Station News

Year in review: Our top Idaho web stories of 2025

Boise State Public Radio News | By Staff

Published December 29, 2025 at 4:47 AM MST

From breaking news to deeply reported features, Boise State Public Radio’s newsroom spent 2025 covering the stories that mattered most to Idahoans. These were the pieces that sparked conversation, answered questions and kept readers coming back — our most-viewed news stories of the year.

A firefighter pulls a hose along the fireline on the Bacon Flat prescribed fire in late September.

#10

In northern California, the Karuk Tribe is burning its way back to a centuries-old relationship with fire

In Northern California, the Karuk Tribe led prescribed and cultural burns to restore forest health and traditional ecological knowledge. The efforts serve both wildfire mitigation and deep cultural objectives, reconnecting Indigenous fire stewardship with landscape management.

The crowd swelled to nearly 150 people in downtown McCall, Idaho, just off Payette Lake.

In an Idaho mountain town, mass firings provoke a community backlash

The mass firing of about 2,000 probationary U.S. Forest Service and USDA employees, including many in McCall, Idaho, sparked protests and raised concerns about loss of institutional knowledge, impacts on wildfire preparedness and local economic strain.

A voting box at Ada County Elections with an American flag and the word vote

Nov. 2025: Idaho Election Results

In the November elections, incumbents largely held city council seats in Boise, mayoral races shifted leadership in Ketchum and Caldwell, and voters approved several levies for parks and emergency services, while bond and budget measures for jails and schools saw mixed outcomes.

Idaho governor signs bill criminalizing exposed breasts and 'truck nuts' into law

The Legislature passed updates to indecent exposure statutes, now misdemeanors to expose female breasts or display sexually suggestive items, like so-called “truck nuts”, reflecting local legislative priorities and sparking debate on fairness and enforcement.

Afrikaner refugees from South Africa, arrive Monday, May 12, 2025, at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va.

Among the first Afrikaner refugees accepted in U.S., two families headed to Idaho

Two South African Afrikaner families were resettled in Twin Falls after becoming the first group granted U.S. refugee status under a fast-tracked Trump administration policy that paused most other refugee admissions, drawing national attention for its unprecedented scope and speed.

A temporary memorial featuring Deputy Tobin Bolter’s patrol vehicle is set up in front of the Ada County Sheriff's Office

Tobin Bolter family disavows new nonprofit — its leader has a long criminal past

Reporting revealed the head of a nonprofit connected to a slain Idaho officer had a long criminal history, renewing scrutiny over nonprofit vetting, community trust, and the intersection of charity leadership and public safety.

Committee sends resolution to repeal same sex marriage to House floor

State legislators advanced a resolution to send a repeal of same-sex marriage recognition to the Idaho House floor, framed as a federalism and states’ rights issue, continuing a contentious policy debate.

City of Boise to pickleballers: take your paddles somewhere else

Boise agreed to settle a noise lawsuit by nearby residents, leading to the closure of pickleball courts in two parks, putting a spotlight on the sport’s rapid growth and its community impacts.

A woman stands behind a small microphone with a file folder in her hand.

Idaho Legislature's first order of business: overturning same-sex marriage

An earlier 2025 push saw Idaho lawmakers file measures aimed at overturning same-sex marriage protections, illustrating continued legislative activism around social policy.

A man is seen walking wearing a brown cowboy hat, tan suit jacket, white shirt and a backpack slung over one shoulder. There is a police officer standing still in the background.

#1 most viewed story of the year

Federal judge: Ammon Bundy must pay $52M civiil court judgement

Ammon Bundy was ordered to pay a $52 million civil judgment after a court denied his bankruptcy filing, part of ongoing legal fallout from high-profile standoffs and litigation.