Commentary
CSI program expands Idaho’s pool of educators, and it’s poised for further growth
It’s a fact of modern political life that naysayers get the media attention, but the real work – and often successes – goes unnoticed in the hustings of criticism. Here’s an example from Idaho’s continuing attention to school funding, teacher recruitment and retention. When it started in 2018, the teacher training and recruitment program at […]
Idaho needs to up its game in providing behavioral health services. These clinics could help.
There is a chronic shortage of behavioral health resources in Idaho. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported that about 100,000 Idaho adults had an unmet need for mental health treatment in 2018-19. Children fare no better in the Gem State. Idaho has received a 46th place ranking among the states for child access to mental health […]
Collaboration key to protecting, preserving this historic Idaho gem
The historic Rock Creek Station and Stricker Ranch homesite have served as an oasis for visitors for more than 150 years. Dating as far back as 1811, this outpost just south of the Magic Valley city of Hansen provided explorers, trappers and mountain men a place to rest, refresh and restock water and supplies after […]
Health obstacles are not death sentences – but continued funding of NIH, CDC critical for cures
Talking with Idaho Congressman Russ Fulcher about his recent cancer diagnosis a couple of weeks ago hit home with me. In many ways, being lucky is better than being good. The congressman’s cancer was discovered in conjunction with a routine physical examination. Fulcher, who normally is a ball of energy, just happened to mention to […]
Southern Idaho agreement reflects decades of water rights work, dawn of an orderly era
We’ve seen short water times before in Idaho, but this year’s extended drought has put into sharp relief the decades-long Idaho water adjudication process playing out in the Bellevue Triangle just South of Ketchum/Sun Valley/Hailey/Bellevue. Mostly, it’s been an orderly and legally-reliant curtailment, driven by clear prior court rulings and sound legislation which has established […]
All Idahoans can play a part in conserving water this drastic drought year. Here’s how.
As a lifelong farmer and the chairman of the Idaho Water Resource Board, it’s been amazing to watch our state’s potential 2021 water supplies diminish from what was shaping up to be a comparatively decent winter with near-average snowpack in most areas of the state to a bone-dry spring. Although major drought conditions have been […]
Livestock guardian dogs have a job to do — please leave them in the field
Everyone loves dogs. But some dogs aren’t pets. Idaho sheep ranchers use special dog breeds to protect their flocks from predators. These are livestock guardian dogs that have been bred to fend off coyotes, wolves, bears and mountain lions from killing sheep. The dogs are a non-lethal method of protecting sheep — it’s a long-standing […]
As climate change disasters strike, couldn’t we at least try to leave our descendants a livable world?
Every Scouting family knows that Lord Robert Baden-Powell was the founder of the world Scouting program. Included in his last message to the Scouts was this piece of wisdom: “Try and leave this world a little better than you found it, and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that […]
ACHD’s new bike lane policy should even make drivers happy. Here’s why.
As the valley has boomed, you may have noticed that traffic on our roadways has only gotten worse. No one likes to sit in it, but solutions are hard to come by. Building more roads only gets you more of the same congestion, and the Idaho Legislature refuses to allow cities like Boise to vote […]
This July 4, we must reject extreme partisanship that ‘foments occasionally riot and insurrection’
A group of American patriots met in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, to sign a document declaring independence from the British Crown. The signers ended the Declaration of Independence, saying “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” They knew that formation of a new nation was dangerous and […]
Post-COVID, let’s build neighborhoods that value human connection in the Treasure Valley
Now that we’re (mostly) on the other side of the pandemic, we need to make different choices around how we build housing and create connected neighborhoods across the Treasure Valley. It’s no secret frenetic growth and a lack of housing supply is driving up the cost to own a home. In Ada County, the median […]
Immediate U.S. action is essential to save our endangered Afghan friends — before it’s too late
Editor’s note: This guest column was originally published in The Hill on May 19. President Joe Biden and White House officials on Thursday said they plan to evacuate Afghans who worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan and could be targeted by the Taliban as the U.S. withdraws military from the country. “Those who helped […]