The Gem State Brief

Curated by Locus Lectorum

June 05, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Boise pride season kickoff event canceled due to insufficient attendance

Boise | May 30 | Idaho News

The organizers of \"Pride in Boise\" have had to cancel their planned kickoff event on June 6th due to low ticket sales, despite strong interest online. The organizers say they will seek to come back even stronger for the Boise Pride Festival in September.

Proposed rate increase from Idaho Power would see residential customers' rates increase by 17%

Boise | May 30 | KTVB

Idaho Power has filed a rate case with state regulators to allow them to raise power rates. The Idaho Public Utilities Commission will be reviewing the request for several months, including public comments, with any approved change taking effect in 2026.

Vehicle burglary suspect pursued by Ada County Sheriff's deputies, eludes capture

Garden City | June 1 | KTVB

After responding to a string of vehicle break-ins, police chased the suspect from the Boise foothills to I-84 where contact with the white Dodge Durango was lost.

Back to ashes, University of Idaho and University of Phoenix drop acquisition talks

State Capitol | June 3 | Idaho Statesmen

Two years ago the University of Idaho announced an acquisition bid for the University of Phoenix, the controversial for-profit online university. Now it appears that the $550 million acquisition bid has fallen apart, but under the terms of the proposed termination agreement, University of Phoenix should reimburse the State Board of Education for all out of pocket expenses related to pursuing the acquisition.

Idaho Medicaid to be privately managed by 2029

State Capitol | June 2 | Idaho Capital Sun

In the wake of legislative cost cutting to Medicaid, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is planning to move all Medicaid into the hands of private management companies. Currently some benefits are overseen by private organizations, and others by the state health department, but the Legislature's cuts will require completely private management.

In-N-Out appeals to Meridian City Council for drive-through at new location

Meridian City Hall | June 2 | Boise Dev

In a 4-1 vote in April, the Meridian Planning and Zoning Commission denied In-N-Out's conditional use application for a drive-through at a proposed new location at Ten Mile and Chinden, citing traffic and noise concerns. In-N-Out has made minor alterations to their proposal and contends the commission incorrectly considered factors not relevant to the operation of a drive-through. (Transparency Disclaimer: The one dissenting vote from the P&Z Commission was cast by Sam Rust, a member of Locus Lectorum)

Protesters stand against Trump's tax and spending package at Senator Fulcher's Coeur d'Alene office

Coeur d'Alene | May 30 | Coeur d’Alene Press

A few dozen protesters, including several women dressed in the costumes made popular by the Handmaid's Tale, gathered outside of Senator Fulcher's office in Coeur d'Alene to protest the Senator's support of the Trump "Big, Beautiful Bill". Most of the protestors objected to the administration's proposed cuts to benefits funding, with some claiming that the spending package unfairly targeted women.

Highlights & Insights

📖 Other Recommended Read

"Unreasonable Things" - On the anniversary of the Killdozer rampage, Brian Almon reviews the American history of standing against impossible odds and questions when the time is right for reasonable men to do unreasonable things

🏛️ Apologetics Fact

A new study published in PLOS One dated some of the Dead Sea Scrolls -- the oldest known manuscripts of the Old Testament -- as even older than previously thought. Some of the documents were dated as being contemporaneous to the date of authorship, providing more evidence for the accuracy of Old Testament transcription throughout history.

🗣️ Quote

"If you create pastures and gates for the sheep, the sheep will multiply"– Caleb Cook

🏅 Person: Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838)

Born in 1773, Nathaniel Bowditch was a self-educated American mathematician and astronomer. Though his formal education ended at the age of 10, Nathaniel became interested in the mathematics of sea navigation at an early age while aboard American merchant ships. However, he soon discovered that the primary book written on the topic, "The Practical Navigator" by an Englishman named John Moore, was riddled with thousands of mathematical errors. Undaunted by the great faith placed in Moore by most mariners of the day, Nathaniel reworked and edited the text, not only fixing the errors, but creating a book far easier to use. This "New American Practical Navigator" was so popular that the US Navy bought the copyright and still publishes copies of the book today as the best resource on celestial navigation.

📕 Book: Blind Man's Bluff

This book provides a detailed look at the history of underwater espionage in the U.S. Navy, from the earliest uses of submarines to listen to radio signals off enemy coasts, to daring missions to bug undersea telecommunications cables. The submariners who carried out these missions rode the line between daring espionage and cutting-edge technological testing, and their stories are brought to life by this superbly written history.