Idaho Matters

A century-old giant sequoia once stood in the way of progress. Rather than scrap the beloved Boise landmark, it was decided to move it to make way for an expansion project at St. Luke's. The tree was uprooted and moved. Today it is thriving and on Monday's program we look back at the re-location and the tree's progress.

(Kameron Perensovich / National Audobon Society)Clay Scott shares this nocturnal adventure with Saw Whet owl researchers in Montana, and a visit to Denver Holt, of the Owl Research Institute, about his improbable journey from Boston street tough to ornithologist.

(via Facebook)Meridian is preparing for the opening of the Children's Museum of Idaho in November. Exhibits will be geared toward children two to eight and will encourage family interaction with accomodations for vistors of all abilities. There will even be a screen-free zone where visitors are urged to unplug their digital devices. In this segment of Idaho Matters, we talk with two of the museum's founders about what to expect from the valley's first children's museum.

We assemble our team of Idaho journalists to discuss the week's events in Boise, the Treasure Valley and beyond. This week we have Bill Manny of the Idaho Statesman, Betsy Russell of the Idaho Press and Kimberlee Kruesi of the Associated Press joining host Tom Michael.

(twitter)John Cuevas left a high-paced career as a fine dining chef in Los Angeles to open a taco restaurant in Boise.  He joins Idaho Matters to talk about the valley's growing restaurant industry.

(Flickr Creative Commons)A recent report indicated eight of the 10 least-immunized counties in the country are in Idaho.Vaccination rates used to point to a medically advanced culture, but in recent years there has been pushback against mandatory vaccinations by faulty science and conspiracy theories. We parse out the recommended vaccine schedules and what to make of the anti-vaccine rhetoric with St. Luke's pediatrician Alicia Lachiondo.

The City of Boise conducted a public forum, allowing resident to discuss concerns about the growth in the valley. Idaho Statesman reporter Maria LaGanga attended the "world cafe"-style forum and joins Idaho Matters to talk about the discussion.

Boise State University professor Neil Carter researched the impact of human activity on the bahavior of nocturnal animals and the results are startling.Animals that typically operate during daylight hours are becoming more active in the night in an effort to avoid human contact. We talk about the impact of human development on animal behavior with Dr. Carter.

Because International distributes expanding shoes for children in developing countries from their Nampa-based nonprofit.(C.O. Photography / Because International)In 2007, Kenton Lee was in Kenya when he noticed the children wore shoes that didn't fit, that were often cut open to accomodate growing feet.Lee came home, designed a shoe that grows with the foot, and, with the help of Andrew Kroes, created Because International to build and distribute these shoes to children in the developing world. Kenton and Andrew join Idaho Matters to talk about their Nampa-based nonprofit's efforts to put shoes on all children.

(IDAHO OFFICE FOR REFUGEES)World Refugee Day is Saturday -- there will be celebrations and 20 men and women who were resettled in Boise as refugees will become American citizens. We talk with Kara Fink of the Idaho Office for Refugees and Moses Mukengezi from the Agency for New Americans about the path to citizenship and how Boise became a home for so many seeking the American Dream.

(college of idaho)Doug Brigham and Jim Everett were both candidates for the presidency of the College of Idaho when they decided to lead the college together, as a team. The notion broke convention, but the college's search committee and board of trustees liked the idea. On Wednesday's Idaho Matters, co-presidents Brigham and Everett discuss the advantages of leading the small liberal arts school as a team.

(npr)NPR's Kirk Siegler has been reporting on the urban-rural divide in America, including coverage in Idaho and throughout the Northwest. We talk about some of that work including the 2014 Bundy standoff and the 2016 election and the ever-growing population and changing landscape of the Northwest.

(U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Rio Grande Valley Sector via NPR)The City of Boise signed a resolution condemning the practice of seperating children from parents and housing them in detention center. Mayor Dave Bieter and a unanimous city council signed the resolution. Council president Lauren McLean talks about the city's reputation as one welcoming to immigrants and refugees.

Efforts are being made to detect signs of depression in earlier stages. We talk with health care professionals about spotting the symptoms early on.

Back in April, the Idaho Department of Insurance issued a directive requiring insurance companies to start insuring some therapies for individuals on the autism spectrum. We talk about the benefits to the child, the family and the schools when insurance supports autism therapy.

A recent survey found that a shocking number of Americans have very little understanding of the Holocaust. Idaho Matters looks at efforts to keep Holocaust education in Idaho classrooms.

(Yelp)Author Scott Marchant joins Idaho Matters to talk about "The Hiker's Guide: Best Easy Hikes Greater Boise."

(CREDIT SODA FIRE)The Bureau of Land Management released 26 wild horses into the wild last week. They were the survivors of the Soda Fire of 2015 and on Monday's Idaho Matters we talk with Heather Tiel-Johnson, spokeswoman for Idaho's Wild Horse and Burro program.

(U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICES)Department of Agriculture officials want to know how Mississippi ghost shrimp found their way to Boise  River. We talk about invasive species in Idaho and the damage they cause to both the economy and our natural landscape.

Last week, stakeholders in the state's mental healthcare community met to develop a collaboration to better serve Idahoans and encourage investment in treatment for addiction. Idaho Behavioral Health Alliance coordinator Ceci Thunes joins Idaho Matters to talk about those efforts.