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Welcome to Happening in Boise, your essential guide to navigating life in the City of Trees. We kick off 2026 by breaking down the new Idaho laws that just took effect, from healthcare and taxes to fr
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 back to 'Happening in Boise', the only podcast that looks at the City of Trees and says, 'Yeah, we could probably use more sarcasm.' I'm Mark.
JOLEEN: And I'm Joleen. Happy 2026, everyone. I hope you've all given up on your New Year's resolutions already so we can get back to the comfortable mediocrity we're all used to. I know I have.
MARK: My only resolution was to be more cynical, but I'm worried I peaked in 2025. It's a real problem. Anyway, we've got a great show for you to kick off the year. We're talking new state laws that just dropped, a grim update from State Street, and some shake-ups in the legislature.
JOLEEN: Plus, we'll tell you about a new taco joint that might actually be worth the hype. We'll also check in on our beloved sports teams, see what clusterfuck is happening on the roads, and then give you the weekend forecast so you know exactly which days to stay inside and avoid other humans.
MARK: It's what we do. If you have a story, a complaint, or just want to tell us how handsome my voice is, shoot us an email at boise@thehappeningnetwork.com. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a comment telling us your most pathetic failed resolution. We need the content.
JOLEEN: Alright, let's get into it. The Idaho Legislature is getting ready to kick off its 2026 session on January 12th, but a few new laws already went into effect on New Year's Day. It's like a little appetizer of bureaucracy before the main course of political theater.
MARK: My favorite. So what treasures did our elected officials bestow upon us? Anything that's going to make our lives marginally better or just more complicated?
JOLEEN: A bit of both, shockingly. One of the big ones is a new law requiring insurance to cover additional breast cancer screenings for women who are at high risk. Which, you know, seems like a fucking no-brainer and it's wild it wasn't already a thing.
MARK: Wow, a genuinely good piece of legislation. I'm suspicious. What's the catch? Does it also outlaw chocolate or something? On the home-buying front, people can now apply for the homeowner's tax exemption right when they buy their primary residence. A small but useful change.
JOLEEN: No catch, just a rare moment of legislative competence. There's also a new anti-SLAPP statute, which sounds vaguely violent but is actually good. It allows a judge to quickly dismiss frivolous lawsuits designed to silence critics.
MARK: So if I start a blog calling my neighbor a dickhead for never mowing his lawn, he can't sue me into oblivion for 'emotional distress'?
JOLEEN: Theoretically, yes. It's for 'Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.' So your petty neighborhood blog is probably safe. This is all happening as the legislature stares down a potential budget shortfall, by the way. So expect a lot of penny-pinching and fighting.
MARK: Oh, good. My favorite thing is watching politicians who passed years of tax cuts suddenly act shocked that there's less money. And speaking of the budget, there's been a shake-up. Representative Josh Tanner, a Republican from Eagle, is the new co-chair of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.
JOLEEN: That's the big one. They hold the purse strings. Tanner's already talking about 'fiscal restraint' and 'strict accountability,' which is code for 'get ready for budget cuts.' He's replacing Wendy Horman, who left for a cushy federal job.
MARK: So while we get some actually useful laws, the big story for the next few months will be watching them figure out how to pay for everything. It's gonna be a bloodbath. The session kicks off for real on January 12th. We'll be keeping an eye on it, so you don't have to.
JOLEEN: Moving on to some much grimmer local news. Boise Police arrested a driver after a fatal collision on State Street Sunday night. A 49-year-old man from Caldwell allegedly drove his car off the road and onto the sidewalk, hitting and killing a pedestrian near 23rd Street.
MARK: Jesus. Just a person on the sidewalk. According to the police report, bystanders saw the driver, William Sweet, crawling out of the passenger side of his car. He showed 'indicators of impairment,' which is the polite way of saying he was completely shit-faced.
JOLEEN: And by shit-faced, you mean his breathalyzer test came back at .232, which is nearly three times the legal limit. Three times. He's been charged with vehicular manslaughter and is being held on a $350,000 bond.
MARK: It's just so fucking pointless and tragic. There's absolutely no excuse for it. The name of the victim hasn't been released yet, pending family notification. It's just awful. State Street is a nightmare to begin with, but this is a whole other level of tragedy.
JOLEEN: It really is. In other crime news, the Ada County Sheriff's Office arrested a 25-year-old Boise man, Brody Lambson, on New Year's Eve. He was picked up on two felony counts of lewd conduct with a minor.
MARK: Well, that's a festive way to ring in the new year. Another absolute winner. Glad they got him. It's good to know the ACTION team is out there grabbing these assholes while the rest of us are just trying to survive the holidays.
JOLEEN: Alright, let's pivot to the schools. Last we spoke, the Boise School District was dealing with the fallout from the massive $7 million settlement over the Gavin Snow sexual abuse case. It looks like a related criminal case just came to an end.
MARK: Oh yeah, the teacher who was charged with failing to report him, right? What happened there?
JOLEEN: That's the one. A judge dismissed the two misdemeanor charges against Marianne Baker, a former teacher at Valley View Elementary. The dismissal came on the very day her jury trial was supposed to start.
MARK: Dismissed? So she's cleared? The whole case hinged on what she knew about photos Snow was taking of students in the bathroom, and whether she reported it in time.
JOLEEN: Exactly. Prosecutors argued she delayed reporting, which allowed evidence to be deleted. But her defense said she saw him with a phone, which was against school rules, but had no reason to suspect abuse at that moment. She reported it to administrators, who then went to the police.
MARK: Her lawyer even said she was 'solely responsible for stopping a monster.' It's a messy situation. The district's policies and past actions were clearly going to be a big part of the trial. It sounds like the city attorney's case just fell apart.
JOLEEN: In more positive and forward-looking school news, if you have a kid who is annoyingly good at math and science, the Treasure Valley Math and Science Center is now accepting applications for next year. They're having an information night on Monday, January 26th, at Riverglen Junior High.
MARK: Ah, a magnet school for kids who are way smarter than I'll ever be. Good for them. It's a fantastic program, and it's a free, public magnet school, which is pretty amazing. So if your kid is a budding genius, you've got until January 26th to fill out the intent-to-test form.
JOLEEN: Let's talk about something I actually care about: food. We've avoided a lot of the big-name restaurant openings because, frankly, they're often disappointing. But a new place that opened in late 2025 is getting some serious buzz.
MARK: And it's not another goddamn chain steakhouse? I'm listening.
JOLEEN: It's not. It's called Rosa, over in Garden City. It's a fast-service taco spot from the Wylder Hospitality Group--the people behind The Wylder and Certified Bakery, so they have a solid track record.
MARK: Okay, that's a respectable pedigree. What's the verdict? Is it just another overpriced 'street taco' joint or the real deal?
JOLEEN: The early word is very positive. The focus is on scratch-made tortillas and well-braised meats. It's a super casual setting in an old welding shop with big garage doors that open up. They're serving classic street tacos, cheap beer, and frozen margaritas. What more do you need?
MARK: Literally nothing else. A solid, no-frills taco and a margarita is the peak of civilization as far as I'm concerned. I hate the places that try to deconstruct a taco and charge you eighteen dollars for it. Just give me the simple, delicious thing.
JOLEEN: Exactly. This seems to be that. It's right off the Greenbelt behind Push & Pour, which is a great location. They've got a 4-star rating on Google Reviews so far, which for a brand new place is pretty damn solid. It sounds like the perfect spot to hit up when the weather stops being so miserable.
MARK: I'll allow it. Adding Rosa to the list of places to try. Now, let's turn to the world of local sports. Boise State basketball is navigating the gauntlet of Mountain West conference play.
JOLEEN: And it's been a mixed bag. After a tough loss to Nevada before the holidays, they bounced back with a 62-53 win over New Mexico on New Year's Eve. But then they had an absolute heartbreaker last Saturday, losing to San Diego State in triple-fucking-overtime, 110 to 107.
MARK: Triple overtime? My god, that's brutal. That's one of those losses that just sticks with you. So what's next? Do they get a cupcake to recover?
JOLEEN: Not exactly. They've got a home game against Grand Canyon this Wednesday, January 7th. After that, they host a very good Utah State team on Saturday the 10th. There are no easy nights in the Mountain West.
MARK: No kidding. Meanwhile, down on the ice, the Idaho Steelheads also had an eventful start to the new year. They played the Rapid City Rush at home last weekend to finish off their season series.
JOLEEN: Yeah, and it was a split. They kicked off 2026 with a solid 3-1 victory on Friday night, a game that got super chippy with five misconducts handed out after the second period.
MARK: I love a good post-whistle skirmish. But they couldn't keep the momentum, huh?
JOLEEN: Nope. They lost the next night 6-3. It was a rough one, and apparently, a player had to be stretchered off the ice after a particularly nasty takedown. The season series against the Rush ends tied at four games apiece.
MARK: Damn. Well, they have a chance to bounce back right away. They've got a three-game homestand against the Greensboro Gargoyles--a team they've apparently never played before--this Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
JOLEEN: And in some roster news, goaltender Ben Kraws was just reassigned back to the Steelheads from the AHL. He's been solid this season, so that's a nice boost for the team.
MARK: Alright, let's talk about two of life's certainties here in Boise: road construction and a fucked-up housing market. Any good news on either front? Or just the usual despair?
JOLEEN: Let's start with the roads. For once, we're in a bit of a lull. After the pre-holiday rush to get projects paused, there isn't a major new disaster starting this week. ACHD is still planning its future torment, but for now, we get a small reprieve from fresh hell.
MARK: I'll take it. I'm sure they're just reloading for a spring offensive of orange barrels and confusing detours. What about real estate? Did Santa bring everyone affordable housing for Christmas?
JOLEEN: Shockingly, no. The latest data we have is from the end of 2025, and it shows the market is... well, it's something. The year-to-date average sold price in Ada County was up 2.4%. So much for that crash everyone was predicting.
MARK: Of course it was. Because why would anything get cheaper? So prices are still creeping up, even with higher interest rates.
JOLEEN: Yep. The median sale price in November was around $498,000, which was actually down about 1% year-over-year, but the overall trend for the year was up. Homes are sitting on the market longer, around 37 to 41 days on average, so buyers have a little more room to negotiate.
MARK: Room to negotiate on a half-million-dollar house. What a dream. What are the geniuses forecasting for 2026? More of the same pain?
JOLEEN: The predictions are all over the place. Some analysts see prices appreciating another 4 to 6 percent. Others, like Realtor.com, are predicting a tiny dip of less than one percent. Basically, nobody knows shit, but it's not getting dramatically cheaper anytime soon.
MARK: So the consensus is stagnation at an unaffordable level. Wonderful. Just fucking wonderful. The Boise dream continues.
JOLEEN: If you're looking to escape the crushing reality of the housing market, there are a few things happening this weekend. This is for Friday, January 9th through Sunday the 11th.
MARK: Lay it on me. What distractions are available?
JOLEEN: If you're into RVs, for some godforsaken reason, the RV Show & Sale is happening at the Expo Idaho from Thursday through Sunday. You can go look at all the giant vehicles you can't afford to put gas in.
MARK: Hard pass. What else? Something that doesn't involve pretending I want to live in a mobile box.
JOLEEN: Alright, alright. For the musically inclined, there's a '2000's Club Bangers Throwbacks Party' called 'PROMISCUOUS' at the Knitting Factory on Friday night. On Saturday, a band called '2-Day Rental' is playing at the same venue.
MARK: A 2000s throwback party? So I can hear Nelly for the millionth time? Perfect. But the big event of the weekend has to be comedian Tim Allen at the Morrison Center on Saturday, January 10th.
JOLEEN: Yes, the man who built a career on grunting is in town. I'm sure it will be a night of groundbreaking comedic insights. Tickets are probably still available if you're into that sort of thing.
MARK: I can feel the excitement from here. And of course, the Steelheads are playing at home on Friday and Saturday night against Greensboro, if you'd rather watch people fight on ice.
JOLEEN: A much better choice, in my opinion. So, you've got options: giant cars, old pop music, a grunting comedian, or hockey. Choose wisely.
MARK: Finally, let's look at the weather. What fresh hell awaits us for the week of January 6th?
JOLEEN: Well, according to the National Weather Service, we're kicking off the week with clouds and a chance of rain. Wednesday night into Thursday is our best shot at seeing a few pathetic snowflakes, but they're not expected to stick around. So don't get your hopes up.
MARK: Rain and disappointment. Got it. So this incredibly warm winter continues. December was the third-warmest on record in Boise, which feels both nice and deeply unsettling.
JOLEEN: It's very end-of-days, isn't it? The big weather story for the end of this week and into next is the return of our old friend, the inversion. As things dry out, we're looking at that familiar pattern where warm air traps all the cold, gross air down here in the valley.
MARK: Ah, the inversion. The seasonal soup of fog, pollution, and general despair. So we can expect cloudy, stagnant crap down here while it's sunny and beautiful up at Bogus. Fantastic.
JOLEEN: That's the one. So your forecast is basically this: some rain showers through Thursday, with highs in the low 40s and lows in the 30s. Then, get ready for gray skies and questionable air quality for the weekend and beyond. Welcome to January in Boise.
MARK: Perfect. A great note to end on. That's our show for this week. Thanks for tuning in to our little corner of cynical Boise life.
JOLEEN: Don't forget to follow us on whatever podcast app you use, and please, for the love of god, leave a review. It feeds our fragile egos. And send your angry emails and story tips to boise@thehappeningnetwork.com.
MARK: Stay safe, try not to be a dickhead, and we'll talk to you next week. Goodbye.