KZMU News

Today we revisit an audio portrait from the KZMU News Archive. Molly Marcello speaks with local feline hero Travis Garcia, otherwise known as Cat Daddy.

//Original broadcast:

https://www.kzmu.org/travis-cat-daddy-garcia-audio-portrait/

Moab received a lot of water this year. You might assume that would make for a bad mosquito season this summer. Shanon Amsberry of the Moab Mosquito Abatement District gives us the run-down on what to expect from these bugs in the coming months. We also hear from Maggie McGuire, editor of the Moab Sun News, who gives us a summary of what happened at this week’s Moab City Council meeting.

// Plus, the Weekly News Reel! Doug McMurdo of The Times-Independent discusses a ‘bumper crop’ of fire fuels, two critical vacancies at the Grand County Attorney’s Office and the graduating class of 2023. Alison Harford of the Moab Sun News talks about running ephemeral rivers, a returning exhibit about Glen Canyon and the upcoming ‘High Water’ series at the Moab Music Festival.

//Show Notes:

//Photo: Shanon Amsberry checks for mosquito larvae in a swamp in Moab.

//Moab Mosquito Abatement District

https://www.moabmad.org/

//Recording of the Moab City Council Meeting for 5.23.23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbFYQvz5Ks8

//Weekly News Reel Mentions:

// The Times-Independent: Another result of high water?

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/another-result-of-high-water-high-fire-danger/

// The Times-Independent: Stocks loses two attorneys on same day

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/stocks-loses-two-attorneys-on-same-day/

// The Times-Independent: Lillian Scott, valedictorian and Salutatorian Maggie Groene reflect on their years long friendship

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/lillian-scott-valedictorian-and-salutatorian-maggie-groene-reflect-on-their-years-long-friendship/

// Moab Sun News: Moab’s river community heads to short lived waterways

https://moabsunnews.com/2023/05/25/moabs-river-community-heads-to-short-lived-waterways/

// Moab Sun News: New exhibit follows Ken Sleight’s trips down Glen Canyon

https://moabsunnews.com/2023/05/25/glen-canyon-exhibit/

// Moab Sun News: Moab Music Festival brings back “High Water” series

https://moabsunnews.com/2023/05/25/mmf-high-water-2023/

Before it closed in 2019, the Kayenta Mine provided high-paying jobs to Navajo coal miners who lived nearby. But some say that working there, and at other coal mines across the Navajo Nation, has given miners lasting health problems, including black lung disease. Our radio partners at KSJD went on a tour of the Kayenta Surface Mine in northeastern Arizona with a former miner. And, states that rely on the Colorado River have come up with a short-term proposal to cut their use in exchange for federal funding. Plus, a new report says beekeeping is not exactly easy in the Beehive state.

// Show Notes:

// Photo: Alex Osif is a former coal miner who worked at the Kayenta and Black Mesa mines. He's currently a black lung benefits counselor at Canyonlands Healthcare in Page, Arizona. KSJD

// KUNC: Three Colorado River states propose new water cuts

https://www.kunc.org/news/2023-05-23/three-colorado-river-states-propose-new-water-cuts

// KSJD: In the Kayenta Mine, coal miner Alex Osif recalls community of Navajo miners impacted by black lung

https://www.ksjd.org/2023-05-24/in-the-kayenta-mine-coal-miner-alex-osif-recalls-community-of-navajo-miners-now-beset-by-black-lung

// UPR: Beekeepers have it hard in Utah, report says

https://www.upr.org/utah-news/2023-05-19/beekeepers-have-it-hard-in-utah-report-says

Lift Up continues! This KZMU storytelling project intends to deepen understanding and empathy within our community and reinforce a sense of safety and belonging for all.

// Our next Lift Up storyteller is Alison Anders. They like to spend their time exploring, cooking with friends, creating art, and instigating dance parties. A passionate outdoor educator and environmental steward, Alison finds purpose in community building through the outdoors.

// This episode of Lift Up was produced by Ginger Cyan with support from KZMU.

// Find Lift Up Season 2 here:

www.kzmu.org/lift-up-season-2/

// // Music in this interview is Chilling Stylish Lo-Fi Instrumental_Breakfast in Paris by Alex Productions, Lo-Fi Beat_Coffee by Alex-Productions, No One Is Perfect by Holizna CC, Snowfall by Independent Music Licensing Collective, Solace with Sorrow by Independent Music Licensing Collective, Spring Sun by Independent Music Licensing Collective and Come to my Bonfire by Independent Music Licensing Collective. Lift Up intro music is Chicago by Scott Holmes Music and outro music is Only Knows by Broke for Free.

// Image Description: Alison Anders, a person with long hair wearing glasses and a black cap, sits across the table from a microphone.

Biologists from the University of Arizona were in Moab at the Matheson Wetlands looking for American Yellow Warblers and Southwestern Willow Flycatchers last week. They want to know if the pitch of a bird’s song can tell us more about a bird’s overall health. Plus, Moab closes campgrounds along the Colorado River because of dangerously high water. We also hear from Alex Hager at KUNC, who explored the exposed terrain around Lake Powell before this spring’s runoff replenished the reservoir. And Maggie McGuire of the Moab Sun News previews what’s to come at today’s Moab City Council meeting.

//Photo: Sean Mahoney untangles an American Yellow Warbler from a net in the Matheson Wetlands.

//Show Notes:

//Sean Mahoney, research scientist at University of Arizona

https://seanmahoneyresearch.weebly.com/

//KUNC: At Lake Powell, record low water levels reveal an amazing silver lining

https://www.kunc.org/news/2023-05-22/at-lake-powell-record-low-water-levels-reveal-an-amazing-silver-lining

//Moab City Council Meeting Agenda

https://moabcity.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05232023-1184?html=true

It’s Regional Roundup Monday! Today we feature a new, biweekly production of the Rocky Mountain Community Radio Coalition, of which KZMU is a proud member. Today’s show features a roundtable with two reporters on predatory sober living homes targeting Indigenous communities throughout the Rocky Mountain West. Plus, an interview with a regional endurance athlete who wrote a new book on his father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

New mountain lion hunting laws went into effect in Utah at the beginning of May. The laws now allow year-round, unlimited cougar hunting despite a decline in cougar numbers in recent years. Plus, Grand County School District is closed today and Monday following a Norovirus outbreak. We also hear from our partners at KUER about a state-wide initiative to fund outdoor recreation.

//Photo: New mountain lion hunting laws now allow for unlimited, year-round hunting despite a decline in cougar numbers. Courtesy of Carolyn Witson via Flickr.

//Show Notes:

//2023 Utah Cougar Guidebook

https://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/2023-24_cougar.pdf

//KUER: Utah is working on a recreation plan to ease crowding, climate and other pressures

https://www.kuer.org/health-science-environment/2023-05-12/utah-is-working-on-a-recreation-plan-to-ease-crowding-climate-and-other-pressures

Plus, the Weekly News Reel! Sophia Fisher of The Times-Independent discusses one woman’s heroic efforts to save a BASE jumper, the retirement of local NPS Superintendent Patty Trapp, a potential new density bonus in Grand County and this fall’s solar eclipse. Alison Harford of the Moab Sun News talks about new research into dying old-growth ponderosa pine trees on Ray Mesa. Plus, she profiles the community-building Castle Valley ping pong club.

Weekly News Reel Mentions:

// The Times-Independent: Barry recounts her heroic efforts to save BASE jumper

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/barry-recounts-her-heroic-efforts-to-save-base-jumper/

// The Times-Independent: Superintendent of Arches, Canyonlands retiring at end of June

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/superintendent-of-arches-canyonlands-retiring-at-end-of-june/

// The Times-Independent: Public hearing Monday on new density bonus

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/public-hearing-monday-on-new-density-bonus/

// The Times-Independent: The ‘ring of fire’ comes to canyon country

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/the-ring-of-fire-comes-to-canyon-country/

// Moab Sun News: Why are the Ray Mesa ponderosa pine trees dying?

https://moabsunnews.com/2023/05/18/why-are-the-ray-mesa-ponderosa-pine-trees-dying/

// Moab Sun News: Castle Valley ping pong club switches to pickleball for the summer

https://moabsunnews.com/2023/05/18/castle-valley-ping-pong-club/

A group of conservationists are working to remove flammable vegetation from a section of Pack Creek that runs through town as fire season approaches. A particularly wet winter led to a boom in invasive plants this spring. Once these plants dry out, they become dangerous tinder for potential fires. We also hear from our partners at UPR about the death of twenty California condors due to avian flu. Some of these endangered birds died in Utah. Plus, we hear from KDNK about a recent Colorado River meeting to discuss the state of the waterway across the West.

//Photo: A group of conservationists are removing flammable, invasive plants from the banks of Pack Creek in anticipation of fire season.

//Show Notes:

//Reducing wildfire risks at home

https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/Blogs-Landing-Page/Fire-Break/Blog-Posts/2023/02/09/Protect-Your-Home-From-Wildfire-With-Free-Online-Learning-From-NFPA

//UPR: Twenty endangered California Condors have died of avian flu this year

https://www.upr.org/utah-news/2023-05-10/twenty-endangered-california-condors-have-died-of-avian-flu-this-year

//KDNK: State of the River debrief with the Sopris Sun's Olivia Emmer

https://www.kdnk.org/2023-05-11/state-of-the-river-debrief-with-the-sopris-suns-olivia-emmer

In a visit to Grand County High School this week, Utah Governor Spencer Cox spoke with students about their worries. Grand’s kids shared their concerns about school safety, social media impacts and heading into the adult world after graduation. Rounding out a statewide tour of local high schools across the state, Governor Cox says these in-person conversations will absolutely inform his future agenda. Plus, a new project in Colorado is trying to bridge the water divide – starting with the youngest water users.

// Photo: Governor Spencer Cox chatting with students at Grand County High School on Monday. His visit was part of the Connecting Utah Tour, an opportunity for the Governor to meet in-person with students across the state.

Grand County is looking to spend an estimated $650 to $850,000 on economic diversification projects in the next six weeks. That’s because come July…it will be illegal to do so. Today on the news, we hear about the county's plans to spend some transient room tax dollars on a short deadline. Plus, the Southeast Utah Health Department is currently investigating a possible outbreak of norovirus at Grand County schools. And later, our radio partners report on expanding renewable energy development on the Navajo Nation and the Moab Sun News previews the Grand County Commission agenda.

// Show Notes:

// Photo: A mural in downtown Moab depicts different outdoor-recreation activities. Grand County's staff and elected officials are looking to spend economic diversification monies by July. 

// Economic Diversification Info & Survey

https://grandcountyconnects.com/economic-diversification

// Southeast Utah Health Department 3/16 Norovirus Release

https://4.files.edl.io/bb49/05/16/23/024037-0be5523b-9e84-4294-9c6f-693b5e3f55a6.pdf

// Grand County 3/16 Agenda

https://grandcountyut.portal.civicclerk.com/event/22/overview