances, teaching, and bringing world famous flamenco performers to Idaho. She hosts workshops and shares a message embedded within the dance: art is healing. Arlie Sommer brings us this story as a part of the Expressive Idaho series.

(screenshot / via Idaho Statesman) Idaho has been in the national news quite a bit this past week: First there was the video of the pastor making rounds on social media. Then Boise Police reported more than 35 pride flags were stolen in Boise's North End. And then this past weekend police in North Idaho arrested 31 men from the white supremacist group Patriot Front on charges of conspiracy to star...

A West African crowned crane pecks around its enclosure at Zoo Boise. (James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio) Since January more than 40 million birds have been affected by Avian Influenza or bird flu. Five counties in Idaho have reported outbreaks of the virus, which is highly contagious among birds. Backyard producers and commercial operations, with flocks numbering from a handful to two milli...

(Jay Krajic) Idaho has some of the most spectacular wildflowers in the country. They bring color and joy across the landscape of the Gem State. They’re more than just pretty though, they are an integral part of the history and culture of our state. Lauren Melink and Jay Krajic, with Idaho Public Television , have produced a new episode of Outdoor Idaho that focuses on Idaho's wildflowers. They joi...