Jackson Unpacked

In this week’s episode, U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman is touring the southern part of the state. In Afton, her defense of billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency caused an uproar. And several bills this legislative session took aim at Jackson and Teton County’s strategy for affordable and workforce housing. We talk with two local electeds to test their confidence in the program. And amid ongoing debate about the future of grizzly bears, we talk with an expert about all things Endangered Species Act. Lastly, the gateway town of Cody gets a huge boost in tourism every summer but this year, there’s a lot of uncertainty on public lands due to federal cuts.

Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via live-stream Mondays at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Fridays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Support Jackson’s only nonprofit newsroom by becoming a member of KHOL today.

On this week’s episode: ICE visited Jackson early last month. The news spread quickly across social media but even now, many still have questions. A conversation with Ira Glass, host and creator of the popular public radio program “This American Life,” ahead of a recently announced August show in Jackson. And confirmed cases of Chronic Wasting Disease south of town has one wildlife biologist with Wyoming Game and Fish concerned.

Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via live-stream Mondays at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Fridays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Support Jackson’s only nonprofit newsroom by becoming a member of KHOL today.

On this week’s episode: ICE visited Jackson early last month. The news spread quickly across social media but even now, many still have questions. A conversation with Ira Glass, host and creator of the popular public radio program “This American Life,” ahead of a recently announced August show in Jackson. And confirmed cases of Chronic Wasting Disease south of town has one wildlife biologist with Wyoming Game and Fish concerned.

Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via live-stream Mondays at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Fridays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Support Jackson’s only nonprofit newsroom by becoming a member of KHOL today.

On this week’s episode: federal workers are being laid off across the country, including in Teton County. One recently fired US Forest Service trail worker with the Jackson Ranger District, speaks up. We’ll hear more from one co-author of a book tackling the limits of growth in the West, with chapters tackling conservation and the cost of living in Jackson Hole. Also, a conversation from KHOL’s public affairs show the State of Jackson about one local printmaker's new art exhibit. Lastly, we hear the state capitol, where emerging patterns between the Trump administration and the Wyoming Freedom Caucus are giving some in Wyoming political whiplash. 

Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via live-stream Mondays at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Fridays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Support Jackson’s only nonprofit newsroom by becoming a member of KHOL today.

The Wyoming Senate narrowly passed a resolution recently that would ask Congress to turn over nearly all federal land in the state. That’s 30 million acres — about half of Wyoming’s total area. We hear from Aaron Weiss, the Deputy Director at the Center for Western Priorities, a conservation advocacy group, who says the resolution was is likely to change policy.

The first few weeks of Trump’s presidency have been a whirlwind. A deluge of executive orders, memos and proclamations aiming to crack down on immigration, slash the federal workforce and control international trade. We talk to Jacksonites to hear what’s on the top of their minds.

A new exhibition in Jackson shines the spotlight on female photographers and painters in the American West at the turn of the 20th century. Wyoming Public Radio’s Hannah Habermann heard about some of these trailblazing artists – and their work – from the women who brought the show to life.

After years of anticipation, the federal government recently announced a plan for grizzly bears to remain listed as “threatened” on the endangered species list in the Northern Rockies. The move is the latest in a decades-long battle between the feds, environmentalists and western states over to what extent grizzlies have recovered and how they should be managed. 

Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via live-stream Mondays at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Fridays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Support Jackson’s only nonprofit newsroom by becoming a member of KHOL today.

Between the legislative session in Cheyenne and President Donald Trump’s first week back in the White House, immigration policies in Wyoming are on the fast track for an overhaul.

When the roads are too snowy to drive on – why not plane? As in snow plane. In Tetonia, there’s a festival celebrating the invention that bridged the technological divide between the horse-drawn sleigh and snowmobile. 

What’s the financial value of a wolf in Wyoming? That’s the question behind a new article in the travel magazine Matador. An interview with reporter from the publication who wrote the article “Are wolves worth the cost? The American West’s new wildlife dilemma.”

A beloved fishing lake near Pinedale now has no fish and the entire lake has turned red. Land managers and biologists don’t know why but they think it might have to do with toxic algae blooms of cyanobacteria, a growing problem in Wyoming’s waters. 

Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via live-stream Mondays at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Fridays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Support Jackson’s only nonprofit newsroom by becoming a member of KHOL today.

Despite a $100 million done deal, questions linger for some, like environmentalists Susan Marsh and Jared Baecker, about how the Kelly Parcel will be managed. Park superintendent Chip Jenkins says the process of deciding exactly that begins now. And a future of the money from the sale may further oil and gas development according to Governor Mark Gordon and the State Board of Land Commissioners. The process makes some in Jackson Hole itchy. 

Jackson Hole Fire/EMS is trying to move on from stress with new leadership like assistant Fire Chief Brian Coe. This, even as a former boss, Stephen Jellie, has filed a lawsuit against some firefighter’s spouses, like Coe’s. Firefighter Natty Hagood is raising money for their defense though his own personal capacity.

And for all those who look up to their parents, renowned DJ Matthew Dear dishes inspiration in an interview with KHOL’s Jack Catlin. 

Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via live-stream Mondays at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Fridays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Support Jackson’s only nonprofit newsroom by becoming a member of KHOL today.

On this week’s episode: KHOL’s Jenna McMurtry reports on the controversy surrounding a potential charter school south of town, in Alpine. Heather Goodrich and Jeff Daugherty agree the town needs a new school, but exactly what that school should be, not so much. Matt Erickson, the area superintendent is not sure any school can be built before the start of the next school year.

KHOL’s Dante Filpula Ankney talks to Jackson Hole’s Vosmus and Armitage families at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort about new safety measures being implemented this year. Ned Wonson, who works at the resort, touts them as proof of JHMR’s continued improvements, while some wonder if and how they will work.

KHOL’s Evan Ballew talks with Jackson-based artists Hilary Camino and Leif Routman about their latest single “Release your Grip” which recently premiered at KHOL.

Wyoming Public Radio’s Caitlin Tan met up with Sublette County outfitter and mountain man Bill Webb at his house in Pinedale for a unique Christmas tree hunt, for a juniper.

Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via live-stream Mondays at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Fridays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Support Jackson’s only nonprofit newsroom by becoming a member of KHOL today.

On this week’s episode: KHOL’s Dante Filpula Ankney chats with Dem. Senator Mike Gierau of Jackson about the Regulatory Reduction Task Force and four potential bills some feel target Teton County.

KHOL’s Rachel Stevens talked with Baylee Drewry AKA Miss Wyoming 2024 about her platform: supporting women in sports.

Wyoming Public Radio’s Hanna Merzbach tells us some employers around Jackson are turning to modular homes, built by engineers like Loren Woodin and architects like Greg Mason, to house their employees. Clark and Danielle Johnson are the recipients of one. Like legos, entire sections of the house are assembled on permanent foundations.

And KGNU’s Shelley Schlender spoke with Neuro-psychologist June Gruber about a course she teaches on happiness at the University of Colorado in Boulder. 

Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via live-stream Mondays at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Fridays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Support Jackson’s only nonprofit newsroom by becoming a member of KHOL today.

On this week’s episode: Following the election, immigrant advocacy organizations say more deportations are looking likely and a slew of legal challenges could also get in the way. KHOL’s Jenna McMurtry talks with Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr, Lincoln County Sheriff Matt Johnson and Jackson immigration lawyer Elisabeth Trefonas about that reality.

It’s been about a year since Teton County Search and Rescue was able to add a multi-million-dollar helicopter to the organization. KHOL’s Dante Filpula Ankney reports a chopper is a rare addition to a volunteer search and rescue group in the West. For most, it’s too expensive. The costly addition is helping Cody Lockhart, Steve Wilson and the entire TCSAR team with rescues in the county and in communities throughout the region.

Also, nearly 30% of Teton County residents identify as Latino. KHOL’s Rachel Stevens talked to KHOL DJ Valeria Abad about occasional isolation, being from a Latin country that isn’t Mexico, but also, how being in-between cultures opens doors. 

And lastly, republicans often don’t see tackling climate change as a top priority… but  conservative environmentalist Benji Backer is trying to change that. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Hanna Merzbach spoke with him, Jessica Burley and Andrew Mentzner in Jackson.

Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via live-stream Mondays at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Fridays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Support Jackson’s only nonprofit newsroom by becoming a member of KHOL today.