KZMU News

Today on the News Reel we talk to Sophia Fisher, reporter with the Times-Independent. We discuss why a land swap between the state and the federal government recently fell apart within Bears Ears National Monument. We also talk about the Grand County School District’s superintendent, who will retire in July. And we finish off with a story about a local high school wrestling star, who recently won the state championship.

// Show Notes:

// Here's why the Bears Ears land swap fell apart

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/heres-why-the-bears-ears-land-swap-fell-apart/

// Kay reflects on 33-year career with Grand County

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/kay-reflects-on-33-year-career-with-grand-county/

// Austin Paris repeats as state champ

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/austin-paris-repeats-as-state-champ/

// GCHS swimmers crush states as men take 1st, women 2nd

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/gchs-swimmers-crush-states-as-men-take-1st-women-2nd/

For the past five years, the Rural Utah Project has been going door to door on the Navajo Nation teaching people how to use Plus Codes, an addressing system created by Google. Plus Codes are generated based on coordinates and serve as a good alternative to less standardized addresses many on the Navajo Nation were using previously. The project was intended to improve voter registration. But the new addresses also enable faster emergency services and better mail delivery.

Photo: Adaline Sneak used her new address to register her Life Alert system. Now, emergency responders will have an easier time finding her house. Photo by Emily Arntsen

//Show Notes:

https://maps.google.com/pluscodes/case-studies/rural-utah-project/

Powwows are meant to be safe spaces where Indigenous peoples can socialize and express themselves through song and dance. For some tribes, gender can limit what a person may perform. But those rules didn’t apply at the fourth annual Arizona Two Spirit Powwow held last weekend. Plus: the Moab Museum launches a new exhibit highlighting Japanese American incarceration in Utah, and Sema Hadithi explores the history of Black soldiers and veterans in the state. 

// Show Notes:

https://www.kzmu.org/two-spirit-powwow-celebrates-native-lgbtq-community/

Tribal officials and environmental justice groups have opposed three hydroelectric pumps in the Black Mesa region, saying the project would deplete already small groundwater reserves. Federal officials denied the project last week. Plus: Utahns shut down traffic in Salt Lake City in support of Palestine, conservation groups critique a new plan to help native fish in the Grand Canyon, and the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan offers a potential solution for how to save a shrinking Great Salt Lake. 

// Show Notes:

https://www.kzmu.org/feds-deny-hydroelectric-project-in-black-mesa/

On the latest Regional Roundup: an interview with the director of 'In the Dirt,' a documentary about mountain biking on the Navajo Nation. And, we hear about a weekly community dinner for seasonal workers and a creek that never freezes in winter.

Today on the News Reel we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent. We cover domestic violence in Grand County, which has the highest number of cases per capita in the state. We also discuss a new report that found that short-term rental profits in Moab increased by over 130 percent during the pandemic. And we finish off with a story about the recent fatality on Highway 191.

// Show Notes:

// Utah’s shelter crisis has gotten worse after a change meant to help domestic violence victims

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/utahs-shelter-crisis-has-gotten-worse-after-a-change-meant-to-help-domestic-violence-victims/

// Short-term rental profits skyrocketed over 130% during pandemic

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/short-term-rental-profits-skyrocketed-over-130-during-pandemic/

// MRH staff grieves for Relph

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/mrh-staff-grieves-for-relph/

Over recent weeks, community members have raised many questions over potential impacts from a 180 acre parcel along Kane Creek Boulevard slated for development. One question that local journalist Jon Kovash has: where’s the money flowing? Today on the news, we speak with Kovash about his research on developer donations to local politicians and their clout with Utah legislators. And: conservation groups oppose an effort to create a state water council. Plus: the Ute Mountain Ute tribe will open one of the largest solar farms in the United States.

// Show Notes:

https://www.kzmu.org/kane-creek-developers-wield-cash-connections-2/

Let's delve into the KZMU News audio archives. We zoom back to 2021, when community members living in trailers and other unique dwellings along Kane Creek Boulevard were evicted to make way for new development.

// Show Notes:

https://www.kzmu.org/audio-archives-charlie-wood-evictions/

On the latest Regional Roundup, an interview with Dr. Ethan Greene, the Director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, about trends in avalanches and what weather events lead to increased danger. Plus, we revisit our interview with a Moab resident who was a participant from the controversial 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment.

Today on the News Reel we talk to Sophia Fisher, reporter with the Times-Independent, about the mysterious origins of the new Kane Creek development's zoning code. We also talk about the airport’s new service to Phoenix, the local OHV community, and the history of the Old Spanish Trail in Moab, which is receiving new interpretive signage soon.

//County is investigating Kane Creek zoning

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/county-is-investigating-kane-creek-zoning/

//Moab's off-road community reflects on change and responsibility

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/moabs-off-road-community-reflects-on-change-and-responsibility/

//Moab's air service just switched — here's what you need to know

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/moabs-air-service-just-switched-heres-what-you-need-to-know/

//The Old Spanish Trail — so much more than an arena

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/the-old-spanish-trail-so-much-more-than-an-arena/