Idaho Matters

(Boise State University)Boise State University and CapEd Credit Union have partnered to provide a program to allow adults who are still carrying college credits to apply them to a degree program. The Passport to Education program creates a pathway for adults to finish their degrees while accommodating a busy schedule. 

(Boise State University)Students and Other Broncos Enjoying Recovery (SOBER) is a program at Boise State University that provides peer support for students coping with alcohol and drug addictions. Idaho Matters talks with one of the founders of SOBER and the current president of the organization about the challenges of identifying and treating addiction in the collegiate setting.

( Flick/NPS Climate Change Response)The Idaho Department of Corrections facilitates a program allowing inmates to be trained as firefighters and deployed on the lines of some of the most intense wildfires in the West. This is a voluntary program and participants are eager to break up the monotony of prison life by making a difference in a community by battling wildfires. We'll meet with the warden of the South Idaho Correctional Institute, in Kuna, and an inmate who puts his life at risk with his crew to protect wildlands and property in the West.

(INCIWEB - TINYURL.COM/Y9LBVUYC/KUOW)The proliferation of wildfires throughout the West are forcing researchers to look at the health of American woodlands. Idaho Matters examines the future of the region's forests with Washington's Commissioner of Public Lands, Hilary Franz.

(stock)We review the week's headlines with our team of regional journalists. This week our roundtable is Bill Manny of the Idaho Statesman, Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News, and Betsy Russell of the Idaho Press.We start the program talking about an FBI raid in the Treasure Valley against a group facing charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and dealing in counterfeit mobile phones. Next we discuss campaign finance reform and how it impacts the candidates for school board offices. In addition to contested races on the Boise School Board, with an election set for September 4, there are bond and levy elections in 11 districts on August 28.Another education-related issue is the rising number of families in Idaho opting out from immunizing their school-age children. Plus, a retirement payout of a Bonneville School Board member that raised eyebrows. Finally, we discuss a unique agreement by state agencies over the use of public lands and the decline of sales among Boise's largest breweries. We finish t

(CHEEKY'S / VIA FACEBOOK)Cheeky's Boutique retails their brand of western wear for women on their website and in multiple brick-and-mortar stores. The company, which operates out of New Plymouth, has enjoyed explosive growth in recent years - enough so that Inc. magazine recognized them as one of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the country. Idaho Matters speaks with the founder of Cheeky's about the ingredients for a successful business.

(darkmoneyfilm.com)In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of the conservative organization Citizens United allowed American corporations to contribute unlimited funds to political campaigns, claiming that those donations constitute free speech.Since then, political campaigns on both sides of the aisle have been flooded with large donations - funds whose contributors can remain anonymous according to federal campaign law. Filmmaker Kimberly Reed goes to neighboring Montana to examine the effect of this ruling in local politics in the new film, Dark Money. Reed joins Idaho Matters to describe what she's found and how Dark Money captures the lasting effects of the Citizens United ruling.

(JON C. HANCOCK/AP/WBUR)As youth sports leagues become increasingly competitive, so too does the intensity of the athlete. Most athletes learn to live through injuries, but concussions can prove to be dangerous, especially for younger participants. Idaho Matters discusses the dangers of concussions and head injuries for youths with Saint Alphonsus sports medicine specialist Dr. Derek Kunz.

(idahosgem.com)The Idaho Department of Labor released numbers indicating a slight increase in unemployment claims in Southern Idaho, many of those in the manufacturing sector. Idaho Matters looks at the numbers to determine if this is an ongoing trend for Idaho manufacturers or if the one-tenth percent increase is just a minor blip.

(thecabinidaho.org)Song: Writers in the Attic is an anthology of prose and poetry compiled by The Cabin, a center for Idaho readers and writers in Boise.The works are compiled from 40 area writers. A launch party will be held Thursday evening at the Linen Building. Idaho Matters speaks with members of The Cabin about the book, the poetic "voice" of Idaho, and how people can partake in The Cabin's workshops.

(Credit Will Reid / Boise State Public Radio)State officials have issued warnings regarding high blue-green algae content in multiple ponds and lakes throughout Idaho.The excessive growth of the water plant creates an oxygen imbalance and puts off a toxic byproduct that poisons aquatic life. Idaho Matters examines the threat to the state's wildlife, the danger it poses to recreationalists, and what impact it may have on the water table.

(iStockphoto/NPR)With school in session, many people shift their daily schedules to accommodate the school calendar. Recent studies show that these shifts in routine have a more significant impact on children than was earlier thought. Idaho Matters looks into the changes in mood, rhythm, and body clocks that occur in children when their daily schedule is altered.

(Boise State Public Radio)Earlier this year, more than 60,000 Idahoans signed a petition to put Medicaid expansion on the November ballot. Now the group Reclaim Idaho wants to convince a majority of voters to support the expansion.The organization has repurposed a 30-year-old bus to spread the message. Idaho Matters speaks with the organization's co-founder about the role an expanded Medicaid program will play in the Gem State.

(physiciancrossroads.com)AMEN, the Adventist Medical Evangelical Network, brings together physicians, dentists and healthcare professionals to provide free services for homeless and low-income patients. AMEN comes to Boise on September 12-14 to work with uninsured residents. Its clinic director and community outreach coordinator join Idaho Matters to talk about their health services.

(Cleveland Clinic)Up to 90% of colorectal cancer occurrences could be averted by the simple process of health screenings. Idaho Matters looks at preventative medicine and previews an upcoming health fair sponsored by Saint Alphonsus Health.

(ALEXI HUBBELL PHOTOGRAPHY / Wyoming Public Media)Everybody loves a late-summer outdoor wedding, and what is a better setting than the natural splendor of the Gem State? The smoky haze from the region's wildfires are filling up the skies, though, and couples are worrying about the health of their wedding guests. Might there be a grey haze in all the wedding photos? Will wedding singers be wheezing through covers of Kool & the Gang? Idaho Matters speaks with a wedding planner about how this year's wedding season may be moved indoors.

(Credit Idaho Department of Environmental Quality)While firefighters work to contain the multiple wildfires raging in Idaho, smoke from fires from Canada to California is pouring into the Treasure Valley. Boise State Public Radio's Frankie Barnhill and Matt Guilhem join Idaho Matters to provide updates on this season's wildfires and to run through the flag warnings around the state and air quality forecasts for the Treasure Valley.

The Idaho State Department of Education released its list of the 29 most underperforming schools in the state. From Idaho Education News, Kevin Richert goes through the metrics and the reasons for these designations.

Idaho Matters examines trends in suicide rates among America's senior population. Our guest, Ron Larsen, from Optum Idaho, looks at the impact here in the Gem State. For people in crisis, the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline is always accessible via phone or text at 208-398-4357.

(cityofpaul.org)School began Monday, August 20, at many public and private schools throughout the state. Idaho Matters speaks with a policeman about safely getting kids to the classroom, seasonal traffic patterns for drivers in school zones, and how to properly drive past a school bus.