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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 Happening in Boise, it's Monday, February 9, 2026, and I'm your host, Mark. I'm joined by the human equivalent of a sugar rush during a budget meeting, Joleen.
JOLEEN: That's the nicest thing you've said to me all year, you old dickhead. Welcome in, everyone. We're here to talk about the city we love to complain about but would never actually leave because where else would we find this specific brand of high-desert misery?
MARK: It's true. Boise is the only place where the air looks like a dirty gym sock for three months of the year, yet people still pay seven figures to live in a house that shares a wall with a goat farm. We've got a massive show for you today, so settle in.
JOLEEN: We're talking about the raw milk apocalypse, the Supreme Court basically handing out coupons for private schools, and why you should probably stop answering your phone if you've lost a dog. It's a real shit-show out there, folks.
MARK: And don't forget the weather, where we're currently being teased by a false spring that's going to break everyone's heart by next Tuesday. If you've got thoughts, feelings, or just want to tell us we're assholes, email us at boise@thehappeningnetwork.com. Now, let's get into the news before the inversion kills my remaining brain cells.
JOLEEN: First up, we've got a literal stomach-churning story. It turns out that drinking milk straight from the cow isn't just a rustic aesthetic choice, it's a great way to spend your weekend in the ICU. Central District Health is investigating a serious E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk in Ada County.
MARK: Yeah, nine people are sick, and two of them are kids who are currently hospitalized with kidney failure. The culprit seems to be R Bar H dairy over in Caldwell. They've pulled their products and stopped production, but the damage is done. I've got to ask, Joleen, what's the appeal here?
JOLEEN: Oh, you know the vibe. People think pasteurization is just some big-government plot to steal the enzymes and the soul of the milk. They want that 'natural' experience. Well, congrats, you got the natural experience, and it's called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. It's a hell of a way to find out that Science actually had a point back in the eighteen hundreds.
MARK: It's pure idiocy. We've spent a century figuring out how not to die from a glass of breakfast beverage, and people are just like, 'Nah, I'll take my chances with the bacteria roulette.' Two kids are in the hospital with HUS, which is no joke. It leads to kidney failure and long-term health problems. All for what? A slightly creamier latte?
JOLEEN: It's the ultimate 'I did my own research' move. And the worst part is, the health officials are worried people still have this stuff in their fridges. If you've got R Bar H milk in your house, throw it the fuck away. Don't give it to your cat, don't use it for pancakes, just toss it. Unless you've always wanted to see the inside of a dialysis ward.
MARK: Speaking of people making questionable choices for their families, the Idaho Supreme Court just dropped a massive ruling. They unanimously upheld the Parental Choice Tax Credit. That's House Bill 93 for those of you who actually read the boring shit the legislature puts out.
JOLEEN: Basically, it's a fifty-million-dollar middle finger to the public school system. Parents can now get up to five thousand bucks per kid, or seventy-five hundred if the child has a disability, to pay for private school tuition, tutoring, or basically anything that isn't a public classroom. It's the 'I don't want my kid seeing a rainbow' scholarship fund.
MARK: The court says it's constitutional because the state is still meeting its 'basic' obligation to public schools. It's like saying, 'I'm still technically a parent because I left a bowl of cereal on the floor, even though I'm spending all the grocery money on my neighbor's kid's piano lessons.' It's a wild interpretation of the state constitution, but hey, it's Idaho.
JOLEEN: The Idaho Education Association is pissed, obviously. They say it lacks accountability and transparency. And they're right. We're taking fifty million out of the pot to fund private interests. But the Supreme Court basically said, 'Public policy is the legislature's business, not ours.' So, if you want to send your kid to a school that teaches that dinosaurs were just misunderstood dragons, the state will now help you foot the bill.
MARK: It's going to be interesting to see how fast that fifty million disappears. Applications opened in January, and thousands of families have already jumped on it. It's essentially a first-come, first-served buffet of taxpayer cash. I'm sure it won't lead to any shady 'tutoring' businesses popping up overnight in Meridian strip malls. No way.
JOLEEN: Moving on to things that make me want to punch a wall. There's a new scam hitting the Treasure Valley that's particularly heartless. Scammers are targeting people who have lost their pets. They're spoofing the Idaho Humane Society's phone number and pretending to be animal control officers.
MARK: These absolute assholes call up a distraught owner, say they've found their dog or cat, and then demand a 'processing fee' over the phone to get the pet back. They've even been telling people their pet needs emergency surgery and they have to Venmo thousands of dollars right now or the animal will die. That's a special kind of evil.
JOLEEN: If you do this, you're a total bitch. Seriously, who preys on someone when they're at their absolute weakest? The Idaho Humane Society put out a massive warning saying they never, ever ask for money over the phone for a lost pet. If someone calls you claiming to be them and asks for a credit card number, hang the fuck up and call the real shelter directly.
MARK: It's happening nationwide, but it's hit Boise hard this week. These dickheads find the info on Craigslist or Facebook groups and then use technology to make it look like an official call. It's clever, it's cruel, and it's effective. Just remember: no government agency or legitimate shelter is going to demand a Venmo payment to save your Golden Retriever's life.
JOLEEN: On a much lighter note, let's talk about food. I know we aren't supposed to repeat ourselves, so I found a hidden gem that hasn't been mentioned. Have you heard about the wine dinners at Terroir Bistro in the North End? They've got a big event this Thursday, February 12th, with Jackie Elo from the Co-op.
MARK: Terroir Bistro is great if you enjoy feeling slightly more sophisticated than you actually are. It's that classic North End vibe where you're drinking eight different French wines paired with small plates, and you pretend to know what 'tannins' are while secretly just wanting a basket of fries.
JOLEEN: Oh, stop being a prick. The food there is incredible. They're doing this pairing with the Co-op's wine bar, and it's exactly the kind of thing you do when you want to look like a functioning adult before you go home and eat cereal for dinner. It's upscale but not stuffy, which is a hard line to walk in this town.
MARK: It's a solid recommendation for a date night, especially if you're trying to make up for forgetting an anniversary or something. Just don't blame me when the bill comes and you realize you spent a car payment on fermented grape juice. But hey, at least it's not raw milk, right? You'll probably survive the experience.
JOLEEN: Let's pivot to sports, because the Broncos actually did something impressive this weekend. The Boise State men's basketball team went into Albuquerque and beat New Mexico 91-90. If you've never been to The Pit, it's basically a gladiator arena filled with fourteen thousand people who want to see you fail. And our boys walked out with a win.
MARK: It was a total shootout. Dylan Andrews was a goddamn machine, putting up thirty-three points, which is a career high for him. He was just named the Mountain West Player of the Week this morning, and he deserves it. He went ten-for-ten at the free-throw line, including the ones that iced the game. That's ice in the veins stuff.
JOLEEN: And don't forget Drew Fielder. He hit five three-pointers, which is a career high for him too. This team has been such a rollercoaster this season, just zagging every time you think you've got them figured out. One week they're losing to a team of middle schoolers, and the next they're sweeping the season series against the Lobos in their own house.
MARK: It's the classic Leon Rice experience. He keeps them relevant even when the roster looks like a puzzle with missing pieces. They're now fifteen and nine overall and seven and six in the conference. They're clawing their way back into the conversation for the tournament. It's good to see some life in that program after the rough start they had.
JOLEEN: Meanwhile, the Idaho Steelheads are just quietly being the most dominant team in the state. They beat the Greenville Swamp Rabbits four-to-two on Saturday, which extended their unbeaten streak to eight games. They're sitting at thirty wins for the season. I don't think people realize how lucky we are to have a hockey team this good.
MARK: I'm convinced the Steelheads only exist to remind BSU that winning is actually possible. They're headed to Utah on Tuesday to face the Grizzlies, and then they've got a long road trip to Wichita. Jake Barczewski has been a wall in the net, with a personal five-game winning streak. If you haven't been to a game at the arena lately, you're missing out on the only consistent winners in Idaho.
JOLEEN: If you're looking for something to do this weekend that doesn't involve shouting at a scoreboard, the community calendar is actually popping off. We've got Dustin Nickerson at the Morrison Center on Thursday. He's one of those 'I have three kids and a mortgage' comedians, which means his entire set is basically just describing our lives.
MARK: He's genuinely funny, mostly because he looks like he's just as tired of everything as I am. But the real highlight of the weekend is 'Woo at the Zoo' at Zoo Boise on Thursday night. It's a twenty-one-plus event where they show you how animals 'court' each other. It's basically an educational excuse to watch animals get it on while you sip on a beer.
JOLEEN: That sounds like the perfect cynical date night. 'Look, honey, even the giraffes have a better love life than we do. Now pass me that cider.' If that's too much for you, there's also an 80s Valentine's Prom on Friday night. Because nothing screams romance like wearing shoulder pads and dancing to hair metal in a room full of strangers.
MARK: I'd rather drink that raw milk we talked about than go to an 80s prom. But for the people who enjoy that kind of nostalgia-fueled torture, it's there. We've also got the 'Echoes of Service' art exhibit at the Art Source Gallery all week. It's veteran-made art, and it's free. It's actually a really moving collection if you need a break from the sarcasm.
JOLEEN: And if you're feeling romantic in a slightly creepy way, the Old Idaho Pen is doing 'Romancing the Pen' on Saturday. You can read historic love letters from inmates. Nothing puts you in the mood for Valentine's Day like reading a letter from a guy who was serving twenty years for cattle rustling. It's a Boise classic.
MARK: Speaking of being stuck in one place, let's talk about the Linder Road closure. If you live in Eagle and you're trying to get anywhere, you're basically fucked until mid-March. The section between State Highway 44 and Floating Feather is totally closed for the bridge and roundabout construction. It's the ultimate 'you can't get there from here' scenario.
JOLEEN: ACHD is out there doing their best, which usually means they've dug a giant hole and then left it there for three months to see if it grows. They're installing a new roundabout and multi-use pathways, which is great, I guess, if you enjoy navigating circles while people in giant SUVs forget how to use their blinkers. Use Park Lane to get around it, unless you want to spend your morning staring at a detour sign.
MARK: It's part of that massive Chinden West expansion. They finished the widening to six lanes near I-84 last year, but now they're just moving the chaos further north. It's the Boise way: we'll widen the roads, but only after we've made sure everyone's commute is a living hell for eighteen months first.
JOLEEN: And all those new roads are just leading to houses that none of us can afford. Did you see the latest luxury real estate report? Boise is leading the country in luxury home price appreciation. Prices for high-end spots have gone up one hundred and fifty percent since 2017. The median price for a luxury home here is now one-point-three million dollars.
MARK: One-point-three million for a house in a city where the biggest cultural landmark is a blue football field. It's insane. Eagle is basically a million-dollar-minimum community now. People are moving here from California with pockets full of equity and they're just driving the prices into the stratosphere. I saw a house in Nampa listed for three-point-seven million. In Nampa! What the fuck is happening?
JOLEEN: It's the 'lifestyle' premium. They want the hiking, the schools, and the 'safe' feeling. Meanwhile, if you actually work for a living in Boise, you're stuck looking for a fifty-year mortgage or hoping your landlord doesn't realize he could be charging double for your drafty apartment. It's a stable market, they say. Yeah, stable if you're a retired tech executive.
MARK: The median home price across the whole valley is still hovering over five hundred thousand. It's becoming a city of the very rich and the very tired. But hey, at least the weather is looking up, right? We've got a literal heatwave coming if you consider sixty degrees a heatwave.
JOLEEN: I'll take it. Today's a bit of a bitch with the light rain and the high of forty-five, but look at the rest of the week. Tomorrow and Wednesday we're hitting fifty-one and fifty. It's mostly cloudy, but at least the air might move a little bit. We've got a twenty percent chance of rain today, so don't leave your suede shoes out.
MARK: But look at the weekend. Saturday is fifty-eight and Sunday is sixty. Sixty degrees in mid-February! That's the false spring I was talking about. Every Boisean is going to be out in shorts and a t-shirt, acting like winter is over, and then we'll get six inches of snow in March and everyone will act like it's a personal betrayal from God.
JOLEEN: It's the annual tradition of getting our hopes up just to have them crushed by a late-season frost. But for now, I'm going to enjoy not having to scrape my windshield every five minutes. It's a nice window of 'not totally miserable' weather. Just don't get too attached to it.
MARK: That's basically the theme of the show: don't get too attached to anything. Not your health if you're drinking raw milk, not your money if the scammers call, and definitely not the public school budget. It's been a ride today, folks.
JOLEEN: If you enjoyed listening to us moan about the city, make sure to like, subscribe, and leave a comment telling Mark his haircut is stupid. We need the engagement to keep this circus running.
MARK: And if you've got a news tip or you just want to send me hate mail, it's boise@thehappeningnetwork.com. We'll be back later this week to see if the city has burned down yet. Until then, stay safe, stay away from Caldwell dairy products, and try not to get scammed by someone pretending to have your cat.
JOLEEN: See you next time, Boise. Try to be less of an asshole today than you were yesterday. It's a low bar, I know you can clear it.
MARK: Goodnight, you cynical bitch. And goodnight to all of you.