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.
Electric vehicles are everywhere, but are there enough charging stations?
Jan 26, 2023
Show notesCobalt is an important component of lithium ion batteries, like those in many electric vehicles(Keith Srakocic / AP)
Electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular. But one barrier is the network for recharging them – especially in the rural west.
Experts say long EV road trips are a new frontier. That’s because the charging infrastructure that makes them possible is still emerging.
KUNC’s Rae Solomon spent the day at an EV fast charging station in rural Colorado to learn more.
Idaho Matters Doctors Roundtable: January 25, 2022
Jan 25, 2023
Show notesA doctor listens to a child's breathing.(B Busco / Getty Images)
A nationwide shortage of over-the-counter children’s medicine is impacting the supply in the Treasure Valley.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it was closely monitoring pediatric ibuprofen and acetaminophen supplies, which have been hard to come by since late last year due to a rise in respiratory illnesses, as well as an early flu season. And pharmacies across the valley are feeling the pinch with many stores not having any medication.
Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke's Health System and current member of the Idaho Coronavirus Task Force, joins Idaho Matters to talk more about this issue.
Local group fights against period poverty in the Treasure Valley
Jan 25, 2023
Show notes( Days for Girls)
Here in Idaho, 11% of the population lives below the poverty line according to the United States Census Bureau.
Out of that 11%, the number of women living below the poverty line is more than 100,000. These numbers are important because living in poverty doesn’t just limit your access to housing or food, it can also limit your access to period products, an important and often overlooked health need.
One group is now working to address this issue. Days For Girls is an international nonprofit that helps to increase access to washable and sustainable menstrual kits.
Here in the Treasure Valley, their team has started a pilot program supplying middle and high schools with free menstrual products.
Susan Thompson, Co-leader for the Days For Girls local team and volunteer Pam Bender joins Idaho Matters to tell us more about their work.
A historic comet will soon appear for the first time in 50,000 years
Jan 25, 2023
Show notes Between Feb. 1 and Feb. 2, the newly discovered comet is slated to draw nearest to Earth — 26.4 million miles away to be exact.( Dan Bartlett/NASA)
Its formal name is C/2022 E3 and it's described as a fuzzy, bright green comet that hasn’t visited the solar system in tens of thousands of years.
Dr. Irwin Horowitz, past President of the Boise Astronomical Society, says this may be the only chance you’ll ever get to see it.
Horowitz visited with our Morning Edition host George Prentice to talk about the best opportunities to see the comet in the coming days and exactly where to find it.
Is the U.S. Supreme Court the least dangerous branch of government?
Jan 24, 2023
Show notesThe U.S. Supreme Court(Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)
The U.S. Supreme Court was dubbed the least dangerous branch of government by Alexander Hamilton.
But the court has lately been in the middle of some of America's biggest controversies. From laws around abortion and gun rights to voting rights and religion to gerrymandering and presidential power and all of these issues have a direct effect on our lives.
Dr. David Adler is the President of the Alturas Institute, which is a nonprofit that works to promote “the constitution, gender equality, and civic education." He’s been immersed in the Supreme Court for much of his career and he’ll be talking about the Supreme Court on Jan. 26 at the OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute.
Sled dogs race through Idaho's West Central Mountains
Jan 24, 2023
Show notes
The sound of enthusiastic barking dogs have been ringing through the West Central Mountains as sled dogs and their mushers roam up and down the mountain paths for the fifth annual Idaho Sled Dog Challenge!
There are shorter races on the docket, plus the 300-mile big race which draws top mushing teams from around the country, and this year six Idahoans are taking part.
Montana musher Nicole Lombardi won the 2022 Idaho Sled Dog Challenge’s 100-mile race. She's registered to compete in the 2023 100-mile race. (Melissa Shelby / Melissa Shelby Photography)
Dog musher Nicole Lombardi won the Idaho 100-mile race last year and she just won this year's 100-mile race at the Eagle Cap Extreme. She says the Idaho Challenge is special.
“I really love that race. The community is great. I can tell you. I always look forward to driving through the small towns and looking at the ice sculptures. But specific to the race, you know, there's a whole community that comes out. The school kids come out and they look at the dogs,” says Lombardi.
She’s been racing dogs for a while now and sort of fell into the sport.
“I got my first sled dog because I was looking for a running partner, a dog that would run trails with me. And I quickly realized that I was going to be outmatched by my dog,” Lombardi laughs. She took part in a clinic with the Cascade Sled Dog Team and started racing.
Montana musher Nicole Lombardi with one of her dogs. She won the 2022 Idaho Sled Dog Challenge’s 100-mile race. She is registered to compete in the 2023 100-mile race. (Melissa Shelby / Melissa Shelby Photography)
There’s a lot of up-and-down elevation in the Idaho race; the Challenge’s co-founder says it’s like going 500 miles in a 300-mile race.
Idaho Sled Dog Challenge promotions director Eliza Barclay says they brought back the Ceremonial Start to the race this year, which is a great chance to meet the mushers, talk to judges, and even bid on a sled ride. She says everyone’s invited to watch this year’s races, but she asks spectators to leave their dogs at home.
“Please don't bring your pets, your pet dogs. These dogs are working dogs. They love to run. That's what they do. And it's like if you're running a big race yourself, you really don't need distractions … so bringing your pet dogs, it just causes distraction,” says Barclay.
She says there are a lot of spots where you can watch the mushers during the races and you can also track them in real-time online.
“All of the mushers have live tracking devices on them. So if you follow the live tracking, that will give you the most accurate estimate of when you can see them coming in,” she says.
If you want to do more than just watch the dogs, Barclay says the Challenge always needs volunteers.
The big race starts on Jan. 30.
On Feb. 2, 2022, a sled dog team approaches the finish line of the 300-mile race. (Melissa Shelby / Melissa Shelby Photography)
Learning from our pets: The lessons we take away from our dogs
Jan 24, 2023
Show notes( Chicken Soup for the Soul )
Local author Jan M. Flynn has two chapters in the new book and joins Idaho Matters to talk more about humans best friend.
Bringing together producers: Harvest and Hearth holds third annual event
Jan 24, 2023
Show notes(Liz Ahlberg / Flickr)
Have you ever wanted to grow strawberries? Or grow mushrooms? Or raise goats? Or try your hand at small-scale farming or ranching? These and other questions, like how to use worms to make the best compost, will be answered at the third annual Harvest and Hearth event next month in Caldwell.
The event brings local producers together for a day of classes and networking to help farmers, ranchers and anyone who wants to learn more about the food they eat. Jessica Harrold is the Program Coordinator at the Ada Soil & Water Conservation District and she joins Idaho Matters to tell us more.
Keeping people housed in the Treasure Valley
Jan 23, 2023
Show notes( Creative Commons 2.0, 3.0, Shutterstock)
During the pandemic, a couple of things happened in the Treasure Valley.
A lot of people couldn’t pay their rent, due to illness or losing their job, or other factors. And the cost of rent in the area skyrocketed, as the housing crunch in the valley continued to grow out of control. Those factors lead to an unprecedented number of folks facing eviction.
We wanted to see how the clinic is doing so we invited Jason Dykstra, a U of I Law Professor who directs the housing clinic, Morgan Decarl, the Eviction Court Program Manager at the nonprofit Jesse Tree and Gavin Gilbert, a U of I student who works in the clinic to join Idaho Matters.
'Of Ice and Men:' a history of humanity and the cold
Jan 23, 2023
Show notes( Pegasus Books)
On another rather cold January morning here in Idaho, we consider ice, not so much what the natural elements have delivered to our doorstep, but the ice that we create for our comfort, for our consumption, our leisure for so much of our lives. But at what cost?
That’s just one of the many questions at the heart of a new book. It is titled "Of Ice and Men.” Its author is Fred Hogge he chatted with our Morning Edition host George Prentice.
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