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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 that keeps you updated on the glorious Gateway to the Northwest without making you want to move to Idaho Falls. I'm Mark.
JOLEEN: And I'm Joleen. We're here to sift through the week's bullshit so you don't have to. Because let's be honest, you've got better things to do, like debating whether that last stop sign was optional.
MARK: It's Pocatello, every stop sign is merely a suggestion. Look, we love this town. It's a weird, quirky, high-desert oasis of oddballs and we wouldn't have it any other way. But we're also not going to pretend it's all sunshine and Simplot profits.
JOLEEN: Absolutely not. We're here for the real shit. The good, the bad, the 'why the fuck is that street closed again?' So if you've got a hot tip, a complaint, or just want to call us assholes, send it over to pocatello@thehappeningnetwork.com.
MARK: We read every single one. And while you're at it, do us a solid and like, subscribe, and comment wherever you're listening. It feeds our fragile egos and helps us keep the lights on in this poorly-lit recording closet. Now, let's get into what's happening.
JOLEEN: Alright, let's kick things off with our weekly dose of roadway chaos. The Idaho State Police were busy this past Saturday night down near Inkom. A two-vehicle crash on southbound I-15 completely shut down the interstate for five hours. That's a hell of a long time.
MARK: Five hours is an eternity when you're stuck in traffic. Apparently, a Jeep Cherokee rear-ended a Ford F-150 that was pulling a travel trailer. The Ford and trailer rolled into the median. Both drivers, an 84-year-old man from Montana and a 29-year-old woman from Grace, were sent to the hospital.
JOLEEN: And here's the part that just makes you shake your head. The report explicitly says the 29-year-old woman wasn't wearing her seatbelt. I mean, what are we even doing in 2026? It's not a political statement, it's a small piece of fabric that stops your face from meeting the windshield.
MARK: It's the easiest, most basic thing you can do. The fact that the interstate was shut down for five hours tells you it was a nasty scene. So, a friendly reminder from your favorite sarcastic dickheads: buckle the fuck up.
JOLEEN: Speaking of things to be wary of, the Bannock County Clerk's office is warning everyone about another round of jury duty phone scams. Scumbags are calling people, pretending to be county employees, and trying to get money out of them. It's the same old tired grift.
MARK: Let's be crystal clear: no one from the county is ever going to call you and demand payment over the phone because you supposedly missed jury duty. They're not going to ask for payment in gift cards, wire transfers, or bitcoin. If you get a call like that, just hang up on the dickhead.
JOLEEN: Seriously, just laugh and hang up. Or, if you're feeling feisty, waste as much of their time as humanly possible before you hang up. That's my preferred method. Other than that, it was a quiet week for the criminal element. I guess they're all still recovering from their New Year's hangovers.
MARK: Or they got stuck in the new clusterfuck downtown. Which brings us to our favorite topic: road construction. Just when you thought it was safe to navigate the city center, the Center Street Underpass is once again fully closed to traffic. As of yesterday, it's shut down.
JOLEEN: Goddammit. Again? I feel like that underpass has been under construction since the Truman administration. What's the excuse this time? Are they finally finishing the job they started last year, or did they just find some ancient artifact that needs to be excavated by hand?
MARK: According to the city's Director of Public Works, they're back to finish the job. The road is expected to be fully closed for about six weeks. Then, it might open to one lane for a couple of months, then it'll close fully again for another six weeks. The total project won't be done until late fall.
JOLEEN: Late fall? So we get to deal with this shit for another ten months? Fucking fantastic. Downtown businesses are thrilled, I'm sure. They're basically pleading with people to remember they exist and to navigate the labyrinth of detour signs to come spend money.
MARK: It's a tough spot. The underpass is a vital artery, and when it's clogged, the whole system suffers. On one hand, it desperately needs to be fixed. On the other, these endless projects just wear people down until they just avoid the area altogether. My advice? Pack a lunch and allow an extra thirty minutes to get anywhere downtown.
JOLEEN: From traffic jams to scholastic showdowns. The Pocatello-Chubbuck School District is gearing up for a big public hearing this Thursday. And the topic is a spicy one: enrollment, attendance areas, and the very real possibility of closing a school. Or two.
MARK: Ah yes, the dreaded 'realignment' conversation. This is always a good time. The district says they're dealing with significant shifts in enrollment--which is code for 'fewer kids'--and they need to align their staff, facilities, and budget. The two schools being floated on the potential chopping block are Washington and Tendoy Elementary.
JOLEEN: That's going to go over well with parents in those areas. People get fiercely protective of their neighborhood schools, and for good reason. No one wants to see their kid get bussed across town because of a budget line item. The district says it's about optimizing capacity and ensuring equitable access.
MARK: It's a tough, no-win situation for the school board. If they do nothing, the budget crisis gets worse. If they close a school, they're the villains who tore a community apart. The hearing is this Thursday, January 15th, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Pocatello High School auditorium. I expect it to be a packed house with plenty of pointed questions.
JOLEEN: It should be a real spectacle. On a less contentious note from the school district, we should give a shout-out to some smart kids. The Idaho High School Activities Association announced its Academic State Champions for the fall sports season. These are the varsity teams with the highest cumulative GPAs.
MARK: Let's hear it. Who are the brains of the valley?
JOLEEN: The Highland High boys' soccer team took the 6A title with a 3.643 GPA, and their girls' cross country team also won with an incredible 3.975. And Century High's boys' soccer and girls' swimming teams both nabbed the 5A state academic titles. So, props to them for being smart jocks. We approve.
MARK: Nice to see the student-athletes are actually being students. Alright, let's shift gears from school houses to the housing market in general. If you've tried to buy or sell a house in Pocatello recently, you're probably as confused as we are. The numbers are all over the damn place.
JOLEEN: It's a total mess. One report says the median sale price at the end of 2025 was around 355-thousand dollars. Another one, from just a month or so earlier, says it was 317-thousand and that prices were down 2.5% from the year before. Then another site says the average value is 330-thousand and it's up, but only by half a percent.
MARK: So what the hell is the truth? Is it a good time to buy? A good time to sell? Is the market hot, cold, or just... lukewarm and vaguely disappointing, like a cup of coffee you forgot about?
JOLEEN: I think 'lukewarm and vaguely disappointing' is the perfect description. The general consensus is that things are sluggish. Homes are sitting on the market longer--around 50 days on average. And while there's a ton of new construction popping up everywhere, it doesn't seem to be creating the price drops you'd expect.
MARK: Well, our new mayor, Mark Dahlquist, said that tackling housing was one of his big priorities. He wants to look at zoning codes and speed up permitting to get more variety in the housing supply. So maybe he can make sense of this mess. I'm not holding my breath, but it's a nice thought.
JOLEEN: We'll see if his actions speak louder than words, as he put it. It's a complicated problem. For now, it seems the market is just treading water. Don't expect a bidding war, but also don't expect a fire sale.
MARK: Alright, normally this is where we'd talk about some new restaurant we tried. But honestly, Joleen, has anything new and genuinely exciting opened recently? I feel like we're in a culinary holding pattern.
JOLEEN: Not really. There are the old standbys, which are great, don't get me wrong. But I haven't heard a buzz about a 'you have to try this place' spot in a while. We've got our pizza, we've got our diners, we've got our handful of upscale places. But what do we *need*?
MARK: What does this town desperately need, food-wise? I'll go first: a legitimate, high-quality ramen shop. Not just some afterthought on an Asian fusion menu, but a place that lives and breathes pork broth and perfectly chewy noodles. A place that makes you sweat a little bit while you're eating it.
JOLEEN: Okay, I'm with you on that. I'd kill for some good ramen. My contribution would be a proper Montreal-style bagel place. Not a sandwich shop that happens to use bagels, but a place that bakes them fresh all day in a wood-fired oven. Crispy on the outside, dense and chewy on the inside. It would make a goddamn killing.
MARK: That's a good one. How about a real German beer hall? A place with giant pretzels, bratwurst, schnitzel, and massive steins of beer served by people in lederhosen. It would be absurd and probably packed every single night.
JOLEEN: I'd be there. See, we're full of great ideas. Any aspiring restaurateurs listening, our consulting fee is a lifetime supply of free food. Just send the email. Now, let's talk about people who are actually doing things instead of just bitching about the lack of ramen: our local athletes.
MARK: Yes, let's get to the sports. The Idaho State men's basketball team had a bit of an up-and-down road trip last week. They went to Northern Colorado on Thursday and got their asses handed to them, losing 72 to 85. Not a great showing.
JOLEEN: Yeah, that one sounded rough. But they managed to bounce back. They traveled to Flagstaff to play Northern Arizona on Saturday and pulled out a super tight win, 81 to 79. That's a hell of a turnaround, especially on the road. It brings their record to 9 and 8 on the season.
MARK: And now they get to come home. The Bengals are back at Reed Gym this week for a couple of games. They're taking on the University of Idaho Vandals this Thursday the 15th, and then Eastern Washington on Saturday the 17th. It's a good chance to build some momentum in front of a home crowd.
JOLEEN: Meanwhile, in the high school gyms, the winter season is in full swing. We had a couple of notable local matchups recently. The Pocatello High girls' basketball team had a nail-biter against Shelley, but they managed to squeak out a 52 to 50 victory. Good on them.
MARK: Nice. And on the boys' side, the Highland Rams took care of business against Rigby. They pulled off a pretty convincing 55 to 42 win. It's always good to see the local teams defending their home courts.
JOLEEN: For sure. So if you're looking for something to do this weekend, and you're tired of staring at the walls, there are a few things happening. And no, 'going to the grocery store' doesn't count as an event.
MARK: What do you have for us, Joleen? What's the plan to escape the crushing monotony of another January weekend?
JOLEEN: Well, if you're a business-minded social butterfly, the Chamber of Commerce is hosting a 'Business After Hours' event at APSI Gym on Thursday night. Go press some flesh and swap some business cards, you animal.
MARK: If politics is more your speed, there's a Local Leadership Address and Lunch on Friday. You can hear from the new mayors of Pocatello and Chubbuck, and a county commissioner. Sounds absolutely riveting, I'm sure there won't be any boring speeches at all.
JOLEEN: I'm sure it'll be a thrill a minute. For the rest of us, the main event for the weekend is probably the Crafters Market at Station Square on Saturday. You can go buy some locally made soap or a weird piece of art made out of driftwood. Support your local artisans.
MARK: And, as we just mentioned, there are the ISU basketball games at Reed Gym on both Thursday and Saturday. That's probably your best bet for some actual entertainment. Go watch some college kids run around and yell at the refs. It's a classic Pocatello pastime.
JOLEEN: Sounds like a plan. Now, here's what you can expect from the weather while you're out there pretending to be a functional member of society.
MARK: Lay it on us. Are we getting a mid-January blizzard or some more of this weird, vaguely sunny cold?
JOLEEN: It's looking like a pretty typical, chilly week. Today, Monday, it's mostly sunny with a high around 28. Tonight it's dropping down to about 15. Tuesday, we'll see some more clouds rolling in, with the high getting up to 30.
MARK: Okay, so far, so tolerable. When does the misery start?
JOLEEN: Wednesday is our best chance for some snow. The high will be just above freezing at 32, with about a 30 percent chance of snow showers. Nothing major, but enough to make the roads a little greasy. Thursday will see some lingering chances for snow in the morning, with a high of 29.
MARK: And for the weekend?
JOLEEN: It clears up but gets colder. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are all looking partly to mostly sunny, but the highs will be stuck in the mid-20s, and the lows will be down around 10 degrees. So bundle up if you're heading out to the craft fair or the basketball games. It's gonna be crisp.
MARK: Sounds delightful. Well, that about wraps it up for this week's edition of 'Happening in Pocatello.' Thanks for tuning in and letting our voices ruin your peaceful commute.
JOLEEN: Don't forget to send your tips, complaints, and restaurant ideas to pocatello@thehappeningnetwork.com. And please, for the love of god, hit that subscribe button. It's the only validation we get.
MARK: Stay safe out there, try not to get stuck behind the construction, and for fuck's sake, wear your seatbelt. We'll be back next week with more of whatever this town throws at us. Goodbye.