Idaho Matters is a wonderful way to stay up to date, meet people and understand there’s much more to this great state. Hosted by Gemma Gaudette on Boise State Public Radio News, it features arts and politics, growth and education, and the interesting stories that make Idaho unique. Send us your questions, comments or story ideas by emailing idahomatters@boisestate.edu or sending us a voicemail using the “Talk To Us” feature on the free Boise State Public Radio app.
President Biden steps down: What's next for Idaho and the nation
Jul 22, 2024
President Joe Biden, right, walks with Vice President Kamala Harris on May 13, 2021, in Washington. President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, July 21, ending his bid for reelection following a debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about his fitness for office just four months before the election.(Evan Vucci / Associated Press )
On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced he would no longer be running for a second term and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, as the nominee to run against former President Donald Trump.
Harris says she’s ready to "earn and win" the nomination, and many Democrats have come out to support her.
However, the Democratic National Committee chair says the party will go through the process to find a candidate who can defeat President Trump in the election, which is just over three months away.
Jaclyn Kettler, political scientist at Boise State University, McKay Cunningham, College of Idaho Director of Graduate Initiatives and Rep. Lauren Necochea, the Chair of the Idaho Democratic Party, joined Idaho Matters to break down what this means for voters and Idaho.
Idaho Matters Reporter Roundtable: July 19, 2024
Jul 19, 2024
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 this past week.
How the Bench Lake Fire is impacting popular summer recreation spots
Jul 18, 2024
Water-scooping aircraft collecting water from Redfish Lake takes photo of the Bench Lake Fire on July 14.( U.S. Forest Service-Sawtooth National Forest)
One week ago, a wildfire broke out eight miles south of Stanley, next to Idaho's iconic Redfish Lake.
High temperatures, smoke and dead trees killed by a mountain pine beetle epidemic have made the fire worse, and just getting to the fire has been a challenge for firefighters.
Nicole Blanchard with the Idaho Statesman and Steve Botti, the Mayor of Stanley, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about the Bench Lake Fire.
Idahoans travel to Montana for abortion care
Jul 18, 2024
The number of Idahoans traveling to Montana to receive abortion care has tripled in the last year.
According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, in 2022, 32 Idahoans traveled to Montana to get an abortion. In 2023, the year our state’s abortion ban went into total effect, 88 people went to Montana for abortion care.
One Montana advocacy group wants to make sure everyone knows that abortions and contraception are still legal in Montana.
Nicole Smith, executive director of Montanans for Choice, and Aileen Gleizer, advisor of Montanans for Choice, joined Idaho Matters to talk more.
Former BYRDS cyclist competes in the Tour de France
Jul 18, 2024
This weekend, cyclists from around the world will compete in the last two stages of the Tour de France race.
Among these athletes is Boise native Matteo Jorgenson, who attributes his start in the sport to BYRDS, a youth cycling program here in the Treasure Valley.
Douglas Tobin, President of BYRDS, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about the program and the success of his riders.
Remembering Idaho Sen. Frank Church nearly 100 years after his birth
Jul 17, 2024
Three counsels to U.S. President Gerald Ford meet with members of the Select Senate Committee on Intelligence in Washington, D.C., June 26, 1975. They brought White House files with them to aid panel's investigation into where orders to assassinate Cuban Premier Fidel Castro originated. From left are: seated, James Wilderoffer, counsel; Roderick Hills, counsel; Philip Buchan, counsel; Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho, chairman; and Sen. John Tower, R-Texas. Standing, Senators Gary Hartr, D-Colorado; Robert Morgan, D-N.C.; Walter Mondale, D-Minn.; Richard Schweiker, R-Pa.; Howard Baker. R-Tenn.; and Charles McC. Mathias, R-Md. (Henry Griffin / AP)
Next week marks 100 years since the birth of Idaho Sen. Frank Church.
Church, a Democrat, served as a U.S. senator from Idaho from 1957 until 1981, and he is currently the last Democrat to do so. He was also the longest-serving democratic senator from our state and the only Democrat from Idaho who served more than two terms in the Senate.
Church served on the senate committee on foreign relations, and in 1960 he gained national exposure when he gave the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention.
He was also considered a strong progressive and environmental legislator, and he played a major role in creating a system of protected wilderness areas.
Frank Church Institute Board Member, Rod Gramer, and the granddaughter of Frank Church, Monica Church, who is also the Executive Director of the Frank Church Institute, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about his life and legacy.
A new film explores the issue of ranked choice voting
Jul 17, 2024
(The Flicks / via Facebook)
Idahoans will be considering an open primaries initiative this November, which includes a ranked choice voting component.
A new film called "Majority Rules" looks at this issue and there’s a sold out special screening on Wednesday, July 17, at The Flicks in Boise, which will include a panel discussion after the film. Former Gov. Butch Otter will be there, as will the director of the film, AJ Schnack.
The Flicks is working to get the film on the schedule in the future, for more people to watch. Schnack sat down with our Morning Edition host George Prentice for a preview of the screening.
Idaho State University and AmeriCorps team up to fight poverty and food insecurity in Idaho
Jul 17, 2024
( ISU AmeriCorps Programs)
More than 20 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, September 11 has become the biggest day of service in America. It’s a day when many give back to their communities to honor those lost that day.
So far this year, on ISU's 9/11 Day of Service, AmeriCorps program volunteers have already built bunk beds for those in need and given out hygiene kits for folks experiencing homelessness and isolation kits for seniors, and they’ve just gotten started in their mission to fight poverty, food insecurity, isolation and help communities with disaster preparedness.
Program assistant Olivia McCandless and project coordinator Kayla Fielder joined Idaho Matters to tell us more.
How Idaho's new director of Health and Welfare plans to make change
Jul 16, 2024
Alex Adams and Idaho Governor Brad Little after Little signed the “Promoting Families and Protecting Children Act,” on June 7, 2024.(Idaho Governor's Office)
After past struggles with Idaho lawmakers over federal funding and the department pulling out of the Boise Pride Parade two years ago, Health and Welfare has weathered some controversy. So how will he work to heal relationships in the Idaho legislature and in the community?
Director Adams joined Idaho Matters for a full hour to talk about his new role at Health and Welfare.
Boise Rescue Mission weighs in on recent U.S. Supreme Court homelessness ruling
Jul 15, 2024
FILE - In the Sept. 21, 2017, file photo, tucked in a sleeping bag, Danny, a 60-year-old homeless man who only gave his first name, lies on an overpass above the 101 Freeway, one of the nation's busiest freeways, in Los Angeles. A federal appellate court says cities can't prosecute people for sleeping on the streets if they have nowhere else to go. In a ruling handed down Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with six homeless Boise, Idaho residents who sued the city in 2009 alleging that a local ordinance that bans sleeping on the streets amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. The ruling could impact several other cities across the western U.S. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)(Jae C. Hong / AP)
Last week, we told you it’s legal again to give someone a ticket for sleeping or camping on public property. This comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the Grants Pass vs. Johnson case.
The city of Oregon wanted to fine people sleeping in public parks and possibly put them in jail if they refused to comply, and the court said that was not "cruel and unusual" punishment.
This case has its roots in Boise, and Mayor Lauren McLean came out against the Supreme Court’s ruling, saying criminalizing homelessness won’t solve the problem.
Here in Idaho, there are nearly 30,000 people living with Alzheimer's, a disease that many are calling a public health crisis.
And as that number continues to grow, experts are working to raise awareness. Which is why the Alzheimer's Foundation of America will be hosting an educational conference this week, providing important resources and tools for those most impacted.
Chris Schneider Director of Media Relations with the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, and Judy Taylor, with Idaho's Commission of Aging and the Chair of the Idaho Board of Nursing, join Idaho Matters to talk more.
Snake River Stampede returns to Nampa
Jul 15, 2024
This weeklong event brings thousands of cowboys and spectators to Nampa for everything from bull riding to barrel racing to mutton busting!
The stampede is a big money-maker for Canyon County and a tradition for families that spans generations. Clint Child, the president of the Snake River Stampede, joined Idaho Matters to talk more.
Idaho athlete aims to compete in 2024 Paralympics
Jul 15, 2024
Boise native Annie Carey could be heading to the Paralympics in Paris this August.
She currently holds the long jump world record in her classification as well as the U.S. record in the 200 meters, and last year she competed in the Parapan American Games, bringing home bronze medals in the 100 meter, 200 meter and long jump.
And later this week, she'll head to Florida to compete in the Paralympics track and field, with the goal of heading to Paris for the Paralympics. Annie joined Idaho Matters to talk more about her journey.
Idaho Matters Reporter Roundtable: July 12, 2024
Jul 12, 2024
(Murphy Woodhouse / Mountain West News Bureau )
The Open Primary Initiative is headed to the ballot, there's a petition from the Attorney General's office to hear the Hecox v. Little case, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean has voiced her support for President Biden and we a look at firework laws.
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 this past week.
New collaboration shows way to get help with ‘insatiable’ prescribed fire need
Jul 12, 2024
A low-intensity burn on the recent Crawford prescribed fire near Cascade, Idaho(Steve Vigil / The Nature Conservancy )
On a Thursday morning in May, Forest Service staff and crew leaders gathered in the Cascade Ranger District Office for a briefing. They were putting a plan together for the nearby, nearly 100-acre Crawford burn on the Boise National Forest.
Matt Haupt, the district’s senior fuels technician, read out the weather: sunny, 70-75, relative humidity in the upper 20s to lower 30s, low winds.
“Today is looking fairly good, a little hotter and drier,” he summarized.
The burning has already taken place earlier in the week, and this day’s work would be mostly mopping up and checking lines. After crew members got their marching orders in the parking lot below, they headed east toward the burn. I jumped in with Haupt, who’s overseeing it.
“The last time it was burned was the spring of 2018,” he said, driving to the project site. “It's mostly ponderosa pine, which typically needs five- to 15-year fire intervals.”
Many ecosystems and species — like the ponderosa pine — are dependent on regular fire. Prescribed fire can bring a number of ecological benefits, as well as significantly reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
Haupt is with the Forest Service, but that day everyone else was working for The Nature Conservancy — or TNC — an environmental nonprofit.
A Nature Conservancy fire crew gets ready to head out to check the Crawford prescribed fire's lines.(Murphy Woodhouse / Boise State Public Radio )
“The Forest Service still has their overhead structure,” he explained. “The supervision still needs to be there, but it's a lot of the manpower could be taken care of with TNC coming in.”
Federal agencies have committed to dramatically accelerating the pace of prescribed fire. In its 2022 Wildfire Crisis Strategy document, the Forest Service set a goal of treating 50 million additional acres of federal, state, tribal and private land. But last year, a major federal wildfire commission said that the current federal fire workforce — some 19,000 strong — is “not sufficient for the scale of wildfire risk reduction, response, and post-fire recovery work required now, let alone into the future.”
“Federal investment is urgently needed to create new and expanded workforce capacity that is focused on, and tailored to, mitigation, planning, and post-fire response and recovery for communities and landscapes,” the commission’s report read. Efforts to build that workforce, it recommended, should include the public, private and non-governmental sectors.
‘Insatiable need’
Jeremy Bailey, TNC’s North America prescribed fire training director, said forests and grasslands’ need for fire is insatiable.
A day after burning operations on this section of the Crawford prescribed fire, the ground is a clean black, and some smoke is visible from the line. (Murphy Woodhouse / Boise State Public Radio )
“And so is the need for a workforce that can do that work,” he said. “Back of the envelope, I estimate we need 10,000 employees nationwide.”
Last year, his organization received $45 million over five years from the Forest Service — money he said came out of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. They hired some 50 people on top of existing fire staff, and they have 20 to 30 folks out on Forest Service priority projects — like the Crawford burn — on any given day. His TNC colleague Matt Ward said workforce constraints are probably “biggest issue that is complicating everybody's ability to do more projects.”
“We’re adding needed capacity,” Ward said.
‘Instantaneous effect’
In a video shared by TNC crew boss Steve Vigil, you can see a snaking line of short flame burning steadily through pine needle duff earlier in the week, the sort of low-intensity fire that prescribed burns often try to create. When I visited, some smoking stumps were still visible from the fireline, but it was mostly clean, blackened forest floor.
“So we are looking at a post-burn landscape,” said TNC crewmember Slug Kaltenbach, my guide on the burn. “This was actually burned yesterday, if you can believe it.”
Kaltenbach, who uses they/them pronouns, is from Eugene, Oregon and is in their fifth year of fire, much of which has been suppression work. But for Kaltenbach, prescribed fire hits different.
“I think that prescription fire is one of the best feelings in the world to have as a job,” they said. “In one day of burning … you're going to have a larger effect than maybe like two weeks of work doing other kinds of initiatives, like thinning or piling. Fire is such an instantaneous effect on the ecosystem.”
TNC crewmember Slug Kaltenbach(Murphy Woodhouse / Boise State Public Radio )
They’re also drawn to the way TNC operates. Wildland fire has a reputation for brutal work schedules and long, unpredictable stretches away from friends and family. Poor work-life balance was one of the barriers to recruitment and retention in the federal fire workforce identified by the Government Accountability Office in 2022. TNC gives its workers fixed schedules, meaning they know exactly when they’ll be home.
That’s allowed Kaltenbach to be an active part of the Moon Mountain String Band back in Eugene, hard to imagine in other corners of fire.
Kaltenbach identifies as non-binary, and said they appreciate the near gender parity and diversity they see in their TNC colleagues, which contrasts sharply with federal counterparts. In fiscal year 2021, 84% of federal firefighters identified as men, and 72% identified as white. Limited workforce diversity was another challenge faced by federal fire agencies cited in the GAO report.
“We're super excited to have 50% of our workforce represented by women because that is not that is not the norm in the wildfire workforce,” TNC’s Bailey said.
Slug and their colleagues are also able to complete trainings and get professional qualifications on burns. All of these things together, they said, point toward a more sustainable, attractive way to do fire. And there’s always the most basic draw.
“Playing with fire is fun,” Kaltenbach said. “In a controlled way, of course.”
‘We need help’
Back at the district headquarters, Ranger Chris Bentley said that the TNC partnership is “exactly the direction we need to go.”
Chris Bentley, ranger on the Boise National Forest's Cascade District, explains how TNC crews fit into his agency's goals for prescribed fire. "It's just absolutely vital that we bring in these types of agreements and these types of partnerships. We can't do it on our own. We wouldn't want to even if we could."(Murphy Woodhouse / Boise State Public Radio )
“We're still going to try to attract the traditional firefighter workforce for ourselves, for the Forest Service,” he added. “But we need help. We're not going to be able to do the work on our own. We're just not. There's too much work to be done, it’s too important that we succeed.”
He readily acknowledged that the TNC crews are a drop in the bucket compared to the needed workforce.
“But, you know, every drop counts,” he said.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Could making schools phone-free improve our kids mental health?
Jul 11, 2024
(Canva )
Across the country, many parents and educators are struggling with the same question: "Should cell phones be kept out of school?"
Well, for more than 200 families in the Boise School District, the answer may be yes.
As more research emerges linking technology and social media to poor mental health, parents are in search of solutions, looking for ways to help their kids. Which is why one local group is working to make changes with a new set of initiatives.
Local parents Kim Washington, Tara Coffland and Nicola Blair joined Idaho Matters to talk more about this effort.
What to Watch: Movie recommendations that will help you cool down
Jul 11, 2024
(Louis A Habash<br/> / Flickr)
If you're hoping to stay out of the heat, a good movie or series may be the answer! Our resident movie critic, George Prentice, joined Idaho Matters to help us figure out What to Watch.
Idaho Matters Doctors Roundtable: July 10, 2024
Jul 10, 2024
Boise, Idaho Wastewater SARS-COV-2 data.( City of Boise)
The level of COVID-19 is up in Boise, at least according to the spike of the disease found in the city's wastewater. Plus, we know bird flu is hitting Idaho's dairy cows, but what about beef cattle?
Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke's Health System, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about this and answer your questions!
When wildfires destroy homes, who pays the bill?
Jul 10, 2024
(Canva )
When a power line falls and sparks a wildfire that burns through homes and neighborhoods, who pays for the destruction?
That’s the question being asked in several states, including Idaho, after the deadly Santiam fire in Oregon. Four years ago, the fire killed 11 people and burned more than 5,000 homes and buildings.
PacifiCorp, which provides power to six states, including Idaho, was found liable for billions of dollars in damages, and it and other power companies are looking for ways to reduce liabilities after such fires.
So who should pay the price after fires like the Santiam fire in Oregon, the Marshall fire in Colorado, or the Maui fire that killed over 100 people in Hawaii?
Extreme heat poses risk to Idaho's unhoused
Jul 10, 2024
(CATCH )
With an excessive heat warning in place through Saturday, many people are trying to stay out of the sun but for people experiencing homelessness, this can be hard to do.
Which is why the local nonprofit CATCH is requesting essential items to help keep this vulnerable community safe.
Connor O'Hora, CATCH's outreach team lead, and Cassidy Landry, a former client of CATCH, joined Idaho Matters to talk more.
What protections do pregnant mothers have in the workplace?
Jul 09, 2024
(JGI/Tom Grill / Getty Images/Tetra images RF)
Last year, a new law went into effect, expanding the rights of pregnant workers across the U.S.
Now, regulations for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act have been finalized, offering clearer guidelines on what protections can be expected in the workplace.
Charlotte Burrows, Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about these rights.
Boise Mayor McLean visited Morning Edition to talk housing, cops, jobs, abortion and more
Jul 09, 2024
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean ( City of Boise)
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean says she’d “like nothing more than to weigh in” on controversial rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court. But that’s not going to stop her, she says, from making clear that a number of those decisions directly impact Boise.
“When I knock on doors and talk to our residents, I’ve talked to moms whose daughters have moved away and aren’t going to come back until they’re done having kids, because they’re not sure whether or not it’s safe to be pregnant in Idaho,” said McLean. “And in Boise, I’m talking with doctors who are leaving or are deeply considering their next steps.”
The Idaho Community Foundation will cover the costs of services people need when exiting homelessness into a home.
"We have great public private partnerships that are making housing for folks exiting homelessness," said McLean. "Think families will have the chance to live at Park Apartments? Folks with medical needs ultimately will have homes near Fire Station five, and this summer we're breaking ground on New Path 2.0, a place for 95 people exiting homelessness into homes of their own."
The Foundation will cover the costs of services to keep people housed and on the road to self-sufficiency.
Johnson v. Grants Pass
This ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court essentially bans people from sleeping in public spaces. McLean says the city has to be focused on long-term solutions and the root causes of issues related to homelessness.
"What solves this problem is the great collaborative work and solutions focus that Boiseans have had in the last six years, and will continue to have to bring homes to market for folks from all walks of life to support the organizations that are rapidly rehousing families."
McLean went on to say that Boise isn't making the mistakes that other cities have made in regards to homelessness.
Abortion in Boise and Idaho
Abortion in Idaho remains a hot topic, especially after the recent EMTALA ruling from SCOTUS. McLean has not been shy when weighing in on the topic, and said the decision on personal medical issues, emergency or not, are to be made between families and their doctors.
"With government having no space, no room in that conversation, no place in that conversation," said McLean. "And it's for that reason that the city said we would not waste resources on investigating accusations of abortions."
The opinion from SCOTUS does not rule on the merit of the case but sends the case back to lower courts. This 6-3 ruling vacates the previous stay and sends the case back to the Ninth Circuit which will decide on the outcome.
CHIPS Implementation Task Force
McLean was chosen to chair the CHIPS Implementation Task Force in June of this year. The CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act was signed into law in August 2022 and is intended to get microchip manufacturing back to the United States.
Axios reports the task force will "provide mayors in other key cities opportunities for collaboration to address supply chain issues and scale effective strategies for sustainable chip industry development."
The act made an investment in Boise-based Micron, but McLean said it will also open doors to make sure the city is working with universities, community colleges and labor unions to create training programs in this field.
The search for a new police chief
Mayor McLean said they will be announcing the finalists for the Boise Police Chief position within the next week and there will be plenty of opportunities for community members to engage with the finalists.
Right now there are about 34 vacancies within the police department, with 25 officers set to be hired and join the police academy this month. McLean said they have been very intentional during the hiring process and the current police chief Ron Winegar has been working to find to find the right people to be in these roles.
"It is so important to continue to see crime rates go down, to continue to see the trust and relationship between our officers and residents remain strong, because that's what keeps those links between the officers that we are hiring and the residents they serve, well," said McLean.
Opera in the Park returns for its fourth year
Jul 09, 2024
( Opera Idaho)
This weekend, Opera in the Park is returning to downtown Boise for an evening of music that you won't soon forget.
Stacey Trenteseaux, the general director of Opera Idaho, and soprano Cecilia Violetta Lopez join Idaho Matters to talk more about the upcoming event.
Idaho dogs show off their talent at annual Puptricks event
Jul 09, 2024
( Roseanna Marcum)
In March of 2021 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Nampa was looking for a way to connect with the community without spending time indoors.
That’s when Puptricks was born. This local dog gathering brought together neighbors and their pups, allowing people to have some fun while their dogs showed off their tricks or dressed up in costumes to show off their cuteness.
The event was a success, and it’s almost time for the fourth annual Puptricks. Nampa Civic Center Facility Director Andrea Peachey and sales and marketing manager Roseanna Marcum joined Idaho Matters to tell us more.
How a recent supreme court ruling will impact Idaho's homeless
Jul 08, 2024
( U.S. Supreme Court)
It’s now legal again to give someone a ticket for sleeping or camping on public property. This comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the Grants Pass v. Johnson case.
The city of Oregon wanted to fine people sleeping in public parks and possibly put them in jail if they refused to comply, and the court said that was not "cruel and unusual" punishment.
This case has its roots in Boise, under former Mayor Dave Bieter, in an older lawsuit when members of the homeless community fought back against the city’s policy of ticketing people sleeping on the street. That suit made it to the 9th Circuit Court, which said it did constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
Current mayor Lauren McLean came out against the Supreme Court’s ruling, saying criminalizing homelessness won’t solve the problem.
Jodi Peterson-Stigers, the executive director of Interfaith Sanctuary Community Housing, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about the ramifications of the ruling on Boise’s homeless community.
How one camp is making a difference for kids with cancer
Jul 08, 2024
Kids at Camp Rainbow Gold partake in a food fight. ( Camp Rainbow Gold)
When it comes to making memories, there's no better place to do so than summer camp.
But for kids with medical conditions, this experience can feel out of reach. Which is why the work that Camp Rainbow Gold does is so important.
For over 40 years, the nonprofit has been creating opportunities for kids diagnosed with pediatric cancer to just be kids. And now, as demand for the organization’s services continues to grow, the nonprofit has plans to add six new cabins at the state’s first medical camp.
Elizabeth Lizberg, CEO of Camp Rainbow Gold, as well as Easton Brown, one of the campers, and his mother, Paige Brown, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about his effort.
The impact of Idaho's growing outdoor recreation industry
Jul 08, 2024
(Larry Reis / Flickr)
When you think of fast-growing industries in Idaho, you might think of tech businesses or agriculture. But one of the fastest-growing industries and job markets is fish and wildlife, which employs more than 4,000 people in Idaho.
These jobs include everything from wildlife conservation to fishing guides, manufacturing jet boats, scientists, and working in fish hatcheries.
Since 2012, these types of jobs have grown at a 6.6 percent rate, and that’s expected to skyrocket to more than 22 percent over the next ten years.
Idaho Department of Labor economists Lisa Grigg and Ryan Whitesides will be talking about the fish and wildlife industry footprint at a webinar on Tuesday, July 9 and they joined Idaho Matters for a preview.
An overview of the 2023 activity in Yellowstone National Park
Jul 08, 2024
Last year, four and a half million people flocked to Yellowstone National Park: a 37% increase over 2022.
They came to camp to fish, watch the wildlife, and check out the thermal geysers that spew hot water and rock out of what is a very active geologic site.
While Yellowstone seems like a summer playground, it's home to a lot of seismic activity, which can turn deadly, like in 1959 when the 7.3 Hebgen Lake earthquake killed 28 people.
The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory has released its report on last year’s seismic activity at the park, and Idaho Matters asked Michael Poland to tell us about it. He’s the research geophysicist with the Cascades volcano observatory and the scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone volcano observatory.
Remembering Harriet Beecher Stowe and Harriet Tubman
Jul 05, 2024
A statue of Harriet Tubman at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Maryland.(Craig James)
This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on April 30, 2024.
When it comes to American history, especially around the 1850s, two women stand out as lightning rods for dramatic change in society.
Harriet Beecher Stowe's best-selling anti-slavery novel had a profound effect on how White people saw African Americans that some say helped lead to the Civil War.
Harriet Tubman rescued dozens of black people from slavery through the “Underground Railroad” and never stopped fighting for the rights of African Americans and women.
History professor Dr. Richard Bell from the University of Maryland joins Idaho Matters to talk more about these two amazing women.
Why author Patrick Hinds is embracing failure
Jul 05, 2024
Failure on board. (contrastwerkstatt/contrastwerkstatt)
This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on April 30, 2024.
You may know Patrick Hinds as one of the voices behind the tremendously successful podcast "True Crime Obsessed."
What you may not know is that Patrick is also a self professed failure, something he looks at in his new book "Failure is Not NOT an Option." He joined Idaho Matters to talk more about his new book and tour.