Idaho

City of Boise approves $2M to keep hotel shelter open

Published

2 years ago

March 16, 2024

City of Boise approves M to keep hotel shelter open

BOISE -Â In a 5-1 vote on Tuesday, Boise City Council approved $2.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act money to keep Interfaith Sanctuaryâs hotel shelter open.

The shelter, which opened in 2020, serves homeless families and the medically fragile. While council members gave their OK, they were not very happy.

âThe funds were available,â Councilmember Jimmy Hallyburton said. âItâs not how I think anybody would have loved to have used them. I think people would like to have had some more permanent solutions. But with the crisis that weâre experiencing in Boise and a rising issue with housing affordability and homelessness, there just werenât a lot of options.â

Interfaith Sanctuary Executive Director Jodi Peterson-Stigers agreed the shelter is not a sustainable long-term solution.

âItâs not ideal conditions for us,â she said. âBut that being said, it is far better than to have this very vulnerable population out on the street. And so, we figure out how to make it work as we create forward solutions that will hopefully create more permanent housing and also create more shelter beds.â

Mary Selet, who moved into the shelter with her husband and son about two months ago, said she is âexcited and thankfulâ councilmembers approved the money.

The family heard about Interfaith after moving to Boise from Iowa. She said they became homeless after not being able to find housing within their budget.

Selet said she and her husband both work and are saving the money they earn.

âIt means so much,â she said. âIt gives us shelter. Weâre not on the street, nor the car, nor the expensive hotels.â

Peterson-Stigers said Interfaith still needs $1 million before construction starts on a new homeless shelter. Currently, the nonprofit can help about 165 people at its downtown shelter on River Street near Americana Boulevard.

The new location, in the former Salvation Army building on State Street, will serve 205 people. Once that opens, she said some people from the hotel can move there.

Several families will likely also be able to move into affordable housing units the city is working on, Hallyburton said.

âWhat we hope for as a council and the mayorâs office is … letâs get these projects funded,â he said. âLetâs get these folks out of the hotel so we donât have to continue to invest funds into a situation that again, isnât ideal for the people that are living there.â

Originally published March 14 onÂ KTVB.COM.People living at the Red Lion Hotel will have a roof over their heads for another year.

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Idaho

ISU event turns summer fun into rocket science – East Idaho News

Published

10 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Press Room

ISU event turns summer fun into rocket science – East Idaho News

POCATELLO – Learn physics and have some fun at the same time at a community event this weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday, Idaho State University’s Department of Physics will hold its annual Water Rocket Festival at Tydeman Park — North 8th Avenue and East Young Street. The first 100 kids who arrive get to build and launch their own bottle rockets.

“The hope is to sneak some science into the summer,” said Steve Shropshire, the physics professor helping to organize it.

It’s free to the public and held in conjunction with the Kiwanis Club of Pocatello’s Bing Hong Pancake Breakfast fundraiser.

A competition will be held both days. The kid who builds the rocket that goes the furthest will be awarded with their own water-rocket launcher.

Shropshire, who’s been running events like this for nearly 40 years, started the Water Rocket Festival around 16 years ago. As a new member of the Kiwanis club, Shropshire noticed that the fundraiser only took up half of the park.

“I kind of piggybacked onto them, saying, ‘hey, you know, you’re not using this whole field over here. We could sneak some science into this,’ and I think it works well,” Shropshire said.

A student will greet each individual or group, and spend about 15 minutes explaining the physics behind building a rocket.

The kids will build their rockets, with some guidance and tips from students. All basic materials are provided.

Students will help fill the rocket with water and bring it to the launch pad, where Shropshire handles the countdown and launch. Once it’s finished, they can do it all over again.

“The kids are welcome to redesign, rebuild and launch again and again and again, or just keep launching until the thing falls apart,” Shropshire said.

The initial appeal of the event can be summed up by a short statement from Shropshire.

“Rockets are really cool. It certainly captivates the kids’ interest,” Shropshire said.

But beyond that, Shropshire says learning basic principles of physics and then applying them could spark a long-term or lifelong interest.

“The best way to learn is by doing. You understand the principles the best if you actually end up applying them, and seeing them in operation,” Shropshire said.

And Shropshire said the event goes even better when adults get involved.

“I would encourage parents and grandparents to get actively involved in helping their kids build the rockets because that’s kind of a bonding experience … ad I think the kids put better rockets together if they’ve got some parents to help them out,” Shropshire said.

But regardless of whether it sparks a child’s interest in physics or rocket-building, Shropshire said it’s still a worthwhile activity.

“There’s lots of fun, rewarding things that folks can do that are related to science and engineering, and having some awareness of that as the kids go through their schooling is a good thing,” Shropshire said.