Invasive turtles, $250 for Boise-area kids, Pac-12 arrives — what you may have missed

From a problem with snapping turtles to Boise State’s official Pac-12 arrival, Idaho saw a busy stretch of news this week. Here’s a quick look at the top stories affecting Treasure Valley residents.

• Garden City Mayor Bill Jacobs alerted residents last week about invasive snapping turtles spotted near Boise, and officials say the reptiles are likely illegally released pets that threaten native species — anyone spotting one should call the state’s invasive species hotline at 1-877-336-8676.
• Andrea Shaw, 23, was indicted Monday by a Payette County grand jury on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her 18-month-old twins, who were found deceased in a shared bed at a Payette home on May 1, 2025, following a 911 call about a child death.
• The Idaho State Board of Education voted Wednesday to hire David Hahn, dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Arizona, as Boise State’s new president. His three-year contract pays $480,000 annually plus $9,000 monthly for housing, effective July 1, more than a year after former President Marlene Tromp left for the University of Vermont.
• Micron announced Tuesday it will donate $250 per child to seed Trump Accounts for U.S. citizens under 18 in Ada, Canyon, Gem, Boise and Elmore counties as part of a $250 million contribution expected to reach about 1 million children across seven states when the accounts go live on July 4.
• Boise State officially joined the Pac-12 Conference after 15 years in the Mountain West. The school celebrated with a launch party at Albertsons Stadium on Tuesday and also announced plans to erect an 11-foot statue of former quarterback Kellen Moore in front of the Bleymaier Football Center.
• Dong Khanh Vietnamese Restaurant, a 35-year-old Boise establishment formerly at 1237 S. Broadway Ave., plans to hold its grand opening July 16 at a newly constructed 2,857-square-foot space at 1584 S. Topaz Ave. in Meridian, pending an occupancy permit from the city.
• The Washington Capitals selected 18-year-old Meridian native Tyus Sparks in the fourth round of last week’s NHL Draft, making him the fifth Idaho native ever taken in the draft and the second-highest pick from the state behind Coeur d’Alene’s Bobby House in 1991.

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.