Idaho's new citizen redistricting commission has set public hearings for Wednesday Oct. 5 in Idaho Falls, from 6-8 p.m. at Idaho Falls City Hall, 680 Park Ave.; Thursday Oct. 6 in Coeur d'Alene, from 6-8 p.m. at Coeur d'Alene City Hall, 710 E. Mullan Ave.; and Friday Oct. 7 in Boise at the Capitol Auditorium, at a time to be determined. The public is invited to testify; the commission wants to hear about areas of local community interest, demographics, economics, geography, population trends and political and historical factors it should consider in adopting new congressional and legislative district lines. There's more info here.

Following the three hearings, as promised, the commission has set meetings starting Tuesday Oct. 11 at 9 a.m. at the state capitol, and continuing at 9:30 a.m. every weekday (but for Friday, Oct. 21) through Oct. 31st. Those meetings will take place in Room 422 of the capitol, where the commissioners will be able to sit around a table facing each other, and will be audio-streamed live. Idaho Statesman columnist Dan Popkey has a look at the personal dynamics of the new commission and the thinking behind the move to a "kitchen table" setting in his Thursday column here.