IDAHO'S SAUCY SECRET.
My state is known for one thing: potatoes. But there's something else you should know. It's something that most of the nation has never even tasted. And one thing that most Idahoans consider, well, potato perfect. This piece was produced by me—Jessica Murri—as part of the 24-Hour Radio Race from KCRW's Independent Producers Project. Most of the music you hear is by the Shook Twins, used with their permission.
Aired on "Good Food," a show on KCRW, fall 2014.
HIGH PELT PRICES DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF IDAHO FUR TRAPPERS
Just four years ago, bobcat fur sold for about $200. Now, that same bobcat pelt can be sold for almost $2,000. Higher prices come from a rise in demand for fur in Asia, and it has led to more trappers in the field here in Idaho.
Aired on Boise State Public Radio, Spring 2014.
Patrick Carney sets his traps in a gated community pond near Eagle, Idaho.
Ten years ago Caitlin Lanier was sexually assaulted. She used yoga to help heal, and now she's teaching other survivors how yoga can help.
HOW A YOGA CLASS HELPS VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.
The Centers for Disease Control says one in five women is sexually assaulted in college, a statistic that prompted the White House to release guidelines to help those victims. As that guidance works its way through universities across the country, a Boise State University graduate student has launched her own effort to support victims.
Aired on Boise State Public Radio, Spring 2014.
IDAHO PRISONER FIGHTS FOR PAROLE, AND HIS LIFE.
Paul Presley was sentenced to 10 years after ramming an empty police vehicle. He went through two parole hearings and was approved for release twice – but his parole was rescinded on both occasions for unknown reasons. Today, Paul is 32 years old, but might not make it to see his release. Last summer, he was diagnosed with brain cancer.
Aired on Radio Boise, fall 2013
Paul Presley and his mother, Tammy Knight, talk on the phone every chance they get. Knight visits her son in prison every other week, a 40-mile drive from her home.
Emma Kaage modifies many of her exercises in CrossFit because of her broken tailbone. She still goes to the intense workout twice a day, as well as three physical therapy appointments a week.
SEASONAL FIREFIGHTERS RECEIVE HEALTH INSURANCE, NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
In the height of fire season in Idaho, hundreds of seasonal firefighters put their health, their lives, at risk. For the first time, they're eligible for federal health insurance. But for Emma Kaage, it hardly helps.
Aired on Boise State Public Radio, summer 2012
FIDO, TAKE A HIKE
Quick Paws Hiking Company in Missoula, Montana saves dogs from workday boredom and doggy parents from guilt.
Aired on KBGA College Radio, 2011
Courtesy of Quick Paws
Kiteboarders fill the bay at Chrissy Beach for the US National Kiteboarding Championships in June, 2013.
Hearst Journalism Award Championship
At the championship in San Francisco, we had two days to create a radio story on the theme "the value and credibility of on-air predictions." My story is about the National Kiteboarding Championships, and the perils kiteboarders face if the wind changes.