It's Worth Mentioning

For more than 20 years, Scott Hammond has gone looking for people who are lost.

As a member of the Utah County Sheriff's Office search and rescue team, Hammond has taken part in more than 400 rescue missions. Along the way, he and his search-and-rescue dog, Boo, have traveled thousands of miles, met people on some of the worst days of their lives, and experienced moments that have stayed with him long after the missions ended.

Now, Hammond is turning those experiences into stories.

His latest book, Finding Still Water — which comes out Oct. 7 — is the fourth book in his search-and-rescue series. While the book is fiction, many of its stories are inspired by real rescue missions and the people Hammond has encountered throughout his career.

Hammond joins Rett Nelson this week on It's Worth Mentioning to talk about the experiences that shaped his career, his books, and what it really takes to search for someone who can't find their way home.

He explains what first drew him to search and rescue and takes us behind the scenes of a mission — from the uncertainty and urgency to the moments when every second matters. He also shares how Boo has become much more than a working dog, often providing comfort to victims and their families when they need it most.

Hammond recalls one particular rescue that left a lasting impression on him and reveals how even experienced rescuers can be deeply affected by what they encounter.

RELATED | Idaho Falls man and his dog rescued after weeklong search in Wyoming mountains

But this conversation goes beyond search and rescue.

Hammond shares the lessons he's learned from two decades of looking for people in the wilderness — lessons that also apply to anyone who has ever felt lost physically, spiritually or emotionally. 

Whether you've followed Hammond's work for years or are hearing his story for the first time, this is a conversation you don't want to miss.

To order his books or learn more, visit his website.

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 [email protected]. 

More than three decades after the release of the New York Times bestselling book “The Christmas Box,” Richard Paul Evans is excited to release his first historical fiction novel.

“Mercy’s Child” — which hits store shelves on Oct. 20 — tells the story of Etta Wheeler, a missionary in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, in the late 1800s whose efforts to help an abused child sparked a movement that forever changed the country. Although many of the characters were real people, many of the details and conversations are made up.

This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson speaks with Evans about his upcoming book and what inspired him to tell this story.

Evans discusses the book that launched his career and what motivated him to write it in the first place. It also sparked an annual tradition in cemeteries nationwide, including in eastern Idaho, where people place a flower at the base of a Christmas Box angel statue to remember a child who passed away.

Children in difficult circumstances have been a running theme throughout his work, something that he says stems from his own life. As a kid, he had an unusual tick that made him a target for bullies. He would be 40 years old before he was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome. He discusses the disorder and clears up misconceptions about it.

As an author and speaker, he’s been able to raise awareness of the condition at various events over the years. Michael Vey, a character in one of his most popular series, has Tourette’s. He shares inspiring stories of his encounters with others who also have Tourette’s and how he’s been able to help them.

Evans ends the conversation with several stories about unlikely circumstances where he’s interacted with well-known celebrities.

If you’re a fan of Evans’ work or just love a feel-good story, this is an episode you don’t want to miss! To pre-order “Mercy’s Child,” 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 [email protected].

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 worries

This 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 boost
Cloud 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 feud

If 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 [email protected].

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 come
RELATED | Don’t be stuck in Sept. 10

Two 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 shooting

It’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 rebuild
RELATED | Caught in history: The untold story behind an iconic Teton Dam photo

RELATED | Voices from the flood: Survivors reflect on the Teton Dam collapse

RELATED | The Teton Dam disaster was connected to more history than you ever imagined

We’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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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 controversial
Griffiths 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 rebuild
Griffiths 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 agriculture

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 [email protected].

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 business

The 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 [email protected].

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 rebuild
In 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 photo

Although 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 collapse

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 [email protected].

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 City
As 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 it
Then, 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 exhibit

RELATED | Balloon bomb that landed in Rigby nearly 80 years ago was a failed attempt to terrorize America

RELATED | How the Idaho Falls Friendship Garden was formed and became a popular gathering place

This 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 [email protected].

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 weekend
Idaho’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 [email protected].