Idaho Matters

(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio) Idaho Matters  sits down with the  University of Idaho’s  new president  C. Scott Green . He left a lucrative career on the east coast to come back to his roots. He attended UI in the 1980s and his grandfather was the athletic director at the university who raised money to build the Kibbie Dome. He shares his vision of the future of the university. Have a...

(DAILYASIANAGE.COM) During the last legislative session Democratic Representative Melissa Wintrow proposed a bill that was aimed at preventing children under 16 from getting married and would require consent of the child, parents, and a court before a marriage would happen. The House of Representatives voted against the legislation and the bill failed . But she continues to keep the issue in the f...

Boise Mayor David Bieter’s vision of a  streetcar  in  Downtown Boise  may be moving closer to reality. The Idaho Statesman reports the  Capital City Development Corporation  is setting aside almost $600,000 in its next budget for a Boise “circulator.” Where’s the money coming from? Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters. 

(Patrick Smith / Flickr) Three different restaurants in the Treasure Valley have been hit by hepatitis A this summer.  The Central District Health Department  has issued advisories for people who ate at these places on specific dates. But what is hepatitis A? And what can people do to protect themselves? Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters. 

(Samantha Wright / Boise State Public Radio) It’s not easy to go to the doctor if you speak a different language. But, what if you’re deaf? How do you communicate? What barriers must be overcome for a simple doctor’s visit?  Saint Alphonsus  is working with the Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on programs to help. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #Idaho...

(Pioneer Irrigation District) TVs, tires, mattresses, even a recliner — all these items, and lots and lots of trash, are  dumped  into  canals  and ditches around the Treasure Valley. Sometimes it’s grass clippings or tree limbs that are dumped, which can clog the water flow. The Treasure Valley Water Users Association says it’s a growing problem. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @K...

(Beth Pendergrass / Twin Falls School District) Idaho Ed News  is reporting that during the 2018-2019 school year  98% of teachers  in the Gem State got either the highest score or the second highest score. Teacher evaluations are more than just a benchmark. They’re tied to some of the money a teacher can earn. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters.

(Roger Phillips / Idaho Department of Fish and Game) It’s been awhile since  Lonesome Larry  made the long journey home to Redfish Lake and found no girl sockeye salmon to mate with.  That was 1992 . Since then the  numbers  have gone up and  down .  As of last week,  Idaho Fish and Game reported that sockeye salmon returns are lower than they’ve been in 10 years. The Boise Weekly has published a...

(Mike Hoff / Flickr) Optimist Youth Football  has been going strong since  1949  in Boise’s North End when 44 boys got together to play. Since then, more than 50,000 children have played in the program. For parents, the question is how do you keep your kids safe while playing football? Doctors in sports medicine and optimist youth football work to try and keep kiddos injury-free during the sport....

(Bekah / Flickr) It’s time to go back to school. That has parents juggling a thousand details. For some kiddos, it’s a time of  worry and anxiety . How can kids and parents cope with that very normal anxiety? Dr. Ron Larsen of  Optum Idaho  has some tips. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters. 

(Idaho Department of Agriculture) Zebra and quagga mussels  can devastate an  ecosystem  and Yellowstone National Park is doing everything it can to keep them out. As the Mountain West News Bureau’s Maggie Mullen reports, that includes harnessing the power of a dog’s snout. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters. 

(Boy Scouts of America) Wyoming is known as the Equality State. So it’s fitting that earlier this year one of its Boy Scout Troops was amongst the first in the country to  induct girls . The national organization changed its policy in February to be more inclusive. Since then, Troop 221 in Cheyenne has already seen its female scout number double. Maggie Mullen caught up with some of those scouts a...

(boisehigh1976.com) Monday, Boise High officials will come to the school board meeting with a plan to change their mascot. Since the 1920s, the high school’s mascot has been the “Braves.” The new mascot would be “Boise Brave.” The  Idaho Statesman  broke this story and we check in to look at the history, and the future, of the mascot. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using...

(Scott Graf / Boise State Public Radio) The future of Boise’s  main library  remains  up in the air.  After citizen petitions asking for a vote on whether to vote for or against the library ,  city council meetings  on a possible second voter question, and a lot of confusion, the Boise City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed November special election on the project. So what is the...

(zizzybaloobah / Flickr) We all know Boise is a hot topic right now, as more people find the city and move here. But did you know Boise is hotter than it used to be temperature-wise ? According to a new study by  Climate Central , Boise is the  13th fastest-warming city  in the U.S. Boise is 3.84 degrees hotter than it was in 1970. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #I...

(JUMP) The Boise Comic Arts Festival  is back this month for its  7th year . This year the  Boise Public Library  and its  Friends  are bringing in 30 of the nation's top comics creators. That includes the author of  "Phoebe and her Unicorn."  The event covers everything from comics journalism to how to draw dinosaurs. Idaho Matters sketches in the details. Have a question or comment for the show?...

(Peter Radunzel / Flickr) It’s time for our  Reporter Roundtable , where we get you up to date on all the news that made headlines around our region. Joining us this week are Kevin Richert of Idaho Ed News , Mike Sharp of KIVI Six On Your Side Television  and Seth Ogilvie of Idaho Public Televison . Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters. 

(Ali Budner / 91.5 KRCC) It’s no secret that wildfires are getting worse in the West. They’re threatening lives, homes and ecosystems. And they are also threatening our already-precarious watersheds. It’s all becoming a  vicious cycle   — especially for the drier parts of our region. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters. 

(Commemorative Air Force) You may have noticed a couple of really big planes flying over the Treasure Valley this week. The World War II B-17 and B-25 bombers were brought to Nampa by the Commemorative Air Force . Both planes flew in World War II and are pieces of living history. The Commemorative Air Force is a nonprofit that flies planes like these around the country. They not only keep them fly...

(aoc.gov) Back in June ,  Idaho Matters  spoke to Concordia University School of Law associate professor Mckay Cunningham and Georgetown law professor David Super about a “Con-Con.” That caught the eye of a group called the  Wolf-PAC  which has an Idaho presence. They want a “free and fair elections amendment” to be approved by a state-based convention. In the interest of fairness, we wanted them...

(Idaho Department of Fish and Game) You’ve heard us report before on places about to be  stocked  with fish by Idaho Fish and Game. A few hundred trout in a river ... a few kokanee salmon in a lake ... maybe a few dozen channel catfish in a pond ... what does that add up to? Try  30 million fish  a year. That’s right. Thirty million fish every single year in Idaho. Have a question or comment for t...

(St. Luke's Health System) How would you like to lower your cholesterol, your blood pressure, your blood sugar — and lose some weight? Sound  too good to be true?  St. Luke’s is trying to do all of that with the  “Complete Health Improvement Program”  or “ CHIP. ” It’s not a diet. It’s an 18-session lifestyle enrichment program. The goal is to change  habits and lifestyles  to reduce disease risk...

(Alex / Flickr) You may have heard about the big international  soccer friendly  this Saturday between Team USA and Team Mexico at the  Centurylink arena.  But have you heard of the  other events  going on this week that include a player combine and youth camps? Kids can get a chance to get training from the Team USA coaching staff. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #...

(Heath Druzin / Boise State Public Radio) Two recent shootings in El Paso and Dayton have left more than 30 people dead and dozens wounded. The debate over guns in America and who should have them is front and center after the shootings and  remarks from President Donald Trump  about “Red Flag” laws. Reporter Heath Druzin with Boise State Public Radio and Guns & America has been covering the I...

(Idaho Power) Ten-year-old Lily Colson likes penguins and polar bears and she wanted to protect them from the effects of climate change. This Boise 4th grader somehow went from protecting penguins to coming up with a new way to use  solar power  ... without having to build more infrastructure. She calls the idea “Solar Lines.” Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoM...