Idaho 44

From Boundary to Bear Lake, Fremont to Payette, Owyhee to Oneida — there are interesting people, places and histories in each of Idaho’s counties.

Idaho Matters wants to share it all with you. Over the next year you’ll hear conversations from the 44 unique counties that make up the Gem State.

Email your topic and guest ideas to IdahoMatters@BoiseState.edu or use the "talk to us" feature in our app, available on Apple and Android.

Railroad tracks leading into the distance

Bannock - Pocatello works towards the future by reconnecting the city

For decades Pocatello has been split by railroad tracks, dividing the downtown core and Idaho State University. Now, the mayor is finding a way to reconnect the city.

A group of people stand in a row, with grey walls and grey carpet

Canyon - Woman's club celebrates 125 years of community in Nampa

For more than 100 years, the GFWC Woman's Century Club has been serving the community of Nampa. Now the club is celebrating their many years of service with a special anniversary.

A picture of the Idaho State Capitol building from the street.

Ada - Boise mayor talks about strategy to house city's homeless

It was December when Boise announced it was one of just six cities to receive a federal cash award for its housing program, working to build 250 homes for people finding their way out of homelessness.

A waxing gibbous moon rises over the blue glow of Earth's horizon as the International Space Station orbited 264 miles above the Indian Ocean.

Bonner - Why a Sandpoint nonprofit is recruiting workers interested in space

Space is a growing industry. Some estimates say there are 12,000 companies involved in the space-tech industry, and those companies will need workers.

A red and white ambulance backed up to a garage bay.

Washington - A community paramedic program serves Washington County

While rural communities face limited access to mental health resources, Washington County's new program is providing support to those facing a behavioral health crisis.

A wooden bench with a single black desk chair behind it and the great seal of the state of idaho

Nez Perce - A century-old bench's legal legacy

The Nez Perce County Courthouse is getting a new home, and it's bringing a piece of history with it: a distinctive wooden bench dating back to the early 1900s.

Clark - The hidden gems of the Gem State

White, pink, yellow and blue opals hide in the rocky landscape of Spencer Opal Mines, the largest-producing precious opal mine in the United States.

A reconstructed entry guard tower is silhouetted by the sunset at Minidoka National Historic Site, Saturday, July 8, 2023, in Jerome, Idaho.

Minidoka - The role lawyers played in the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II

A new symposium is shining a spotlight on a series of legal battles around the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

A painted mural that says you are more and the o in more is a pawprint.

Elmore - Community Canvas beautifies public spaces in Mountain Home

The Community Canvas project in Elmore County is bringing beauty to the walls of businesses, parks and sheds for free.

Fremont - How the Idaho Art Lab is supporting visual artists

In rural Fremont County, the Idaho Art Lab is inspiring creativity with hands-on classes, maker spaces and exhibits that showcase artists of all levels.

Custer - Capturing the Voices and History of Stanley

For decades, the Sawtooth Interpretive and Historical Association has been preserving the voices of Stanley's past — and those stories are still being shared today.

Franklin - Preserving the land for future generations

Idaho 44 takes us to Franklin County — the heart of Idaho's pioneer country — where 800 acres of stunning open space are now permanently protected thanks to the Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust.

Lemhi County - Restoring Idaho's wilderness, one mile at a time

In remote stretches of Lemhi County and beyond, volunteers with the Selway-Bitterroot Church Foundation are working to clear and restore hundreds of miles of backcountry trails and federal agencies no longer have the resources to maintain.

Blaine County - Exploring the natural beauty of Silver Creek Preserve

In Blaine County, decades of conservation work transformed Silver Creek Preserve into a thriving refuge for wildlife and wide-open Idaho beauty.

Lincoln County - The Shoshone Project

Lincoln County acts as a bedroom community for neighboring Blaine County. We find out how neighbors in Ketchum are helping out.

Madison County - Giving kids a bed to sleep in at night

A nonprofit is working to give every kid a bed to sleep in, no matter what their circumstances.