KZMU News

On the Weekly News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about local first responders who were recently honored by the state for how they handled a fatal plane crash that killed Senator Doug Larsen and his family last fall. We also talk about Meadow, a pet dog that was found after a nine-day search along the Colorado River. Plus, we have a story about parents who voiced their support for former Grand County High School Principal, Todd Thompson, after he was fired earlier this month. To close, we discuss the school district’s new superintendent, who hopes to improve teacher retention.

- Show Notes -

• Local responders to be honored by state

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/local-responders-to-be-honored-by-state/

• GCHS parents turn out to support principal fired by state board

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/gchs-parents-turn-out-to-support-principal-fired-by-state-board/

• Lost dog reunites with owners after 9 days on the run

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/lost-dog-reunites-with-owners-after-9-days-on-the-run/

• GCSD hires a new superintendent from Texas

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/gcsd-hires-a-new-superintendent-from-texas/

Today, we hear from KSUT about a bill in Colorado that would fund research about Native American boarding schools in the state. We also hear from KSJD about vets who are seeking compensation for health complications they link to working at the Nevada Test and Training Range where radiation levels are high.

This year, the Grand County School District started a program called the Student Career Success Center to help boost historically low graduation rates. The program is intended to help students earn enough credits to graduate by offering a flexible, online schedule that allows students to work while still attending high school. The program director says it will have helped at least 6 students graduate who otherwise would not have received a diploma.

- Show Notes -

https://gchs.grandschools.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=4251335&type=d&pREC_ID=2517314

The northern lights swept across the Mountain West last weekend. We hear from a space scientist at the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, about what causes this phenomenon, and the effects it has on Earth. We also hear from a Utah drag artist who performed in Moab two weekends ago about what drag means to the queer community amidst the national culture wars. Plus, we hear from KUER about new snow survey technology that's flying over Utah. And we finish off with a story from KSUT about one man in Gunnison, Colorado, who has been cultivating relationships with beavers his whole life.

- Show Notes -

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast

Today on the Weekly News Reel, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Moab Times-Independent, about why the high school principal, Todd Thompson, was fired last week. We also talk about why a policy that was supposed to help local businesses provide workforce housing hasn’t really succeeded. And we finish up with a story about a rally for motorized vehicle use that turned into a Phil Lyman campaign event in Monticello last weekend.

We also talk to Kenny Fallon, editor and publisher of a new, monthly newsletter called the Green River Observer. We discuss Green River’s hopes for a partnership with the state’s inland port authority. Fallon also updates us on the new lithium mine in Green River, which was just approved for water rights from the state. And we finish up discussing how a new state law will enable two coal-fired power plants in Emery County to stay open longer than anticipated.

- Show Notes -

Moab Times-Independent:

• GCHS principal fired by state board

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/gchs-principal-fired-by-state-board/

• Arch Canyon protest rally turns into campaign event

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/arch-canyon-protest-rally-turns-into-campaign-event/

• The company that helped propel the ADO is ditching it

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/the-company-that-helped-propel-the-ado-is-ditching-it/

Green River Observer:

• Wanted: ideas for potential Inland Port Authority project

https://thegreenriverobserver.substack.com/p/wanted-ideas-for-potential-inland

• Lithium mine gains more water rights and coal plants gain time

https://thegreenriverobserver.substack.com/p/eye-on-energy

Today on the Regional Roundup, we hear an interview with KBUT and KVNF about the impact of the closure of U.S. Route 50, which is impacting thousands on Colorado's Western Slope. We also hear a feature about how one school district is working with high school students ahead of prom to warn them about the dangers of driving under the influence. Plus, an interview with a student activist from The University of Colorado about Los Seis of Boulder, 6 Chicano activists who were killed 50 years ago this month in two car bombs in Boulder. We finish off with a feature on the largest powwow in North America that took place recently in Albuquerque, NM.

Today we hear from our partners at KUNC about a new study that predicts more precipitation at the headwaters of the Colorado River in the coming years. We also hear from KSUT and KSJD about a program to bring fiber optic cables to the Ute Mountain Ute tribe. Plus, we hear from KHOL about the beginning of this year's shed antler hunting season and how things are different now that out-of-state hunters are barred from participating in the first week.

On Tuesday, Grand County Commissioners voted to deny a conditional use permit that would enable developers to build a wastewater treatment facility for the new Kane Creek housing complex. The vote was a big win for local organizers opposed to the project, which is under construction in an undeveloped corridor of the Colorado River. The battle isn't over yet, though. Organizers with Kane Creek Development Watch are worried a new state law could override the county's authority by granting developers municipal oversight on their property. We also hear from KHOL about a new Mexican community center that hopes to connect Jackson's Hispanic residents with their roots.

- Show Notes -

• New state law that could override county's authority, State Bill 258

https://le.utah.gov/~2024/bills/static/SB0258.html

• Grand County Commission Meeting 5/7/24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UPPBGoXrkw

Today, we hear from our partners at KDNK about rises in the number of cases of syphilis, especially in newborn children. We also hear from Aspen Public Radio about how local law enforcement is trying to prevent DUIs in high schoolers after prom.

On the latest Regional Roundup, we hear a story about an award-winning high school mariachi band from Uvalde, TX, which just wrapped up a tour of Boulder, Colorado. We also hear an interview on a new helpline for Indigenous Women in Utah. Plus, an interview with the film makers behind a new documentary about navigating housing and healthcare in Chaffee County, CO. To finish up, we hear a two-way with Derek Gow about his new book, Hunt for the Shadow Wolf, in which he explores the mythology, mystery and history of wolves, and their speckled history with our species.