Today we speak with a former U.S. Forest Service employee who was abruptly fired in February along with the rest of the district's trail crew. What could happen to Moab's trail system without the team? And what should residents and tourists expect as further workforce cuts are predicted with a federal budget deadline looming on March 14?

Photo courtesy of former U.S. Forest Service trail crew member.

This week on Regional Roundup, we'll hear about a commemorative climb that honored the 10th Mountain Division and their role in blocking Hitler’s defensive Gothic Line in Italy during World War II. We also drop in on the trials for the U.S. Olympic Mixed Curling Team, which took place recently in Colorado. To finish up, we examine the high cost of housing in the region, and the problem of under insurance due to wildfire.

At Grand County High School, prom is a big deal, and some kids have had their dates picked since elementary school. That’s because in Moab, your date isn’t just someone you take photos with. You have to perform a choreographed dance with them in front of hundreds of people. It’s part of a longstanding Moab tradition — the promenade. It’s an opening ceremony to kick off the actual prom, and friends and family are invited to come watch as students make a grand entrance. This year’s promenade will take place on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Photo: Students rehearse for this year's promenade at Grand County High School. By KZMU / Emily Arntsen

Today on the News Reel, we speak with Andrew Christiansen of the Moab Times-Independent about the nationwide cuts to the federal workforce and how it’s affecting public land managers in Moab. We also mention a recent announcement by the Moab Police Department reassuring undocumented immigrants that they can call local law enforcement in emergencies without being questioned about their immigration status, as the department has no intention of specifically targeting undocumented immigrants. And we finish up with an update about a new mountain bike trail network that’s under construction in San Juan County.

Utah’s Division of Water Resources says that cloud seeding — a procedure that increases snowfall by injecting silver iodide into the atmosphere — adds about 200,000 acre feet of water to the state’s river system each year. But there’s a catch. Cloud seeding only works when it’s already snowing. And this winter, it’s been so dry in southeastern Utah, there were hardly enough clouds in the sky for the state to operate its new cloud seeding stations in the La Sal Mountains. The region has only received about half of the snowfall for a typical year.

- Show Notes -

https://water.utah.gov/cloudseeding/

This week on Regional Roundup, we'll hear from communities across the Mountain West that are protesting new executive orders from the Trump administration regarding immigration. We also hear about Wyoming and Utah's ongoing public lands debates over state versus federal control. Plus, a story about a citizen science project to gauge bird population size. And finally, a story on the history of Black communities in Colorado.

On the show today, we have the weekly News Reel where we talk to other local journalists about what they reported this week. Today, we speak with Andrew Christiansen of the Moab Times-Independent about where the Kane Creek developers are in the process of becoming a preliminary municipality within Grand County. We also touch on the life and legacy of Moab geologist Lin Ottinger, who passed away last week at 97. And we finish up discussing changes to transient room tax that are making their way through the Utah Legislature.

- Show Notes -

• Kane Creek town proposal moves forward, public hearing set

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/kane-creek-town-proposal-moves-forward-public-hearing-set/

• Lin Ottinger, Moab’s ‘Dinosaur Man’ and rock shop founder, dies at 97

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/lin-ottinger-moabs-dinosaur-man-and-rock-shop-founder-dies-at-97/

• State could give Grand County more flexibility over tourism tax revenue

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/state-could-give-grand-county-more-flexibility-over-tourism-tax/

This week on Regional Roundup, we hear why diversity is needed in climate research following the Trump administration's cuts to DEI programs at federal agencies. We also hear about two new films that premiered at the recent Sundance Film Festival in Utah, and we tag along with some birders in Boulder County, Colorado, on the trail of hundreds of wild turkeys that roost in cottonwood trees.

Today on the show, we have the weekly News Reel, where we talk to other local journalists about what they covered this week. We talk to Andrew Christiansen, reporter at the Moab Times-Independent, about the Moab Museum, whose director, Forrest Rodgers, was fired last week just days before a new exhibit on the history of uranium mining opens on Feb. 15. We also talk about the county’s planning and zoning director, Amy Weiser, who recently resigned after just six months in the position. And we finish up with an update about new members of the county’s Economic Opportunity Advisory Board.

- Show Notes -

• Moab museum board fires Rodgers; donor voids bequest

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/moab-museum-board-fires-rodgers-donor-voids-bequest/

• Moab Museum’s U92 exhibit explores uranium boom, bust and its legacy

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/moab-museums-u92-exhibit-explores-uranium-boom-bust-and-its-legacy/

• Grand County Planning and Zoning director resigns after six months

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/grand-county-planning-and-zoning-director-resigns-after-6-months/

• Commission rejects EOAB’s recommendation in split vote

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/commission-rejects-eoabs-recommendation-in-split-vote/

On Friday, the Utah Board of Education banned another book from all public schools in the state. "Like a Love Story" by Abdi Nazemian is the 16th book Utah has banned since a new law went into effect last summer that allows individual school districts to remove books from public school libraries statewide so long as at least two other school districts agree the book contains sensitive material. Critics say the ban is targeting books with queer and transgender characters. News of ongoing book bans comes as the most recent Nation's Report Card found that most American eighth graders are a full year behind in reading. And Utah's students are no exception, with many seventh and eighth grade students in Grand County reading below a sixth grade level. Today, we speak with Margaret L. Hopkin Middle School librarian Tracy Renn, Grand County Public Library director Carrie Valdes, and Grand County School District superintendent Mike McFalls about the issue.

- Show Notes -

• Nation's Report Card

https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/

• Utah bans a 16th book from public schools

https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2025/02/07/16th-book-lands-utahs-list-those/

• Books Unbanned Project

https://www.bklynlibrary.org/books-unbanned