If you’ve ever had a houseplant before, you’ve probably heard the advice to talk to the plant, or let it listen to music. This idea has been around so long that it can seem natural to do so. But if you stop and think about it, can plants ‘listen’ to us? And is there any evidence backing this long-standing claim?

There has long been a debate surrounding books and audiobooks. On one hand, there are those who will claim you only get an authentic experience with reading. Audiobook enthusiasts will counter by saying they are able to listen to far more books than they could read.

And on and on the argument goes.

We here at CEWT hope you are having a wonderful Independence Day weekend. While parades, fireworks and backyard grilling may now be the norm, the history of this weekend goes way back to even before the founding of this country.

Independence Day weekend is quickly approaching. With the end of the pandemic in sight, communities across Southeast Idaho are preparing to celebrate in person once again. So whether you are looking for activities and events in your town or want to travel a bit, here is everything you can look forward to this 4th of July weekend.

The pandemic is nearly over. As vaccines continue to roll out and as businesses reopen, people are heading back to the activities they love. But one industry has been drastically changed over the past year and a half: movie theaters.

They may be reopening as well, but will we care as much as we used to?

All across America there is a vast shortage of men and women who bear the name Firefighter. The National Fire Protection Association reported, "The volunteer firefighter numbers for 2016 and 2017 are the lowest recorded levels since the NFPA began the survey in 1983." Never before has such a need for brave men and women existed.

It was the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. People in Pocatello were doing a whole host of activities with those they loved. But nowhere in the city, perhaps the state, was something as important as what we were doing. On that windy, slightly overcast day, we were gathered to dedicate the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument.

Ah, summertime. Swimming, campfires, hiking, and of course, backyard grilling. And with the pandemic on its last legs, it’s looking more and more like the summer we’ve been needing for two years now has arrived.

Do you remember group projects in school? Those awful, soul-destroying projects that no one, including the teacher, wanted to do? 

Did you know that residents of Idaho 50 and older can participate in lifelong learning programs, such as the New Knowledge Adventure (NKA) branches in Treasure Valley and Pocatello and the Friends for Learning (FFL) organization in Idaho Falls?