Bundy Warrant Issued for Harassment

Although Ammon Bundy has failed to respond to the St. Luke’s defamation lawsuit against him, that’s not the only reason a judge issued an arrest warrant for him last week. Attorneys for St. Luke’s said that another aspect of this case includes “witness harassment,” which has led to at least three witnesses saying they won’t testify for fear of retaliation. [Idaho Statesman]

Judge Weighs Medicaid for Trans Idahoans

A judge will soon decide whether Medicaid covers any gender-affirming healthcare for transgender Idahoans. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) was sued for discrimination when it denied two trans adults from coverage for gender-affirming procedures. That case was heard on Monday, and Gov. Brad Little added that he doesn’t want any gender-affirming healthcare to be covered by Medicaid. [Idaho Press]

Assisted Living to Apartments?

Last year, the private owner of the assisted living community Arbor Village at Hillcrest said it wanted to change the facility to an apartment complex. Boise City Council imposed requirements that the firm financially assist current residents transitioning to new homes, but it’s a complex problem proving to be a microcosm of Boise’s housing economy. [Idaho Statesman]

The 2022 Moose Fire in the Salmon-Challis National Forest was devastating. But the forest’s ability to recover can be miraculous, particularly when it brings gold in the form of mushrooms.Morel mushrooms like moist soil, and are temperamental about soil temperature. So it’s a little surprising that they’re most abundant the year after wildfires like the Moose Fire, which is why Salmon-Challis National Forest officials are preparing for a busy morel spring.

Whether you’re a veteran morel hunter or just want to try your hand, don’t worry — because of spring coming late, they haven’t reached their peak yet.

Luckily for novices like me, City Cast Boise Host Emma Arnold grew up hunting morels, so she has a few pointers on how to harvest responsibly (the conversation on morels starts at 7:30).

Before you head for the hills, check if you need to get a permit based on how much you’re gathering. Typically, if you’re just getting enough for dinner, you’re good to go, but it does vary by county.

Here are some more dos and don’ts:

1. Like other mushrooms, don’t put them in plastic.
2. Don’t harvest morels smaller than your thumb.
3. Similarly, avoid over-harvesting by only taking half the mushrooms you see. That helps save some for other harvesters, but more importantly, ensures a more abundant population.
4. Emma said, “The biggest thing when you’re out morel hunting is that you never, ever, ever, ever eat a mushroom that you aren’t 100% you can positively identify.”
5. Do join the Southern Idaho Mycological Association!

Happy hunting!

Pangaea Finn is an extraordinary teenager. At 17, she’s graduating from Boise State this weekend with Bachelor's degrees (yeah, plural) in physics, math, and music. Next up: Harvard’s physics PhD program. We caught up with Finn to talk graduation, the Boise community she grew up in, and what’s next.

Q: How would you describe the physics community in Boise, and what's it meant to be a part of that? Joining the Boise State Physics Department was a huge shift in my educational path. The department was the first institution I'd found whose explicit goal was to nurture me, guide me, and help me become a better physicist. They were willing to support me right away, from introducing me to a talented cohort of physics majors to encouraging me to start undergraduate research, and I am so grateful for their support.

Q: What are you going to miss most about Boise when you head to Harvard?

A: I'm a Boise native, and so I'm very used to the tight-knit sense of community that I feel living in the City of Trees. Boise feels at once like a decent-sized city, with a university and opportunities to explore the local culture, and a small town with a beautiful river, hiking trails, and the Greenbelt. Mostly, though, it'll just be unfamiliar to move to a new city, in which I won't know where anything is.

Q: What do you hope to gain and contribute through your future research?

A: I explore physics because it allows me to challenge myself, building unfamiliar conceptual understandings while using rigorous mathematics to predict the behavior of the natural world. I've always been fascinated by particle physics; at Harvard, I plan to work on discovering the behavior of the basic building blocks of our universe through theoretical physics or large experiments. Right now my goal is just to explore the field and keep learning about a subject I love.

‘What Brings Us Together’ 🖼️ | Tomorrow & Friday | 5 - 7 p.m.

MING Studio’s Insight of Youth 2023 exhibit has extended its hours to these last two days, so go view the work of 17 young local artists. [Downtown Boise]

Master Gardener Plant Sale 🪴 | Saturday | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

The annual University of Idaho Extension’s sale, at the Ada County Extension Office. [prices vary, all ages, Garden City]

Pearl & The Oysters 🎸 | Saturday | 8 p.m.

With openers Angel Abaya and Athena Garza, at Neurolux. [$12, 21+, Downtown Boise]

Whether you just moved here or have been here your whole life, Boise isn’t always the easiest to make new friends. Lucky for us, contributor and friend-making expert Jocelyn Robertson is here to tell us the best places around town to meet new people and what we can do to turn acquaintances into lifelong pals.

Thanks for being here, see you around!