Radio Boise Podcast

Greg Hampikian is known for a lot of things — my radio show co-host, founder of the Idaho Innocence Project, public speaker, and “American biologist,” according to Wikipedia. But in this week’s episode of Radio Boise’s Do Good Conversation, we dive into a side of Greg most people have never heard about: his unexpected history as a sewer connoisseur of sorts. Tune in to hear how one very obscure fascination helped shape the way biological evidence is tested inside what he affectionately calls the “sewage-ome” — or the “Mega Colon” — our sewer systems, and the surprising role it played in understanding disease spread during the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic.

One of my favorite people joined us on our Radio Boise Do Good Conversations show — Rebecca Weeks, the Education and Outreach Manager of the Ada County Landfill. Her enthusiasm for what she does is absolutely contagious, and the work she does is incredibly vital! Diverting waste from a landfill is no easy task, but Rebecca is exactly the right person to lead the charge. In our conversation, we discussed everything from whether we should call it a "landfill" or a "dump", the historic origins of landfills, how ours stand out globally, and we even swapped a few spooky stories! Rebecca just spear-headed the launch of the brand new Ada County Landfill Education and Outreach Center, which held its grand opening on Earth Day 2026. The center itself is a beautiful masterpiece of a circular economy—featuring a kitchen floor repurposed from an old University of Idaho basketball court (from our friends at Waste Equals), and furniture built entirely from materials discarded right at the landfill. Also, in case you didnt know: long before sustainability was a buzzword, the Ada County Landfill became the very first biomass gas-to-energy project in the state of Idaho back in 2007. Instead of allowing harmful greenhouse gases to escape, the site captures anaerobic methane emissions from the closed Hidden Hollow cell and converts it into electricity—powering thousands of Treasure Valley homes through the grid.

This week’s Do Good Conversation on Radio Boise was packed with practical, real-world guidance for business owners trying to stay out of legal hot water without losing their sanity in the process. Guest Pam Howland, founder of Idaho Employment Lawyers, broke down the issues that quietly trip up even well-intentioned workplaces—think workplace relationships, social media boundaries, ADA considerations, and harassment prevention. What makes Pam especially compelling is her ability to translate dense employment law into clear, usable advice businesses can actually act on. With a sharp, no-nonsense approach, she walked through multiple scenarios for how employers can protect both their business and their employees while building healthier, more compliant workplaces. Pam works with employers by training them and their staff to understand the laws in place, and when employers and supervisors know the legal frameworks that protect employees, everyone benefits through clearer expectations, healthier workplace culture, and safer, more respectful working environments. If you’ve ever wondered where the legal lines actually are, this is an episode worth listening to.

Ron Abramovich was Idaho’s state hydrologist for over 30 years — long enough to understand a great deal, and long enough to know how much we still don’t know. Even in retirement, he keeps a close eye on Idaho’s water resources: snowpack, streamflows, and the larger weather patterns that shape both our local conditions and the global climate. In this conversation, we wandered from Idaho’s recent weather, whitewater recreation to volcanoes, ocean temperatures, and even pine martens — the kind of journey that reminds you everything in nature is connected. If you’ve ever wondered how Idaho fits into the bigger picture, this episode is for you.

Rourke O'Brien is the President of Boise Nice, a local group created in 2021 to identify, preserve, and enhance those things that make living and working in Boise so special.