Idaho Education: The U.S. Department of Education approved Idaho’s Ed-Flex and ESSA waiver, giving districts and charters more flexibility with federal school funding, including allowing carryover of up to 100% of Title I funds every other year and easing several spending rules for five years. Community & Heritage: More than 100 people turned out at the Stricker Home Site in South Central Idaho for an Oregon Trail history celebration with live music, food trucks, guided tours, and a family scavenger hunt. Local Pride & Culture: Idaho Falls is gearing up for Juneteenth events, including “Juneteenth: An Evening at the Colonial” and a Heritage Music Festival along the Greenbelt featuring performances and community booths. Boise Jewish History: Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel (CABI) in Boise highlighted its legacy as the oldest synagogue in continuous use west of the Mississippi, founded by Jewish pioneers and still serving as a worship and community hub. Youth Skills & STEM-to-Careers: Pocatello teens Isaac Giesbrecht and Gage Staples won top honors at the national SkillsUSA EMT competition in Atlanta after training through PV-TEC. Sports & Disability Athletics: Boise hosted the 2026 U.S. Paralympic Swimming Nationals, where Piper Sadowski set American records twice and Koehn Boyd captured three wins on opening day. North Idaho Housing: Kootenai County’s home market is heating up, with rising median prices, more listings, and faster sales days as summer buying season approaches.