It's Worth Mentioning

NOTE: This episode originally aired on March 29, 2026. It has been updated with new information.

With reservoirs at historic lows following one of Idaho’s worst water years on record, the state could face even greater challenges in 2027.

RELATED | Record heat and dwindling reservoirs leave Idaho bracing for another tough water year
Sen. Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls, says expanding water storage is critical to Idaho’s water future, and he’s making it a priority in 2027. Next month, he’ll lead a trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with Idaho’s congressional delegation about water...

Sugar beet harvest is in full swing across Idaho and Duane Grant, a longtime sugar producer from Rupert, says this season got off to one of the roughest starts he’s seen in the 45 years he’s been in the industry.

This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” we’re taking a closer look at Idaho’s sugar market. Idaho potatoes may be world-renowned, but sugar beets have a long and important history in the Gem State, too.

Grant, the second-generation owner of Grant 4-D Farms, kicks off the show by sharing how harvest is going and the challen...

Bill Whitaker may not be a household name today, but for a brief time during his childhood, he was part of Hollywood. His biggest claim to fame? Voicing a character in Disney’s animated classic “Robin Hood.”

Bill’s older brother, Johnny Whitaker, was a household name in the 1960s and ’70s, starring as Jody Davis on the CBS sitcom Family Affair from 1966 to 1971. Earlier this year, Johnny joined us on “It’s Worth Mentioning” to talk about his life and career in show business, which included a remarkable story about how the Teton Dam Disaster brought him to Rexburg in 19...

For more than 20 years, Scott Hammond has gone looking for people who are lost.

As a member of the Utah County Sheriff's Office search and rescue team, Hammond has taken part in more than 400 rescue missions. Along the way, he and his search-and-rescue dog, Boo, have traveled thousands of miles, met people on some of the worst days of their lives, and experienced moments that have stayed with him long after the missions ended.

Now, Hammond is turning those experiences into stories.

His latest book, Finding Still Water — which comes out Oct. 7 — is the four...

More than three decades after the release of the New York Times bestselling book “The Christmas Box,” Richard Paul Evans is excited to release his first historical fiction novel.

“Mercy’s Child” — which hits store shelves on Oct. 20 — tells the story of Etta Wheeler, a missionary in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, in the late 1800s whose efforts to help an abused child sparked a movement that forever changed the country. Although many of the characters were real people, many of the details and conversations are made up.

This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson speaks with Evan...

Amid one of the worst water years on record, reservoirs are at an all-time low and stakeholders are exploring ways to stretch the water supply.

RELATED | Idaho’s reservoirs hit historic low as winter outlook raises more water worries

This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Nick Banish joins us to discuss the expansion of Idaho’s Collaborative Cloud Seeding program. During a public meeting in Rexburg on August 5, the Idaho Water Resource Board approved the addition of a second aircraft for cloud seeding operations in eastern Idaho. Banish provides some perspective on how this will increase t...

A terrorist attack, a political assassination and a one-year anniversary.

“It’s Worth Mentioning” is turning 1 and we’re taking a moment to reflect. This week, the nation commemorated the 25th anniversary of 9/11. This episode begins with a look back at that horrific day.

RELATED | Tragedy may endure for a night, but morning in America will always come
RELATED | Don’t be stuck in Sept. 10

Two other anniversaries have been an important part of the show over the last year. On the heels of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, we launched the podcast with a look at po...

NOTE: This episode originally aired on Nov. 23, 2025.

Jim Bridger was an early mountaineer and explorer of the Pacific Northwest. He explored areas that now include Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

Throughout his life, he had friendly associations with many groups, including members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He settled the Salt Lake Valley before the Latter-day Saints arrived and expressed concerns to Brigham Young about their ability to plant crops. This initial friendly association eventually ended in a falling out.
On this episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson in...

Ezra Taft Benson was a high-ranking leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was tapped by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to serve as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

The eastern Idaho Republican’s eight-year stint in Ike’s cabinet set the stage for decades of political involvement that would make him one of the most polarizing figures of the 20th century.

This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson speaks with Casey Griffiths, Brigham Young University Religion professor and co-host of the “Church History Matters” podcast, to discuss Benson’s church and polit...

Baker Country Market is back.

The popular shop near Salmon, known for its homemade sandwiches and fried pies, was destroyed in a fire in February. The community stepped in to help rebuild it in record time, and it’s now open for business as of August 14.

This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson sits down with store owners Paul and Maria Miller. They discuss how they felt when they saw their livelihood destroyed and their reaction to the community coming to their aid.
RELATED | Community rallies around local family weeks after blaze destroys business...

Fifty years after the collapse of the Teton Dam, a new book shows how this iconic moment in eastern Idaho is connected to other historic events.

Nathaniel Gee, author of “Faith and Fortitude: How Faith, Politics and Power Shaped the Teton Dam Disaster,” returns to the podcast for a fascinating discussion.

RELATED | Remembering the Teton Dam collapse: Inside the failure and fight to rebuild
In this episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Gee kicks off the conversation by discussing the timing of the disaster. Just before noon on June 5, 1976, the dam failed, releasing 80 billion gallons of water i...

More than a decade after the end of World War II, President Dwight D. Eisenhower founded Sister Cities International, a program aimed at promoting peace, cultural understanding, educational exchanges, and economic cooperation.

It was 1956. The war came to an end in 1945 after the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, but American hostility towards the Japanese remained.

The five-star general — who was given unprecedented command of all Allied forces during World War II — believed that personal connections between ordinary citizens could help prevent future conflicts.
Idaho Falls and Tokai-Mura, Japan, have been...

EDITOR’S NOTE: This episode originally aired on Dec. 7, 2025.

Gold had been discovered in the Sawtooth Mountains.

It was 1879, thirty years after the California Gold Rush, and dozens of people from the southern United States had come to central Idaho seeking their fortune.
Samuel Holman was an attorney who filed one of the first gold claims in the area. He laid out the plots for a community to establish a mine. Soon after, the townsite of Custer — named for Civil War General George Armstrong Custer — was born.

Over the next 31 years, the small...

Although the state of Idaho is involved in a lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice about noncitizen voting concerns, Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane says they have a great relationship with the Trump Administration.

Earlier this year, Idaho was one of 29 states that was sued by the Justice Department. It’s part of the Trump Administration’s agenda to crack down on election fraud. The goal of the lawsuit is to learn whether noncitizens were being allowed to vote.

RELATED | Idaho secretary of state won’t give US Justice Department sensitive voter information
T...

Singing in the Tabernacle Choir is a multi-generational tradition for Leslie Johnson.

The Utah woman, who grew up in Rexburg, represents the fourth generation of her family to be part of the world-renowned singing ensemble. She’s been a member of the Choir since 2022 and was part of the Choir’s recent “Songs of Hope” concert at the Hollywood Bowl amphitheater in Los Angeles, California, which included celebrity guest Donny Osmond and others.

RELATED | Tabernacle Choir, Donny Osmond headlining free community concerts in east Idaho

Johnson’s parents, Richard and Carolyn Robison, were members of the cho...

After eight years as the Idaho State Brand Inspector, Cody Burlile says he gets to work with "the best people in the country," and that’s what makes the job worthwhile.

In Idaho, the state brand inspector helps verify cattle ownership and investigates cattle thefts and mutilations. Several active cases are going on right now.

RELATED | Cattle ‘suffered’ after being shot, left to die on Idaho rangeland, police say
Burlile joins Rett Nelson on “It’s Worth Mentioning” from his office in Meridian to talk about how he was hired for the position, his daily role, and ho...

EDITOR’S NOTE: This episode originally aired on Feb. 22, 2026.

Despite losing a bid for Idaho governor with less than one percentage point and failing twice to represent Idaho in Congress, David Leroy says he doesn’t have any “political work left undone.”

The 78-year-old Boise man is a longtime Idaho attorney who’s had an extensive political career in Idaho. It began in the 1970s.
Leroy is also a historian and founder of the Idaho Lincoln Institute. America’s 16th president signed the bill that created the Idaho territory on March 4, 1863. The mission of Leroy’s nonprofit is to...

IDAHO FALLS – National Radio host Glenn Beck made a public appearance in Preston on Saturday to help raise funds for two historic buildings.

The part-time eastern Idaho resident gave a presentation at the Franklin County Event Center at three different times. He spoke about America’s beginnings and brought multiple historical artifacts from his personal collection, which will soon be part of a new museum exhibit called the American Journey Experience.

Beck joined Rett Nelson on this week’s episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning” ahead of Saturday’s event to talk about his love of history and li...

Jeral Williams is one of the proud farmers in eastern Idaho, but he’s one of the few who raise camels.

The 74-year-old Idaho Falls man owns Williams and Sons Farm, an 80-acre spread off Yellowstone Highway. In addition to growing wheat and alfalfa, he owns cattle, bison, and camels, which he takes to community events throughout the year. His farm has been in operation since 1891, and Jeral and his wife, Jenine, are the fourth-generation owners.

The Idaho State Dept. of Agriculture and the Idaho State Historical Society recently recognized his ranch as an Idaho Century Fa...

On June 6, 1933, Richard Hollingshead opened the first drive-in movie theater in New Jersey. Fourteen years later, on May 14, 1947, Hugo Jorgensen and Ed Moran opened Motor Vu Drive-in at 2095 North Yellowstone Highway in Idaho Falls, the first venue of its kind in Idaho.

Weeks after Motor Vu began its 79th year, we’re doing a deep dive on its history and the industry itself.

This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson speaks with Motor Vu Drive-in co-director Jennifer Spalding about what’s ahead this season. They discuss the theater’s 79th anniversary, its beginnings and the first mov...

EDITOR’S NOTE: This episode originally aired on Nov. 16, 2025.

Stewart Petersen has no regrets about living out of the spotlight.

The 64-year-old Cokeville, Wyoming, man was cast as Billy Coleman in the 1974 film, “Where the Red Fern Grows.” He was only 13 at the time and went on to appear in half a dozen family-friendly films over the next six years. He left the film industry for good at that point.

In an interview with Rett Nelson on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” the former child actor says it was never his desire or intention to get into the fi...

Fifty years ago today, on June 5, 1976, the Teton Dam collapsed and spilled 80 billion gallons of water into eastern Idaho.

The historic disaster buried Rexburg under 5 feet of water at one point and resulted in the death of 11 people. More than 13,000 head of livestock were killed, and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed or heavily damaged. The estimated cost of the damage was around $2 billion, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which built the dam, spent the next 11 years compensating those who were affected.

We’re looking back at the tragedy with a special episode of...

Since the launch of Sputnik in 1957, more than 700 people have flown in space, according to whoisinspace.com. Of those, 250 people have walked in space.

In 2002, John Herrington became the first Native American to walk in space as part of a 13-day mission to the International Space Station. The 67-year-old retired astronaut with ties to Idaho recently spoke to locals at the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel & Event Center. We caught up with him for this episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning.”

This week, Rett Nelson speaks with Herrington about his Native American heritage and his thoughts on representing his people...

Johnny Whitaker was 6-years-old when he landed the part of Jody Davis in “Family Affair,” a sitcom that ran on CBS from 1966-1971. It told the story of a wealthy Manhattan bachelor, played by Brian Keith, who suddenly becomes the guardian of his late brother’s three orphaned children.

Whitaker, who has ties to eastern Idaho, was one of the three children in the cast. From there, he went on to star in a string of Disney films and other film and TV productions.

This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson speaks with Whitaker about his li...

Friends and colleagues are remembering Dirk Kempthorne as “a man who truly loved our state” and who could help people “feel uniquely and genuinely seen.” Former Governor Butch Otter compared him to fictional characters Atticus Finch from “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Jefferson Smith from “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”

Idaho’s 30th governor passed away on April 24 after a battle with colon cancer. His lying-in-state ceremony was held on Friday in the rotunda of the capital building in Boise. His funeral was held on Saturday at the Cathedral of the Rockies in Boise.

This week on “It’s Worth Men...

After seeing a wall of water pummel Rexburg, Brian and Brent Gibson, along with nine of their friends, congregated on the corner of Main Street and North 2nd East for a now-iconic photo.

It was around 3 p.m. on June 5, 1976 — hours after the collapse of the Teton Dam. This summer, the Gibson brothers and the rest of the gang will reunite to retake the photo 50 years later.

Today on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson explores the story behind the photo ahead of its 50th anniversary.

His first guest is the photographer, Steve Wasden. Wasden l...

Jess Johnson has had a meaningful long-distance friendship with a man on the other side of the country for about a year, and it all started with an inconsequential decision.

The Mackay High School history teacher was traveling with his wife last summer. On a whim, they found an audiobook about the USS Indianapolis, a battle cruiser during World War II that hauled components of the atomic bomb that the United States later dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.

Among the 1,200 men on board was Lt. Commander Earl Henry. The Tennessee man was the ship’s dentist, but he...

EDITOR’S NOTE: This episode originally aired on November 30, 2025.

A recent report indicates that Idaho downwinders stricken with cancer can now get federal compensation.

Last week, the Idaho Statesman reported that Idaho is now included in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. The act is a federal law that “provides partial restitution” to people who developed certain illnesses after being exposed to radiation from the U.S. nuclear weapons program, among other projects, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Between 1951 and 1962, the federal government conducted nuclear tests in Nevada. The radiation affected people up to hund...

Two local organizations are celebrating 100 years of operation.

This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson speaks with Tim Haderlie, owner of Haderlie Farms in Iona — a 3,000-acre spread that grows wheat, barley and alfalfa. The farm, established in 1915, was recently recognized as an “Idaho Century Farm” by the Idaho State Historical Society. This award recognizes farms throughout Idaho that have been in operation for a century or more.

Haderlie gives his thoughts on his farm being one of 11 recipients of the award in 2025. He tells us about the family operation and current challenges amid an emergency...

Days after a ceasefire was reached between Iran, Israel, and the U.S., the future of the conflict remains uncertain.

The center of the conflict is the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil passes during peacetime. The ability of ships to pass through the Strait has a significant impact on gas prices.

This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson speaks with AAA Idaho Public Affairs Director Matthew Conde. Conde provides some perspective on the recent ceasefire agreement and whether gas prices will decrease in the near future.

Conde discusse...

Andrew Crawford and Rivka Sears can hardly believe they're now among the top pizza-makers in the world.

The two employees of Righteous Slice in Rexburg just returned from the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas. Crawford took third place in the Traditional American Division out of 100 competitors. Sears took the top spot in the Best Neapolitan Pizza category out of 80 participants.

On this week's episode of "It's Worth Mentioning," Rett Nelson sits down with the duo to talk about the contest. They give their reaction to their performance and discuss what the tournament was like.
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The collapse of the Teton Dam spilled 80 billion gallons of water into eastern Idaho, killing 11 people and 13,000 head of livestock. Many people were made homeless by the disaster and tens of thousands of acres of land were destroyed or heavily damaged.

Although there were concerns about the dam’s design from the beginning, construction moved forward anyway with devastating results. Fifty years later, it remains one of the most-studied dam failures in the world, and there’s a proposal on the table to rebuild it.

This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson looks back at June 5...

When Rebecca Brown Mitchell arrived in Eagle Rock (what is now Idaho Falls) with her teenage daughter, Bessie, they had nothing but the clothes on their back and a few belongings.

It was June 5, 1882, and the 48-year-old Illinois woman who would one day become the world’s first female chaplain of a legislative body had come out West in hopes of being a missionary.

She also played a pivotal role in the city's first church, public school, and public library. Later, she was involved in the women's suffrage movement and helped Idaho become the fourth state to...

Jeff and Cindy Siddoway are among this year's inductees into the Eastern Idaho Agriculture Hall of Fame.

The Terreton couple are fourth-generation sheep ranchers and will be among six recipients who are recognized in a banquet at the Shoshone-Bannock Event Center on March 20.

On this episode of "It's Worth Mentioning," Cindy speaks with host Rett Nelson about this induction. Like the ranch, the induction is a multi-generational tradition. Jeff's father was inducted in 1975, and some of Cindy's relatives are also in the Hall of Fame.

RELATED LINK: https://www.eastidahonews.com/2026/02/former-lawmaker-and-fourth-generation-sheep-rancher-being-inducted-into-the-eastern-idaho-ag-hall-of-fame/

...

It’s a new chapter for Josh and Georgia Foster.

The Ririe couple managed Loft 745, a wedding venue off County Line Road in Rigby, for seven years. In December, the property was sold, and the decades-old building was demolished to make room for a long-term commercial project.

The Fosters partnered with Trellis Development in Rexburg for the project.

RELATED LINK: https://www.eastidahonews.com/2025/12/local-wedding-venue-demolished-after-30-years-of-operation-heres-whats-happening-with-the-property/

On this episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson speaks with the Fosters about these changes. They discuss their reactions to the business’s demise, plans for...

Trent Shippen gets teary-eyed as he looks back on his basketball career and all the people he’s associated with through the years.

The 60-year-old Rigby man is a sports advisor at Brigham Young University-Idaho, but was once part of a national tournament while a student at Ricks College in the 1980s. He later went on to play for Colorado State University, and eventually coached at BYU in Provo, Utah.

This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Shippen shares his memories of playing basketball for the Ricks College Vikings. He discusses some of the people he’s played o...

Despite losing a bid for Idaho governor with less than one percentage point and failing twice to represent Idaho in Congress, David Leroy says he doesn’t have any “political work left undone.”

The 78-year-old Boise man is a longtime Idaho attorney with an extensive political career in the state. It began in the 1970s as Ada County prosecutor, followed by a term as Idaho Attorney General. He was elected to the position in 1978 at age 31 — the youngest attorney general in the nation at that time.

Four years later, he was elected Lieutenant Governor on the Republic...

EDITOR’S NOTE: This episode was originally published on Nov. 9, 2025. We are reposting it ahead of President’s Day.

Monica Church is just over a year into her first term as a state legislator. The Boise Democrat is the granddaughter of two former beloved politicians from Idaho.

Frank Church, who served in the U.S. Senate from 1957-1981 and is the namesake for the Frank Church Wilderness Area, is her grandfather on her mother’s side.

Her paternal grandfather is Cecil Andrus, the state’s only four-term governor who served nonconsecutive terms. He was f...

Roger Ball is described by one of his longtime employees as a person who is more responsible for the great economic conditions in eastern Idaho than anyone else.

Ball has been the face of many business ventures throughout his life, and at age 85, he says he’s proud of his professional accomplishments. The Idaho Falls entrepreneur founded Melaleuca in the 1980s and hired Frank Vandersloot to manage it. Today, it’s one of the area’s largest employers.
For decades, he was the face behind King B Jerky on Pancheri and Yellowstone in Idaho Falls. The company was so...

From "The Andy Williams Show" as a kid to sold-out concerts worldwide, Jay Osmond has performed alongside his brothers for more than 50 years.

He and his wife, Karina, recently moved to Idaho Falls and are the hosts of a new radio show on Arrow 107.1.

On this episode of "It's Worth Mentioning," Rett Nelson speaks with the couple about the radio program, their ties to the area and why they love eastern Idaho.

Karina shares the story of how they met. Jay shares behind the scenes stories about his long career in show business. A...