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Happening in Boise is your weekly breakdown of what’s actually going on around the city—local news, community events, public safety updates, new restaurants, real estate, weather, schools, and everything Boise residents are talking about.
Hosted with humor, honesty, and a very Boise-specific point of view, this isn’t stiff broadcast news—it’s real local info with personality. If you live in Boise or just want to keep a pulse on the Treasure Valley, this is your weekly shortcut.
MARK: Welcome to another shitty Monday in the Treasure Valley. I'm Mark, and I'm currently wondering how many more times I can drive past a construction cone before I just drive the truck into the Boise River and let the current take me to Lewiston.
JOLEEN: And I'm Joleen, radiating enough sunshine to power a Micron clean room while secretly hoping the entire city council gets stuck in a roundabout for eternity. You're listening to 'Happening in Boise', the only podcast that tells you exactly why your rent's going up and why the guy in the Subaru in front of you doesn't know how a four-way stop works.
MARK: It's Monday, March 23rd, 2026. If you haven't checked your gas app this morning, don't. Just sell your car. Sell your house. Buy a horse. Actually, don't buy a horse, the hay prices are probably fucked too. We've got a lot of ground to cover today, from global conflicts hitting our wallets to the local school district trying to build a pool while the world burns.
JOLEEN: It's going to be a wild ride, so buckle up, you assholes. If you like what we're doing here, or even if you just like hate-listening while you're stuck on the Connector, hit that subscribe button. Leave a comment telling us why we're wrong about everything. We love the engagement, and it helps the algorithm find more miserable people just like you. Plus, you can always reach us at boise@thehappeningnetwork.com if you've got a tip or just want to tell Mark his voice sounds like a bag of gravel.
MARK: My voice is a local treasure, Joleen. Like the blue turf or that one weird smell near the sugar factory. Let's get into the headlines, and unfortunately, we've got to start with the big, scary global shit. Over the weekend, the situation with Iran went from a slow simmer to a full-blown grease fire. President Trump gave Iran forty-eight hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and as of this morning, everyone is holding their breath. This isn't just a cable news problem anymore. This is a 'why did my gas jump fifty cents overnight' problem for every single person in Boise.
JOLEEN: It's absolutely mental. I saw the lines at the Costco gas station on Cole Road this morning and I thought there was a surprise concert. People are panic-buying fuel like it's 1979 or like the last time we had a bread-crushing snowstorm. The mortgage rates followed suit, too. We were all celebrating last week when rates finally dipped below six percent for the first time in forever. Everyone was ready to finally buy that three hundred square foot shed in the North End, and then boom, the conflict spikes and rates are back up to six point two nine percent according to Mortgage News Daily. It's like the universe specifically hates Boise first-time buyers.
MARK: The universe doesn't hate them, Joleen, it's just indifferent. Which is worse. But hey, if you're a Micron shareholder, you're probably not crying in your overpriced coffee. They just reported jaw-dropping sales and profits this weekend. Their stock is absolutely booming while the rest of the world is wondering if we're entering World War Three. It's the Boise paradox. The city is getting richer on paper, but I'm still seeing people fighting over the last discounted rotisserie chicken at WinCo.
JOLEEN: Micron's success is basically the only thing keeping the lights on in some parts of this town. But let's pivot to something closer to home, and by home, I mean the tiny house you might finally be allowed to build in your backyard. State Senator Ben Toews out of Coeur d'Alene has brought back a bill today that would basically legalize duplexes and accessory dwelling units across the state. It's a huge push to deregulate and hopefully stop the housing market from turning into a gated community for California retirees.
MARK: Oh, the NIMBYs are going to love that. I can already hear the screeching from the East End. 'But my neighborhood character! My views of the foothills!' Look, dickheads, if you want your kids to live in the same zip code as you, you're going to have to let someone build a duplex next door. You can't have a vibrant city and a 1950s suburb at the same time. It's basic math, which I know is hard for some of our local activists.
JOLEEN: It's the ultimate Boise struggle. We want the mountain bike trails and the cool breweries, but heaven forbid we see a second front door on a single lot. Speaking of people struggling with reality, a Boise doctor who treats high-risk pregnancies is officially suing the state over its abortion laws as of yesterday. He's saying the laws are so vague and restrictive that he can't actually do his job without risking a prison sentence. It's a mess, and it's making it nearly impossible to keep specialist doctors in Idaho. But hey, at least the Legislature is busy debating whether we need an official 'state gun'.
MARK: Priorities, Joleen. Who needs doctors when you've got a designated bolt-action rifle to represent the collective soul of the Gem State? It's pathetic. And speaking of the Legislature, there's another bill gaining steam that would let the state boot elected officials if they defy state law. They're specifically looking at things like flying Pride flags on public buildings. It's like they've got a checklist of ways to make the city of Boise feel as unwelcome as possible while we're just trying to exist.
JOLEEN: Let's move to the crime report before I get too depressed. We've got a couple of winners in the Canyon County jail this morning. A guy named William Todd Jeffs was arrested early this morning by Nampa Police for battery against a health care worker. I don't care how bad your hospital food is, you don't swing at the people trying to keep you alive. That's a special kind of asshole behavior right there.
MARK: And then we've got Virginia Maria Castro, who was picked up for grand theft last night. No details on what she allegedly swiped, but given the way prices are going, maybe it was just a few bags of groceries and a tank of premium gas. It's getting desperate out there. We also had a simple assault arrest in Eagle on the sixteenth. It's always the quiet ones in Eagle. One minute you're sipping a latte on a patio, the next you're getting cuffed on Big Star Place.
JOLEEN: Maybe they ran out of oat milk. People in Eagle get very protective of their dairy alternatives. Let's talk school news, because there's actually some construction that isn't just a random hole in the road. The Boise School District is doing utility work for the Whitney Pool project. This means Owyhee Street in front of Whitney Elementary is basically a no-go zone during Spring Break. They're trying to get the water and sewer lines in, so if you're trying to cut through that neighborhood, you're going to have a bad time.
MARK: At least it's for a pool. That's one of the few things worth closing a road for in the summer. But the district isn't just about digging holes. We've got some high achievers to mention. Four students just bagged the 2026 ATTA Kid Student Athlete Awards. Will Cox and Maddie Whitehead from Timberline, Divya Danesh from Capital, and Reid Hoppock from Boise High. They're being recognized for sportsmanship and character, which is great, because I've seen some parents at those games who could use a serious lesson in both.
JOLEEN: God, the parents are the worst part of youth sports. I hope those kids get a trophy that's big enough to defend themselves with. Also, a big shout out to the DECA students who crushed it at the State Career Development Conference. They had top finishers from three of the four high schools. It's nice to know some people in the next generation are learning how to actually run a business instead of just learning how to make dance videos in the hallway.
MARK: They'll probably just use those business skills to start an agency that manages people making dance videos in hallways, but I digress. Let's talk about food. I'm hungry and I'm tired of the same three burger joints. We went to Kibrom's Ethiopian and Eritrean food over on State Street recently. It's one of those places that people always say they 'need to try' but then they just end up at a drive-thru because they're scared of eating with their hands.
JOLEEN: If you're too delicate to eat with injera, you don't deserve good food. Kibrom's is legit. It's been around for a while, but the chef is a James Beard nominee for a reason. The flavors are incredible, and the atmosphere is actually warm and welcoming, unlike some of the newer 'minimalist' spots downtown that feel like you're eating in a very expensive hospital waiting room. It's unpretentious, it's spicy, and it's exactly what this town needs more of.
MARK: Plus, it's a great place to take a date if you want to see if they're a fun person or a total killjoy. If they can't handle a little bit of lentil stew and some sourdough flatbread, dump them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life. It's one of the best 'hidden gems' that isn't actually hidden, people are just lazy. Get the lamb tibs and stop complaining about the lack of silverware. It's an experience, bitch.
JOLEEN: Exactly. Moving on to sports, we've got some big news for soccer fans. KTVB just announced they're going to be the official broadcast partner for Athletic Club Boise. They're going to air sixteen home matches this season on channels 7.1 and 7.2. Their home opener is Saturday, April 4th, at the new Expo Idaho stadium. It's already sold out, so if you didn't get tickets, you're stuck watching it on the couch with a cheap beer.
MARK: They're bringing in some big names too. The New York Cosmos are coming here in September. That's a massive deal for soccer in the valley. It's funny how this town has just fully embraced the pitch while our football team is stuck in a weird transition period. Speaking of basketball, though, we had a bright spot in the NCAA tournament. A Boise High grad, playing for Washington, knocked down seven three-pointers in a tournament win on Friday. It's always nice to see a local kid succeed somewhere else because our own teams keep getting bounced in the first round.
JOLEEN: Ouch. Truth hurts, Mark. The Idaho women's team also got sent packing by Oklahoma on Friday night. It was a tough game, very up-tempo, and our girls just couldn't keep the pace. It's the end of the road for the college hoops season around here, which means we can all finally stop pretending we understand how the bracket works and focus on the fact that it's finally getting warm outside.
MARK: Is it though? Let's check the weather forecast. Today we're looking at a high of sixty-nine and a low of fifty. That's basically shorts weather for anyone who grew up here, but for the newcomers, it's 'wear a puffer vest over a flannel' weather. Tomorrow it's supposed to hit sixty-eight, and then we've got a little dip before we go on a tear. By Sunday, we're looking at a high of seventy-six degrees. Seventy-six in late March! The climate is clearly falling apart, but at least we can get a tan while we watch the world end.
JOLEEN: It's that 'False Spring' that Boise is famous for. Don't go planting your tomatoes yet, you idiots. You know it's going to snow at least one more time in April just to spite you. But for this week, it's going to be gorgeous. We've got a few sprinkles forecast for the middle of the week, but nothing that's going to ruin your lunch plans. It's the perfect week to get out on the trails, assuming they're not a muddy mess from the winter surge.
MARK: The trails are actually struggling. There was a report this weekend that trail use was through the roof during our weirdly warm winter, and now the drainage is all fucked up. So if you're a mountain biker, maybe stay off the sensitive stuff for a few days so you don't leave ruts that look like irrigation ditches. Be a good human, for once. It shouldn't be that hard.
JOLEEN: Good luck with that. People can't even navigate a detour. Speaking of which, let's talk road construction. The Boise Avenue Bridge work is still happening. They finished the substructure repairs, and deck work started on the sixteenth. It's down to one lane with a temporary signal. If you're using that as your commute, you're a masochist. But there's more! Allumbaugh Street and Goldenrod Avenue are being completely reconstructed as of this month. It's a federal aid project, which is code for 'this is going to take forever and involve a lot of guys standing around in orange vests'.
MARK: It's the state flower of Idaho: the orange cone. They're also closing parts of the Greenbelt for construction near Barber Park. I know we talked about the Greenbelt before, but the detours are getting even more complicated this week. It's like a maze designed by someone who hates cyclists. If you're trying to get from downtown to Lucky Peak, you're going to need a GPS, a map, and a lot of patience. Or just a dirt bike, but then the hikers will yell at you.
JOLEEN: Let's wrap things up with a look at the weekend guide, because there's actually some cool stuff happening that doesn't involve dodging construction. The Boise Flower and Garden Show is happening at the Boise Centre from Friday to Sunday. Over a hundred vendors, garden displays, and workshops. It's where you go to buy a very expensive plant that you'll inevitably kill by June because you forgot that Idaho is basically a high-altitude desert.
MARK: I prefer the Seven Arrows Social Powwow on Saturday at the BSU Ballroom. It's a grand entry, dancing, cultural celebration... it's free and open to the public. Honestly, it's one of the most interesting things on the calendar this week. If you've never been, you should go. It's a hell of a lot more culturally significant than looking at a display of hybrid petunias.
JOLEEN: And for the nerds, the Morrison Center is hosting 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' in concert on Saturday. They play the movie while a live symphony does the score. It's a cool experience, but bring your wallet, because those tickets aren't cheap. Also, if you're into the local arts scene, there's a Basque culture exhibit called 'Paint What You Know' at the Student Union Building starting today. It's dedicated to the boarding house experience, which is a huge part of Boise's history that most people only know through the medium of croquetas.
MARK: Mmm, croquetas. Now I'm really hungry. Look, Boise is a weird place right now. We're caught between this booming tech profit era and a global oil crisis that's making everyone on the street look like they're ready to snap. The housing market is flat, prices are technically down zero point one percent year-to-date, which is basically nothing, but inventory is actually climbing. There are seven hundred and sixty-eight homes on the market right now compared to six hundred and fifty-three last year. It's a balanced market, supposedly, but tell that to the person whose mortgage just jumped thirty bucks a month because some drone hit a tanker in the Middle East.
JOLEEN: It's all connected, Mark. The duplexes, the oil, the school pools. It's one big, messy, beautiful disaster. But hey, we live here, and we're going to keep talking about it. That's all we have for today. Remember to like, subscribe, and leave us a review. It really helps us keep this operation running and keeps the lights on in Mark's dark, sarcastic heart.
MARK: Don't worry about my heart, Joleen, it's powered by pure cynicism and black coffee. Catch us back here tomorrow for more local news and general misery. Don't forget, email us at boise@thehappeningnetwork.com if you've got something to say. Go Broncos, or whatever. Just try not to kill each other in traffic today.
JOLEEN: Stay safe out there, Boise. Or don't. I'm not your mother. Bye!