Idaho Matters

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**Idaho Matters**

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.

Latest Episodes:

**How evictions are affecting Idaho renters** Aug 31, 2023
Show notes

Eviction filings are rising even as rents spike and inflation cuts deeper into household budgets.(tommy / Getty Images)
There were at least 900 people facing eviction lawsuits last year in the Treasure Valley, according to the Idaho Statesman.
Around 300 landlords who filed the lawsuits, which often happens after mediation or other attempts to fix the issue have failed. After a suit is filed, tenants must find a way to get current on their rent, go to court or find a new place to live and all of those steps can have psychological effects on the families involved.
Statesman reporter Rachel Spacek took a deep dive into eviction cases in the Boise area and joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

**A look into Idaho's crumbling schools** Aug 31, 2023
Show notes

Water seeps across the floor in the boiler room at Valley View Elementary School in rural Bonner's Ferry, Idaho, Jan. 22, 2023. The Boundary County School District has attempted to pass a bond that would replace the aging, deteriorating school; however, the bond has never passed with the supermajority vote required by state law.(Sarah A. Miller/smiller@idahostatesman.com / Idaho Statesman)
In Bonners Ferry, nearly 400 students are being taught in a building that is falling apart.
There are cracks in the walls, water stains on the ceilings and a collapsing plumbing system. Without air conditioning or proper heating, classrooms are boiling in the summers and freezing in the winters. Not to mention the roof is failing.
But despite all of this Valley View Elementary School has been unable to get a bond approved that would make any significant changes. They're not the only school in Idaho that's dealing with this issue.
Other districts across the state are suffering from deteriorating schools without the funding to fix them.
Which is why ProPublica and the Idaho Statesman have embarked on a joint investigation, looking into the condition of Idaho schools and how those conditions are impacting students and teachers.
Idaho Statesman reporter Becca Savransky and ProPublica Reporter Asia Fields joined Idaho Mattes to talk more about this new effort.

Toronto International Film Festival sign. — **What to Watch: A preview of the Toronto International Film Festival** Aug 31, 2023
Show notes

(El Barto Jr / Flickr)
Movie stars, filmmakers and our resident movie critic George Prentice are all headed to the Toronto International Film Festival next week.
TIFF, as it's affectionately known, is the place to find the movies and documentaries that will be making headlines in 2024. And George will spend several days watching movies non-stop to find the best ones to watch. He joined Idaho Matters to give us a preview of what he's planning to see.

**Idaho Matters Doctors Roundtable: August 30, 2023** Aug 30, 2023
Show notes

A child wears a KN95 protective mask for kids in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022.(Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
As school districts across the country return from summer vacation health officials are reporting a COVID-19 surge, leading to temporary closures of schools in places like Texas, Kentucky and Alabama.
Experts say they expect the cases to rise in even more school systems, like New York City, which open after Labor Day. In some areas of the country, COVID cases are rising so much that hospitals are seeing more hospitalizations, with the state of Alabama is reporting a 300% increase.
Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke's Health System, joined Idaho Matters to tell us what this means for us.

**The latest results from Idaho's school bond and levy elections** Aug 30, 2023
Show notes

(FrankRamspott / Getty Images)
Voters in 11 of Idaho's 44 counties went to the polls to vote on school bonds, levies and trustees on Tuesday. Nine school districts held votes in places like Bingham, Bonner, Jerome and Twin Falls counties.
Six supplemental levies and one bond passed and two trustees from the Bonner County School Board were recalled, as the ongoing controversy over the hiring of superintendent Branden Durst continues.
Kevin Richert, senior reporter and blogger with Idaho Education News, joined Idaho Matters to tell us more.

**A special writing retreat is inspiring Idaho creatives under the stars** Aug 30, 2023
Show notes

(courtesy Ed Cannady / www.edcannadyphotography.com)
Idaho has inspired some of history’s greatest writers and an upcoming writing retreat in Central Idaho’s Dark Skies Reserve, featuring stargazing, hiking, fishing and face-time with bestselling authors, is bound to influence a new generation of creativity.
Boise State professor and organizer Edward "Mac" Test sat down with Morning Edition host George Prentice to talk about the retreat and the unique opportunity to work alongside some award-winning authors.

**Why you won't want to miss the upcoming annular solar eclipse** Aug 30, 2023
Show notes

The moon moves in front of the sun in a rare "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse, as seen in the sky over Singapore on Thursday.(Louis Kwok / AFP via Getty Images)
This fall, the moon, sun and earth will align for an annular solar eclipse, appearing to many onlookers like a a ring of fire in the sky.
And though these eclipses happen ever other year or so, this one is special because it will be the last annular eclipse we'll see in the United States for over a decade.
Brian Jackson, Associate Professor for the Department of Physics at Boise State University, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about the upcoming celestial event.

The impact of growing cities on sagebrush ecosystems Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

Growing cities in the West are having a harmful impact on sagebrush ecosystems.

That's the result of a new Boise State study - and it seems like it would be fairly obvious - cities are naturally going to encroach on woodlands. But the study found that more urban growth negatively impacted the quality of the nearby rangeland, not just the size. However, there was a silver lining to this study and it turned out Boise was part of it.

Trevor Caughlin, an Associate Professor of Biology at Boise State University, joined Idaho Matters to tell us more about the study.