Idaho Matters

(Joy Pruitt / The Center for Public Integrity)   The dairy industry is big business in Idaho, and is one of the strongest sectors of our agriculture economy. But what does the future of dairy farming look like in the state? That question is one of the reasons Chobani started the Chobani Scholars Program. This is a multi-year scholarship program to support students with family connections to dairy...

(Courtesy of St. Luke's Health System) Today, our Reporter Roundtable has all the news you need to know from the past week, including the recent spike in coronavirus cases in the Magic Valley, how Idaho schools are planning to safely reopen and what new developments are coming to our area despite the pandemic. Joining us today to break all this down: Boise State Public Radio’s Troy Oppie Boise Sta...

(Birds of Prey National Conservation Area Partnership / Facebook) Have you ever wanted to take a tour of the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area? How about a guided walk along the petroglyphs in Celebration Park near Melba? Would you like to tips to better spot raptors ? Draw a kestrel? Let your kids make a short-eared owl mask ? These are just a few of the virtual e...

(DAVID STAATS / Idaho Statesman) When the coronavirus pandemic hit and left thousands of Americans out of work, one question kept popping up: what about rent? How can tenants pay for their housing when they’re out of work, especially when some of the hardest-hit industries are low-wage jobs?  We wanted to hear from you about what you’ve been facing during coronavirus. We heard from several mom-and...

(Tyler Beyer / AP Images) Idaho experienced a 6.5 earthquake on March 31. That was pretty scary and unusual for Idaho. But, it was also really exciting for geologists in the state, country and world. In fact, this earthquake, and the subsequent aftershocks, were so unusual that they’re telling scientists quite a bit about the earth’s crust in Idaho and the Mountain West.  Now, with two grants from...

(John O'Brien / Biobot) One of the biggest unknowns about coronavirus is how it spreads within a community, especially with asymptomatic carriers and minimal testing capabilities. In a new international effort, the City of Boise in partnership with the lab Biobot, has started sampling the city’s wastewater system to collect data on community levels of COVID-19.  This data will help Biobot and the...

Boozie is an Idaho canned cocktail company started by two Boise State University alum. Now, they’re trying to help fight the coronavirus, by donating a portion of each sale to the Boise State nursing program and the Blaine County Charitable Fund . Joining Idaho Matters to talk about their efforts are Boozie founders Luke and Kacey Dixon.  As COVID-19 cases spread through the U.S. and Idaho, we’re...

(Crush the Curve) Idaho Matters  is back with our panel of Idaho doctors to answer more of your COVID-19 questions. This week, they answer questions about current Idaho  outbreaks , what precautions we should be taking during reopening and how area hospitals are doing in Stage Two of Idaho's reopening plan.  Joining  Idaho Matters  this week are:  Dr. David Pate, a member of the governor’s Coronav...

(Jieyan Wang) For nearly 100 years, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has been recognizing the creative work of high school students across America. Only sixteen students are chosen in the entire country, and this year, Moscow, Idaho's own Jieyan Wang won gold, and a $10,000 college scholarship.  Jieyan joins Idaho Matters remotely to talk about her journey to become a writer, and how it fee...

(Crush the Curve ) Two weeks ago, the Fry Foods processing plant in Weiser shut down after employees started testing positive for COVID-19.  The company Fry Foods makes products like onion rings and mozzarella sticks and the majority of its employees are Latino.  It has a second plant in Ontario, Oregon.  Once the company started seeing positive cases of COVID-19 at its Weiser plant, it had a dile...

(Dryland Doggs LLC / Facebook) Americans love their dogs. Now, with many people working from home to fight the coronavirus, our canine friends have taken center stage.  A lot of us feel this through experience, but from an academic perspective, how has this relationship changed during the pandemic? And what will endure after? Shelly Volsche is studying these questions. She’s an anthropologist at B...

(Commons Climbing / Instagram )   Businesses are beginning to open up again in Idaho, even as new cases of COVID-19 continue to appear. And as this happens, we are all having to figure out what we’re comfortable with doing in this new world. One highly anticipated reopening? Gyms.  But with shared equipment and heavy respirations from exercise, how can we keep ourselves safe? That’s exactly what h...

(Idaho State Historical Society) White women in Idaho won the right to vote 100 years ago this year. In commemoration, the Idaho State Historical Society and the Old Penitentiary in Boise teamed up on an interesting project.  Their new book, entitled “Numbered: Inside Idaho's Prison for Women” takes a closer look at the 216 women imprisoned at the Idaho Penitentiary between the years of 1887 and 1...

(Molly Wampler / Boise State Public Radio)   Today, our Reporter Roundtable has all the news you need to know from the past week, including Idaho’s first vote-by-mail election, an outbreak of coronavirus at the Nez Perce Reservation, what an outbreak at a food processing plant means for the state's response to COVID-19, our low testing rate and a push for tourists to return (safely).  Joining us t...

(Courtesy of Ballet Idaho)   We know that there isn’t an industry that hasn’t been touched by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Arts organizations are in a serious predicament. With no live performances, many artists and companies are looking for other ways to share their art and make ends meet.  In Boise, Ballet Idaho is one such organization. their spring performance, called “Light/Dark,”...

(Paul Sancya / AP Images)   The coronavirus pandemic is uncharted territory for most everyone. And among all the newness, this disease and the way that countries are dealing with it are presenting a whole new set of academic questions.  Steven Feldstein is a professor of Public Affairs at Boise State University. His recent article “ What Democracy Will Fall Next? ” was just published in Foreign Po...

(Mitchell Schmidt / AP Images)   Industries across the world are being disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. In the U.S., one sector facing significant uncertainty is agriculture. In Idaho, family farms have had to adapt to a constantly changing set of dynamics, creating challenges and opportunites in the local food system.    Normally, spring vegetables would be all the rage right now at bustlin...

(BC / Flickr Creative Commons)   In some ways, the message to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic may have been taken a little too seriously. Hospitals across the country, including here in Idaho, are reporting fewer visits for heart attacks, strokes, and other medical emergencies.  Although this phenomenon is not clearly understood and studies are underway, many medical experts believe people...

(Ted S. Warren / AP Images)   Idaho Matters  is back with our panel of Idaho doctors to answer more of your COVID-19 questions. This week, they cover questions about a rapid coronavirus diagnostic test that has come under scrutiny , Idaho's low testing rate per capita , possible longterm effects of severe cases of the virus, symptoms to watch for in your children and much more.  Here's who joins ...

(Sáša Woodruff / Boise State Public Radio)   It’s been more than two months since many of us started staying home. Life has been different; there’s a different pace, a different rhythm. For the team at Boise State Public Radio, our domestic and family life has merged with our work lives. Our homes now double as our home studios and offices, and the members of our family (people and pets) have beco...

(Jason Lawrence / Flickr Creative Commons)   During this pandemic, many businesses are stepping forward to show extra appreciation for their frontline workers. In the trash collection industry, employees around the country have pushed for hazard pay and personal protection equipment (PPE) to stay safe.   Republic Services is buying thousands of takeout restaurant meals for its frontline employees,...

( John Minchillo)   As the United States begins to re-open there is still so much uncertainty, especially as it relates to our financial future. One question that has come up is whether values-based investing change in the wake of this pandemic, and will corporations in turn shift their culture to become more employee-focused and less reliant on traditional office work systems.  Joining Idaho Matt...

(Boise Farmers Market / Facebook)   Farmers markets are a staple of spring and summer in Idaho. Strolling through the crowd, chatting with old friends, browsing seasonal and buying local produce is part of a ritual for many folks on the weekend. But crowds and face-to-face contact aren’t exactly pandemic friendly, and this is just another industry hit by the coronavirus.  Luckily, farmers markets...

(Russ / Flickr Creative Commons)   Millions of people suffer from severe sleep disorders, which can take a big toll on your health. There’s a new surgical procedure that is making a difference for people suffering from certain types of sleep apnea.  Dr. Brian Affleck is an ear, nose, and throat Otolaryngologist with Saltzer Health, and is performing this new procedure. He joins Idaho Matters remot...

(Samantha Wright / Boise State Public Radio)   The coronavirus has changed almost every part of life globally. And here in Idaho, how we vote has changed, at least this spring. Tuesday's state primary election, where all 105 legislative seats are up for grabs, was supposed to be conducted primarily in-person.  (If you have not yet requested your ballot, you can do so here before May 19. Ballots ar...