Idaho Matters

FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2021, file photo, Dr. William Dittrich M.D. looks over a COVID-19 patient in the Medical Intensive care unit (MICU) at St. Luke's Boise Medical Center in Boise, Idaho. The summer that was supposed to mark America’s independence from COVID-19 is instead drawing to a close with the U.S. more firmly under the tyranny of the virus, with deaths per day back up to where they were...

FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, file photo, a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19 sits on a table at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn. New research suggests that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine can protect against a mutation found in two contagious variants of the coronavirus that erupted in Britain and South Africa. Those variants are causing global concern. They both share a comm...

(Jamie Brennan / Gold Feather Gardens, Facebook) So you planted an outdoor vegetable garden — maybe for the first time — and now it’s harvest time! But how do you know your zucchinis are ready, and what do you do with all of them? Are your tomatoes safe as morning chills creep in? Is there still time to grow another round of greens before it gets too cold? Joining Idaho Matters to help us answer s...

(Storyfort / Facebook) After two postponements, Treefort Music Festival is almost here. Along with live bands and music, mini “forts” are also back — including the literary and storytelling fort. Storyfort brings together authors, poets, podcasters and more to talk writing and creating compelling narratives. Idaho Matters is joined by Storyfort Director Christian Winn to give us the ins-and-outs o...

The 2020 census showed a 5% decrease in the number of white people living in the Gem State — but is Idaho becoming more inclusive as it diversifies? Idaho Matters is joined by Inclusive Idaho Executive Director Whitney Mestelle and Austin Foudy, the organization's Director of Community Impact and Outreach. The group is planning to host its Inclusive Conversations series at Treefort Music Fest in B...

FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2021, file photo, Jack Kingsley R.N. attends to a COVID-19 patient in the Medical Intensive care unit (MICU) at St. Luke's Boise Medical Center in Boise, Idaho. The summer that was supposed to mark America’s independence from COVID-19 is instead drawing to a close with the U.S. more firmly under the tyranny of the virus, with deaths per day back up to where they were in Mar...

Student Winston Wallace, 9, raises his hand in class at iPrep Academy on the first day of school, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021, in Miami. Public schools in Miami-Dade County have a strict mask mandate to guard against coronavirus infections. A Florida judge ruled Wednesday, Sept. 8, that the state cannot enforce a ban on public schools mandating the use of masks to guard against the coronavirus, while an...

(Courtesy of Ashley Brown) As record numbers of COVID-19 patients — most of them unvaccinated — show up for treatment in Idaho hospitals, nurses and doctors are bearing the brunt of the emotional toll. Ashley Brown is a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at St. Luke’s Meridian. After a couple of her shifts last week — right before the state activated Crisis Standards of Care in North Idah...

A R.N. holds the hand of a COVID-19 patient in the Medical Intensive care unit (MICU) at St. Luke's Boise Medical Center in Boise, Idaho on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. More then half of the patients in the ICU are COVID-19 positive, none of which are vaccinated. (AP Photo/Kyle Green) (Kyle Green/AP / FR171837 AP) North Idaho has implemented Crisis Standards of Care and state officials continue to pain...

Dismal snowpack and precipitation this spring meant some farmers in the Wood River Valley didn’t have enough water this summer for their crops. Rachel Cohen joined Idaho Matters to talk about what farmers are saying about how this year could be a sign of things to come.

( Courtesy of Boise State University ) New classes, new people and new schedules are all likely stressors for college students. But now, with pandemic disruptions, social isolation and general unrest — college life may be harder than ever. This week is Suicide Prevention Week at Boise State University. The campus community is invited to join various events — from guest speakers to therapy dog visi...

In September 2001, a small group of women—inspired by the Washington Women's Foundation's concept of large scale, collective grant making— formed the Idaho Women's Charitable Foundation, determined that they could make a significant difference in Idaho communities. Twenty years later, this organization has given more than $5 million dollars in grants to organizations across the state. Former presi...

FILE- Jonathan Pagliarulo, 11, gets tested for COVID-19, after vaccinated family members tested positive for the virus, Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, in North Miami, Fla. Several Florida pediatric hospitals are reporting an increase in COVID-19 cases as schools reopen and the delta variant surges. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File) (Marta Lavandier/AP / AP) Idaho Matters Friday Reporter Roundtable digs into...

Jessica Harrold looks out over her small farm where she grows all her own food and has plenty left over for the bees, birds, and butterflies. (Gustavo Sagrero) Jessica Harrold has had a very busy summer. Her work at the Ada Soil and Water Conservation District led to the creation of the Treasure Valley Pollinator Project where hundreds of people planted 64-thousand pollinator-friendly flowers arou...

Chairs are spaced 6 feet apart for folks who had COVID-19 vaccinations to be observed, are seen during a news conference at one of New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's COVID-19 Vaccine Hubs at the South Bronx Educational Campus, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, in the Bronx borough of New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) (Mary Altaffer/AP / AP) The news is bleak these days. Full ICU beds,...

FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2021 file photo, Sarah Gonzalez of New York, a Nurse Practitioner, displays a COVID-19 vaccine card at a New York Health and Hospitals vaccine clinic in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Workers in New York City-run hospitals and health clinics will have to get vaccinated or get tested weekly under a policy announced Wednesday, July 21, to battle a rise in COVID-19 cases fu...

(Sarah Midkiff / mollyjoyce.com) Musician and composer Molly Joyce's left hand was almost completely severed at the age of 7 due to a car accident. But that didn't stop her from following her passion—it drove her to do move. Today, her work is concerned with disability as a creative source. Molly is the artist in residents at Surel's Place in Garden City this month. She teamed up with Open Arms Da...

( Intermountain Healthcare) This week on the Idaho Matters Reporter Roundtable: Idaho braces for imminent crisis standards of care declarations as hospitals fill up with COVID-19 patients — all while the debate over masks in schools extends into the new academic year. And Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin has been fined $750 for violations of the Idaho Public Records Act, after wrongly denying sever...

(Courtesy of Bear Lake High School Facebook / Bear Lake High School Facebook) Bear Lake High School is nestled in the southeast corner of Idaho in the Bear Lake Valley. Today, about 320 Bear Lake High School students are headed back to school — but they aren't headed back alone. Students at Bear Lake take part in a mentor class, where they are paired up with a mentor or teacher to talk about their...

Bees buzz happily around a rudbeckia flower in the Nachilo's community garden. (Samantha Wright / Boise State Public Radio) It’s a very early July morning and I’m driving into a new housing development. It’s chaos in this part of Garden City, as cars, dog walkers and cement trucks weave their way around townhouses and apartments still under construction. There’s plenty of concrete and steel, but v...

(YASUO SUZUKI / Courtesy of Boise Public Library) The Boise Comic Arts Festival attracts comic art fans from across the state to come together, share their passions and show off their creativity. Last year like many other events, the festival was made virtual. But this year, the Boise Public Library is bringing it back as a hybrid event, featuring in-person cosplay contests, life-sized games and v...

FILE - Patty Trejo, 54, holds the hand of her intubated husband, Joseph, in a COVID-19 unit at St. Jude Medical Center, in Fullerton, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. A summer coronavirus surge driven by the delta variant is again straining some hospitals particularly in rural areas of California, but the trend shows signs of moderating and experts say they expect improvement in coming weeks. (AP Ph...

(Damian Dovarganes / AP Images) Idaho Matters Friday Reporter Roundtable digs into the news you need to know — and may have missed — this week. From the ramifications of a disturbing trend in new COVID-19 cases to higher demand for housing intended for middle class families, there's a lot to get into. Journalists this week: Kevin Richert, Idaho Education News Rebecca Boone, Associated Press Kelcie...

OAR not only maps the size of the fire, but can find escape routes for residents and firefighters and spot new threats. OAR's planes have flown over 267 missions this fire season. ( OAR Flight Crews) Two weeks ago, a plane flying nine miles northwest of McCall spotted a wildfire burning in some trees. No one knew the fire was there until the pilot called incident command and started circling the f...

Idaho Matters talks with Ned Johnson, the author of "What Do You Say? How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance and a Happy Home." Johnson is an expert in child psychology.