Idaho Matters

(PANKEYFORIDAHO.COM / facebook) We continue our  series of interviews with Idaho's gubernatorial candidates ; Boise State Public Radio's James Dawson speaks with Republican candidate Dalton Ben Cannady and BSPR's Frankie Barnhill talks with Republican candidate Steve Pankey.

(boise state public radio) Earlier this week, members of the  Boise Philharmonic per formed  Haydn's Sunrise Quartet for some unique audience members ... inmates at the Idaho State Correctional Institution. The philharmonic's string quartet played for about an hour in the facility's chapel in front of 500 men. Bryan Shipley, chaplain of the ISCI's chapel and philharmonic violinist Geoffrey Hill wi...

(DESTINATION CALDWELL ) While most municipalities in the Treasure Valley have been experiencing explosive growth, business in Caldwell's downtown corridor has been sluggish. City officials are hoping to turn that trend around with the opening of  Indian Creek Plaza , an events center that would host concerts, farmer's markets and other events. In addition to drawing foot traffic into downtown Cald...

(JAMES DAWSON / BOISE STATE PUBLIC RADIO | SAMANTHA WRIGHT / BOISE STATE PUBLIC RADIO) We continue our  series of interviews with Idaho's gubernatorial candidates ; Boise State Public Radio's James Dawson speaks with Republican candidate Lisa Marie and BSPR's Samantha Wright talked with Republican candidate Harley Brown.

(STOCK) Boise gas prices  are hovering around $3.20 for a gallon of the cheap stuff, the  national average  is just above $2.80. We talk with Brett DeLange, chief of the Idaho Attorney General's  Consumer Protection Division  about why our fuel prices are so high.

(Frankie Barnhill / James Dawson | Boise State Public Radio) We continue our  series of interviews with Idaho's gubernatorial candidates ; Boise State Public Radio's James Dawson speaks with Democratic candidate Peter Dill and BSPR's Frankie Barnhill talks with Republican candidate Brad Little.

(DANNY LAROCHE - FLICKR ) American cities are showcasing their bike-friendliness in efforts to attract new businesses and healthy workforces and Boise is doing everything to stay ahead of the trend. Cynthia Gibson, executive director of the Idaho Walk/Bike Alliance and Dave Fotsch, director of Boise Green Bike (and BSPR community advisory board member) discuss ways in which Boise is improving its...

(ADAM COTTERELL - BOISE STATE PUBLIC RADIO) Nearly 60% of Boise's homeless population have  outstanding arrest warrants , usually from petty misdemeanors like public drinking or sleeping in the park. These warrants are easily remedied, though they create substantial roadblocks for homeless Idahoans looking to lift themselves up. On Tuesday's  Idaho Matters , we discuss solutions to erasing these w...

(OTTO KITSINGER / AP | CREDIT MATT GUILHEM / BOISE STATE PUBLIC RADIO) Idaho Matters  continues with the second in a five-part series presenting a Q&A with Idaho's gubernatorial candidates. Today, we hear Boise State Public Radio's Matt Guilhem speaks with Democratic Boise businessman A.J. Balukoff and BSPR's Samantha Wright talks with retired physician and Republican candidate Tommy Ahlquist...

(JESSICA ROBERTS) News media has changed drastically since the beginning of the 2016 presidential election. Fake news, Russian bots, data mining and targeted news have changed the way front-line reporters get their content to consumers.  Corporate consolidation, a declining print industry and website acquisitions have made the media employment landscape volatile and unpredictable. On Tuesday's  Id...

(CREDIT MATT GUILHEM / EMILIE RITTER SAUNDERS / BOISE STATE PUBLIC RADIO) Idaho Matters  begins the first in a five-part series presenting a Q&A with Idaho's gubernatorial candidates. We hear Boise State Public Radio's Matt Guilhem speak with Democratic candidate Paulette Jordan , then BSPR's James Dawson  speaks with Republican contender Raul Labrador .

Joe Wiegand  has been performing as Theodore Roosevelt since 2004; his impersonation is so masterful he has performed at the White House, and has played the 26th president in documentaries. He will be  performing in the Treasure Valley  next week and he joined Gemma Gaudette in studio to talk about impersonating 'The Hero of San Juan.' 

(AMELIA TEMPLETON / OPB) When news broke of the occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Oregon, documentarian David Byars knew he had to go there with a camera. The result was  'No Man's Land,'  a chronicle of the 40-day occupation by public land advocates who saw federal land policies as an infringement on their liberty. Byars joined  Idaho Matters  in studio to discuss the maki...

Boise State University president  Bob Kustra  is retiring after 15 years. He joins  Idaho Matters  to discuss the growth of the university under his tenure and future plans for both himself and Boise State.

A panel of reporters joins Gemma Gaudette to discuss this week’s news affecting the Treasure Valley and Idaho. Idaho Spokesman-Review political reporter Betsy Russell, Idaho Press-Tribune Editor Scott McIntosh and Associated Press reporter KimberleeKruesi will be in-studio to give an update on the upcoming primary elections, a $165 million wastewater treatment bond in Nampa and a breakdown of last...

Twin Falls Mayor Shawn Barigar joined Idaho Matters to talk about the growth and economic development impacting Twin Falls and the Magic Valley.

May the Fourth be with you! Film critic George Prentice discusses the ways Star Wars has crossed generations and become a cultural phenomenon, infiltrating every part of mainstream pop culture.

(Chobani) Chobani has announced  that it is offering six weeks of 100 percent paid maternal and paternal leave for its employees. The yogurt manufacturer's Twin Falls plant is the largest of its kind in the world and employs nearly 1,000 Idahoans. The United States is one of the very few industrialized nations that does not guarantee paid maternity leave, the  Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993...

(Lacey Daley / Boise State Public Radio ) Five foothills homeowners recently  won a lawsuit  against a number of defendants after the ground beneath their homes  slid downhill,  pulling apart the structures. With the rapid influx of residents to the Treasure Valley, planners and developers are looking for the safest, most sustainable ways to integrate new development with the region's landscape. I...

Since 2010, nearly 18 percent of the United States' gross domestic product has been spent on healthcare. Chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes are responsible for seven of every 10 deaths in America. Those three diseases account for 75% of the nation's healthcare spending.   Idaho Matters discussed the value of personal health within the community with Jean Fitzgerald-Mutchie,...

(LUKE MAYVILLE / RECLAIM IDAHO) Reclaim Idaho  has been  collecting signatures  for months in an effort to get Idaho to expand its Medicaid coverage. The petition to place expansion on the November ballot as a voter initiative was submitted yesterday with the requisite 60,000 signatures. The organization is looking for a Medicaid expansion to cover more than 62,000 uninsured Idahoans under the Aff...

Boise Mayor Dave Bieter  joined Idaho Matters to talk about the explosive population growth in the Treasure Valley, responsible and sustainable development and what the future looks like for the City of Trees.

In 2017, Boise's Greenbelt sustained massive damage as a result of a wet winter and subsequent flooding. So as spring settles in this time around, it's no wonder folks are recalling the events of last year. Listener Scott Sanicki is one of those people curious to know what the state of the Greenbelt looks like these days. "Has the 2017 flooding damage to the Boise Greenbelt been repaired?" To answ...

Remember your childhood dreams of being a rock star?  Boise Rock School  makes those dreams (almost) come true by teaming up with kids and teaching the art of rock. From beginners to experts, the instructors will teach children to channel their inner-Jagger while instilling teamwork and fostering a passion for music. Co-founder Ryan Peck and education director Jared Goodpaster talk about the progr...

Atlanta-based developers the  Greenstone Group  are hoping to build a multi-purpose sports stadium in South Boise to host minor league baseball games and other athletic events. The project has the support of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce and some other  high-caliber boosters .   It also has opponents.  Concerned Boise Taxpayers  is a citizen organization led by former Albertson's executive G...