Frankie Barnhill

Five schools in southeast Idaho received violent threats this morning, disrupting classes, as police searched the schools. Boise High, Skyview High School in Nampa, Kuna High, and the Twin Falls Christian Academy all were evacuated after bomb threats were called in. Caldwell High School received a threat about a shooter.

A new farmers market opens Saturday in Idaho’s capitol city. The Boise Farmers Market comes on the heels of a big dust-up with the city’s long-standing market. Now, each side says Boise can support both markets.

The Davis Cup is one of the most important tournaments in the tennis calendar. This year the USA team faces Serbia on Boise State’s campus. Official matches won’t start until Friday, but on Wednesday tennis fans saw some of the best players in the world show off their skills.

It’s been more than a month since the federal budget cuts took effect. The across-the-board spending cuts impact federal agencies including the Pentagon and the FAA. American Indian tribes in Idaho are now beginning to see the impact of those cuts.

Amber Ebarb is a policy analyst at the National Congress of American Indians. She says for many tribes, the sequester could not have come at a worse time. She says there are nearly 18,000 American Indians eligible for services in Idaho.

Treefort Music Fest wrapped up in the early morning hours Monday. More than 260 indie and emerging bands performed at the four day festival. Festival director Eric Gilbert is calling the event's second year a big success, despite being exhausted.

"Losing my voice a little bit, not a lot of sleep, but I'm feeling good -- body's sore," Gilbert says.

The Treefort Music Fest is underway in Boise and goes through this weekend. More than 260 indie and emerging bands will perform during the festival including local acts. Grandma Kelsey is one of them.

Treefort Music Fest gets underway tonight in Boise. Local rock band Finn Riggins will kick off the second annual festival and bands will play into the early morning hours. The four day event will bring indie and emerging bands to a dozen venues in downtown. 

Frankie Barnhill has been covering the lead-up to Treefort, and she talked with Scott Graf about why Treefort is becoming a big deal for the Idaho music scene.

Last June was a big month for Cody Gittings and Stephen Heleker. For one, the Boise filmmakers formed a media company shortly after Gittings graduated from Boise State. And two, the pair received the green light to pursue their most ambitious project yet: turning “Smoke,” a story by local author and professor Alan Heathcock – into a short film.

Scholars often look to Abraham Lincoln as one of the most important figures in American history. Memorials to the famous president continue almost 150 years after he was killed, including last year’s blockbuster film bearing his name.

Monday, Idaho memorialized Lincoln with a special ceremony, commemorating the sesquicentennial of the day he signed the bill designating the Idaho Territory. 

Friday's looming sequestration deadline has left federal agencies struggling to come up with contingency plans.  According to the White House, the Federal Aviation Administration's [FAA] budget would be cut by $600 million. 

At the air traffic control tower at Boise’s airport, manager Gordon Stewart stays away from the political debate. He’s faced potential cuts before, but Stewart says two days away from the deadline -- these cuts seem very possible.