Hi, friends!

Happy Friday morning — we have another Weekend Countdown today.

2 things to do in Boise before summer’s up

Suddenly, somehow, July is more than halfway over, and the fall semester for schools will start in a month or less. So here’s a tidy little reminder that if any of these things were on your beginning-of-summer list, it’s time to prioritize them!

Attend an outdoor show or play

Phone a friend and tell them to meet you, whether it be at a free Alive After 5 show (on Wednesdays in the Grove Plaza) or for a picnic at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Speaking of, there are three plays left at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, with “Sweeney Todd” starting tonight. Starlight Mountain Theatre up in Crouch is an out-of-the-way but truly worth it alternative for theater.

Let the end of the Idaho Botanical Garden’s delightful Great Garden Escape be a reminder to go enjoy some art outdoors!

Set up a barbecue or potluck

I usually do a few of these each summer in a park around town, but it gets a mention today because I’ve been slacking and haven’t done it yet. It’s easy to neglect gathering your friends for no reason other than to spend time together, and doing so at a park makes it a little more fun.

2 news updates

Greenbelt assaults prompt political scrutiny

The biggest news in Boise these past two weeks has been two assaults on the Greenbelt. One of the assaults was a fatal stabbing, and the other was an assault and kidnapping of a woman near the Broadway Ave. bridge, though the assailant was arrested shortly after. Violent and apparently random crimes are uncommon in Boise, and the city says it has increased its police presence near the river, and is reminding Greenbelt users to be aware of their surroundings and communicate travel plans to loved ones.

In the fatal stabbing of 25-year-old Jordan Harbst, Ross Wardlaw has been charged with first-degree murder. Just two months ago, Wardlaw was released from custody after being acquitted of battery charges — which also weren’t his first battery charges.

Treasure Valley Republican legislators moved quickly to pin the death on Boise city leadership, saying Harbst’s death could have been prevented if Mayor Lauren McLean and the Boise Police Department would enforce the state’s 2025 anti-camping law. McLean responded to media, including in this extensive Boise State Public Radio interview, saying the city does enforce the law and reaffirming the city’s work to house people, not to criminalize homelessness.

Shelter operators recently said that unhoused people using services have been affected by the law and the potential for city enforcement, often going without services or traveling away from shelter locations to prevent interactions with law enforcement.

Claremont Fire nearing containment

Smoke still rises from the Foothills, but thankfully fire crews have the Claremont Fire 70% contained now, and expect to have it fully contained in two weeks. Some of that smoke is actually the result of containment efforts, with small containment fires being triggered to develop a boundary the Claremont Fire is less likely to cross.

1 thing giving me hope

The push to sell off public lands during President Trump’s second term has sparked immense protest and a strong indication that Idahoans want public lands to remain public. So for Senator Russ Fulcher to be seeking input from Idahoans through a survey is, to me, a cause for hope. It’s not direct democracy, but it does provide the people with an opportunity to directly give input to the handling of public lands. Specifically, this survey pertains to the management of federal lands within Idaho’s borders. Fill it out and then send it out!

Thanks for reading! I hope you have a great weekend.