Free Daily Podcast Summary
It's Worth Mentioning: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Rett Nelson
A podcast for trivia buffs and history nerds that takes listeners back in time. Each episode features a guest or topic that's tied to Idaho's past.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Yesterday51 min
Can we make it rain? Inside Idaho’s expanding cloud seeding program
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 worriesThis 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 the board's ability to augment water from the clouds.He also explains what cloud seeding is, how it works and clears up some misconceptions.RELATED | Desperate for water, Idaho looks to cloud seeding for a boostCloud seeding has been a state-sponsored program in Idaho since 2015, but its beginnings in Idaho and across the nation go back much further. Banish discusses the origins of cloud seeding and his thoughts on the future of it in the Gem State.RELATED | The man who brought cloud-seeding to Idaho was at the center of a D-Day forecast feudIf you’re weather or environmentally conscious, this is a fascinating conversation. Water affects everyone, so this is an episode you don’t want to miss. Learn more about cloud seeding in Idaho here.Watch previous episodes of “It’s Worth Mentioning” here. Check out the show on Facebook. If you have a tip, guest idea, or comment, email rett@eastidahonews.com.
- 1 weeks ago26 min
Looking back before moving forward
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 comeRELATED | Don’t be stuck in Sept. 10Two 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 political assassinations in Idaho.RELATED | Rigby man at Utah Valley University shares firsthand account of Charlie Kirk shootingIt’s also been 50 years since the collapse of the Teton Dam, a topic we’ve explored from multiple angles throughout 2026.RELATED | Remembering the Teton Dam collapse: Inside the failure and fight to rebuildRELATED | Caught in history: The untold story behind an iconic Teton Dam photoRELATED | Voices from the flood: Survivors reflect on the Teton Dam collapseRELATED | The Teton Dam disaster was connected to more history than you ever imaginedWe’re wrapping up season 2 of “It’s Worth Mentioning” by revisiting the premiere episode. Rett Nelson has some thoughts on the future of the podcast, and an announcement at the end. So stick around!Watch previous episodes of “It’s Worth Mentioning” here. Check out the show on Facebook. If you have a tip, guest idea, or comment, email rett@eastidahonews.com.
- 2 weeks ago46 min
REBROADCAST | The mountain man behind one of the American West's most enduring legends
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 interviews Bill Markley, the author of a new book titled “The Life and Times of Jim Bridger.” They discuss this turbulent relationship.Markley also addresses Bridger’s chaotic upbringing, what led him to become an explorer, and the popular belief that Bridger is one of two men who left Hugh Glass, another mountaineer, for dead after Glass was mauled by a grizzly bear.If you enjoy history about the American West, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.Watch previous episodes of “It’s Worth Mentioning” here. Check out the show on Facebook. If you have a tip, guest idea, or comment, email rett@eastidahonews.com.
- 3 weeks ago1h 11m
From Idaho farm boy to Ike’s cabinet: The complicated legacy of Ezra Taft Benson
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 political life.They begin by talking about his upbringing in Whitney — an unincorporated community near Preston — and how he got interested in agriculture and politics.RELATED | Eastern Idaho produced two U.S. agriculture chiefs, but Ezra Taft Benson was the most controversialGriffiths discusses the turn of events that set the stage for Eisenhower selecting Benson to serve with him, how church leaders felt about his appointment and Benson’s relationship with America’s 34th president.They delve into Benson’s accomplishments while in office and his political life after the Eisenhower Administration. It included an encounter with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. His involvement in a political battle with a Democratic Congressman from Idaho indirectly impacted the timing of the Teton Dam construction.RELATED | Remembering the Teton Dam collapse: Inside the failure and fight to rebuildGriffiths also discusses Benson’s support for the John Birch Society, a right-wing, anti-Communist political organization, and his controversial, politically themed addresses to church members from the pulpit.The conversation winds down with a discussion about Benson’s cultural and political influence on society today.It’s a fascinating conversation that you don’t want to miss!RELATED | Cindy Siddoway on family ranching, Hall of Fame honors and the future of Idaho agricultureWatch previous episodes of “It’s Worth Mentioning” here. Check out the show on Facebook. If you have a tip, guest idea, or comment, email rett@eastidahonews.com.
- 4 weeks ago36 min
Rebuilding after the fire: An Amish family’s story of faith and community
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 businessThe Amish couple moved to the area in 2015 with their kids and opened their shop a short time later. They talk about how they’ve been received in the community and why they moved to Idaho in the first place.Maria discusses the origins of the faith and the scriptural basis for their beliefs. She also opens up about her own struggles as a member of the Amish community and clears up some common misconceptions.They end the conversation talking about their plans for the business going forward.If you’ve ever been curious about Amish traditions and beliefs, this is a rare discussion that you don’t want to miss!Watch previous episodes of “It’s Worth Mentioning” here. Check out the show on Facebook. If you have a tip, guest idea, or comment, email rett@eastidahonews.com.
- Aug 17, 202640 min
The Teton Dam disaster was connected to more history than you ever imagined
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 rebuildIn 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 into eastern Idaho. Communities from Rexburg to Blackfoot were impacted; 11 people were killed, along with 13,000 head of livestock. Many were made homeless by the disaster, and tens of thousands of acres of land were destroyed or heavily damaged. The estimated cost of the damage was around $2 billion — around $11 billion in today’s dollars.The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation — which built the dam — spent the next 11 years compensating those who were affected. The total amount was around $400 million — less than the estimated cost.Gee says that if the flood had happened 24 hours earlier, he wouldn’t have been here to write the book.He weaves a tale that begins with the settlement of the West, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pioneers’ migration to the Salt Lake Valley. In those early days, the church practiced polygamy, which Gee says has a connection to the construction of the Teton Dam.On Sept. 11, 1857, dozens of church members took part in the massacre of 120 immigrants in southern Utah traveling by wagon train, according to the church’s website. The incident — which is also tied to the Teton Dam — took place in a valley called Mountain Meadows and is known today as the Mountain Meadows Massacre.The historical connections will astound you!RELATED | Caught in history: The untold story behind an iconic Teton Dam photoAlthough we’ve covered the Teton Dam disaster before, this is an angle you’ve never heard, and you don’t want to miss it! To learn more, get a copy of the book here.RELATED | Voices from the flood: Survivors reflect on the Teton Dam collapseWatch previous episodes of “It’s Worth Mentioning” here. Check out the show on Facebook. If you have a tip, guest idea, or comment, email rett@eastidahonews.com.
- Aug 10, 20261h 0m
The story behind Idaho Falls’ 45-year friendship with this Japanese village
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 Sister Cities since 1981.RELATED | Once enemies in war, Idaho Falls marks 45 years of friendship with Japanese Sister CityAs of 2026, the two cities are celebrating 45 years of friendship. They have exchanged visitors through the years. A student delegation from Tokai-Mura recently completed a 10-day trip to the Idaho Falls area.This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” we’re taking a look at the history of the Sister City program in Idaho Falls and the decades of hostility that existed for decades after the war.Rett Nelson is joined by two guests — the first is Laura Combs, president of the Idaho Falls Sister Cities Youth program. She will discuss the city’s long association with Tokai-Mura, how it started and how she came to Idaho Falls and got involved in the program.RELATED | An ‘abuse of the US Constitution’ brought him to eastern Idaho. Why his son wants you to know about itThen, Jon Ochi, a longtime Idaho Falls resident of Japanese descent, speaks with Rett Nelson about his father, Fred Ochi. Fred lived in Idaho Falls during World War II. Jon shares some of his dad’s experiences and what life was like for the Japanese community.RELATED | 37 Japanese Americans who resisted WWII draft focus of new Museum of Idaho exhibitRELATED | Balloon bomb that landed in Rigby nearly 80 years ago was a failed attempt to terrorize AmericaRELATED | How the Idaho Falls Friendship Garden was formed and became a popular gathering placeThis chapter from eastern Idaho’s past isn’t discussed in school or found in history books. It’s a fascinating conversation you don’t want to miss!To learn more or get involved in the Sister Cities youth program, click here.Watch previous episodes of “It’s Worth Mentioning” here. Check out the show on Facebook. If you have a tip, guest idea or comment, email rett@eastidahonews.com.
- Aug 3, 202631 min
REBROADCAST | The rise and ruin of Idaho’s lost gold town
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 community attracted more than 300 people. By 1910, the town folded and quickly faded into history. By the 1960s, it was a historic site managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Today, the old ghost town is managed by a nonprofit called The Land of the Yankee Fork Historical Association. Custer Days, an annual event held on the second Saturday in July, attracts a large crowd every year for tours and reenactments. Thousands of tourists visit the site every summer.On this episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson makes a trip to Custer and interviews Diane Davidson, chair of the Land of the Yankee Fork Historical Association. She has ancestral ties to the area dating back seven generations. They discuss the rise and fall of the short-lived community and the reasons behind it. They also get into the people and players involved in its founding, those who lived in Custer during its heyday, and what daily life was like.Later, they talk about what led to the town’s closure and its rediscovery three decades later.RELATED | Idaho’s newest state park had its grand opening this weekendIdaho’s newest state park, Twin Peaks Ranch State Park, had its grand opening earlier this summer. It’s near Custer, which makes this a timely episode to revisit.Visit the town’s Facebook page for regular updates and stories about the town’s history.Watch previous episodes of “It’s Worth Mentioning” here. Check out the show on Facebook. If you have a tip, guest idea, or comment, email rett@eastidahonews.com.
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About It's Worth Mentioning
A podcast for trivia buffs and history nerds that takes listeners back in time. Each episode features a guest or topic that's tied to Idaho's past.
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