KZMU News

Today on the news, station manager Serah Mead ‘flips the mic’ and interviews news director Molly Marcello about the memorable past year at KZMU News. We hear about making the newscast flexible to meet the needs and interests of the local community, as well as some new opportunities for growth. It’s true community-empowered journalism.

Plus, our Weekly News Reel where we speak with other reporters about the stories they most recently covered in our area. Times-Independent reporter Carter Pape (10:00) visited the Utahraptor State Park site with some decision makers this week and has impressions of that tour, as well as a report on the county commission’s decisions on regulating ATV-related businesses and noise pollution. Moab Sun News publisher/editor Maggie McGuire (18:00) tells us about Utah scientists uncovering how the tyrannosaurus might not have been a lone predator as commonly believed. Plus, more science with the sixth-grade class at Moab Charter School who recently sent a weather balloon to ‘near space.’

Show Notes:

Photo: News Director Molly Marcello and the mysterious KZMU Radio Angel

Weekly News Reel –

The Times-Independent: Officials visit Utahraptor State Park

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/officials-visit-utahraptor-state-park-site/

The Times-Independent: County puts brakes on OHV businesses

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/county-puts-brakes-on-ohv-businesses/

The Times-Independent: Grand County’s noise ordinances now in effect

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/grand-countys-noise-ordinances-now-in-effect/

Moab Sun News: Fossils found in Grand Staircase-Escalante give new insight into dinosaur behavior

https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_85d1ce16-a310-11eb-a46a-8fdac11adba8.html

Moab Sun News: Moab Charter School students send balloon into ‘near-space’

https://www.moabsunnews.com/get_out_and_go/article_540fb83e-a2fc-11eb-8f26-67f8bbdeb19d.html

The county commission finalized regulations on ATV related businesses and adopted a noise pollution ordinance. Some commissioners expressed uncertainty that the policies would make a big difference in quieting neighborhoods, and emphasized the need for data collection over the coming months. Plus, Grand County’s COVID-19 case rate remains steady as other counties drop off. It’s uncertain why this is the case, but the health department says there could be a correlation with the spring tourism season. And, reports of a massive migratory bird die-off last year may be explained in new research.

Show Notes:

Photo: Grand County Administrator Chris Baird and County Commissioner Evan Clapper (left) measure dBA levels on a motorcycle during a voluntary noise testing event. Credit Grand County

Adopting Title 11 (Noise Pollution)

https://www.kzmu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/633_Ord-Noise-Pollution-Title-11-approved-4-20-21.pdf

Adopting New Title 5 (Business Licenses)

https://www.kzmu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/632_ORD-Title-5-Biz-Regulations-4-15-21.pdf

Approving Amendments to Land Use Code (Use Table)

https://www.kzmu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/631_Ord-LUC-Amend-ATV-Definitions-4-15-21.pdf

Local COVID-19 Case Rate and Vaccine Info

https://www.seuhealth.com

Today on the news, we tour the freshest development in the Moab valley, where workers are installing finishing touches for its soon-to-be inhabitants – local 7th and 8th grade students. With collaborative learning spaces, a lecture hall, double gym, and more, the brand-new Margaret L. Hopkin Middle School is a significant upgrade from the current building. We hear about how this new education facility will be used by the school district and the community. Plus, a jury convicted a former Minneapolis police officer on all counts of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. In the wake of the trial, our radio partners look into how far the Mountain West has come with police reform since Floyd’s death nearly one year ago.

Show Notes:

Photo: Grand County School District facilities manager Frank Melo at the reception desk of the new Margaret L. Hopkin Middle School

Conflicts over lands and mining are not unusual to our region. Today on the news, we hear from our partners at KJZZ’s Tribal Natural Resources Desk in Arizona. There, Oak Flat in the Tonto National Forest has become a centerpiece of conflict between Native American tribes who want to preserve their sacred land, and the mining companies who say they want to generate revenue and create jobs. Congressman Raul Grijalva has introduced legislation to ban mining at Oak Flat, but its success is uncertain. We hear from a Washington Post reporter who recently wrote about these issues, focusing on just how unique and important the sacred land is to the Apache Tribe and others.

Show Notes:

Photo: Oak Flat/Center for Biological Diversity

The Washington Post: This land is sacred to the Apache, and they are fighting to save it

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/04/12/oak-flat-apache-sacred-land/

Earlier this year, the Moab City Council directed staff and their local water board to create policies aimed at water conservation, as well as make plans for future water shortages. But a big, pervasive question is often overshadowing policy discussion at the water board – how much water does Moab City actually have available? Plus, a new federal report shows the Colorado River’s biggest reservoirs are likely to drop to levels not seen since they were filled. And, during a virtual summit on Earth Day, President Joe Biden will not only seek to engage world powers on environmental issues, but reestablish federal partnerships with Utah and other states.

Show Notes:

Photo: Water flows over rock in Mill Creek

Moab City: Water Conservation and Drought Management Board

https://moabcity.org/476/Water-Conservation-and-Drought-Managemen

Utah Division of Water Resources

https://waterrights.utah.gov

Utah Division of Water Rights

https://waterrights.utah.gov

Rethinking a groundwater flow system using a multiple-tracer geochemical approach: a case study in Moab-Spanish Valley, Utah

http://www.riversimulator.org/Resources/farcountry/Hydrogeology/RethinkingGroundwaterFlowSystemUsingMultipleTracerGeochemicalApproachCaseStudyMoabSpanishValleyUT2020Gardner.pdf

On the launch of KZMU’s spring radiothon fundraiser, we check in with station manager Serah Mead. She looks back on the station during ‘the pandemic year,’ and discusses the lessons she’d like to keep moving forward – as well as those she’s eager to leave behind.

Plus, our Weekly News Reel, where we speak to reporters about the latest stories they covered in our area. Times-Independent editor Doug McMurdo talks OHV noise, commissioner Mary McGann’s visit with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, sewer rates, and more. Moab Sun News editor/publisher Maggie McGuire discusses a climber’s damage of a rock art panel north of Arches. She also has more details on the likely human-caused fire at the local wetlands preserve.

Show Notes:

Photo: KZMU station manager Serah Mead with staff behind her.

Spring Radiothon Info

https://www.kzmu.org/shop/

https://www.kzmu.org/give/

Weekly News Reel Mentions –

The Times-Independent: County to finish just on deadline on OHV business license changes

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/county-to-finish-just-on-deadline-on-ohv-business-license-changes/

The Times Independent: McGann urges Haaland to restore Bears Ears

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/mcgann-urges-haaland-to-restore-bears-ears/

The Times-Independent: Churches get break on sewer rates, but not for long as all fees poised to increase

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/churches-get-break-on-sewer-rates-but-not-for-long-as-all-fees-poised-to-increase/

The Times Independent: Paving under the stars

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/paving-under-the-stars/

Moab Sun News: Climber damages rock art panel north of Arches

https://www.moabsunnews.com/sports_and_outdoor/article_4debf062-9df2-11eb-be37-57287bf8fe26.html

Moab Sun News: Fire at Matheson Wetlands Preserve

https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_bd0d9820-9db0-11eb-8786-1bb08607cc05.html

Many know the monarch butterfly is declining due to human expansion and the rise of global temperatures. But as our radio partners report, monarchs aren’t the only butterflies dealing with these threats. Plus, a new study is adding to the growing evidence that smoke from wildfire is more harmful to humans than pollution from other sources. And farmers and ranchers in the Colorado River Basin are preparing for what could be another dry summer.

Show Notes:

Photo: The Monarch butterfly is one of the best-known species that’s in decline. Wyoming Public Media.

Wyoming Public Media: A Warmer Climate May Spell Doom For Western Butterflies

https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/warmer-climate-may-spell-doom-western-butterflies

Visitors have flocked to Western communities during the pandemic to soak in the region’s public lands. But…just how many visitors? Right now, we don’t have a good way to track that crucial data. Plus, members of Moms and Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America are holding a series nationwide actions to urge more robust background checks on gun purchases. And finally, grizzly bear populations in the Mountain West have rebounded since being listed as an endangered species about 50 years ago. Some politicians are proposing to loosen federal and state protections, but it could have an unintended consequence.

Show Notes:

Mountain West News Bureau: Fixing Holes in Recreation Data Could Help Communities in West

https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/post/fixing-holes-recreation-data-could-help-communities-west

KGNU: Boulder Students Push for Universal Background Checks

https://news.kgnu.org/2021/04/boulder-students-push-for-universal-background-checks/

Mountain West News Bureau: Why A Montana Bill Making It Easier To Kill Grizzly Bears could Backfire

https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/post/why-montana-bill-making-it-easier-kill-grizzly-bears-could-backfire

After a special meeting with ATV outfitters and guides yesterday, the county commission has more to consider as it refines new policies aimed at reducing noise in the valley. Business owners had no issue with caravan limits on guided tours, but were united against any restrictions on their overall fleet size. Instead, most ATV business owners called for stricter enforcement of local noise ordinances. Plus, updates from our radio partners on the tiny mountain town of Marble, Colorado, where ATV impacts are causing all levels of government to search for solutions.

Show Notes:

Grand County 4/12 Special Meeting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsk77btAaow

KDNK: Marble Navigates ATV Over-Use

https://www.kdnk.org/post/marble-navigates-atv-over-use

Today on the news, a conservation group in San Juan County is suing the Bureau of Land Management over land it leased to oil and gas developers in 2018. The lawsuit claims drilling between Bears Ears and Hovenweep national monuments could cause irreparable damage to cultural sites. And, to better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected Utah women and girls, the Women’s Leadership Project at USU surveyed 3,500 women across the state. Plus, Wyoming lawmakers passed several bills aimed at protecting the state’s coal interests this legislative session despite the industry being in the midst of a steady decline. Our partners at KHOL report on the state legislature’s efforts to fight economic trends impacting Wyoming’s coal communities.

Show Notes:

Photo: The area between Bears Ears and Hovenweep national monuments is rich in archeological sites, according to retired Bureau of Land Management archeologist Don Simonis. Courtesy Friends of Cedar Mesa.

KUER: Conservationists Sue Federal Government To Protect ‘Archeologically Rich Area’ In San Juan County

https://www.kuer.org/health-science-environment/2021-04-09/conservation-group-sues-federal-government-to-protect-an-archaeologically-rich-area-in-san-juan-county

UPR: Survey Results Show Utah Women Disproportionally Affected By Pandemic-related Hardship

https://www.upr.org/post/survey-results-show-utah-women-disproportionally-affected-pandemic-related-hardship

KHOL: Wyoming Lawmakers Cling Tight to Declining Coal Industry

https://891khol.org/wyoming-lawmakers-cling-tight-to-declining-coal-industry/