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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 back to 'Happening in Pocatello,' the only podcast brave enough to tell you what's really going on in the Gate City while the rest of the world is distracted by shiny objects. I'm Mark.
JOLEEN: And I'm Joleen. Another week, another set of questionable decisions and minor disasters. It's Tuesday, December 16th, 2025. Let's get this over with.
MARK: Don't sound so thrilled. Before we jump into the abyss, a quick reminder: we want to hear from you. Your complaints, your hot takes, your conspiracy theories about what's really buried under the ISU dome. Send it all to pocatello@thehappeningnetwork.com. We read every single one.
JOLEEN: And if you're enjoying our particular brand of bullshit, do us a favor and like, subscribe, and comment wherever you're listening. It feeds the algorithm beast and, more importantly, our fragile egos. Now, what fresh hell do we have for top headlines?
MARK: Well, it seems the city is trying to preemptively manage expectations for 2026. Our outgoing Mayor, Brian Blad, is set to deliver his final 'State of the City' address this Thursday, December 18th, at the City Council meeting.
JOLEEN: Oh, a victory lap. Or maybe a 'sorry for the mess' speech before he hands the keys to Dahlquist. What's on the agenda? A highlight reel of fiscal year 2025?
MARK: You got it. It's scheduled to be the grand finale of the evening, a presentation on all the 'accomplishments and progress' made by city departments. Blad will cap it off with his priorities and expectations for the coming year, which is a bit like a fired coach telling the new guy how to run the team.
JOLEEN: I can't wait. I'm sure it will be a riveting account of successfully filling at least three potholes and keeping the lights on. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall for anyone who's a glutton for bureaucratic punishment. Or you can just wait for it to be posted online and read the CliffsNotes. Moving on to things that actually affect people's lives: crime.
MARK: Right. Things got a little wild in downtown Pocatello early Sunday morning. Around 2 a.m. on December 14th, police found a man lying in the road near 2nd and Center Street with two gunshot wounds.
JOLEEN: Jesus. Two in the morning at 2nd and Center? That's prime 'bad decisions' time. Is he okay?
MARK: He was transported to the hospital, and police have since said his injuries were not life-threatening, which is about the best-case scenario when you're found shot in the street. The investigation is very much ongoing, and as of Monday afternoon, no arrests had been made.
JOLEEN: Now, didn't we hear about another shooting in that same area just the week before? Are we having a turf war over who gets the best parking spot for First Friday Art Walk?
MARK: That's what's interesting. Investigators were initially looking into a connection with that prior incident, but they've since stated this new shooting appears to be isolated. So, not a running battle, just a one-off terrible Sunday morning for one unfortunate guy.
JOLEEN: An 'isolated' shooting downtown. How comforting. It's not a pattern, it's just... spontaneous violence. Great. The police are asking for anyone with information or surveillance footage to give them a call. So if your Ring camera caught more than a stray cat, let them know.
MARK: From actual shots fired to infrastructural incompetence. Let's talk about the school district, because they had one hell of a Friday.
JOLEEN: Don't tell me. More debates about cell phones or budget cuts?
MARK: Worse. Water. And lots of it. On Friday, December 12th, not one, but two separate, major water line breaks forced the closure of two different schools. It was a spectacular municipal failure, even for a Friday.
JOLEEN: Two? Are you shitting me? How does that even happen? Did someone declare war on our plumbing system?
MARK: It started bright and early. Around 4:45 a.m., a 12-inch water main broke near the intersection of Pole Line Road and Eldredge Road. Water apparently flooded a 'power grid area,' which sounds... bad. Out of an abundance of caution, the district closed Hawthorne Middle School for the day.
JOLEEN: Okay, one catastrophic flood is bad enough. Where did the second one hit?
MARK: Just a few hours later, around 8:30 a.m., a second water line broke on Cheyenne Avenue. This one forced the emergency closure of Indian Hills Elementary. Since school had already started, it turned into a full-blown evacuation and reunification mission.
JOLEEN: Oh, you've got to be kidding. They had to evacuate kids because of a busted pipe? Parents must have been thrilled. Where did they even take them?
MARK: Faculty and staff herded all the students across the street to the LDS Church building on Bannock Highway. Parents were directed there and had to show photo ID to pick up their kids. I can only imagine the chaos. A Friday morning surprise for everyone involved, courtesy of our aging infrastructure.
JOLEEN: So we've got kids being shuffled around churches and traffic on Pole Line restricted to one lane because the city can't keep water inside its pipes. Fantastic. You know, I'm starting to think our city's spirit animal is a rusty, leaking faucet. It just feels right.
MARK: A rusty faucet that occasionally bursts and ruins your day. Seems about right. No word on what caused the breaks, just that they happened. A true Pocatello mystery.
JOLEEN: It's never a mystery. It's called 'deferred maintenance.' It's the ghost that haunts every city budget. Well, on that cheerful note, how about we talk about something we can actually choose to consume, instead of something that's forced upon us, like dirty floodwater? Let's get to our restaurant review. Where did you venture this week?
MARK: I decided to go for a classic, a place that's been around forever and feels like a time capsule. I went to Buddy's Italian Restaurant over on East Lewis Street.
JOLEEN: Buddy's! Now that's an old-school choice. I picture red checkered tablecloths and portraits of stern-looking ancestors on the wall. Did it live up to the hype of being one of the oldest restaurants in town?
MARK: It's exactly that vibe. The building itself is modest; you wouldn't look twice if you didn't know what was inside. But the moment you walk in, you get that smell of garlic and simmering tomato sauce. It's pure, unadulterated Italian-American comfort food. They claim to have family recipes passed down through generations, and honestly, I believe it.
JOLEEN: So what did you get? Did you go for the full 'Godfather' experience? Start with the calamari, end with a cannoli?
MARK: I kept it simple. I got the lasagna. It was a brick of cheesy, meaty goodness. The kind of dish that makes you want to take a nap immediately after. The portions are huge, which is a blessing and a curse. You're definitely getting lunch for the next day.
JOLEEN: That's the hallmark of a good, old-school joint. If you don't leave with a to-go box, they've failed. How was the atmosphere? Was it packed with college kids carb-loading?
MARK: It was a mix. Definitely some students, probably because the prices are pretty reasonable for the amount of food you get. But it's very family-friendly, relaxed. It's not a trendy, loud bistro. It's a place where you can actually have a conversation without shouting over a curated playlist of indie rock. It’s comfortable.
JOLEEN: Sounds like a solid choice for when you just want a mountain of pasta without any pretense. So, Buddy's gets the 'Happening in Pocatello' seal of approval?
MARK: Absolutely. It's an underrated gem that's been hiding in plain sight for decades. It’s not fancy, but it’s delicious and reliable. What more do you want from a Tuesday night dinner? Now, from carb-loading to... whatever it is athletes do. Let's talk sports.
JOLEEN: Right. The endless cycle of games. Anything exciting happen with Idaho State, or are we still in that 'rebuilding decade'?
MARK: Well, the ISU football season is thankfully over. They wrapped things up with a 6-6 record overall, going 5-3 in the Big Sky conference. So, perfectly mediocre. The dictionary definition of .500. Not good enough to celebrate, not bad enough to fire everyone. The eternal purgatory of ISU sports.
JOLEEN: A 6-6 finish for a team that hasn't had a winning season in... a while. I guess that counts as progress? Coach Cody Hawkins is in his third year, so maybe the tide is slowly, painfully turning.
MARK: Maybe. The offense, under his 'run-and-shoot' system, put up some big passing numbers, but they couldn't run the ball to save their lives and the defense was... porous. They brought in a new defensive coordinator, Grant Duff, from Weber State, so the hope is that he can stop the bleeding for next season.
JOLEEN: So the plan for 2026 is 'score a lot of points and pray the other team scores slightly fewer.' Bold strategy. What about basketball? Are they giving us anything to be excited about?
MARK: The ISU women's basketball team is currently 5-4 on the season. They just came off a 68-59 road loss to BYU last Thursday. They started the season strong at 4-1, but have cooled off a bit. Their next challenge is a tough one: they're on the road tonight, playing against UCLA.
JOLEEN: Oof. Good luck with that. On the high school front, I saw the Pocatello High boys' basketball team got a win against Hillcrest last Tuesday, 51-42. It's always nice to beat one of the Idaho Falls-area schools.
MARK: A small victory, but we'll take it. It’s a bright spot in an otherwise unremarkable local sports landscape. I'm just waiting for the day we can report on a championship parade that doesn't involve an academic team.
JOLEEN: Don't hold your breath, you might pass out. Alright, enough about sportsball. Let's talk about things people might actually want to leave their house for. What's going on around town? Give us the community events and the weekend guide.
MARK: It is, as you might expect, a very Christmas-heavy schedule. Tonight, Tuesday the 16th, you can catch 'Kurt Bestor Christmas' at 7:30 PM. If you're into that sort of wholesome holiday spectacle.
JOLEEN: I'll pass. What else you got? I see 'A Christmas Carol' is still running. Are they going to be doing that play until Valentine's Day?
MARK: It feels like it. It has performances on the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th. So if you haven't had your fill of grumpy old men being visited by ghosts, you have plenty of opportunities. Also on Thursday the 18th, for the artistically inclined, 'The Nutcracker' begins its run.
JOLEEN: Okay, so lots of Christmas classics. What if you're a bit of a Grinch and want to do something else? And more specifically, what's the plan for this coming weekend? Friday the 19th through Sunday the 21st.
MARK: For your weekend, on Friday, you could check out the PVFM Winter Market. Or, for something truly unique, there's a 'Christmas Lights Tour with a Goat on a Hay Ride.' I'm not making that up.
JOLEEN: A goat on a hay ride? That is the most Pocatello thing I've ever heard. I'm almost tempted. What about Saturday?
MARK: Saturday the 20th is a busy one. There's a Crafter's Market at Station Square for your last-minute, handmade gift needs. For the kids, there's 'Donuts with the Grinch' at the Red Lion Hotel in the morning. And for the adults who need a drink after dealing with all this holiday cheer, there's a 'Dueling Pianos Adult Christmas Party' in the evening.
JOLEEN: Dueling pianos and booze sounds like a solid way to deal with the stress of the season. So, for the weekend, your options are: buy crafts, hang out with a goat, eat donuts with a fictional character who hates Christmas, or get drunk while watching people play Billy Joel. Sounds like a well-rounded Pocatello weekend.
MARK: Couldn't have said it better myself. Now let's talk about the one thing that will determine if you actually want to go to any of these events. The weather.
JOLEEN: Oh, goodie. Let me guess. It's going to be fucking cold.
MARK: Surprisingly, not as bad as you'd think for mid-December. The theme for this week is 'wet and confusing.' Today, Tuesday, we're looking at a high around 51 degrees, with a chance of rain. Tonight, the rain is likely, with a low around 40.
JOLEEN: Fifty-one in December? That's just wrong. The planet is broken. What about the rest of the week?
MARK: Wednesday, it's rain before 2 p.m., then a chance of rain and snow with a high of 48, and it's going to be breezy. Thursday, we get snow before 2 p.m., then rain possibly mixed with snow, high near 44. It's a real grab bag of precipitation.
JOLEEN: So we're just going to get every possible form of water falling from the sky. What about the weekend, when people are trying to see the goat on the hayride?
MARK: Friday looks like rain is likely, with a high near 51 again. Saturday, we get a mix of rain and snow with a high in the low 40s. Sunday, it cools down a bit, high of 49 but with light showers expected. Basically, it's going to be gray, wet, and unseasonably warm. Don't put your umbrella away.
JOLEEN: Gray, wet, and unseasonably warm. Sounds more like Seattle than Pocatello. I don't like it. This mild weather is suspicious. It's probably a government plot. This leads us perfectly into our next topic: the roads we'll be hydroplaning on.
MARK: Speaking of roads, the ghost of construction past, present, and future continues to haunt us. The massive I-15/I-86 interchange project is still, somehow, going on. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
JOLEEN: Don't toy with my emotions, Mark. Are you telling me that clusterfuck is actually going to end?
MARK: The Idaho Transportation Department is saying that the project, which started back in 2022, is on track to be completed in August of 2025. So, we are officially in the final year of this traffic nightmare.
JOLEEN: I'll believe it when I see it. They've been working on that thing for so long, I've forgotten what it's like to drive through there without seeing a sea of orange barrels. What's left for them to do?
MARK: According to ITD, the big remaining tasks for this year include completing the new southbound-to-westbound ramp, finishing the Chubbuck Road underpass, and getting the roadway north of the Pocatello Creek on-ramp to its final grade. Just a few 'finishing touches' on a $112 million project.
JOLEEN: A 'legacy project,' I think I heard them call it. They say it'll last 80 years. We'll see if the city itself lasts that long. In the meantime, we had some more immediate road drama last week, didn't we?
MARK: We did. Early on the morning of December 10th, a semi-truck slammed into a stationary traffic control vehicle on I-15 at milepost 73. It tore the trailer open, spilled cargo everywhere, and shut down the right lane and the off-ramp for most of the day.
JOLEEN: God, people are such dickheads on the interstate. And wasn't that the second time that happened in, like, 24 hours?
MARK: It was! The Idaho State Police pointed out that another traffic control vehicle was hit in the exact same spot the day before. They are practically begging drivers to slow down and pay attention in work zones. Apparently, a truck with a giant flashing arrow isn't obvious enough for some people.
JOLEEN: Some people shouldn't be allowed to operate a vehicle heavier than a Big Wheel. It's amazing no one was seriously hurt. Alright, let's pivot from asphalt to assets. How's the ever-exciting world of Pocatello real estate?
MARK: It's a thrilling tale of minor fluctuations. According to the latest data, the median listing price for a home in Pocatello is hovering around $390,000, which is up just over one percent from last year. So, not exactly a market on fire.
JOLEEN: So prices are basically flat. Is it a buyer's market or a seller's market? Or is it just a 'stagnant' market?
MARK: Realtor.com is calling it a buyer's market, meaning the supply of homes is greater than the demand. Homes are sitting on the market for an average of 68 days, which is longer than last year. Zillow's data shows the average home value is around $342,000, up less than a percent over the past year.
JOLEEN: So if you're selling, you need to be patient. And if you're buying, you might actually be able to negotiate a little bit without getting into a 10-person bidding war. What a concept. What's driving this thrilling market?
MARK: The usual suspects. Demand is driven by people working at ISU, in healthcare, and government. Our relative affordability compared to places like Boise also brings people in. But it's all about balance. Inventory is low, which keeps prices from tanking, but mortgage rates are keeping a lid on any major price growth.
JOLEEN: And what about us poor souls who rent? Any good news there?
MARK: Not really. The average rent in Pocatello is about $1,100, which is actually up over six percent from last year, even though it's dropped a tiny bit month-over-month. So while homeowners get a stagnant market, renters get to pay more. The American dream, folks.
JOLEEN: Of course. Landlords gotta get theirs. It's a tale as old as time. Well, I think that's about all the good news we can handle for one day. We've covered shootings, floods, and financial mediocrity.
MARK: And goats. Don't forget the goat. That brings us to the end of another episode of 'Happening in Pocatello.' We've been your guides through the local chaos. Remember to send your tips, tirades, and amusing anecdotes to pocatello@thehappeningnetwork.com.
JOLEEN: And hit that subscribe button so you don't miss next week's installment of 'Why Is The Water Turned Off Now?' Stay safe out there, Pocatello. And for the love of God, give the trucks with the flashing lights some space. Try not to be an asshole.