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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 back to Happening in Boise. It is Monday, December 8th, 2025. I’m Mark.
MARK: Indeed, it is cold. Wait, I’m not supposed to say that word. It’s freezing. It’s absolutely miserable outside. I walked from my car to the studio and I think I lost feeling in three toes. We are looking at a high of thirty-three degrees today, which is technically above freezing, but it sure as hell doesn’t feel like it.
JOLEEN: I’m Joleen. And you’re soft, Mark. It’s Idaho in December. What did you expect? Tropical breezes? It’s supposed to be gray, cold, and slightly depressing. That’s the vibe. It keeps the weaklings out. If you can’t handle thirty-three degrees, maybe you should move to Arizona with the rest of the retirees.
MARK: I’m not asking for the tropics, Joleen. I’m asking for my face not to hurt when I step outside. But fine, you’re the tough one. You’re the ice queen. We get it. Anyway, welcome to the show, listeners. If you’re new here, we talk about Boise. The good, the bad, and the incredibly stupid. We’re sarcastic, we’re tired, and we swear. If that offends you, there’s probably a nice, safe public radio podcast you can go listen to where they whisper about gardening.
JOLEEN: Don’t knock the gardening podcasts. Some of those old ladies go hard. But yeah, like and subscribe, leave a comment telling us how much you hate Mark’s voice. Or email us at boise@thehappeningnetwork.com. We read them. Sometimes we even laugh at you.
MARK: I appreciate the support. Let’s get into the weather because I need to complain about it for at least another minute. It’s not just today. The whole week looks like a freezer burn. We’re staying in the twenties and thirties all week. Lows are dropping into the single digits. Tuesday night? Nineteen degrees. Friday? Fifteen degrees.
JOLEEN: And there’s snow coming. Maybe. The forecast is teasing us with some flurries later in the week, maybe Thursday or Friday. I hope it dumps. I want to see this city shut down. There’s nothing funnier than watching Boise drivers try to navigate two inches of snow. It’s like watching toddlers try to perform brain surgery. Chaos. Pure chaos.
MARK: You just want to watch the world burn, or in this case, freeze. But you’re right, the roads are going to be a disaster if we get any accumulation. Speaking of roads being a disaster, let’s talk about Orchard Street. If you’ve been trying to drive down Orchard between Overland and Targee, you’ve probably noticed you can’t.
JOLEEN: Because a water line decided to explode last week. It’s still closed as of this morning. ACHD is out there 'making pavement repairs,' which is code for standing around looking at a hole in the ground. Use Phillippi Street if you need to get around it. Or just don’t go over there. It’s the Bench, what are you doing there anyway?
MARK: Hey, the Bench is up-and-coming. Which is a perfect segue to our first big headline. The Denton Street affordable housing project just opened up on the Bench. This is apparently the largest affordable housing project the city has seen in a while. Nearly seven million dollars in public money went into this thing. Families are finally moving in.
JOLEEN: 'Affordable' is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. I’d love to see the actual rent prices. But sure, it’s a win. People need roofs. It’s better than them freezing on the street in this single-digit weather. But it feels like a drop in the bucket, doesn’t it? We build one complex and pat ourselves on the back while the median home price is still hovering around five-hundred-forty grand.
MARK: It is a drop in the bucket, but at least it’s a drop. Speaking of the housing market, I saw a forecast for 2026 from Realtor.com. They’re predicting Boise prices might actually dip by zero-point-eight percent next year. Not eight percent. Zero-point-eight. That’s like, what? Four thousand dollars off a half-million-dollar house?
JOLEEN: Oh wow. Let me go buy three houses right now. That’s basically free. A zero-point-eight percent drop is a rounding error, Mark. That’s not a market correction; that’s a statistical sneeze. The inventory is still tight. Sellers are still winning. And they’re predicting sales volume to go up, so more people are buying, but the prices are just... stagnating. It’s purgatory.
MARK: It’s definitely not the crash some people were hoping for. Also in real estate news, that student housing complex, River Edge, just got bought out by some massive joint venture. They’re planning 'light renovations.' You know what that means. They’re going to paint the walls gray, put in a 'smart' lock that breaks in a week, and jack up the rent by three hundred bucks.
JOLEEN: Welcome to the future of student living. Pay more, get less, and enjoy your stainless steel appliance that you’re too broke to put food inside. But let’s pivot to something actually heavy. Did you see the news about the barn fire in New Plymouth?
MARK: Yeah. That was rough. Monday morning news came in that twenty-eight horses were killed. Twenty-eight.
JOLEEN: That’s devastating. It’s not just 'property damage.' Those are living creatures. Two employees were injured trying to save them. I can’t imagine being there, watching that happen and not being able to get them out. It’s just tragic. New Plymouth isn’t technically Boise, but the ag community here is tight. That’s going to hurt for a long time.
MARK: Absolutely. It’s a grim start to the week for the rural folks. On the other side of the spectrum, we have the West Ada School District turning into a paramilitary organization. This is the story everyone is talking about today. Tonight, Monday night, the school board is meeting to discuss their new 'safety plan.'
JOLEEN: 'Safety plan.' Is that what we’re calling it? They want to hire 'Campus Sentinels.' Which is just a cool sci-fi name for armed guards. Specifically, retired cops or military types who are authorized to conceal carry on campus. Because nothing says 'learning environment' like a guy with a Glock lurking in the hallway.
MARK: It’s not just the Sentinels. They’re also rolling out these 'CrisisAlert' badges for all staff. It’s a wearable panic button. If a teacher sees something, they click the badge, and boom—lockdown initiated, cops notified. It’s like LifeAlert but for active shooters.
JOLEEN: Look, I get it. Parents are terrified. School shootings are a nightmare. But are we really at the point where we need armed 'Sentinels' patrolling elementary schools? It feels dystopian. It feels like we’re admitting defeat. Instead of fixing the problem, we’re just hardening the targets. And frankly, putting more guns in schools—even in the hands of 'good guys'—just increases the chances of something going wrong.
MARK: The district says it’s about 'layered protection.' You have the badges for speed and the Sentinels for force. Superintendent Bub is pushing this hard. He says the thought of a preventable tragedy keeps him up at night. I think he’s sincere, but you’re right, Joleen. It changes the vibe. School used to be this open, communal place. Now it’s becoming a fortress.
JOLEEN: And what happens when a 'Sentinel' overreacts? What happens when a student gets into a fight and suddenly there’s a guy with a gun involved? These aren’t active duty cops; they’re retired. Are they keeping up with training? Are they de-escalating, or are they just hammers looking for a nail? It’s a slippery slope, Mark. And we’re sliding down it fast.
MARK: Well, the board votes tonight. I have a feeling it’s going to pass. The fear is too high right now for them to vote no. Speaking of student safety, did you hear about the Caldwell High student? Hit by a car this morning, right near the school on Indiana Avenue.
JOLEEN: Yeah, I saw that. Monday morning, everyone’s rushing, it’s freezing out, visibility is garbage. Thankfully, they’re expected to recover. But it’s another reminder that the most dangerous thing about school isn’t always inside the building; it’s the commute. Drivers need to calm the hell down. Put your phone away, stop trying to text and drive, and look for the kids.
MARK: Seriously. It’s icy, it’s dark. Slow down. Let’s move to crime. Real crime. The Boise Police made a massive bust last week. We’re talking twenty-eight pounds of meth.
JOLEEN: Twenty. Eight. Pounds. That is an insane amount of meth. Do you know how many lives that ruins? And they found it because of a traffic stop. Some guy ran a red light. That’s the lesson, criminals: If you’re carrying enough meth to power the entire state of Idaho for a week, maybe stop at the red light.
MARK: It wasn’t just meth. They found over a hundred grams of fentanyl powder. That’s the scary part. That stuff is lethal in tiny doses. The police are saying it’s a major victory, and I agree. Getting that much poison off the street is objectively good. But it also makes you wonder... if they caught twenty-eight pounds, how much didn’t they catch?
JOLEEN: Exactly. It’s the tip of the iceberg. And then there’s the other creep they caught. Akua Wells. A food delivery driver. He’s been charged with sexual battery of minors. He was using his job to get access to kids. That is the stuff of nightmares. You order a burger, and a predator shows up at your door.
MARK: He was allegedly targeting teenagers, fifteen to seventeen years old. The Sheriff’s office thinks there might be more victims out there. If you have a kid who ordered delivery and had a weird interaction with a driver in a white Kia Sedona, call the police. That guy is a scumbag of the highest order.
JOLEEN: Absolute trash. Lock him up and throw away the key. It’s hard to stay positive when you read headlines like that. But hey, at least we have sports to distract us from the crumbling moral fabric of society.
MARK: We do. And for once, the distraction is actually good. The Boise State Broncos are the Mountain West Champions. Again. Three-peat, baby.
JOLEEN: They crushed UNLV. Thirty-eight to twenty-one. I honestly thought UNLV might put up more of a fight, considering how the regular season went, but Spencer Danielson had those boys ready. Maddux Madsen played out of his mind. He’s tough. I’ll give him that. He’s taken a beating this year and he just keeps throwing touchdowns.
MARK: And now, we are going bowling. The LA Bowl. Hosted by Gronk. Which is the most ridiculous name for a bowl game I have ever heard. 'The Bucked Up LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk.' We are living in a simulation.
JOLEEN: It’s fitting, though. Gronk is basically a human golden retriever, and Boise State is a dog with a bone. We’re playing Washington. The Huskies. This is a spicy matchup. Washington is leaving the Pac-12—well, the Pac-12 is basically dead and coming back as the Mountain West 2.0, but Washington is off to the Big Ten. This is a chance to give them a swift kick on their way out.
MARK: December 13th. SoFi Stadium. It’s a massive stage. Washington is a good team, but Boise State has a history of punching up in these bowl games. Remember the Fiesta Bowl? Obviously. But even recently, we’ve played Washington tough. I think we have a real shot.
JOLEEN: I just want to see the players party with Gronk. That’s the content I need. But don’t sleep on the basketball team either. They went to Butler—Hinkle Fieldhouse, which is like the cathedral of college basketball—and they spanked them. Seventy-seven to sixty-eight.
MARK: That was a huge road win. Butler is no joke. The Broncos are looking dangerous this year. They’ve got Duquesne coming up on Wednesday the 10th. If they keep playing like this, March is going to be very interesting. It’s nice to have a basketball team that doesn’t break your heart every single year... well, until the tournament starts.
JOLEEN: Don’t jinx it. Let’s talk food. Because when I’m cold, I want to eat. And apparently, I need to eat tacos in January.
MARK: Coa Cantina. It’s opening New Year’s Day in East Boise. It’s from the same guys who did Barbacoa and Coa Del Mar. So expect it to be flashy, slightly overpriced, and packed with people taking selfies.
JOLEEN: It’s a 'sports bar' concept though. Which is weird for that group. Usually, they do 'vampire chic' or 'underwater rich person' vibes. A sports bar in Harris Ranch? It makes sense, I guess. All those families need somewhere to hide from their children. But honestly, do we need another fancy taco place? I miss the hole-in-the-wall spots where you fear for your life but the carnitas are divine.
MARK: You’re never happy. 'Oh, a new restaurant, how terrible.' But you know what is terrible? We’re losing a legend. I read that another long-standing Chinese restaurant is closing. They’ve been serving since 1982. It feels like we’re losing all the old Boise spots. The places that smelled like fryer grease and nostalgia.
JOLEEN: It’s gentrification, Mark. The rent goes up, the owners get old, the kids don’t want to run the restaurant, and boom—it’s gone. Replaced by a boutique steakhouse or a chain that sells twelve-dollar cookies. Speaking of boutique steakhouses, Hemlock is opening in the old Richards spot in the spring.
MARK: Another steakhouse. Great. Just what we need. I’m sure it’ll be delicious, but can we get, like, a decent late-night diner? Or a dim sum place?
JOLEEN: No. You will eat your sixty-dollar ribeye and you will like it. By the way, if you’re looking for something to do this week besides eating and shivering, Winter Garden aGlow is still happening.
MARK: It is. The Botanical Garden is lit up. It’s a classic. If you haven’t gone, you should go. Just wear layers. Many, many layers. And maybe sneak in a flask. Allegedly. I am not telling you to break the law.
JOLEEN: I am. Break the law. Sneak in the flask. It’s freezing. You need the antifreeze. Also, if you missed Nate Bargatze last night, you missed out. He set sales records at ExtraMile Arena. I didn’t go because I hate crowds, but apparently, he was funny.
MARK: He’s hilarious. Clean comedy, too. Which is weird for us to endorse since we swear like sailors, but the guy is funny. If you want more entertainment, just go watch the West Ada school board meeting tonight. That’s going to be better drama than anything on Netflix.
JOLEEN: Watching parents scream at each other about panic buttons? Pass. I’d rather watch paint dry. Or watch the snow fall. Seriously, if it snows later this week, I’m calling in sick. I’m not driving in it.
MARK: You work from a home studio, Joleen. You don’t have to drive anywhere.
JOLEEN: It’s the principle of the matter, Mark. If the roads are bad, I’m mentally clocked out.
MARK: Fair enough. Alright, let’s wrap this up. It’s going to be a cold week. A week of armed school guards, bowl game hype, and freezing our asses off.
JOLEEN: Keep your pets inside, people. Seriously. If you leave your dog out in fifteen-degree weather, you’re a monster and I will come find you. And check on your neighbors, especially the old ones.
MARK: Good advice. We’ll be back later this week to recap the school board decision and preview the LA Bowl in more depth. Maybe we’ll even have some news about that snow.
JOLEEN: Hopefully it buries us all.
MARK: That’s the spirit. You’ve been listening to Happening in Boise. I’m Mark.
JOLEEN: And I’m Joleen. Stay warm, you shivering bastards.
MARK: Email us at boise@thehappeningnetwork.com. Bye.
JOLEEN: See ya.