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Happening in Pocatello keeps locals informed with a weekly rundown of the city’s biggest news, events, crime reports, sports highlights, school district updates, weather, traffic issues, and restaurant talk. Hosts Mark and Joline bring a raw, critical edge that cuts through the noise and makes staying informed unexpectedly fun.
MARK: Welcome to Happening in Pocatello, the podcast that answers the question, 'What if we recorded a show in a city that's basically just one giant construction zone with a university attached?'
JOLEEN: It's Monday, February 16, 2026, and if you're listening to this while you're stuck in traffic, just know that I'm right there with you in spirit, probably screaming at a blinking arrow.
MARK: Today is Presidents' Day, which means half of you are off work and the other half are currently staring at a closed bank door like it's a personal betrayal from George Washington himself.
JOLEEN: I love Presidents' Day because it's the one day a year we pretend to honor dead guys while actually just being pissed off that the post office is closed and we can't get our Amazon packages.
MARK: Anyway, we've got a lot to get through today, from potato-based fundraisers to local fighters getting in trouble with the law, so let's get into the shit.
JOLEEN: Wait, before we start, remember you can reach us at pocatello@thehappeningnetwork.com if you have tips, complaints, or just want to tell Mark his voice sounds like a tired tractor.
MARK: My voice is a local treasure, Joleen. Now, let's talk about the garbage, because that's the most important thing happening in this godforsaken town today.
JOLEEN: If you live in Pocatello, you're probably used to the city forgetting how to function, but shockingly, sanitation is actually working today. They're running a normal schedule for Presidents' Day.
MARK: Yeah, if your trash day is Monday, get those carts out to the curb by 7 a.m. or you're going to be smelling last week's lasagna until next week. It's a miracle of modern logistics.
JOLEEN: But don't get too excited and try to take your extra junk to the Bannock County Landfill, because those guys actually get the day off. The landfill is closed tighter than a drum.
MARK: It's funny how that works. The guys who pick it up have to work, but the place where they put it is shut down. I'm sure there's some high-level city planning logic there that I'm too dumb to understand.
JOLEEN: And speaking of things that are uniquely Idaho, Sunnyside Elementary is doing a fundraiser involving free potatoes. I'm not even making that up.
MARK: Nothing says 'Pocatello' quite like using the state's primary export as a bribe for school funding. 'Hey kids, sell some wrapping paper and we'll give you a five-pound bag of russets.'
JOLEEN: Honestly, it's genius. Most people here would probably trade their firstborn for a good spud. It's better than those shitty chocolate bars that taste like wax.
MARK: I'd rather have the potatoes. You can at least make vodka out of them if the school year gets too stressful. Which, let's be real, is every week in this district.
JOLEEN: Moving on to something a bit more aggressive, we had a local celebrity of sorts make the police blotter this week. A 30-year-old mixed martial arts fighter was arrested.
MARK: Yeah, he was picked up last Tuesday on several felony charges. Apparently, his 'fighting spirit' wasn't contained to the octagon. A woman reported an incident from back in December.
JOLEEN: It's always the guys who get paid to hit people who seem surprised when the cops show up for them hitting people for free. Like, buddy, you need a referee and a crowd for that to be legal.
MARK: I love the idea of him trying to use MMA moves during the arrest. 'You can't cuff me, I'm in a full guard, officer!' He's facing some serious time if these felonies stick.
JOLEEN: Pocatello's crime scene is either 'stole a catalytic converter' or 'professional fighter went rogue.' There's really no middle ground in this city. It's chaos.
MARK: Speaking of people who are actually doing something good with their lives, Tonya Wilkes from School District 25 just got recognized with the National Girls and Women in Sports Award.
JOLEEN: That's actually pretty cool. It's nice to see someone from the district getting noticed for something other than a budget crisis or a school closure for once.
MARK: Yeah, Idaho State University handed her the award. It's a nice little bright spot in what's been a pretty depressing month for local education news.
JOLEEN: Speaking of depressing, did you hear about that town hall over the weekend? Over a hundred people showed up to the City Council Chambers to scream about Medicaid cuts.
MARK: I saw that. Senator Ruchti organized it. People were calling the cuts 'catastrophic,' which is usually the word I use when the taco bell on 4th street runs out of mild sauce.
JOLEEN: Except this is actually serious, Mark. People are losing their lifelines. One mom talked about her son who had brain surgery and now might lose his therapy. It's pretty fucked up.
MARK: It's the classic Idaho move. 'We have a budget surplus, so let's cut the services for the most vulnerable people just to keep things spicy.' The cruelty is the point with these dickheads in Boise.
JOLEEN: Exactly. They're cutting millions while everyone here is just trying to survive. It's cynical as hell, and not even the fun kind of cynical that we do on this show.
MARK: Well, if you want to feel even worse, let's talk about Idaho State basketball. The Bengals had a rough weekend against our rivals to the north.
JOLEEN: Oh God, don't remind me. The 'King Spud' trophy is headed back to Moscow. The women's team lost to the Vandals 65 to 50 on Saturday at Reed Gym.
MARK: And the men got absolutely dismantled. 99 to 69. That's a 30-point loss to Idaho. I haven't seen a beating like that since... well, since the last time the city tried to pave a road.
JOLEEN: It was embarrassing. The Vandals were up 60 to 30 at halftime. Our guys looked like they were playing in slow motion or maybe they just ate too many of those free Sunnyside potatoes before tip-off.
MARK: Losing 'King Spud' is the ultimate insult. We're the ones surrounded by potato fields, and now those guys up in the panhandle get to keep the trophy. It's a disgrace.
JOLEEN: The men's team has now lost nine in a row. Nine! I don't think they could beat a middle school team at the YMCA right now. They're 10 and 17 on the season. It's painful to watch.
MARK: Maybe they should hire that MMA fighter we talked about. At least he's got some aggression. Right now, the Bengals are playing like they're afraid of the ball.
JOLEEN: At least the women's team had that win against Eastern Washington last Thursday. 77 to 65. So it wasn't a total wash of a week, just mostly a wash.
MARK: I suppose. But let's change topics before I start drinking on air. Let's talk about food. I went to the 5th Street Bagelry the other morning, and I have thoughts.
JOLEEN: Oh, here we go. What was wrong with the bagels, Mark? Did they not have enough artisanal dust on them for your refined palate?
MARK: First of all, the parking there is a nightmare. It's like a game of Tetris but everyone is driving a lifted truck. I almost had a stroke just trying to get into a spot.
JOLEEN: That's just part of the 'Historic Downtown' experience. You're supposed to park three blocks away and hike through the snow like a pioneer.
MARK: I got the 'Lox and Cream Cheese' bagel. It was ten bucks, which felt a bit steep until I realized they actually put a decent amount of salmon on it. But they were out of the 7-layer coconut blocks.
JOLEEN: You went for the coconut block? That thing is like a thousand calories of pure sugar. It's delicious, but it'll put you in a coma before noon.
MARK: I wanted to treat myself! But they said they sell out by 10 a.m. Every time. It's like a secret society of bagel enthusiasts is hoarding all the pastries in this town.
JOLEEN: They are. It's me. I'm the one buying them all just to spite you. But seriously, the Bagelry is a staple. If they ever close, I think the university students will just collectively perish.
MARK: Probably. It's the only thing keeping them alive during finals week. Anyway, if you can find a parking spot and you don't mind the lunch rush, it's a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
JOLEEN: Speaking of things that never end, the Center Street Underpass update came out. The city says it's 'on schedule' for a fall completion. I'll believe that when I see a unicorn riding a bicycle through it.
MARK: They're currently doing 'pile shoring' and concrete placement. Which is fancy talk for 'we're still digging a big hole and throwing money into it.'
JOLEEN: They're coordinating with the railroad, too. Because nothing makes construction faster than having to wait for a three-mile-long train to pass every twenty minutes.
MARK: The update mentioned the project crane is being moved to the east side. So if you see a giant metal arm swinging over downtown, don't panic. It's just the city's latest attempt at infrastructure.
JOLEEN: I just hate that it floods every time it rains. They're building this new secure system, but I bet you five bucks the first big thunderstorm we get, someone is going to be swimming in that tunnel.
MARK: It's a tradition at this point. If you don't almost drown in the Center Street Underpass once a year, are you even a real Pocatellan?
JOLEEN: True. And while we're talking about things that are broken, the real estate market is still a total bitch. Average home prices are sitting right around three hundred thirty thousand dollars.
MARK: The median sale price dropped slightly in December, but homes are still selling in about 49 days. That's nearly two months of staring at a 'For Sale' sign and wondering why no one wants your 1970s split-level with the popcorn ceilings.
JOLEEN: Inventory is still the biggest problem. There's nothing to buy! Unless you want to spend four hundred thousand on a house that needs a total gut job. It's ridiculous.
MARK: I saw a listing recently for a house that was basically a shack with a view of the freeway, and they wanted 'offers over list.' I wanted to call the owner and ask them what kind of drugs they were on.
JOLEEN: Whatever they're on, they're probably getting it from that drug bust on I-86. 18 pounds of meth? That's enough to keep the whole city of Chubbuck awake for a decade.
MARK: Jesus. 18 pounds. That's not a 'personal use' stash. That's a 'Breaking Bad' level of distribution. The state police are really earning their keep lately.
JOLEEN: Let's lighten things up. We've got the Pocatello Home Show coming up this weekend at the Mountain View Event Center. It runs from Friday the 20th through Sunday the 22nd.
MARK: Ah, yes. The Home Show. Where you can go to see all the things you can't afford to do to your house because you're still paying off that bagel from the 5th Street Bagelry.
JOLEEN: They have live demos and prizes, Mark! You love prizes. Maybe you'll win a new lawnmower or a set of steak knives.
MARK: I'll probably just win a brochure for a hot tub that costs more than my car. But it's free admission, so I guess I can't complain too much. It's something to do that doesn't involve watching the Bengals lose.
JOLEEN: There's also the Crafters Market at Station Square on Friday and Saturday. If you need some handmade soap or a crocheted hat for your cat, that's the place to be.
MARK: I don't have a cat, Joleen. And even if I did, I wouldn't subject it to a crocheted hat. That's animal cruelty. But Cupid's Splash Bash on Saturday sounds... interesting?
JOLEEN: It's for kids ages 4 to 12. Water games and music. It's basically a way for parents to tire their children out so they can actually have a quiet Saturday night. I highly recommend it.
MARK: And on Monday the 23rd, they're doing a ribbon cutting for the Veteran's Memorial Building. They've got new flooring and trim in the ballroom. So if you want to see some nice wood, there you go.
JOLEEN: You're an asshole. But it is good they're finally finishing that remodel. That building needed some love.
MARK: Alright, let's look at the weather forecast for this week, because it's about to get ugly.
JOLEEN: Today, Monday, we're looking at a high of 55. It's actually nice out right now, but there are sprinkles expected late tonight. Enjoy the warmth while you can, folks.
MARK: Tuesday it drops to 44 with light rain. Wednesday is more rain and a high of 42. It's that classic 'wet and grey' Idaho spring weather that makes you want to crawl under a blanket and never leave.
JOLEEN: And then Thursday happens. The temperature plummets to 35 and we're expecting moderate snow. Because of course we are. Winter just can't stay dead.
MARK: Friday and Saturday are staying cold with highs in the low 30s and light snow showers. So if you're planning on going to that Home Show, make sure you wear your big coat.
JOLEEN: By Sunday it clears up a bit to 36 degrees with scattered clouds. It's basically a week of misery followed by a day of 'meh.' Typical Pocatello.
MARK: It's enough to make a man want to move to Arizona. But then I'd have to deal with people from Arizona, so I guess I'll stay here and freeze.
JOLEEN: Exactly. At least here we have each other to be miserable with. And we have this podcast. Which is definitely something.
MARK: Is it, though? Anyway, that's all we've got for you today. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and comment on whatever platform you're using to ignore your family right now.
JOLEEN: And seriously, email us at pocatello@thehappeningnetwork.com. We want to hear your stories about the underpass or your favorite bagel order. Or just tell Mark he's a dick.
MARK: I get enough of that from you, Joleen. Have a productive Presidents' Day, or just stay in bed and pretend the world doesn't exist. Both are valid options.
JOLEEN: Bye, dickheads! See you next week.
MARK: Goodnight, Pocatello.