Idaho Matters

(Renderings by Pivot Architecture) Three-quarters of Treasure Valley residents say they want better public transportation, according to a Boise State survey. But with low funding, limited routes and challenges with sprawl, most commuters have to rely on their cars to get around. So where do we go from here? Idaho Statesman reporter Kate Talerico explains how regional planners are looking to State...

(Christina Murray / Chef Christina Murray) Culinary coach and chef Christina Murray has a long resume. She has a Culinary Health Education Certificate from Harvard Medical School and has been featured in Redbook Magazine. Now, she's focused on helping low-income families create easy and affordable meals -- starting with the young chefs in the family.   Murray is based in Boise and joins Idaho Matt...

(Boise Rotary Club) The Rotary Club of Boise is gearing up for the Annual Firkin Frolic, a beer festival that raises money for a good cause. Idaho Matters talks with Kevin Allen of the Boise Rotary Dowtown and Tyson Cardon, director of Marketing for Sockeye Brewing. The festival is this Thursday, Feb. 13 at the Basque Center. More information can be found on their Facebook page .  Have a question...

(Tom Collins / Flickr Creative Commons)   Award-winning singer, songwriter and saxophonist Curtis Stigers is bringing his talent back home to Boise. His February 16th show  at the Egyptian Theater in downtown Boise was initially meant to be a record release concert. But after his record label shuffled the album’s release date to April, he decided to turn this into a Valentine’s weekend show.     ...

(Alberto Pezzali / AP Images)   Between Brexit and a big change with the royal family, Britain has been in the news a lot recently.  The United Kingdom officially left the European Union on January 31. Brexit has been brewing for years, and the partisan politics that came with it have fractured the populace.  So what does it mean now that the ink has dried on that chapter in the country’s history?...

(Jamie Williams / Flickr Creative Commons)   A collaboration between St. Luke’s Hospital and Boise State University's researchers resulted in new findings about head injuries that occur in youth football.  Now, a new study that would look at blood samples from post-concussive patients is on the horizon. Boise State Professor Leslie Kendrick joins Idaho Matters to talk about the potential of her ne...

(sekihan / Flickr Creative Commons)   Research shows reading builds empathy, improves memory and refines critical thinking. Now, an app developed right here in Idaho is helping readers keep track of how much time they spend with their nose in a book. Since Reader Zone launched in April of 2016, schools, libraries and individual users from all over the world have logged 848 million minutes of readi...

(Idaho Fish and Game)   Ponds freeze over in the winter, but fish are still swimming underneath beneath the ice. So why wait ’til spring to break out the fishing rod? Drill a hole in the ice and you’re good to go.  But a waiting game in the icy cold weather isn’t the most kid-friendly. That’s why — for the 29th year — Salmon, Idaho is hosting the Annual Kids’ Ice Fishing Derby . Put on by the Fore...

(DARIN OSWALD / Idaho Statesman)   Remember the stadium ordinance on Boise November’s ballot?  It passed with 75% of the vote, which means that the city has to get voter approval to spend more than $5 million on a stadium project.  The catch — and the cause for what is turning into a legal debate — is that voters have to approve all projects over that $5 million threshold, even if the developer is...

(Boise Centre)   Are big conferences on their way to Boise? If the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau gets their way, then yes. Hosting these kinds of events can boost local economies and bring visitors to a city. But there isn’t one hotel in Boise that can accommodate thousands of guests. Instead, convention planners have to work with several hotels to cobble together enough rooms to book large...

(Heath Druzin / Boise State Public Radio)   The gun debate in America has been changing quickly, with Democratic presidential candidates embracing new gun control proposals and even some Republicans offering support for certain measures.  On Tuesday, Feb. 4, Boise State Public Radio is hosting “Moving Target: The Shifting Gun Debate In America,” a gun forum moderated by our own Heath Druzin , who...

(ETHAN WEBBER / BOISE STATE PUBLIC RADIO) It's time for another Reporter Roundtable here on Idaho Matters. For this weekly wrapup, join our own Heath Druzin , the Associated Press's Rebecca Boone , and BoiseDev's Don Day for a deep dive into the past week in headlines.  Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters    

(Jay Rasgorshek / Rasgorshek Illustration)   Jay Rasgorshek is a scientific illustrator and co-curator of the “Picturing Science in Illustration and Art” exhibit at Boise State University.  Originally trained as a comic book artist, Rasgorshek now spends his time on detailed depictions of plants, animals and fossils. He joins Idaho Matters to talk about the exhibit and the niche art subfield that...

(Paul Hudson / Flickr Creative Commons)   Courtney Barnett first picked up the guitar when she was ten. Since then, she’s toured with a band, put out several albums and created her own label, Milk! Records. Now, she's on a solo tour in the U.S. She joined  Idaho Matters ahead of her first ever Idaho show. She'll be at the Knitting Factory on Tuesday, Feb. 4.  Have a question or comment for the sho...

(Boise State University Special Collections and Archives) What was Boise like in the 1930s?  Now we know more, thanks to an unpublished guide book from the time that was just discovered. Vardis Fisher’s manuscript sat in storage for more than 80 years before Boise State University's Alessandro Meregaglia stumbled upon it in the Library of Congress this month.  (Vardis Fisher Papers / Courtesy of B...

(Lancey / Flickr Creative Commons)   Democrats and Republicans are coming together at the Idaho statehouse to address criminal justice reform with proposed legislation that would allow certain folks to get their record sealed. If passed, the new measure would be applicable for folks who have: committed non-violent, non-sexual offenses, completed their sentences including probation and parole, and...

(Special Collections at John Hopkins University / Flickr Creative Commons)   This year marks the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage here in Idaho. This gave women the right to vote, but not all women.  Boise City Hall is hosting the exhibit “Standing Together: Women’s Ongoing Fight for Equality” which expands the conversation of suffrage to include historically marginalized groups.  Brandi Burn...

(Idaho Statesman )   It’s been more than four months since an eastern Idaho brother and sister have been seen. This story has made national headlines as authorities try to figure out what happened to seven-year-old JJ Vallow and his 17-year-old sister Tylee. Earlier this week the kids’ mother and stepfather were located in Kauai, Hawaii, where they’ve reportedly been living for the last couple of...

(Shawn Clover / Flickr Creative Commons)   Nation states, ideas of rights and power, and Shay’s Rebellion are subjects that may have left many of our minds after high school. But these topics are critical to understanding the history of our country and the constitution that supports it.  On Thursday, high school students from across Idaho will compete in a competition that will put their civic kno...

(Cecil D. Andrus Papers / Special Collections and Archives, Boise State University)   If you travel 30 miles south of Boise to Murphy, you'll find a unique home for the highest nesting density of birds of prey in North America. This is the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, which celebrated its 25th anniversary two years ago.   Now, audio producers have created a p...

(Emilie Ritter Saunders / Boise State Public Radio)   Every year, Boise State University surveys the state to learn how folks feel about key issues. From growth to taxes, education to salmon recovery, the wide ranging topics help tell a story about Idahoans’ priorities and concerns.  The new survey came out Monday. Author Jeffrey Lyons of the University’s School of Public Service joined  Idaho Mat...

(ETHAN WEBBER / BOISE STATE PUBLIC RADIO) Another Friday...another Reporter Roundtable here on Idaho Matters!  Listen to the discussion of the week's headlines from Madelyn Beck  with the Mountain West News Bureau, KIVI 6 On Your Side's Mike Sharp  and  Erin Bamer  of the Idaho Press.  Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters    

(Screenshot from Deviant Kin youtube footage. / Idaho Bluegrass Association)   Bluegrass music is making a comeback in Idaho. The Idaho Bluegrass Association has been around since the 1980s, but after membership waned, the group’s popularity has taken off in the past few years. Supported by new members and leadership, the group is putting on the first Idaho Bluegrass Winterfest this weekend in Boi...

(Nati Harnik / AP Images)   Earlier this month, the Trump Administration proposed changes to fundamental environmental rules. The National Environmental Policy Act has been in place since President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1970.  But in recent years, some people have questioned whether some elements of NEPA go too far, holding back industries like ranching and mining.  “Like most laws,...

(Alex Berger / Flickr Creative Commons)   January is peak season for skiers and snowboarders in Idaho. But with these kind of high-impact sports, brain injuries can be far too common. How should folks stay safe while taking part in their favorite cold weather sports?  During National Winter Sports Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month, Idaho Matters is joined by Dr. Steven Gale, director of the S...