Idaho Matters

(INDULGE BOISE/FACEBOOK) This segment aired May 29, 2019. Indulge Boise  leads diners on a culinary tour of Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Sun Valley and McCall. From charcuterie to desserts, wines, beer and cocktails, we look at all the vittles the Treasure and Wood River Valleys have to offer with Indulge Boise owner Angela Taylor. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoM...

(ST. LUKE'S) This segment aired May 21, 2019. Dr. John "Hatz" Hatzenbuehler practices family and sports medicine at St. Luke's Wood River in Hailey. This spring,  he traveled to Ghana  with fellow healthcare practitioners to share sports medicine techniques with medical professionals in the African country. Dr. "Hatz"" joins  Idaho Matters  to talk about healthcare in Ghana and the growth of sport...

(Bjorn Knetsch/Wikimedia Commons) This interview originally aired May 16, 2019. May is  Better Hearing and Speech Month  and  Idaho Matters  looks at ways to detect and treat pediatric hearing loss with Dr. Jess Stich-Hennen, a pediatric audiologist at St. Luke's, Susie Jones, a speech pathologist with St. Luke's and parent Gretchen Fors. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  u...

(Frankie Barnhill / Boise State Public Radio) Infants don't typically start getting teeth until six months, but overall oral health goes far beyond teeth care. Idaho Matters is joined by Delta Dental to review methods for improving child oral care which can prevent future issues. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters

Each summer in Boise, a group of athletes gathers together for physical exercise, mental strategy and camaraderie. They’re playing rugby…with wheelchairs. This is Murderball, also known as wheelchair rugby. Two teams of four players try to carry the ball on their knees into the end zone. We take you to a practice game and then talk with the heart of the Boise Bombers team. The Bombers will play a...

(Joe Jaszewski / Idaho Statesman) For many people in the Treasure Valley and beyond, fall means the blue turf and Boise State Broncos football. So how is the team doing so far this year? The Broncos are ranked 20th nationally and are 3-0 in non-conference play and have a true freshman playing quarterback. But beyond the stats, what are the emerging storylines beginning to form, both on and off the...

(RAE ELLEN BICHELL / MOUNTAIN WEST NEWS BUREAU) What do you do in the case of a school shooter? Idaho Matters features a two-part series that dives deep into this question. Mountain West News Bureau reporter Rae Ellen Bichell talks to a group of teachers who are being trained to deal with the terrifying scenario -- by being armed. In the second part of this series, we follow Guns & America rep...

(Charlie Litchfield / AP Images) 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Greenbelt. From walking to biking, restaurants to memorials, how has the iconic throughway evolved over the years, and what are the future plans? Ada County Commissioner Kendra Kenyon joins Idaho Matters to preview new initiatives for the trail.   Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters.

(Ethan Webber / Boise State Public Radio) Do personal biases affect the criminal justice system? Implicit biases are subconscious preconceptions that people formulate unintentionally. They can inform decisions - even within our judicial system. Concordia Law professor Summer Chandler joins Idaho Matters to explain the issues preventing total equality.   Have a question or comment for the show? Twe...

(AP) Idaho lawmakers met Friday to review funding options for Medicaid. With one federal application having been rejected, will the revised October 2019 submission make the cut? Boise State Public Radio's James Dawson joins Idaho Matters to analyze the future of Medicaid expansion.   Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters.

(Craig Mitchelldyer / AP Images) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 380 cases of a vaping-caused illness, two of which are in Idaho. St. Luke's pulmonologist Patrick Weis joins Idaho Matters to discuss the harmful effects of vaping and possible impacts in the future. Disclosure: St. Luke's is a sponsor of Boise State Public Radio.   Have a question or comment for the show...

(TIFF 2019) Every year the Toronto International Film Festival puts a spotlight on movies of all genres and budgets, launching a few films into award front runners. Boise State Public Radio's George Prentice joins Idaho Matters to talk about his experience at this year’s festival. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet @KBSX915 using #IdahoMatters.

Brent Coles  makes headlines in the mayoral race, vaping leading to a pneumonia-like illness, Greyhound Bus leaves downtown Boise...these stories and more on the Reporter Roundtable today on Idaho Matters . Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters.

(Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP Images)   The National Endowment for the Humanities was founded in 1965 by Congress. There are 56 humanities councils around the country, including here in Idaho. We talk with Idaho Humanities Council Executive Director David Pettyjohn about their public event with 2013 inaugural poet Richard Blanco Sept. 19.   Disclosure: the Idaho Humanities Council is a sponsor of...

(DestinysAgent / Flickr Creative Commons)   The number of drug overdose deaths in Idaho has tripled since 1999, with the majority of these deaths resulting from prescription drug use. Idaho Matters learns more about how we can help those suffering get help.  

(E_Bass / Flickr Creative Commons) In 1993 Congress passed the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act, widely known as FMLA. But what about paid parental leave? Currently only three states require paid parental leave . Idaho is not one of those states. However, some Idaho companies are making their own policies around family leave. Twin Falls-based Chobani made national headlines last year when the...

(Emilie Ritter Saunders / Boise State Public Radio)   When states challenge the federal government over things like public land rights or same-sex marriage, taxpayers are on the hook for that. Idaho is one of two states that has a separate bank account to pay for legal fees and settlements in these cases. We talk with Boise State Public Radio reporter James Dawson about the original intention of t...

(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio) This November, voters in Boise will elect their next mayor. There are seven candidates vying for the position, including current mayor and incumbent Dave Bieter.   In August, Idaho Matters and Boise State Public Radio partnered with Conservation Voters for Idaho to present a discussion with some of the candidates focused on environmental issues . At the ti...

(Scott Graf / Boise State Public Radio) The Boise Greenbelt turns 50 this year. The iconic pathway that hugs the Boise River is used by walkers, runners, cyclists, scooter users and more. But with different construction happening on the 25-mile path and new development with riverside businesses in places like Garden City, one Boise woman found it’s not always easy to know the best way to from poin...

(University of Idaho / via Facebook ) The University of Idaho received a $1 million grant to fund 12 Native American doctoral students beginning in 2020. The grant is from the National Science Foundation, with the aim of getting more Native American students to earn their Ph. D in science, technology, engineering and math fields. We talk with the University of Idaho's dean of graduate studies abou...

(Steven Senne / AP Images) After the deadly mass shooting in an El Paso Walmart earlier this summer, Walmart announced it no longer wants customers to open carry firearms in their stores. Since then several other national chains have followed suit, including Boise-based Albertsons. The company announced on Twitter over the weekend that they will now request all of their customers to not open carry...

(via Facebook ) As Boise’s housing market becomes more and more competitive, how is that impacting renters? The current vacancy rate for rentals in Boise is 3.74%, and the average rent is $1,450. That’s according to Keller Williams Realty .    We’ve heard about some possibly predatory practices among landlords that impose high fees on renters as they try to find housing. Boise City Council member...

(SEMARNAT/VAQUITACPR) The  vaquita  is a small species of porpoise that lives exclusively in the Gulf of California. The mammal is on the brink of extinction due to irresponsible fishing methods. Boise  filmmaker  Matthew Podolsky has partnered with Leonardo DiCaprio to produce a documentary chronicling the plight of the vaquita. Since the film went to Sundance it's been sold to National Geographi...

(Ethan Webber / Boise State Public Radio) Reclaim Idaho wants to  tax folks in upper brackets to pay for education.  They succeeded with a citizen initiative for Medicaid Expansion. Will this initiative be as successful? Will they face opposition? Will the measure provide tax relief in rural districts? Can the Idaho Legislature still override the initiative?  Idaho Matters  asks College of Idaho P...

(College of Western Idaho) This Friday, the College of Western Idaho is hosting a farm to fork dinner to raise money for their campus garden. The garden is a response to many things, including students who don’t have access to fresh produce due to financial hardship. Andrea Schumaker of CWI's Physical and Agriculture Science Department joins Idaho Matters to talk about the Sept. 13 Farm to Fork di...