Idaho – Northwest Public Broadcasting

Idaho’s Four-Year Schools Agree On ‘Momentous’ Tuition Freeze

By NWPB News December 12, 2019

Idaho’s four college and university presidents — Idaho State University President Kevin Satterlee, University of Idaho President C. Scott Green, Boise State University President Marlene Tromp and Lewis-Clark State College President Cynthia Pemberton — had discussed a possible tuition freeze since spring. Sami Edge/Idaho Education News.

For the first time in at least four decades, Idaho is freezing college and university tuition. The one-year freeze will go into effect next school year — and it covers in-state undergraduate students at Idaho’s four-year institutions. Continue Reading Read More

Idaho Community Mourns 9 Members Of Extended Family Killed In South Dakota Plane Crash

By NWPB News December 2, 2019

In this Dec. 2, 2019, photo provided by the National Transportation Safety Board, an NTSB investigator begins the examination of the wreckage of the Pilatus PC-12 that crashed in Chamberlain, S.D., on Nov. 30 shortly after departure from Chamberlain Municipal Airport. CREDIT: NTSB via AP

An Idaho community is in mourning after nine members of one extended family were killed in a Thanksgiving weekend plane crash. Jim Hansen Sr. was killed in the crash that also killed his son, grandchildren and other relatives. Three generations of his clan ran a petroleum business called Conrad & Bischoff. They were returning from a pheasant-hunting trip in South Dakota Read More

Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Idaho Initiative Process

By NWPB News October 31, 2019

Amy Pratt personally collected more than 1,000 signatures to help get Proposition 2 on the ballot. It's the first time she's been politically active and she has no plans of stopping. CREDIT: JAMES DAWSON / BSPR

A federal lawsuit challenging Idaho's ballot initiative process as unconstitutional because it requires signatures from multiple legislative districts has been dismissed. Continue Reading Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Idaho Read More

University Of Idaho Settles Lawsuit From Law Student Victim Of Sexual Assault

By NWPB News October 25, 2019

The University of Idaho has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by a woman who said school officials told her to transfer to another campus if she didn't want to continue attending classes with a student who sexually assaulted her. Read More

All Aboard! Northwest Rail Buffs Get Steamed Up To Return Oregon Trail Amtrak Route To Boise

By Tom Banse October 22, 2019

Union Station in Portland could see lapsed train service to Boise revive if rail buffs can drum up enough support. CREDIT: Tom Banse/N3

The old Amtrak route started in Seattle, went south to Portland, then east through the Columbia River Gorge to Boise, and then to Salt Lake City, with an onward connection to Chicago. A volunteer-led nonprofit called the Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates (AORTA) proposes to revive at least the Portland to Boise segment. Read More

Moscow Voter Forum Is 7 PM Wednesday; See 6 Candidates For 3 City Council Seats

By Scott Leadingham October 22, 2019

Election officials across the country have worked hard to prioritize security ahead of November's midterms, but some strategies could have the unintended effect of sometimes making voting harder. CREDIT: JUSTIN SULLIVAN

Moscow voters will have the opportunity to hear from candidates running for city council Wednesday, Oct. 23. The civic group League of Women Voters is sponsoring a forum for the six candidates running for three city council seats. The format will include questions asked of candidates by a moderator. Read More

Idaho Lawmakers Consider Changes To Property Tax And Allocation Ahead Of 2020 Legislative Session

By NWPB News October 21, 2019

File photo. The Idaho statehouse in Boise. CREDIT: Keith Ridler/AP

A panel of lawmakers is examining property tax options amid complaints that taxes are going up with rising property values, while also hearing on Monday concerns from cities and counties that they’re operating on tight budgets. Read More

Federal Wildlife Agency Announces Protections For Caribou Habitat In Washington And Idaho

By NWPB News October 2, 2019

two caribou in northwest Montana knock their antlers together. On Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019, U.S. federal officials finalized protections for caribou habitat in the lower 48 states.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated the southern mountain population of woodland caribou as endangered and confirmed 47 square miles in Idaho and Washington as critical habitat requiring special protection. Continue Read More

Where Did Idaho Get Its Execution Drugs? A State Supreme Court Case May Reveal Hidden Records

By NWPB News September 23, 2019

File photo of Idaho Supreme Court chamber. CREDIT: JAMES DAWSON/BSPR

The Idaho Supreme Court is expected to decide next year whether prison officials must reveal the past source of their execution drugs. A University of Idaho professor's public records request is at the center of the case. Read More

Federal Government Could Keep Three Mile Island Radioactive Waste In Idaho For 20 More Years

By NWPB News September 17, 2019

Radioactive waste shipped to Idaho from a Midwestern nuclear weapons facility during the Cold War has been compacted and sent out of state for permanent disposal. A U.S. Department of Energy contractor on Wednesday said nearly 26,000 cubic yards of waste contaminated with plutonium-238 has been sent to a storage facility in New Mexico. CREDIT: KEITH RIDLER/AP

The partially melted reactor core from the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history could remain in Idaho for another 20 years if regulators finalize a license extension sought by the U.S. Energy Department, officials said Monday. Read More

Numbers Of Imperiled Sage Grouse Tumble Even Lower Across The West

By NWPB News September 12, 2019

Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming and other states are reporting population declines for the birds in 2019. CREDIT: Jerret Raffety/The Rawlins Daily Times via AP

Grouse numbers also continued to drop in 2019 in Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming. Weather can affect populations from year to year, and wildlife officials say those short-term cycles are most directly responsible for the recent declines. Continue Read More

Research Suggests Climate Change Is Reducing Snowfall In The Northwest

By NWPB News September 11, 2019

A snow-machine rider takes a snowpack reading as part of Community Snow Observations, a NASA-sponsored citizen science project. CREDIT: OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

New research says climate change is decreasing the amount of snow in the Pacific Northwest. And that has implications for water resources in the region. Continue Reading Research Suggests Climate Change Is Reducing Snowfall In The Read More

Could Relocating Sage Grouse Save The Birds In Washington?

By Courtney Flatt September 3, 2019

A male greater sage grouse struts its stuff on Bureau of Land Management land in this April 21, 2012, photo. CREDIT: BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT/FLICKR

Moving imperiled sage grouse from one spot to another can be hard on the birds. But research from Washington State University suggests that after a restless adjustment period, the birds eventually get used to their new homes. Continue Reading Could Read More

Public Can Comment On Killing Of Sea Lions In Columbia River Until October 29

By NWPB News September 2, 2019

Sea lions have been eating steelhead and other fish at Willamette Falls in ever greater numbers.Photo courtesy of ODFW

Three Northwest states’ request to lethally remove sea lions from the Columbia River is now open for public comment. Continue Reading Public Can Comment On Killing Of Sea Lions In Columbia River Until October 29Read More

Court Says Idaho Must Provide Gender Confirmation Surgery To Transgender Inmate

By NPR News August 23, 2019

Court orders that the state of Idaho pay for gender confirmation surgery for Adree Edmo, a transgender inmate who was incarcerated at the Idaho State Correctional Institution, pictured above.

Friday a panel of judges ruled that in denying a transgender inmate gender confirmation surgery, the state violated the Eighth Amendment. Continue Reading Court Says Idaho Must Provide Gender Confirmation Surgery To Transgender Read More

Campus Police Will No Longer Store Guns For WSU Students After New Legal Interpretation

By Scott Leadingham August 15, 2019

Reflecting on the glass door of the WSU Public Safety Building, a sign on the door announces the gun storage policy change Aug. 14, 2019. CREDIT: SCOTT LEADINGHAM/NWPB

Firearms are not allowed on the Washington State University campus in Pullman. But now students will no longer have that option, due to a new interpretation of state law applying to university police forces like WSU’s. Continue Read More

Idaho Group That Pushed For Medicaid Expansion Seeks Input On Citizen Initiatives

By Doug Nadvornick July 30, 2019

The group that sponsored Idaho’s successful Medicaid expansion initiative last year is now working on a new project. Reclaim Idaho is trying to preserve the rights of citizen groups to propose initiatives and collect signatures to put them on the ballot. Read More

Radioactive Waste Shipped From Idaho To New Mexico For Permanent Storage

By NWPB News July 17, 2019

Radioactive waste shipped to Idaho during the Cold War has been compacted and sent out of state for permanent disposal, officials said Wednesday. Continue Reading Radioactive Waste Shipped From Idaho To New Mexico For Permanent Read More

BLM Says They Won’t Kill Wild Horses In Western States To Control Growing Population

By NWPB News July 12, 2019

This July 25, 2007 file photo, shows wild horses being herded by the Bureau of Land Management in a field, at the Black Mountain and Hardtrigger Herd Management Areas in the Owyhee Mountains southeast of Marsing, Idaho. CREDIT: Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP

The federal Bureau of Land Management will not pursue lethal measures such as euthanasia or selling horses for slaughter to deal with what officials say is an ecological and fiscal crisis caused by too many wild horses on rangelands in the U.S. West, an official said Thursday. Read More

Judge Says Work Can Begin On Contested Central Idaho Hiking-Biking Trail

By NWPB News June 17, 2019

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area near Stanley, Idaho. A federal judge has ruled that work can go forward on a trail crossing private land that connects the popular central Idaho tourist destinations of Redfish Lake and Stanley. CREDIT: Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP

Work can go forward on a trail crossing private land that connects the popular tourist destinations of Redfish Lake and Stanley, a judge has ruled. U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale late last week rejected a request by the owners of Sawtooth Mountain Ranch to halt construction of the 4.4-mile trail for pedestrians, cyclists, horseback riders and snowmobilers. Read More

Timeline: A History Of Grizzly Bear Recovery In The Lower 48 States

By NWPB News June 10, 2019

A sow grizzly bear spotted near Camas in northwestern Montana. Wildlife officials endorsed a plan in August to keep northwestern Montana's grizzly population at roughly 1,000 bears as the state seeks to bolster its case that lifting federal protections will not lead to the bruins' demise. CREDIT: MONTANA FISH AND WILDLIFE AND PARK

At their peak, grizzly bears numbered more than 50,000 in the Lower 48. Facing threats from habitat loss, hunting and conflicts with people and livestock, their numbers dwindled to fewer than 1,000 in the lower 48 by the time the Endangered Species Act was implemented in 1975. Here's a timeline of the management actions, court cases and notable events that have shaped Read More

USDA Says States Can’t Block Hemp Transports. Idaho State Police Begs To Differ.

By NWPB News May 30, 2019

Samples of hemp sit on a table in the conference room at Andrew Ross' office in Denver on Friday, March 22, 2019. Ross, a Marine who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, is facing 18 years to life in Oklahoma if he is convicted after he was arrested in January while providing security for a load of state-certified hemp from Kentucky. Federal legalization for hemp has created a quandary for police as authorities lack the technology to distinguish marijuana from agricultural hemp at a roadside stop. CREDIT: THOMAS PEIPERT/AP

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says states can’t block the interstate transportation of hemp, but law enforcement in Idaho says it won’t follow those guidelines. Continue Reading USDA Says States Can’t Block Hemp Read More

Federal Court To Rule On Sex Reassignment Surgery For Idaho Inmate

By Amanda Peacher May 16, 2019

A corrections officer walks the grounds of the Idaho State Correctional Institution south of Boise where Adree Edmo was incarcerated. CREDIT: Heath Druzin/BSPR

A federal district court judge ruled in Adree Edmo's favor last December and ordered the prison to provide the surgery within six months. But the state of Idaho appealed, and the case is now being heard by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Continue Read More

Federal BLM Bans Exploding Targets In Idaho After Firearms Users Caused Wildfires Last Year

By NWPB News May 15, 2019

The 2018 Sharps Fire in Idaho was caused by an exploding target. CREDIT: INCIWEB

The federal Bureau of Land Management has banned fireworks and exploding targets this summer in Idaho. Last year, people shooting at exploding or steel targets caused 60% of the wildfires on BLM land. Continue Reading Read More

Washington Becomes First West Coast State Ready To Ditch Twice-Yearly Time Changes

By Tom Banse May 8, 2019

File photo. A loosely coordinated effort is gaining steam to get all West Coast states to synchronize their clocks to year-round daylight saving time. CREDIT: HENRIQUE SIMPLICIO / FLICKR PHOTO HTTPS://FLIC.KR/P/F1JXBL

With the stroke of the governor's pen Wednesday, Washington officially became the first West Coast state to ditch the twice-yearly time switch. But the end of "spring forward-fall back" won't happen until Congress gives the green light to all of the states moving toward year-round daylight saving time. Read More

Police Defuse Potentially Explosive Device In Pullman Following Similar Incident In Moscow

By Scott Leadingham May 5, 2019

Police in Pullman say a Spokane explosives team diffused a device Sunday, May 5 at the City Playfields near the WSU campuse. CREDIT: GOOGLE MAPS

Pullman Police say they defused a possible explosive device Sunday morning. It follows the discovery and disposal of a similar incident in Moscow, Idaho last week. Continue Reading Police Defuse Potentially Read More

Idaho Gov. Brad Little Signs Medicaid Expansion Bill With Work Requirements

By NWPB News April 9, 2019

Idaho Gov. Brad Little delivers his State of the State address inside the house chambers at the state Capitol building, Monday, Jan. 7, 2019 in Boise, Idaho. CREDIT: AP PHOTO/OTTO KITSINGER

Idaho will ask the federal government for permission to implement mandatory work requirements for those covered under the state’s Medicaid plan. Gov. Brad Little signed the bill despite concerns about the constitutionality of such requirements that were repeatedly brought up during public testimony and debates. Read More

Idaho Gov. Brad Little Vetoes Bill That Would Have Made Ballot Initiatives Tougher

By NWPB News April 5, 2019

In a rebuke to the Idaho legislature, Gov. Brad Little has “reluctantly” vetoed a bill that some say would’ve made it nearly impossible to get an initiative on the ballot. Little also plans to veto a second, similar bill that would’ve loosened some of the original proposal’s restrictions. Read More

Federal Legalization Of Hemp Creates Confusion For State And Local Police

By NWPB News March 29, 2019

Federal legalization of hemp arrived in the U.S. late last year and expanded an industry already booming because of the skyrocketing popularity of CBDs, a compound in hemp that many see as a health aid. But now, just a few months after Congress placed the marijuana look-alike squarely in safe legal territory, the hemp industry has been unsettled by an unexpected Read More

Small-Scale Nuclear Company Looks To Build First Plant In Idaho

By Cassandra Profita March 11, 2019

An artist’s rendition of the NuScale nuclear power project planned for construction in Idaho. Courtesy of NuScale Power

As coal plants retire across the country, Portland-based NuScale Power wants to replace some of that electricity with its small-scale nuclear plants. Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems wants to build a 720-megawatt nuclear plant at the Idaho National Laboratory site in Idaho Falls. Read More

New Idaho Law to Make Overdose Reversal Drug More Available

By NWPB News February 14, 2019

Idaho Gov. Brad Little signs into law legislation to make the overdose reversal drug naloxone more readily available. CREDIT: Keith Riddler/AP News

Idaho Governor Brad Little signed legislation into law Thursday aimed at reducing the number of opioid deaths in the state by making naloxone overdose reversal medication more available. Continue Reading New Idaho Law to Make Overdose Reversal Drug Read More

Idaho Supreme Court To Decide Fate Of Voter-Approved Medicaid Expansion

By NWPB News February 1, 2019

The future of Idaho’s Medicaid expansion is now in the hands of the state Supreme Court. The libertarian-leaning Idaho Freedom Foundation quickly filed suit after more than 60 percent of voters signed off on expanding Medicaid in November. Read More

Plans Continue For Moscow’s Edible Forest

By Murrow News - Jasmine Darakjy January 29, 2019

The plan to build Idaho’s first edible food forest keeps on growing. Continue Reading Plans Continue For Moscow’s Edible ForestRead More

Crow Murders In Idaho Are Nothing To Squawk About: Human Scarecrows Try To Divert Bird Invasion

By NPR News January 27, 2019

Almost 10,000 migratory crows have descended on Nampa, Idaho, for the past three winters. A task force is deploying drones, lasers and even a live hawk to try to divert the annual migration. CREDIT: Winfried Rothermel/AP

Every winter for the past three years, almost 10,000 migratory crows have descended upon Nampa, Idaho, dotting the skyline in black and squawking away. By day the birds scavenge for food in farmland that surrounds the city. By night they flock to town to roost. Read More

Washington May Rope In Ranchers To Help With Wildfires — As Oregon And Idaho Already Do

By Tom Banse January 18, 2019

A water tender for fighting wildfires is parked next to rancher Charlie Lyon’s barn near Mountain Home, Idaho. CREDIT: JESSICA ROBINSON/N3

Washington may soon copy a rural wildfire fighting strategy that Oregon, Idaho and Nevada already employ: letting private ranchers attack range fires before the blazes get big. Continue Reading Washington May Rope In Read More

School Closures & Delays

By NWPB News January 7, 2019

Latest school closures and delays from our area. You can also report closures and delays on this page by filling out the form located at the bottom of the page. Continue Reading School Closures & DelaysRead More

Brad Little Sworn In As 33rd Idaho Governor As Legislature Looks To Tackle Medicaid Expansion

By Doug Nadvornick January 4, 2019

Brad Little was sworn in as Idaho's governor Friday, Jan. 4, 2019, with his wife Teresa Little holding a Bible. CREDIT: OTTO KITSINGER/AP

Idaho has a new governor for the first time in 12 years. Brad Little took the oath of office Friday during a ceremony on the statehouse steps in Boise. Continue Reading Brad Little Sworn In As 33rd Idaho Governor Read More

Washington Utility Regulators Deny Acquisition Of Avista By Canadian Firm

By Doug Nadvornick December 6, 2018

Washington utility regulators say the Canadian utility Hydro One may not acquire the Spokane-based utility Avista. In a statement, the state Utilities and Transportation Commission said "the proposed merger does not serve the public interest." Read More

Idaho’s Proposition 2 Puts Medicaid Expansion To Voters After State Lawmakers Refused

By NWPB News November 3, 2018

After years of inaction by the Idaho legislature on the state's healthcare gap, Proposition 2 on the state ballot gives Idahoans the chance to say whether they want Medicaid expansion -- a proposal endorsed by outgoing Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter. Read More

Idaho School District In Hot Water After ‘Insensitive And Inappropriate’ Photos Of Staff As Border Wall

By NWPB News November 2, 2018

In another photo put on social media by the Middleton School District, educators can be seen posing with segments of a wall emblazoned with "Make America Great Again." CREDIT: FACEBOOK

Photos of teachers wearing Halloween costumes at Middleton Heights Elementary in Idaho are going viral and causing controversy. Continue Reading Idaho School District In Hot Water After ‘Insensitive And Read More

Brad Little And Paulette Jordan Talk Issues At Idaho Gubernatorial Debate

By NWPB News October 16, 2018

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan and Lt. Gov. Brad Little participate in a debate at the studios of Idaho Public Television in Boise, Idaho, Monday, Oct. 15, 2018. CREDIT: OTTO KITSINGER

Idaho’s gubernatorial candidates struck starkly different tones on topics ranging from transparency to health care and education during a live televised debate on Oct. 15. Continue Reading Brad Little And Paulette Jordan Talk Issues At Idaho Read More

Wildlife Groups Scramble For New Way To Block Grizzly Hunts

By NWPB News August 30, 2018

Wildlife advocates scrambled Thursday to find a new way to block grizzly bear hunts set to begin this weekend after a judge said he wouldn't immediately restore federal protections on the bears living in and around Yellowstone National Park. Continue Read More

As Wildfire Seasons Worsen, Scientists Point To Summer Precipitation As Major Driving Factor

By Emily Schwing August 20, 2018

Washington fire managers responded to nearly 70 new fire starts August 11, 2018, including the Grass Valley Fire that threatened the Grand Coulee Dam area and forced hundreds of evacuations. CREDIT: INCIWEB

Wildfire activity in the American West is likely to get worse in coming years. A new study out in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences points to the lack of precipitation in the summer as the major driving factor when it comes to increasing fire severity. Read More

North Idaho Man Charged With Hate Crime After Threatening, Yelling Racial Slurs At Teens

By Zachary Garner July 18, 2018

A North Idaho man hurls racial slurs, profanity at teenagers getting ice cream at McDonald's CREDIT: THE INLANDER

A North Idaho man has been arrested and charged with a hate crime after hurling racial slurs and threats at a group of teenagers at a Coeur d’Alene McDonald's on July 12. Continue Reading North Idaho Man Read More

Mother Of Boise Attack Victim Mourns Loss Of Daughter

By NWPB News July 5, 2018

Bifituu Kadir remembers her only child, 3-year-old daughter Ruya Kadir, who was stabbed at her own birthday party along with others last Saturday when a man armed with a large knife attacked them, Tuesday, July 3, 2018. Kadir is mourning her little girl, slain in the very community that was supposed to keep her safe. The International Rescue Committee is working with immigration services and government officials to try to get Bifituu's husband to the U.S. CREDIT: DARIN OSWALD/IDAHO STATESMAN/AP

Ruya was at her third birthday party — complete with a pink doll-shaped cake and a Disney princess banner — Saturday evening when a man armed with a large knife attacked. Ruya and five other children were badly injured, along with the three adults who tried to protect them. Read More

Big Wildfire Season And Summer Of Drought Await The Northwest

By Tony Schick June 26, 2018

The Chetco Bar Fire remained relatively quiet for its first month before exploding into Oregon's largest wildfire. Courtesy of Chetco Bar Fire incident command team

Federal officials anticipate a big wildfire season in the Northwest throughout July, August and possibly into September. Continue Reading Big Wildfire Season And Summer Of Drought Await The NorthwestRead More

Idaho Primary Results: Brad Little And Paulette Jordan Advance In Governor’s Race

By Frankie Barnhill May 16, 2018

Democratic Paulette Jordan addresses supporters after winning the party primary Tuesday, May 15, 2018. CREDIT: AMANDA PREACHER/BSPR

Two of the most bruising Republican primaries in 2018 were the gubernatorial race and the race for Idaho’s First Congressional District. Continue Reading Idaho Primary Results: Brad Little And Paulette Jordan Advance In Governor’s RaceRead More

175 Years On, Vote To Form ‘Oregon Country’ Highlights Differences In Northwest States

By Tom Banse May 3, 2018

A 1920 painting and newer interpretive displays at Champoeg State Park recreate the historic 1843 vote to establish the first government in the Oregon Territory. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

Before there was an Oregon, Idaho and Washington state, there was the Oregon Country. Early settlers and pioneers voted to form a provisional territorial government 175 years ago this week. The vote was close and featured arguments that may sound surprisingly familiar today. Read More

Apple Varieties Thought Extinct Rediscovered In Washington And Idaho Palouse Region

By NWPB News March 9, 2018

Five types of apples, once thought to be extinct, have been rediscovered in northern Idaho and eastern Washington. The Lewiston Tribune newspaper reported that “apple detective” David Benscoter located the trees growing near Steptoe Butte on the rolling hills of the Palouse. Read More

Idaho Senate Committee Keeps Climate Change In New Science Standards

By NWPB News February 23, 2018

An Idaho Senate panel voted February 22 to retain all references to man-made climate change in proposed science standards for K-12 education, which could end a three-year fight over the rules. Continue Reading Idaho Senate Read More