Boise Pride flags, Idaho wildfire’s cause, Nampa tort claim — what you may have missed

From the ongoing dispute over the flying of Pride flags in Boise to a possible lawsuit in a Nampa police shooting, here’s a look at some of the Idaho Statesman’s stories early this week.

• Boise resident Jordan Hall filed a request to display Pride flags along Harrison Boulevard in June, which is LGBTQ+ Pride month, citing a state law exception for temporary assemblies. City staff rejected the request and pointed him to the North End Neighborhood Association. Idaho’s Republican-dominated Legislature this year closed a loophole that had allowed Boise and other cities to fly the flags, and added financial penalties. Boise took its City Hall Pride flag down after Gov. Brad Little signed the bill.
• Idaho Power said investigations indicated that its equipment ignited the Mountain Home wildfire that destroyed multiple homes and burned 250 acres last week after strong winds caused two electrical service lines to contact each other and spark nearby brush. Six law enforcement officers were injured during evacuation efforts.
• Nearly 8% of Idaho children younger than 6 were uninsured in 2024, the fifth-highest rate in the U.S., according to a new report. The number of uninsured Idaho children in that age group grew from about 7,900 in 2022 to 10,700 in 2024. The Idaho Legislature has passed bills imposing new Medicaid requirements and cutting provider reimbursement rates, moves that advocates warn could leave more children facing longer waits, fewer specialists and greater travel distances for care.
• The parents of a Nampa teen filed a $10 million tort claim accusing police officers of using excessive force after their son was shot and injured on Halloween night last year when police responded to a report of a boy attacking his mother. Officers Trevor White and Thomas Callahan both fired at the teen after he allegedly approached with a knife, striking him in the abdomen and both arms. The family’s attorney wrote in a tort claim that police escalated rather than de-escalated the situation.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.