Idaho Matters

(Roam Yocham / Boise State Public Radio) Governor Little announced  the formation of an  education task force  earlier this month. The purpose is to create a series of recommendations that would allow Little and the 2020 Legislature to develop an efficient budget and policy plan for the state's schools. On Tuesday's  Idaho Matters , we talk with task force member Representative Mat Erpelding about...

(CREDIT DOWNTOWN BOISE / FACEBOOK) A recent  report from the Brookings Institute  found that Boise's growth prosperity may be evening out. We look at the numbers and talk with BoiseDev reporter Don Day about the economic future of the City of Trees.

(IDAHO STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY) Idaho has one of the largest  Basque populations  outside of Spain. The diaspora began in the late 19th century as Basque workers arrived in the region to work in the silver mines. The skillset expanded to included sheep herding. Today, more than 30,000 Basque Americans live in Southern Idaho and on Tuesday we speak with community leaders Dave Lachiondo about the l...

(challenged athletes foundation/facebook) The  Challenged Athletes Foundation  has been providing opportunities for athletic achievement for people with physical challenges.  In Idaho, the CAF  helps to fund grants providing adaptive sporting equipment and training as well as host events.  Idaho Matters  talks with CAF's national spokesman, Willie Stewart and Jennifer Skeesick, the Idaho regional...

(Katherine Jones/Idaho Statesman) Host Gemma Gaudette leads a round table discussion of the week's headlines with the region's top journalists. This week, George Prentice discusses the Boise Weekly’s deep dive into the problems the state is having in working with private out-of-state prisons . Idaho Public Television’s Bill Manny breaks down Canyon County’s failed jail bond measure and updates us...

(dustin portela/facebook) The  American Cancer Society  predicts nearly  75,000 Americans  will be diagnosed with malignant melanoma this year. On Friday's  Idaho Matters , we speak with Boise dermatologist  Dustin Portela  about keeping your skin safe this summer.

(surel's place) This Saturday night, Surel's Place  combines physical exertion with art  with the  artBike Tour  in Garden City. The tour will visit Surel's Place resident  Laura Pelligrinelli ,  Heather Wright 's installation at the " Green Box ,"  Julia Ballenger ,  Karen Woods , Linda Williams,  Sue Latta  and more.  Idaho Matters talks with Jodi Eichelberger, director of programming at Surel's...

Eighteen-year-old Angie Dodge was raped and murdered in her Idaho Falls apartment in 1996. Chris Tapp was accused of the crime and imprisoned for 20 years before DNA evidence demonstrated he was not at the scene. His release was due in part to the work of the  Idaho Innocence Project  and on Thursday's  Idaho Matters , we speak with Greg Hampikian from the project and Idaho Statesman reporter Cynt...

(Bluum) Five Idaho charter schools were recently awarded with $800,000 in federal funds allowing for the addition of 2,484 new seats for K-12 students.  Idaho Matters  looks at the growth of charter schools in the region with Bluum CEO Terry Ryan and Sage International School executive director Keith Donahue.

(Crystal King/Facebook) Crystal King's first book,  Feast of Sorrow,  is a historically fictional take on the reign of Augustus Caesar through the perspective of the court chef. Her follow-up,  The Chef's Secret , fast-forwards to Renaissance Italy to the Vatican kitchen where a locked strongbox left behind by a dead chef with a devastating secret leads his nephew on a journey of discovery and bet...

(speakingwithstrength.com/Jessica Flynn) The National Women's Business Council is a federal governmental committee that offers advice and research for federal agencies impacting women business owners. Their influence spreads from the  Small Business Administration to Congress to the White House. The council is made up of 15 members and it recently appointed Red Sky founder and CEO, Jessica Flynn ,...

St. Luke's Hospice  is working with  Wish Granters  to facilitate the wishes of veterans with terminal illness.  Idaho Matters  looks at this program with St. Luke's Hospice social worker Kennette McWilliams, Chaplain Craig Kennedy and Nurse/Case manager Becky Rudell, also with St. Luke's.

(Donnelly Farmers Market/Facebook) St. Luke's has partnered with the City of Donnelly  to create a farmers market where vendors accept SNAP benefits, which aren't accepted from within 100 miles of the rural Central Idaho town. We look at the success of the Donnelly Farmers Market and efforts to reduce the food desert in Donnelly with McCall Community Health Program Specialist Liz Jones and Cascade...

The Idaho Chukar Foundation  wants you to go safely hunting and hiking with your dogs. They are offering  a training program that teaches dogs to stay away from snakes, skunks and porcupines. We learn about the classes and why they are good for both your pet and the wildlife with Foundation president Drew Wahlin and marketing director Alli Thompson.

(Courtesy of the Idaho Statesman) Idaho's average teacher pay has declined by 6.4% since 2009, adjusted for inflation. This is just one of the reasons cited by  Idaho Education Association  president Kari Overall and  Idaho Association of School Administrators  executive director Rob Winslow for the  inability of the state to retain experienced teachers . On Tuesday's  Idaho Matters , we talk with...

(St. Luke's) 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 sports medicine.

(Caxton Press) Working the Wilderness: Early Leaders for Wild Land  relates the stories of five U.S. Forest Service workers who literally wrote the book on working and living in the wilderness.  Idaho Matters  talks with author John McCarthy about these early pioneers of wilderness protection.

(idvsa.org) The Narrative Thread: Stories of Transformation  showcases story quilts made by  Artisans for Hope  and oral presentations from stroytellers Veronique Giwe Tongbi, Wafaa Alwan, Jenefar Paul and others. The event is being sponsored by the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and Idaho Matters speaks with storyteller Malia Collins .

(BLACK AND PINK FACEBOOK; Wes Morishita) The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments from attorneys representing both the State of Idaho and state inmate Adree Edmo on May 16. The State of Idaho is appealing an earlier lower federal court ruling ordering the state to provide sex reassignment surgery for the transgender inmate. Mountain West News Bureau reporter Amanda Peacher joins Idaho Matt...

(KYLE GREEN IDAHO STATESMAN FILE) A townhall meeting in Nampa  got a bit fiery  on Monday as critics of a property tax increase verbally sparred with supporters of a new jail for Canyon County.  Idaho Matters  looks at the need for more detention beds with Ysabel Bilbao, spokeswoman for the effort to approve a bond for a new jail.

(Ada County Paramedics/Facebook) It's  National EMS Week  and  Idaho Matters  talks with Dr. Britani Hill, a  trauma surgeon with Saint Alphonsus  and Steve Boyenger, Deputy Chief of the  Ada County Paramedics  about collaborating to create efficient and effective emergency health care.

(Photo: Don Day/BoiseDev) Host Gemma Gaudette leads a round table discussion of the week's headlines with the region's top journalists. This week,  Idaho Matters  speaks with Seth Ogilvie of  IPTV 's  Idaho Reports , Don Day of  BoiseDev  and Scott McIntosh from the  Idaho Press . This week, Scott McIntosh covers a controversial new trash collection contract Ada County signed, Don Day discusses "...

(Idaho Statesman/DARIN OSWALD) The  National Institute for Civil Discourse  was established in 2011 following the shooting in Tucson that killed six and injured 13, including former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Today, the Institute is creating 50 advisory boards to be positioned in each state. Idaho is the first state to establish such a board and on Friday's  Idaho Matters , we speak wi...

(FRANKIE BARNHILL / BOISE STATE PUBLIC RADIO) Idaho Education News  reporter Kevin Richert stops by  Idaho Matters  to catch us up on the latest education stories in the state.  $53.9 million  in bond issues and levies are being requested by 17 rural Idaho school districts. We look at the May 21 election on the issuance, a new  K-12 education task force  and an increase in  school bullying .

(Bjorn Knetsch/Wikimedia Commons) 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.