Idaho Matters

During World War II, thousands of Japanese Americans were sent to an internment camp near Twin Falls. Today, the Minidoka National Historic Site preserves part of that site keeping the history of that time alive for visitors. The Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee holds an annual pilgrimage to the site each year for survivors, descendants, and allies of those held at the camp as they honor the...

Out on the upper Salmon River, a pair of forgotten apple trees have been growing sweet, red and green apples for decades. The trees sit on an old ranch east of Riggins and for a very long time, only bears were interested in the apples they grew. The big animals like the apples so much, they’ll climb the trees in the fall and shake them to get at the fruit. Now the Lost Apple Project has re-discove...

The Treasure Valley Beekeeping Club inspects bees from one of their hives. ( Marc von Huene) Over the last few decades, urban beekeeping has been on the rise with beehives popping up in cities and backyards all across America. And while this hobby can be fun, it also plays an important role in supporting local food and ecosystems. Mar von Huene, the Chief Technical Officer for the Treasure Valley...

Opera in the Park 2022. ( Opera Idaho) This Saturday, Julia Davis Park will be filled with music as Opera in the Park returns for its third year. Opera Idaho is hosting a free concert and inviting everyone to come and get a taste of opera music. Rafael Moras, tenor and guest artist for Opera in the Park joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

(Alex Proimos / Flickr) There is an obesity epidemic in the United States. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, more than two in five American adults are obese and nearly one in five American children are obese. So is a drug used to help decrease blood sugar levels in type two diabetics the answer to weight loss? There’s a debate raging on whether or not Ozempic, and...

The new accessible playground at Pine Grove Park. ( Boise Parks and Recreation) Playing at the park , on the swings or slide, is a regular part of childhood for most kids. But for those who do not have access to a park with the right kind of equipment playtime can be a challenge. That's why the City of Boise recently opened a new accessible playground at Pine Grove Park . Bonnie Shelton, the commu...

A group of horses run, kicking up dirt. (talo urcera / Flickr ) The allure of the American cowboy attracts many visitors to our region. But cowboys don’t only exist in the West. They’re known in Italy, where the tradition goes back centuries and has a surprising connection to Buffalo Bill Cody.

A family plays pickle ball together on a court. (jkenning / Flickr) Our region is catching up to the pickleball boom . Sometimes described as a cross between ping-pong and tennis, the sport has expanded beyond retirement communities. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Will Walkey reports.

What did you do in your spare time during the COVID-19 pandemic? Two women got together with some very talented folks to make 100 rugs based on fairy tales. Rug hooking is an old art that’s seeing a resurgence. This huge project was created by rug hooking teachers who spent untold hours bringing fanciful creatures and illustrations to life. Those 100 rugs are traveling the country and will be in G...

( TarcherPerigee) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on April 19, 2023. There are so many struggles facing parents and children in today’s world, then throw in any type of difference and those struggles can multiply. Meg Zucker, who was born with a genetic condition herself, knows those struggles and she wanted to give parents and caregivers some tools on how to support their children....

This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on January 24, 2022. Grace Cho emigrated to the U.S. as a baby and grew up in a small rural town in Washington state, the daughter of a White American father and a Korean mother. When Grace was a teenager, her mother experienced the onset of schizophrenia. Cho's new memoir "Tastes Like War" — which was a 2021 National Book Award finalist — chronicles...

(Brad Elsberg / United Way of Treasure Valley) When it comes to learning, having the right kind of support inside and outside of the classroom is important. This is why schools all over Idaho are taking part in a new strategy known as community schools to help aid their students. Community schools work with local partners to help ensure students have what they need to succeed, whether that's food,...

In May, 100 teams of kids from around the country gathered outside Washington DC and shot chicken eggs into space as part of the American Rocketry Challenge . The middle and high-school-age kids that took part in this challenge are the best of the best, beating out 800 teams and 4,500 students to get to the finals . And two teams from Idaho got to go this year, the Spudniks and the Rigby Rockets!...

(Planet Flem / Getty Images) Blessing and planting seeds is a farming tradition for Latin America's Indigenous people. KUER's Pamela McCall visited a ceremony held by a community garden and a cultural arts group in Utah. She has this report for the Mountain West News Bureau.

A community corn field at the Jemez Pueblo in north-central New Mexico, seen here on March 17, 2023. The Pueblo, which is largely supported by farming, irrigates its farms with snowmelt from the surrounding mountains. (Kaleb Roedel / Mountain West News Bureau ) Water is scarce in much of our region. So every spring, one tribe spends days cleaning ditches that are vital to irrigating their farmland...

(Harry Haysom/Getty Images) When it comes to summer reading, there are a lot of books to choose from! So to prevent you from getting overwhelmed as you try and pick your next book we invited New York Times bestselling author Ashely Poston to help us figure out what to read next.

(J. Scott Applewhite / AP) The U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions on Thursday, in a 6 to 3 vote. This means colleges and universities must find new ways to achieve diverse student bodies. Professor Shaakirah Sanders, who is wrapping up her time at the University of Idaho College of Law, joins Idaho Matters to talk more about this decision. And we should note th...

Bryan Kohberger, right, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, is led away following a hearing in Latah County District Court, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, Pool) (Ted S. Warren / AP) Lori Vallow Daybell's brother speaks out , takeaways from the ID GOP summer meeting , an update on the Kohberger murder case and a look at s...

(Ashley Brown / Flickr) The high price of housing in the Treasure Valley continues to leave many families out of reach of an affordable place to live. Even finding an apartment to rent can be hard, let alone one that working families can afford. One Idaho nonprofit is working to build and preserve affordable housing in places like Nampa and Caldwell. The Housing Company just unveiled a new afforda...

(iStockphoto) Though historic snowfall eased drought conditions, threats of extended dry periods don’t let up in the arid west. That is why water managers across our region are working on creating sustainable water supplies. That includes turning the water that flushes down people’s toilets into drinking water from their taps. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Kaleb Roedel reports.

Tribal members and students of the Owyhee Combined School joined Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo for a ceremonial signing on the steps of the capitol on June 13, 2023, in Carson City, Nev. (Maria Palma / KUNR Public Radio) Many native students go to class in schools that are old and deteriorating, but one tribe in our region fought hard to improve a school plagued by a bat infestation and other problems....

(J. Stephen Conn / Flickr) The waterfall known as the The Niagara of the West is showing off right now, as large amounts of water flow over Shoshone Falls . The falls, which were quiet for a few weeks, are getting a boost as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation releases more water over Milner Dam to help push fish downstream. Now is the time to check out the falls at Shoshone Falls Park just east of Twi...

Food stamps kept the carts rolling during the recession. (iStockphoto.com) When the pandemic hit in 2020 many families across Idaho found themselves dealing with food insecurity and that's when the idea for City of Good took hold. Creator and recent James Beard Award winner Kris Komori saw this unprecedented need and he decided to take action. Fast forward three years and City of Good has distribu...

(Andy Langager / Flickr) The United States has seen five cases of Malaria spread by mosquitos in the past two months, the first time there has been local spread in 20 years. This has prompted authorities to issue a public health alert warning to doctors and public health authorities about the risk. Dr. David Pate , former CEO of St. Luke's Health System, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about thi...

Each year, over 166,000 kids from across the country dream up new ways to solve everyday problems. These budding inventors, from grades K through 12, compete in the Raytheon Technologies Invention Convention program as they try to get a spot in the U.S. National Competition . This year, two young Idaho inventors made it to N ationals and won prizes for their unique inventions. Inventors Gus and Al...