Teton Dam’s 50th, Boise State news, Meridian’s mayor — what you may have missed
From a survivor’s harrowing memory of the Teton Dam collapse 50 years ago to a Boise brewery’s comeback, and a comeback as well involving Boise State basketball, here’s a look at some of the Idaho Statesman’s top stories.
- Anita Knapp was 11 years old when the Teton Dam collapsed on June 5, 1976, releasing about 80 billion gallons of water that killed 11 people and 16,000 livestock. She recalled the ordeal 50 years later. The dam failure, later blamed on poor design, flooded five counties and inundated more than 300 square miles, with water traveling 155 miles downstream, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.
- Albertsons Stadium will host Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live on Saturday, becoming the first outdoor stadium in North America to have the event, with 234 truckloads of dirt brought onto the famous blue turf. Former Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will return to drive a monster truck called “Smashton Jeanty,” featuring a blue body with orange flames.
- In his annual State of the City speech Wednesday, Meridian Mayor Robert Simison criticized the Idaho Legislature for policies he said hurt cities, including revenue caps imposed in 2021 that he said have cost Meridian roughly $2 million annually. The fast-growing city surpassed 150,000 people this year.
- Max Rice, Boise State men’s basketball’s all-time leader in games played with 160 appearances, has been hired as an assistant coach for the 2026-27 season under his father, head coach Leon Rice.
- Clairvoyant Brewing is tapping its own fresh kegs again after an 18-month beer production halt, launching a Czech pilsner Friday priced at $5 a pint for that day only — matching the price when the Boise brewery opened in 2017. Co-founder Mike Edmondson now fronts the brewery with a new leadership team after relocating brewing equipment from a closed Garden City location, the brewery said in a press release.
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.