Idaho Matters

The 2024 State Summer Games kick off on June 7th. ( Special Olympics Idaho) For more than 50 years, Special Olympics Idaho has been empowering those with intellectual disabilities to take part in competition and hone their skills as athletes. And next month, the organization will be hosting one of its biggest events of the year as people from across the state come together to take part in the 2024...

(Julie Luchetta / Boise State Public Radio ) The word Clutch has a lot of different definitions: it can mean a fancy purse, the number of eggs in a nest or to hold something - or someone - tightly. It’s also the name of a club for queer kids looking for a safe place to hang out in the Treasure Valley. Once a week, Clutch opens its doors to teens and young adults looking for a queer friendly space...

(iStockphoto.com) A group of high school students is studying the idea of access as a human right, pairing up with storytellers between the ages of 75 and 88, with the task of finding out about a time that they lost access. The questions the students were hoping to answer was "who has access, who doesn't and what do those answers mean for the community we live in?" The project is part of the City...

Hailey’s Sage School 10th and 11th Grade Students Host Farm-To-Table Dinner. ( The Sage School) How do you teach critical thinking to high school students? Most schools might assign a paper or an end-of-year test, but at The Sage School in Hailey, Idaho, they've got something even better. It's called "The Feast," and it's the defining project of their journey through school, incorporating everythi...

Left to Right, Elia Lopez, Snake River Elementary Family Services Coordinator, LaRita Schandorff, NBP director, Mark Person, Vice Commander of American Legion District 3, and Mark Marshall, American Legion Rider, Post 39. ( The Nampa Bicycle Project) For years now, the Nampa Bicycle Project has been giving back to the community, providing refurbished bicycles to those in need in order to do some g...

Dawnel Towery and her family at a San Francisco 49ers game. ( Wish Granters) Here in Idaho, one group is helping to make the wishes of terminally ill adults come true. For more than a decade, the nonprofit Wish Granters has been providing a little bit of hope to those who need it most. Facilitating end-of-life requests that range from spending time with elephants to skydiving to something as simpl...

The College of Idaho ( The College of Idaho Facebook) Idaho's primary is set for next Tuesday, and every seat in the Idaho Legislature is up for grabs.   Candidates are facing a wide range of issues, from abortion to libraries to funding public schools. So the College of Idaho is hosting a candidate forum Wednesday, May 15 to give the public a chance to hear from their candidates and ask the quest...

(Katherine Jones / Idaho Statesman ) Across the globe, people are feeling the impact of climate change, not just in their environment but in their health, which can mean more frequent visits to the doctor. And though hospitals are helping to solve people's health problems, they're also inadvertently contributing to the bigger one, climate change. Which is why many health care systems, like St. Luk...

Elizabeth Gilbert greets and talks with students from the Oregon Youth Challenge program. (Deschutes Public Library/The Penguin Group / Flickr) Maybe you saw the movie starring Julia Roberts or read the book " Eat, Pray, Love ," which was an international bestseller and sold more than 12 million copies. Author Elizabeth Gilbert has written 10 books, including her latest, " City of Girls ." She is...

(Aditya Romansa / Unsplash) Almost 40% of mothers in Idaho say they feel tired or burned out; for working moms, that number jumps to 57%. More than 70% of Idahoans say they don't have time to take care of their own physical needs, and almost 75% say they're just struggling to get by every day, according to a new survey by Gallup and Spark Strategic Solutions . But despite these numbers, moms in Id...

(File ) Fundraising by legislative candidates is giving some people pause, schools are supporting teachers in a new way, Idahoans should get ready to update their IDs and the Idaho Democratic Party is doubling their efforts in the face of recent legislation. It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable when Idaho Matters gets you up to date on all the news that made headlines thi...

The newest ambassador at the World Center for Birds and Prey is Salix, a baby barn owl. ( The World Center for Birds and Prey) South of Boise, 22 very special ambassadors live together in a sprawling complex in the Idaho desert. Their job is to form a bridge between people and birds to help humans better understand how to help raptors and other flying creatures in their natural environment. The ne...

(Purestock / Getty Images/Purestock) Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is never an easy subject to talk about, but it is an important area of research. Which is why the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is studying children around the country who have succumbed to this syndrome. The CDC is providing grants to organizations across the nation, including Boise State University , to gather data, lo...

(RenoCdZ / iStockphoto) Every kid deserves a place to call home. But for years now, Idaho has been facing a shortage of foster families, leaving a gap in care that has resulted in many kids staying in short-term rentals. Now, though, thanks to state and community efforts, a new center is helping to address this problem. Stacy Corbett, child welfare program manager, joined Idaho Matters to talk mor...

H5N1 avian flu viruses (seen in gold) grow inside canine kidney cells (seen in green). (Cynthia Goldsmith / CDC) Avian flu is continuing to spread in the U.S.; in fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, outbreaks in dairy cattle were first reported on March 25. As of May 2, there are known cases in nine states. Jump to today, there is now a concerning development when it...

Celtic Woman perform on stage. (donal moloney / Celtic Woman) You've seen them on PBS, and you've heard them perform all over the globe, they are Celtic Woman , and they're on their 20th anniversary tour. As part of this tour, they'll be coming to the Morrison Center to sing and perform traditional Irish music as well as contemporary songs. Their beautiful voices, combined with a full band playing...

( Tree Club) The choice to use a plastic bag may seem like a small one, but it has big consequences for the environment. Which is why students in the Treasure Valley are encouraging people to make the switch to a reusable tote . The project is being supported by the Idaho Business for the Outdoors and Albertsons in honor of Earth Month. Rep. Ilana Rubel (D-Boise), along with Kathy Holland, a membe...

(Dante Filpula Ankney / KHOL) Ryan Stolp’s newspaper comic was due in 30 minutes, but he didn't know what he was going to draw. He consulted his half-baked list of ideas and then grabbed his iPad. “I would love to tell you that I think these out more than I do,” Stolp stammered. But he didn't have the time. Stick figure here, sketch there, speech bubble, color and… done. He sent it off to the pape...

(Chamonix Experience / Flickr) Ski season is winding down, but training exercises are going on now for dogs used in avalanche and search and rescue missions. KUNR's Kat Fulwider reports.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump. (Paul Sancya / AP) It was just about two weeks ago when the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Trump v. United States. A case that looks at the issue of presidential immunity from criminal prosecution. During arguments, we finally got a hint of what the justices were thinking in a case that has far-reaching implication...

( CC0 Public Domain) In the news, we hear daily about the suffering in Gaza, the crisis touches all parts of society including the pets and strays affected by the fighting. But, an animal rescue shelter in Wyoming is stepping up to lend a hand. Wyoming Public Radio’s Jordan Uplinger reports for the Mountain West News Bureau.

(Carly Barnes / Flickr) The White River National Forest in western Colorado uses a variety of methods to manage its 2.3 million acres, whether that's pickup trucks, all-terrain vehicles, or drones, but there's one tried and true method of getting around the wilderness that the forest service still relies on - horses and mules. Recently, workers got some training in the saddle. Caroline Llanes repo...

Matt Burgess shows a kid how to properly hold an atlatl at the 2023 Idaho Archaeology Fair. ( Idaho Archaeological Society ) When it comes to Idaho history, there's one group that will always be happy to dig into the Gem State's past: the Idaho Archaeological Society . For more than 50 years, the organization has been preserving important artifacts that not only help us learn more about the state'...

<i>Glock 9mm pistol with “switch” machinegun conversion device installed that Rhyne attempted to ship in the mail.  (Photographs obtained from the publicly filed Government’s Sentencing Memorandum, ECF No. 55.)</i> (<i>United States Attorney's Office</i>) Recently, three people were sentenced to prison in Idaho for possessing illegal guns or ammunition. Th...

(Brittany Randolph / Flickr Creative Commons) When it comes to supporting our children's mental health, it can be hard to know where to start. Which is why organizations like FYIdaho are so important. For 25 years, the nonprofit has been providing mental health resources to those in need, connecting parents and kids with vital services that help to empower the whole family. Brenda Willson, Executi...