Idaho Matters

(Heath Druzin / Boise State Public Radio)   Talks of reopening Idaho's economy have dominated the coronavirus conversations this week, as Republicans in leadership butt heads about when and how to safely get people back on the job.   On the Reporter Roundtable today, Heath Druzin  (Boise State Public Radio), Betsy Russell  (Idaho Press) and  M elissa Davlin  (IPTV) cover the Governor Brad Litte's...

  Boiseans might recognize her from her 2019 art installation “ Open Air Archive ” which pasted portraits of refugees and immigrants on the sides of buildings across Boise last spring. Now, artist Angie Smith is working on her latest photography project, “ 19 Love Stories ,” which is documenting through photography the experiences of Boiseans during self-isolation.  Smith joins Idaho Matters  live...

(Ted S. Warren / AP Images)   Almost as soon as COVID-19 was identified as a unique threat caused by a particular strain of the coronavirus, researchers around the world got to work. From finding a way to test for the presence of the the virus, to finding a vaccine that will prevent the disease, there’s much researchers have already learned and still more they need to learn to solve the pandemic. ...

(TruckPR / Flickr Creative Commons)   For close to 70 years, the Idaho Youth Ranch has been helping Idahoans by providing accessible programs and services that help to bring hope, healing and resilience. But how are they handling the coronavirus pandemic?  Scott Curtis is the CEO of the Idaho Youth Ranch, and he joins us to talk about how the nonprofit is serving the public, and the partnerships t...

(Samantha Wright / Boise State Public Radio) For almost twenty years, West Valley Medical Center has hosted a 5k and 10k race in Caldwell to benefit the Caldwell Family YMCA. But this year, the race looks a bit different. It is online, free and virtual  and takes place between Thursday-Sunday. President and CEO of the Treasure Valley Family YMCA David Duro joins Idaho Matters to tell us about the...

(Molly Wampler / Boise State Public Radio) The Boise Bicycle Project has a new friend in the Treasure Valley. The Nampa Bicycle Project is up and running and is now fully established as a 501(c)3 non-profit.  The NBP was inspired in part by its Boise counterpart, which focuses on getting bikes to kids. But in Nampa, founder LaRita Schandorff and her team quickly noticed a different need in the com...

( AP Images)   We’re back again this week with our panel of Idaho doctors to answer more of your COVID-19 questions. From antibody testing to questions about when to reopen the state, Idaho Matters is here to help get your questions answered.  Joining  Idaho Matters  this week to share their expertise are: Dr. David Pate, part of the governor’s Coronavirus Task Force, and former CEO of St. Luke’s ...

(Greg Gibson / AP Images)   Fifty years ago today as air pollution choked America’s skies, and oily, oozing rivers – like one in Cleveland – caught fire and burned, a senator and 20 college students decided to make a change.  One of those students was Bill Mauk. He grew up in Pocatello and joined a group of 20 young people who engineered the first Earth Day in 1970. On the 50th anniversary of that...

(Boise State University)   The COVID-19 pandemic has cancelled graduation ceremonies for the class of 2020. But that’s not the only disappointment this class is facing. For the newly-graduated trying to enter the workforce, the job market is facing unprecedented times of uncertainty and unemployment.  One of Boise State Public Radio’s former interns, Tess Goodwin , graduated last year, and she tel...

(Stratman² / Flickr Creative Commons)   Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, veterinary practices have consistently been designated an essential healthcare business. However, as their work continues, veterinarians and their teams are working together to create protocols that protect the health and safety of team members and their clients.  Dr. Dawn Sessions is a veterinarian at Broadway Veter...

( New Path Community Housing)   New Path Community Housing opened its doors at the end of 2018 and provided permanent homes for nearly 50 of Boise’s most vulnerable residents experiencing homelessness. Since that time, 80% of the residents have been stably housed in a building near downtown.  Residents also receive social services related to addiction, mental health or anything else that is impact...

( Marina Chavez)   Idaho artists and artistic organizations are feeling the punch of COVID-19, with cancelled shows and closed stages with no timeline for getting back on tour. Boise-based jazz musician Curtis Stigers has had to cancel all of his concert dates for the foreseeable future. However, with a new album out and with a lot more time on his hands, he’s been writing more and playing more. ...

( Idaho Public Television)   K-12 public school students and parents are navigating uncertain territory these days with schools still closed around Idaho. Depending on the district, schools might be better or worse equipped to teach students online.  But now there’s a return to an older technology for teaching students: television. Idaho Public Television launched a new initiative today called “ C...

(Laura Supalla Gilchrist / Flickr Creative Commons)   The national emergency caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 is putting stress on every part of our nation’s health care delivery system. And our efforts to slow spread, while working, are creating a whole set of new challenges.  Social distancing and self isolation are taking a toll on the mental health of those battling with or recovering from a...

(Balsam Hill / Facebook)   Boise business Balsam Hill is best known for its highly realistic artificial Christmas trees. Every year the company delivers tens of thousands of Christmas trees and decor to customers around the country. Normally this time of year employees would be busy planning for the second half of the year. Now, they're pivoting to help home-bound folks get food delivered.    Howe...

(Idaho State University)   Most college students dread group projects. Dividing the work evenly is always hard, and even basic communication can be stressful. Idaho State University professor Alex Bolinger researches groups and teams, and for his honors class, he thought a textbook wouldn’t suffice.  For the past several years, he has lead small application-only classes through the process of writ...

(St. Luke's Health System)   It’s officially been more than a month since the novel coronavirus was first detected in Idaho.  On the Reporter Roundtable today, Madelyn Beck (Boise State Public Radio), Rebecca Boone (AP) and Erin Bamer (Idaho Press) will cover the effects of pollution on COVID-19 patient outcomes, Canyon County leaders response to the pandemic, broadband connectivity problems in ru...

(Idaho Shakespeare Festival)   Nonprofit arts organizations are having to make difficult decisions these days. With performances out of the picture, how will they stay afloat?  The Idaho Shakespeare Company has been thinking about emergencies that would affect their bottom line for a long time, but they were thinking of a different kind of crisis.    Our morning edition host George Prentice spoke...

( St. Luke's Health System)   For Idahoans who have found themselves uninsured during a pandemic, there are options. But according to one group, the state could take steps to get more people covered. As jobless claims in Idaho continue to mount, some workers who had health insurance from their job will need to find coverage elsewhere. Many of those folks are eligible to get coverage right now thro...

(Idaho Power )   As a response to the coronavirus pandemic and widespread layoffs, Idaho Power has declared it will not be disconnecting power for those who fail to pay their bill. That’s one of several changes Idaho Power has made to the way it runs the state’s power grid.    Joining Idaho Matters live remotely today is Adam Richins, Idaho Power’s Chief Operating Officer to talk about how Idaho P...

(Heath Druzin / Boise State Public Radio)   Though gun sales skyrocketed  last month in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Rifle Association is laying off staff.  Guns and America reporter Heath Druzin reports that major missteps in recent years left the NRA vulnerable, and joins Idaho Matters to explain more.  As COVID-19 cases spread through the U.S. and Idaho, we’re committed to k...

(Matthew Wordell / Treefort Music Festival)   Between the technology and the logistics, transitioning quickly to work-from-home as a radio station is not easy. Community radio station Radio Boise has over one hundred radio programmers and DJs, which takes a lot of coordination, even in pre-pandemic times.  Joining Idaho Matters to talk about the changes they’ve had to make to ensure the music stil...

( St. Luke's Health System)   We’re back again this week to answer more of your COVID-19 questions. Every Wednesday during at least the month of April, we will bring on a panel of doctors and health professionals to get us updated and to answer your questions.  Joining  Idaho Matters  this week to share their expertise are: Dr. David Pate, part of the governor’s Coronavirus Task Force, and former...

(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio)   A lawsuit was filed Wednesday that challenges Idaho’s recently passed law banning women and girls who are transgender, and many women and girls who are intersex, from participating in sports.  Governor Brad Little signed the law , HB 500, making Idaho the first state to impose an outright ban on participation of transgender female athletes. It's the only...

(Kyle Green / Idaho Statesman)   When it comes to the populations most vulnerable to the coronavirus, people experiencing homelessness have a lot to worry about.  How does someone shelter in place without a home? How do you maintain social distancing in a dormitory-style shelter? They might sleep in a different shelter each night, and many have underlying conditions that compromise their health. I...