Idaho Matters

(soinc.org) Founded in 1984,  Science Olympiad  is one of the premier science competitions in the nation, providing rigorous, standards-based challenges to nearly 8,000 teams in all 50 states. We talk with organizers of Idaho Science Olympiad about STEM education.

(Jon C. Hancock/AP/WBUR) The days of three season athletes are coming to an end as more and more kids are focusing on excelling in one sport rather than participate in multiple activities.  We'll find out why and what this means for participation across all sports.

(vox/Matt Kennedy/Marvel Studios/npr-Christopher Polk-Getty Images) The Boise Weekly's George Prentice joins Idaho Matters to discuss this summer's take at the box office, upcoming film festivals and the changes we'll see from upcoming Oscar ceremonies.

We review the week's headlines with a team of regional journalists.  This week we speak with the Nicole Foy from the Idaho Press, Seth Ogilvie from Idaho Public Television and The Idaho Statesman's Cynthia Sewell.

The Peregrine Fund  will be holding an auction of raptor art.  We talk to the  World Center for Birds of Prey  about the event.

(Boise Period Project) The  Boise Period Project  just completed their  first distribution  of hygiene products and are ramping up for their next event.  The founders join Idaho Matters in studio to describe their progress.

Earlier this year, the Idaho Legislature allowed for twenty percent of the state's  Opportunity Scholarship  to aid adult learners.  We'll talk with the state's Board of Education and the Idaho Workforce Development Council about helping alternative students attain their degrees.

(boisegoatheadfest.com) The first  Boise Goathead Fest  wrapped up on Saturday and we get the recap from organizer Jimmy Hallyburton.

29 dogs were recently flown  from San Antonio to Boise to be adopted.   Dog Is My CoPilot  is a Jackson Hole-based non-profit that flies animals facing euthenasia in shelters to locations where they can be adopted.  We'll talk to the  Idaho Humane Society  about recieving these lucky dogs and finding new homes for them.

(ASHLEY SMITH / TIMES-NEWS / BSPR) As crews struggle to bring Idaho's wildfires under control, federal officials have  traced at least five of the fires back to exploding targets  used by recreational shooters.  Idaho Matters speaks with BLM officials about the danger of using these targets and other catalysts for wildfires.

(idahoednews.org) Idaho Education News reporter Kevin Richert joins us to discuss the state's Advance Opportunity program..

(Oxygen ) "Abbey" Abbondandollo spent 32 years with the Houston Police Department - most of them as a homicide detective.  These days he works as director of security with St. Luke's and he moonlights on the side as a consultant with the  Oxygen Network's "Cold Justice."   Abbondandollo joins Idaho Matters to talk about hunting down some of the most brutal killers of our time.

(Boise State University) Earlier this year, Boise State University named provost Martin Schimpf as interim president, replacing outgoing president Bob Kustra.  Schimpf joins us to discuss the upcoming school year.

Padma Gadepally performs Indian dance on stage. (Olivia Weitz / ICA) Olivia Weitz introduces us to  folk artists in Idaho  with a series of profiles featuring master folk artists and apprentices in the Idaho Commission on the Arts’ Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. Today, we look at Boisians keeping the traditions of Indian dance alive .

(GENT SHKULLAKU / AFP | GETTY IMAGES) So you think you understand health care in Idaho? One reporter for the Idaho Statesman thought so, until she had a baby . Audrey Dutton tells her story on  Idaho Matters .

(NPR/iStockphoto.com) Idaho has the second highest rate of unintentional drownings of children in swimming pools, lakes, rivers and canals.  On Monday's edition of Idaho Matters, we speak with Treasure Valley YMCA CEO David Duro about water safety.

(idahoatc.org) Social media can be used to inform, connect and entertain.  The Idaho Anti-Trafficking Coalition is using social media to bring awareness to Idahoans of the problem of human trafficking.  The coalition's director, Jennifer Zielinski, joins Idaho Matters to talk about the upcoming "social media blitz."

(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio) We assemble a panel of Idaho journalists to discuss the week's events in Boise, the Treasure Valley and beyond. This week we're joined by Bill Manny from the  Idaho Statesman , and Betsy Russell and Scott McIntosh from the Idaho Press . We cover all the week's topics, even escaping goats !

(NASA/CXC/M.Weiss / Flickr) They're weird and they're hard to find. Boise State University's Physics Department hosts a talk about black holes Friday at 8 p.m. at the Education Building. Michigan State University Mark Peacock joins Idaho Matters to talk about the study of black holes.     

(HomeGrown Theatre) HomeGrown Theatre is a Boise-based production company. They write their own scripts and create their own puppets for their signature puppet shows. They are known for their annual Horrific Puppet Affair. They have spent much of their time performing anywhere they could, from garages to bars. Now they’ve found a home and are premiering a new play called “Sing to Me Now.”

We're taking a look at some of the newest college presidents in Idaho . That includes Idaho State University. Kevin Satterlee took over as the 13th president of ISU in June after time at Boise State University. We get his vision of the future at ISU on Idaho Matters .

(Lewis Clark State College) We're taking a look at some of the  newest college presidents in Idaho . That includes Lewis Clark State College. Dr. Cynthia Pemberton was named the 16th president of the school and started July 1. The school is celebrating its 125th anniversary. Dr. Pemberton unveils her vision for the future of LCSC.

(Friesen Gallery) She marries glass, metal and color to produce unique and unusual paintings full of feeling. Artist Nicole Chesney has a new exhibition of paintings that opens Friday in Sun Valley . She lives and works in Rhode Island but dropped by Idaho Matters to talk about her work.    

(Matt Guilhem / Boise State Public Radio) A one-of-a-kind house sits on what was once a barren promontory in Idaho’s Hagerman Valley. In the mid-1950s, landscape painter Archie Teater and his wife commissioned arguably the world’s most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, to design a studio for them. While in safe hands at the moment, Matt Guilhem reports the future of the studio – and other nota...

(City of Meridian) The last time a comprehensive plan was created for Meridian was 2011, and 30 percent of Meridian's current population wasn't living there. That's why a new plan is coming together , and city officials want your input. We take a closer look on Idaho Matters .