🌱 Boise Apartment Fire + Combs Coming + City Heading To Mediation

Hello all. It's me, John Braese, your host of the Boise Daily. Here's all the community news you need to know right now.

The Boise Daily announced a big concert coming to Boise for country music fans. Our reader question of the day crosses music genres and poses the question, "What is the one concert you want to schedule a stop in Boise?" Email john.braese@patch.com with the act you would attend and pay $60 for a T-shirt.

Welcome to the Friday edition of the Boise Daily. Your November ballot will be somewhat shorter after an announcement of a funding initiative removal. A Boise apartment fire sent two people to the hospital, and country music fans will be excited with our announcement of a concert. The city and a union are heading to a mediator after contract talks have stalled and the word of the day for Wednesday was wind.

First, today's weather:

Pleasant with plenty of sun. High: 83 Low: 53.

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Here are the top stories in Boise today:

1. You will have one less item to vote on while making out your November ballot. The Idaho Capital Sun's Clark Corbin reports Reclaim Idaho, the group that organized and placed on the ballot the Quality Education Act, announced the funding initiative will be pulled from voters. A recent one-day special session of the legislature passed a number of surplus reductions, but also included a bill repealing the Quality Education Act if passed by voters. (idahocapitalsun)
2. Two people were transported to a Boise hospital with serious injuries and an unknown number of pets died during an apartment fire near Boise State University. KTVB-TV staff spoke with one resident who stated the complex often had false alarms. When the resident realized the complex was ablaze, he encountered smoke filled hallways and was forced to find a different route after heat stopped him from fleeing using one set of stairs. (KTVB.com)
3. Country music fans rejoice, a superstar has announced Boise is on his tour schedule May 20, 2023. LITE-FM's Kevin Miller broke the news Luke Combs will appear at Albertsons Stadium along with Riley Green, Lainey Wilson, Flatland Cavalry, and Brent Comb. Tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 15 and are expected to sell out quickly. (107.9 LITE FM)
4. After two months of negotiations, the City of Boise and the union representing Boise firefighters are not seeing eye to eye. BoiseDev editor Don Day reports the two sides will now move to mediation in an attempt to hammer out a contract. The two sides have been discussing pay, vacation, benefits, and retirement plans. The City of Boise proposed a two-year contract with a 5.9 percent raise in the first year and a 5 percent raise in the second year while the union asked for a 10 percent raise in the first year, a 10 percent raise in the second year, and 3 percent in the third year in a three-year contract. The union also proposed a four-year contract with a raise of 11 percent in the first year, 7 percent in the second, 3.5 percent in the third and 3.5 percent in the fourth. (boisedev.com)
5. First, we had the heat and on Wednesday, the Treasure Valley had wind. CBS2 news staff reported the National Weather Service issued a dust storm advisory for much of the local area with Star having visibility reduced to less than a quarter of a mile. The change in weather also brought lightning to many areas and new fires reported in Weiser and on Brundage Mountain outside of McCall. (Idaho News)

Today in Boise:

• The Boise Pride Festival kicks off a weekend of activities Friday. (9 a.m.)
• Volunteers have the goal to pack 100,000 meals. Everyone is invited to volunteer Friday for Feed the Funnel at the Boise State Recreation Center. (1 p.m.)
• The Boise Public Library hosts a meeting of the LEGO Club Friday. (4 p.m.)
• The Global Lounge sponsors a Groove Drum & Dance Friday at the Commons. (6 p.m.)
• Josh Turner appears at the Morrison Center Friday evening. (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Boise Weekly: "Boise Pride Parade to be the biggest in festival's history. Boise Pride is from Friday, Sept. 9 to Sunday, Sept. 11 at Cecil D. Andrus Park, with many concerts and events throughout the three days." (Boise Weekly via Instagram)
• Boise Police Department: "This month, you may see officers wearing and sharing wristbands with an important message of hope. Don’t give up, you matter. Suicide impacts friends, families, our responding officers, and the community as a whole." (Boise Police Department via Facebook)
• Boise Art Museum: "Make a parking plan before you visit BAM’s Art in the Park. Art in the Park is a walk-in event. There are free shuttles with routes running downtown (with special parking rates at nearby downtown garages)." (Boise Art Museum via Instagram)
• Boise State Public Radio: "Idaho Republican Party Chair Dorothy Moon is urging businesses to pull their support from Boise Pride Festival ahead of this weekend’s events." (Boise State Public Radio via Facebook)
• Idaho Botanical Garden: "Wow... is it September now? We're already counting down the days til' Fall Harvest! Each Saturday in October offers a unique experience featuring the Scarecrow Stroll, artisan vendors, food trucks, local beer, cider, and wine." (Idaho Botanical Garden via Facebook)

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That's it for today! See you tomorrow for another update.

— John Braese

About me: Welcome to the Boise edition of patch.com. I am the community editor in this exciting endeavor for the Boise area. I was born and grew up in Boise, attending Bishop Kelly High School before graduating from Borah High School more than a few years ago. I have seen Boise grow substantially in the last few years, but still maintain my hometown appeal. I want to hear about what is important to you and the stories you wish to see on patch.com. Feel free to reach out to me via email at john.braese@patch.com or drop me a phone call or text at 208 954-9585.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Boise Daily? Contact me at john.braese@patch.com