Molly Wampler

Forty years ago last month, the area that is the Frank Church Wilderness was designated by Congress, creating the largest wilderness area in the Lower 48. 

Stanley, Idaho Mayor Steve Botti has his hands full. Besides coronavirus, wildfires, earthquake aftershocks and routine city business, Botti has been dealing with a controversial trail plan and the retaliation that has come from moving forward with constructing that trail. Mayor Botti joins Idaho Matters live to talk about what's been going on in his small town. 

Since the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis in May, organizations, businesses and higher education institutions have released statements in support of Black lives. But at universities which are predominantly white, a growing number of people say they’re disappointed by the lack of tangible change to policy and programs. 

This interview originally aired Apr. 21, 2020.

Idaho artists and artistic organizations are feeling the punch of COVID-19, with cancelled shows and closed stages with no timeline for getting back on tour. Boise-based jazz musician Curtis Stigers has had to cancel all of his concert dates for the foreseeable future. However, with a new album out and with a lot more time on his hands, he’s been writing more and playing more. 

When the coronavirus hit Idaho, events across the state were cancelled or postponed. But at the same time, doctors are telling us that being outside, away from others, is safe. So one annual mountain bike race is still on… it just looks a little different this year.

Since we last had Dele Ogunrinola on Idaho Matters, his op-ed about being Black in Boise and America has been published by the Idaho Statesman. But that’s not all he’s been up to. 

Language is a critical part of any culture, and when a language is lost to time, so is a part of that culture.

First, it was cleaning products. Then, toilet paper. Now, sales of alcohol and video games are skyrocketing. All of these are no coincidence to Niusha Jones, a marketing professor at Boise State University.

When stay-at-home-orders went into effect in states across the U.S. to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, ecologists realized they had a perfect research opportunity to study the connection between traffic patterns and animals killed in collisions. Fraser Shilling, with the Road Ecology Lab at UC Davis, was one of those scientists. 

(This interview is the second of a two-part show about policing in Idaho. You can find the first half — on the history of policing and the laws that protect officers — here.)

Amid the protests against the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black people by police in the the past months and years, activists quickly formulated one central demand: Defund the police. 

Have you heard of “the Boise 7?”

In honor of Pride month, Idaho Matters takes a look back at some forgotten (or unknown) parts of LGBTQ history in Idaho. 

Your eyes close, and you’re asleep. Suddenly you’re out in public without a mask on. Or, you’re wearing a mask, but no one around you is and they’re getting way too close to you. 

These are a couple of common dreams that Harvard Medical School Psychology professor Deirdre Barrett says many people experienced in the first phase of coronavirus anxiety.  

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers nearly one month ago, the conversation about race changed rapidly in the U.S. Calls for white people to educate themselves about systemic racism and how they benefit from it were brought to the forefront. And many white people who hadn’t engaged before seemed to listen.

For more than 20 years, the City of Boise’s Arts and History Department has offered grants to individuals and organizations big and small to fund projects that benefit the people who live in the city. Boise has expanded this program to grant $150,000 annually. But this year, because of the pandemic, they’re hosting two rounds of funding instead of one. This round will close on June 30. 

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the Idaho Foodbank has ramped up their efforts to fight food insecurity. The organization says their partners across the state have reported a 10-50% increase in food demand. 

This Saturday, June 20 is the 20th celebration of World Refugee Day, but because of the coronavirus, the Idaho Office for Refugees is opting for a virtual celebration to keep everyone safe. 

As protests and media attention continue three weeks after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, community organizers are working to maintain the momentum towards racial justice this moment has created. But at the same time that the conversation of racial justice is being pushed to the forefront, many organizers are taking care to recognize that those facing racial injustice may also experience other oppression from their other marginalized identities.

Dele Ogunrinola is a Boise State University student studying biochemistry and physics. He’s been involved in community organizing and activism since he was in high school, and recently participated at the Boise vigil in honor of George Floyd and other Black people who have been killed by police. Idaho Matters host Gemma Gaudette talks with him about his experience being Black in Boise and in America. 

As the state opens back up, health care and government experts are saying that being outdoors is relatively safe, since physical distancing is easier outside. But that doesn’t mean you’re totally safe when you leave your house. 

Across the country, cities are closing streets to cars to encourage socially-distanced exercise, or to allow restaurants to seat patrons away from one another. Now, the trend has hit Idaho. 

In the 1950s and 60s, towns across the American west were razed and relocated to make way for major hydroelectric projects. These towns were essentially drowned by the reservoirs and rivers that replaced them.