Idaho Matters

(Facebook/Boise Philharmonic)   The Boise Philharmonic has been serving the Treasure Valley for more than 60 years. In fact, it is the longest continuously running cultural organization in the state. And even in the middle of a pandemic, the Phil is finding a way to safely bring musical experiences back to the area.  Joining Idaho Matters live to talk about what the Boise Phil will be getting up t...

(KIN / via Instagram)   Restaurants have had to adapt in the age of coronavirus or face going out of business. As restaurants across the country close with millions of jobs on the lin e, change is necessary for survival. But for Boise chef Kris Komori, adaptation has also become a means of community building .  During a time of economic uncertainty in the restaurant industry and while the country...

(Patrick Sweeney / Boise State University)   Boise State History professor Bob Reinhardt saw a problem in his department. His students were learning valuable skills about how to collect and share histories, but had limited opportunities to use those skills out in the world until they graduated.   And, at the same time, countless community organizations were in need of historical expertise. So Rein...

(Ridley Pearson / Facebook )   Finding books your kids will love can be a difficult task. Thankfully this is where New York Times bestselling author Ridley Pearson comes in. From his series Kingdom Keepers to Peter and the Starcatchers, Pearson takes iconic locations and characters and adds new twists and turns.  He’s done the same thing with his most recent trilogy, called Super Sons, books that...

(Evan Vucci / AP Photo) Idaho's numbers of new daily cases have been on the rise over the past couple of weeks. Idaho doctors warn that, although case numbers never went down to a safe and contained amount, this surge is our third wave. Every Wednesday, Idaho Matters brings on a panel of doctors to answer listener questions about the coronavirus.  Got a question for our doctors?  Tweet  or email u...

(Ted S. Warren / AP Photo)   College students across the country are facing growing food and housing insecurity problems. Many universities are responding to this crisis in a number of ways. Boise State University now hosts and stocks an on campus food pantry for those who need food assistance . However, one of the leading researchers in food and housing insecurity and the inequities seen on colle...

(mtsrs / Flickr Creative Commons)   This interview originally aired Aug. 10, 2020. In mid-March, the Canadian and U.S. governments agreed to essentially shut down their shared land border in an effort to stop the spread of COVID–19. Commercial trucks can still pass through, but almost everyone else can’t. And as this shutdown drags on, small towns on both sides of the border are suffering.  Report...

(Eric Risberg / AP Photo)   Education programs with a focus on coding for kids are becoming more popular. Experts say learning this skill at a young age can set a child up for a lifetime of success; even if they don’t go into a computer science related field it will give them an edge in the modern work force.     For girls, this training is especially important to empower them in STEM education an...

(screenshot / TED.COM) In 2015, a Ted Talk by podcast host Roman Mars went viral. In the talk, Mars, whose podcast ‘ 99% Invisible ’ looks for good and bad design elements all around us, tackled an issue he’s particularly passionate about: city flags.      Mars says fewer things give him more joy than a well-designed flag.  But at the end of that Ted Talk, he presented the worst city flag in North...

(Heath Druzin / Boise State Public Radio) States in the Mountain West have some of the highest suicide rates in the country. The public radio collaboration Guns & Americ a has been looking into how states including Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah are approaching this urgent issue.  Guns & America reporters Heath Druzin and Leigh Paterson join Idaho Matters to share more on their series "...

Boise State University Winter 2011 Commencement. (Emilie Ritter Saunders / StateImpact Idaho)   As we move through an unprecedented school year, the thousands of high school seniors across Idaho still need to be planning for their future after graduation. Joining us today to talk more about this are Byron Yankey and Linda Clark with the Idaho State Board of Education. They share details of the dep...

(Boise State Public Radio)   In recent years, local news across the country has often struggled. “News deserts” have begun springing up in places around the Mountain West as folks have fewer sources. Newspapers, TV and radio stations have shrunk or closed in many communities and folks have lost vital sources of information to help them make informed decisions in their lives.  But there are some ne...

(Julio Cortez / AP File Photo) Early Friday morning, President Donald Trump tweeted that he and the First Lady had tested positive for COVID-19. On today's Reporter Roundtable, we first hear from Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke's Health System and a current member of Idaho's Coronavirus Taskforce and Dr. Sky Blue, an infectious disease doctor at Sawtooth Epidemiology about the president's c...

(United Way Treasure Valley / via Facebook)   Every three years, the United Way of the Treasure Valley partners with Saint Alphonsus Regional Health System to conduct a community assessment which helps define the most pressing needs in our area. The 2020 assessment was just released, and it gives us a better picture of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected folks from an ecomonic and public health...

(Rachel Cohen / Boise State Public Radio)   During World War II, thousands of Japanese Americans were ordered by the U.S. government to be incarcerated in remote camps. The order, signed by President Franklin Roosevelt, was meant to prevent Japanese people on American soil from taking up arms and bringing the war inside the United States borders. Today, that period is recognized as one of the most...

(Greg Nash / AP Images)   Hearings to consider President Donald Trump’s nominee to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg are set to begin October 12. The move, which comes just a few weeks before the November 3 general election, is raising controversy.  NPR reports that “Democrats have lambasted Trump and Republicans for moving forward with the nominati...

(Lonesome Larry Project)   Last winter, we introduced you to a Boise middle school student behind the “Lonesome Larry Project, a project by Topher Jones to save the sockeye salmon. His approach? Selling socks.  In just one year, Topher has raised more than $12,000 to protect the sockeye and other threatened fish in the western United States. Today, Topher and his mom Karen join Idaho Matters once...

(Tom Michael / Boise State Public Radio) Cases of coronavirus are once again on the rise in Idaho. According to Dr. David Pate, during today's panel of Idaho doctors, we are in "Idaho's third spike," following phases of rising infections in March-April and again in July-August. Fall brings with it a "confluence of epidiemological fatcors," according to Pate, including in-person schooling, more tim...

(Tom Michael / Boise State Public Radio) Last week on our “Growing Pains” series we took a deep dive into property taxes. We talked a lot about how those taxes have been going up in the Treasure Valley, why they’re going up, and about three possible ways to help homeowners.  Here are the options we dicussed on Idaho Matters last week:  1. Removing the cap on the homeowner’s exemption. 2. Freezing...

(Darin Oswald / Idaho Statesman)   As we wrap up our "Growing Pains" series on growth and affordability in the Treasure Valley, we wanted look at some possible solutions to the issues we've covered. What solutions are out there to help folks dealing with skyrocketing home prices , lengthy commutes and traffic , rising property taxes , demands on government services and more? And if the valley cont...

(Steve Conner / AP Photo)   Boise State University President Marlene Tromp has had a challenging first year in her position . From managing state budget cuts pre-COVID to leading the university through the academic and public health challenges of 2020, we wanted to hear more about how she’s navigating through crisis — while making tough decisions about layoffs and furloughs. Idaho Matters recorded...

(Kate Talerico / Idaho Statesman) Idaho Matters is continuing our "Growing Pains" series on growth and affordability issues facing the Treasure Valley, one of the fastest growing places in the country. Today, we’re spending time in Canyon County to better understand how cities like Nampa and Caldwell are approaching this topic.   To help us get started, we talk with Zoe Ann Olson from the Intermou...

(Frankie Barnhill / Boise State Public Radio) We are continuing our "Growing Pains" series on growth and affordability in the Treasure Valley with a trip to Canyon County. The county has the largest Latino population in the state, and members of the community are essential to the agriculture industry in the region. So how are the issues of rising home prices and rapid growth affecting this communi...

(Frankie Barnhill / Boise State Public Radio) We know housing prices have gone up rapidly in Ada County in recent years. In Canyon County, folks are also feeling the squeeze . So what does that mean for people looking to purchase their first home in the Treasure Valley? Especially for Millennials — who have gone through two historic recessions in young adulthood — buying a home can be out of reach...

(Adam Cotterell / Boise State Public Radio)   Data show that Idaho ranks ahead of most of the U.S. when it comes to children experiencing two or more adverse childhood experiences. Experiencing or being exposed to things like physical or verbal abuse, neglect and mental illness can create real challenges for kids as they grow into adulthood. In southwest Idaho we know there are children right here...