TikTok 
Itâs Tuesday â Don Day in for Gretchen this morning.
Gretchen is enjoying a well-deserved week off! Autum Robertson and I will try to keep the Idaho First ship steaming ahead this week. Today, weâve got the new chapter for the skateboarding Idaho TikTok star, an investigation into irrigation billing practices and more.
- Today: 94°âď¸ That feeling when⌠94 degrees feels like a cold snap!
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Today at the Fair!
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First Up Today
Ditch demands: BoiseDev investigation finds canal co. sends residents big bills, files liens. Now Idahoâs AG is asking questions
No one likes to see a lien filed on their home or property. But what happens if a lien is filed for a service or product you donât â or canât â even receive?
Thatâs what happened to Lois Fish, who lives in West Boise. She opened her mail and found a bill for $633.27, and a notice that she was delinquent on her account and a lien had been filed.
This summer, BoiseDevâs Margaret Carmel has been investigating the Shavrerâs Lateral Water Users Association. The organization with the peculiar name has filed a series of liens on properties in its purported service area.
That service? Canal water. But not all the homes can receive the water. And residents are raising questions about billing and notification practices.
After Margaret started her work, she asked the Idaho Attorney General for comment. While the AG wouldnât answer our questions â days later, it sent its own questions to the Shavrerâs folks.Â
As Margaret reports, others in the area have, in some cases, been fighting for years. Read her full investigation on BoiseDev.
Western Idaho Fair is underway
Years ago, the Western Idaho Fair had a jingle that went something like âThe Western Idaho Fair is cominââŚ. come on down get moovinâ and groo-vinâ.â And it still sticks in my head all these years later. This year, you can moo-ve and groo-ve to the 125th anniversary of the fair!
(Disclosure: The Fair is this weekâs Idaho First sponsor, but it doesnât have a role in the placement or content of this story.)
All the usual events are lighting up the fairgrounds on Chinden, with the carnival, grandstand concerts, and more. Tonight, Ja Rule and Ashanti will take over the old Les Bois Park track ay 7:30. Pat Benetar & Neil Giraldo are featured tomorrow, Stone Temple Pilots Thursday and Billy Currington headlines Friday. Itâs a bit of everything, and concert admission is included when you buy fair tickets.
Carnival, check. Music, check. Food?
Food. My wife and I were out there last night and sampled some of our favorites, including the yearly Pronto Pup. Today is $2 Taste Test Tuesday â with many fair vendors offering a menu item for just two bucks, so you can try several different options!
The core of the fair is really agriculture. This morning, the 4-H & FFA kids will show gymkhana horses from 8am-10am. Small animal round robin goes from 10am to noon.
And it wouldnât be a fair without those slightly out-there events. Today the Axe Women of Maine will showcase their competitive cutting skills at 2pm. Or, see the Jet Pack Circus at 2:30pm â which is exactly what it sounds like.
Idaho TikTok star skates his way onto TV show
Before vacation, Gretchen wrote: A native Idahoan and the stateâs most viral Tik Tok star made it to the big screen.
Nathan Apodaca of Idaho Falls scored a role in the second season of Reservation Dogs, a Native American comedy-drama series on FX and Hulu. The second season premiered August 3.
Apodaca rose to internet fame in 2020 after creating a now-famous TikTok of him skateboarding to work after his car broke down. Apodaca coasts down the side of what appears to be the interstate while casually swigging cran-raspberry juice straight from the jug and singing the lyrics to Fleetwood Macâs 1977 hit âDreams.â
The video has racked up more than a billion views and 13.4 million likes. Within weeks of posting, âDreamsâ had a 374% jump in sales and an 89% jump in streams, according to Billboard. Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks even created their own versions of the TikTok video. In 2021, Apodaca was part of the lineup for President Bidenâs Inauguration celebration.
While Apodaca is a native Idahoan, his mother grew up on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming and is Northern Arapaho. You can learn more about his role in Reservation Dogs here.
Happening Today
- City Council Tuesday: On Tuesday, Boise City Council will be hosting a day meeting where they will be going over the cityâs quarterly financial report.
- Clean sweep: What gets social media teams at highway agencies excited? Mini-street sweepers! ACHD got a new lilâ one, which has all sorts of fun uses (for those who like their fun to come from road maintenance).
- Record haul: Boise State brought in its largest-ever fundraising haul for athletics, with $24.1 million. That beats the old record of $21.6 million set in 2008 â right after the first Fiesta Bowl.
BoiseDev Reports
Far from services, Meta/Facebook gives cash to Kuna to soften impact of property tax legislation
The new Meta (aka Facebook) data center is off on its own in a rural part of the county. The Silicon Valley giant is paying extra for services, as Idaho Pressâ Sydney Kidd reports on BoiseDev.
Large subdivision with mix of single-family homes and townhomes planned for SW Meridian
Autum Robertson has the scoop on another big subdivision on the drawing board in Meridian.
Starbucks plans another location on Boise Bench
Itâs the second time in just a few weeks that Starbucks has applied for a new location along the I-84 corridor in Boise. Iâve got the story over on BoiseDev.
Link-worthy
- Idaho abortion law challenge: During arguments in the Department of Justiceâs legal challenge to Idahoâs abortion law, the judge in the case expressed that he sees a conflict with federal law. The Associated Press reports from the courtroom arguments. A decision on whether or not to temporarily halt the law could come today or tomorrow.
- Boise Schools election: The board of trustees election for the Boise School District happens on a peculiar date: The Tuesday after Labor Day â this year thatâs September 6th. Five seats are up, and KTVB has profiles on the candidates.
- Chase â or not?: Itâs a complex question police officers and policymakers face: to engage in a high-speed pursuit or not? The Idaho Press looks at some of the complicating factors.
- Teachers wanted: CBS2 looks at what some schools are doing to ensure there are enough teachers to go around.
Things To Do
- Tunes in the neighborhood: Catalpa Park in NW Boise will host the Neighborhood Concert Series this week â the last one of the season! Allegedly, Blaze and Kelly, and Steve Fulton will split the bill from 5:30pm to 8:30pm on Wednesday. Draft beer from Lost Grove is available â but bring your own cups!
- For your radar screen: The Boise Comic Arts Festival is set for September 16th and 17th at the Library, Idaho State Museum, and Zoo Boise. Details.
- Zoobilee: Speaking of the Zoo, Zoobilee 2022 is Friday. The adults-only event is a fundraiser for the Friends of Zoo Boise, and features food, drink, and a live auction (plus, the animals of course). Details and tickets.
Pet of the Day
Back when Gretchen and I were putting together the ideas for Idaho First in 2021, we knew we wanted something engaging each day. We brainstormed tons of ideas and thought, âwhy donât we try a pet of the day?â I never expected this to take off the way it has â with thousands of pet photos submitted (we wish we could feature more!), and itâs a treat each day for me personally to see the pet.
Today, meet Piper. Nicole Howell sent this pic along, saying, âshe is the sweetest 16-week-old sheepadoodle walking around the lake in Eagle.â Good morning Piper!
Submit your petâs photo here, and we may feature it Monday-Thursday! Plus, our friends at Zamzows will send along a prize to the winning pet (owners)!
