KZMU News

This week on the Regional Roundup, we hear a two way interview with best-selling author and Paonia native, Paolo Bacigalupi, produced by KBUT. We also hear a feature on finding solutions to polarized politics, a recent forum at the Aspen Ideas Festival, produced by Aspen Public Radio. And we finish up with a presentation on evaluating media in the age of disinformation, produced by KSJD.

On the Weekly News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about the extent of the damage from two recent floods. We also discuss a scandal at the Utah State University satellite campus in Price, Utah, where an employee was paid $157,000 over two years without working.

- Show Notes -

• Moab’s recent flash floods: The extent of the impact

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/moab-experiences-50-year-floods/

• Utah State University now looking for possible fraud at all satellite campuses after employee paid $157k without working

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/utah-state-university-now-looking-for-possible-fraud-at-all-satellite-campuses-after-employee-paid-157k-without-working/

As of July 1, Grand County and the City of Moab are no longer accepting glass in single stream recycling. Residents can still recycle glass for free at the Moab Community Recycling Center. But now, Grand County will join the rest of the state and most of the country in cutting glass from single-stream recycling.

- Show Notes -

• Moab Community Recycling Center:

https://www.moabrecycles.org/

Today we hear from our partners at KVNF about a recent decision by a Colorado court to vacate the sentences against Sunset Mesa Funeral Home operators who were caught illegally selling body parts. We also hear from Aspen Public Radio about DACA recipients who are worried about whether they'll be able to continue living and working in the U.S. depending on the results of the upcoming election.

The Utah Investigative Journalism Project recently reported that Kane Creek developer Craig Weston donated over $40,000 to attorney general candidate Derek Brown's campaign in 2023. Reporter Eric Peterson connects the dots for us about why this relationship is relevant within the larger story of the controversial housing development in Moab.

- Show Notes -

• Moab Sun News coverage:

https://moabsunnews.com/2024/06/06/controversial-kane-creek-developer-quietly-makes-major-donations-in-ags-race/

• Utah Investigative Journalism Project training on searching through campaign donations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eGNCnhbRGA

This week on the Regional Roundup, we hear a feature about students from Ignacio, Colorado, who headed to Space Camp in Alabama, produced by KSJD/KSUT. We also hear the keynote speech of the Aspen Psychedelics Summit about the intersection of psychedelics and neurodiversity, produced by Aspen Public Radio. And we finish up with an interview with a researcher on how trees have memory, produced by Science Moab for KZMU.

On the Weekly News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about the city’s plans to repave Mill Creek Drive starting in August. We also talk about the proposed increase in property taxes, which have been set at 0% in Moab for over 30 years. We finish up with a story about a Texas couple who went missing during a flash flood two weeks ago while off-roading near Steel Bender. Plus, we hear from Kenny Fallon, editor and publisher of a new, monthly newsletter, the Green River Observer. Fallon tells us about a recent wildfire that almost spread to a residential area in Green River, and the city’s plan to enforce fire codes in the future. We also discuss two new exhibits at the John Wesley Powell River History Museum about changing rural America. We finish up with updates about the Inland Port Authority, which recently chose Green River as one location in its network. Plus, the BLM’s travel management plan for the San Rafael Swell is open for public comment. We talk about local opinions on the topic of off-roading.

- Show Notes -

• City ramps up property tax push

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/city-ramps-up-property-tax-push/

• City opts to upgrade Mill Creek Drive

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/city-opts-to-upgrade-mill-creek-drive/

• Search for missing couple goes from rescue to recovery

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/search-for-missing-couple-goes-from-rescue-to-recovery/

• The Green River Observer

https://thegreenriverobserver.substack.com/

KOTO’s Gavin McGough speaks with writers and long-time friends Hampton Sides and Kevin Fedarko about their new books. Fedarko's "A Walk in the Park" captures his 750-mile hike along the Grand Canyon, and Sides' "The Wide, Wide Sea" tells of map-maker Captain James Cook’s final journey to Hawaii.

Today we hear from our partners at KDNK about Colorado's recently introduced wolf pack. We also hear from Utah News Connection about price gouging in the pork industry. We finish up with a story from KUNC about a federal program to pay Arizona cities to conserve water from the Colorado River.

Today on the Regional Roundup, we hear a feature about using an augmented reality app to get kids outdoors, produced by KDNK. We also hear a two way on a non profit from Colorado Springs that turns guns into gardening tools, produced by the Rocky Mountain Community Radio. We finish up with a two way with a man from Kurdistan who now lives in Salt Lake City sharing his experience as a refugee, produced by KRCL.