KZMU News

After a recent discussion about possible failures in the sewer system, the city council indicated that they will raise sanitary sewer rates before the end of the year. They need money for necessary infrastructure maintenance after several revenue projections fell short. According to one of their advisors, Moab City is facing a ‘double whammy’ of higher costs and lower revenues. Plus, our radio partners report on a new program trying to capitalize on a high-end real estate market through investments in affordable housing projects.

Show Notes:

Photo: One of Moab City’s old concrete sewer pipes shows signs of erosion. City staff says about 60 percent of the city’s sewer pipes are over 50 years old.

10/6 Special City Council Meeting: Sanitary Sewer Rate Study Presentation and Workshop

https://moabcity.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10122021-1080

10/6 Special City Council Meeting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07znqqRsBG0

KHOL: New Voluntary Housing Fund Aims to Create a Culture of Giving Back

https://891khol.org/new-voluntary-housing-fund-aims-to-create-a-culture-of-giving-back/

The self-described ‘special ops' of conservation work, the organization Adventure Scientists recruits and trains volunteers with outdoor skills to collect important data. River runners have looked for microplastics, climbers have sampled glaciers and bicyclists have researched roadkill. Today on the news, we hear from an ‘adventure scientist’ volunteering at Swasey’s Beach on the Green River. Plus, registered voters in Moab City should expect their municipal ballot in the mail this week. And, our radio partners profile wetland habitat restoration work in our region.

Photo: Sean Tropsa is with Adventure Scientists, an organization recruiting and training volunteers with outdoor skills to collect important data. Tropsa is sampling salinity in the Green River, as well as noting any bank erosion and invasive plants.

Show Notes:

KZMU’s 2021 Candidate Roundtable

https://www.kzmu.org/kzmus-2021-candidate-roundtable/

Moab City 2021 Election Information

https://moabcity.org/236/Election-Information

Register to Vote

https://secure.utah.gov/voterreg/index.html

Have questions about Moab City’s election or voter registration? Contact the Moab City Recorder’s Office: 435-259-2683 or visit city hall at 217 E Center Street.

Adventure Scientists

https://www.adventurescientists.org

KUNC: Western settlers caused erosion in wet meadows. Now, volunteers are restoring these vital habitats

https://www.kunc.org/environment/2021-10-12/western-settlers-caused-erosion-in-wet-meadows-now-volunteers-are-restoring-these-vital-habitats

Another special newscast alert! On Monday evening, KZMU hosted a live radio event with all of the candidates running for mayor of Moab City: Sherri Costanza, Aaron Davies, Kent Green, Joette Langianese, Stephen Stocks, and Bill Winfield. We are now releasing this special program on our newscast! During this candidate event, they answer questions on their experience facilitating meetings and working collaboratively, restoring citizen confidence in Moab City, lobbying at the Utah Legislature, water issues, housing and more! Tune in.

Big thanks to the Grand County League of Women Voters for sponsoring this event. And thank you to The Times-Independent and the Moab Sun News for partnering with us.

Show Notes:

Live in Moab City? Register to Vote!

https://secure.utah.gov/voterreg/index.html

Moab City Election Info Portal

https://moabcity.org/236/Election-Information

Special newscast alert! On Monday evening, KZMU hosted a live radio event with all of the candidates running for city council: Anthony Charles, Josie Kovash, Mike McCurdy, Jason Taylor, and Luke Wojciechowski. We are now releasing this special program on our newscast! During this candidate event, they answer questions on property taxes, the police department, noise, housing, workforce shortages and more! Tune in.

Big thanks to the Grand County League of Women Voters for sponsoring this event. And thank you to The Times-Independent and the Moab Sun News for partnering with us.

Show Notes:

Live in Moab City? Register to Vote!

https://secure.utah.gov/voterreg/index.html

Moab City Election Info Portal

https://moabcity.org/236/Election-Information

Writer Jonathan Thompson’s new book, Sagebrush Empire, details the fight over public lands in Southeastern Utah. Today on the news, we speak with Thompson about the roots of this conflict, and what to expect after a restoration of Bears Ears National Monument. Plus, our radio partners highlight the beavers helping a watershed survive after wildfire.

Show Notes:

Photo: The Valley of the Gods area lost monument status in 2017 under the Trump Administration. After President Biden’s proclamation last week, it’s back under the Bears Ears National Monument designation. Credit US Bureau of Land Management

Today on the news - President Joe Biden signed proclamations last week to officially restore Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. After their restoration, Indigenous advocates in our region are hoping to keep up the momentum for other sacred sites in need of protection. And, a provocative new art show exploring what American democracy means for Indigenous people is open in Montrose, Colorado.

Show Notes:

Photo: Bears Ears National Monument in 2019, Courtesy Bruce Rinehart

KUER: Utah national monuments restored – Biden signs proclamations reversing Trump’s cuts

https://www.kuer.org/health-science-environment/2021-10-08/utah-national-monuments-restored-biden-signs-proclamations-reversing-trumps-cuts

Gregg Deal’s New Art Exhibit:

https://www.historycolorado.org/exhibit/gregg-deal-pyramid-lake-paiute-merciless-indian-savages

Today we conclude our first Lift Up: LGBTQ+ Visibility series with two storytellers, Sylvia Bentley and Matthew A. Jonassaint! KZMU is truly grateful to all the local storytellers who have shared their vulnerability, emotional truths, and resiliency on our airwaves throughout this project. We hope Lift Up has helped deepen understanding and empathy within our community and reinforced a sense of belonging. (And yes, we do plan to have a second Lift Up series in the future!)

Sylvia Bentley was born and raised in Moab but left when she was 18 to pursue a degree at the base of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah County. Later she found herself in the dry north coast of Peru digging up bones, which somehow landed her in the rainy north coast of Spain teaching English. About five years ago, she returned to the desert where her essence, soul and DNA feels at home. Since then, she has built on her DIY skills, served in local restaurants, started her own business and joined Grand County EMS. She spends her time with family and loved ones and occasionally wanders the desert, wondering how to chase the horizon and put down roots at the same time.

Matthew A. Jonassaint was born in the Utah Valley to Caribbean parents. As an undergrad he co-chaired his university's queer student association, and his capstone project involved archiving queer history, literature, philosophy and films. His work has been published in various places including peculiar – the first queer literary journal in Utah. He first landed in Moab during Pride Week in October 2012 and has been living here permanently since 2018. He works at the Grand County High School and Back of Beyond Books. He is also a community youth mentor and DJ at KZMU.

Ginger Allen and Serah Mead co-produced today’s piece.

And later, the Weekly News Reel, where we check in with reporters about their latest stories of the Moab area. Doug McMurdo of The Times-Independent discusses the second body camera footage of the August 12th Petitio-Laundrie incident in Moab, the Moab Valley Fire Protection District considering expanding, and Utah’s gender wage gap. Alison Harford of the Moab Sun News highlights their voter guide, which has information on candidates running for city council and mayor, as well as voter registration and ranked choice voting.

Show Notes:

Photo: Sylvia Bentley and Matthew A. Jonassaint are our final storytellers in KZMU’s first Lift Up: LGBTQ+ Visibility series. Sylvia returned to the desert about five years ago, where her essence, soul and DNA feels at home. Matthew first landed in Moab during Pride Week almost 10 years ago and works in youth education.

Lift Up: LGBTQ+ Visibility

https://www.kzmu.org/lift-up/

Music featured in today’s newscast includes:

Chicago by Scott Holmes Music

Pennies by Ketsa

Guestlist by Podington Bear

Weekly News Reel Mentions –

The Times-Independent: Advocate – MPD handled Petito stop ‘appropriately’

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/advocate-mpd-handled-petito-stop-appropriately/

The Times-Independent: Should Moab’s fire department expand to the Book Cliffs?

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/should-moabs-fire-department-expand-to-the-book-cliffs/

The Times-Independent: Utah’s gender wage gap ‘highest in the nation’

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/utahs-gender-wage-gap-highest-in-the-nation/

Moab Sun News 2021 Voter Guide:

https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_53221654-2977-11ec-9498-d79634d85cc3.html

In Moab, your state representative might be different than your neighbor's representative. That’s because the town is split into two state house districts. At a public hearing last night, some Moab residents told the Legislative Redistricting Committee this split dilutes Moab’s voice and makes it harder to advocate for local issues at a state level. Plus, several western water experts spoke before the US Senate about ongoing drought conditions. And, how one nonprofit in Southwest Colorado is trying to make small town housing affordable – by turning to factory-built homes.

Show Notes:

Photo: The Legislative Redistricting Committee is holding listening sessions on redistricting across the state. So is the bipartisan Utah Independent Redistricting Commission, which will draft maps to recommend to these lawmakers.

KUER: How Should Moab Be Represented In The State Legislature? Residents Weigh In At Legislative Redistricting Committee Hearing

https://www.kuer.org/politics-government/2021-10-07/how-should-moab-be-represented-in-the-state-legislature-residents-weigh-in-at-legislative-redistricting-committee-hearing

KUER: Redistricting – How Will Utah Redraw Political Maps?

https://www.kuer.org/redistricting-how-will-utah-redraw-political-maps

Utah Legislative Redistricting Committee

https://redistricting.utah.gov

Utah Independent Redistricting Commission

https://uirc.utah.gov

Utah Independent Redistricting Commission

Public Hearing on Oct 13 at 6pm

Moab City Hall

There’s a noticeable lack of Native-owned outfitters in this corner of Utah. But that’s now changing. Today on the news, we hit the trail with a new Navajo owned company to hear their take on outdoor recreation. Plus, Utah organizations are working together to find affordable housing for Afghan refugees. And, one mammal in our region is making its way toward an exciting recovery.

Show Notes:

Photo: Louis Williams is the guide and owner behind Ancient Wayves River and Hiking Adventures, a Navajo-led outfitter in San Juan County. Justin Higginbottom/KZMU

Ancient Wayves River and Hiking Adventures

https://www.tourancientwayves.com

Heat Diné Homes

https://www.gofundme.com/f/heat-dine-homes

https://www.facebook.com/heatdinehomes/

UPR: Organizations work together to find affordable housing for refugees

https://www.upr.org/post/organizations-work-together-find-affordable-housing-refugees#stream/0

In the small resort community of Big Sky, Montana, 78 percent of workers commute from outside the area. But a new program is trying to reverse that trend by paying property owners to rent to locals. Plus, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments for a complicated water battle. And, roads and fences – as well as a changing climate - threaten the future of the pronghorn.

Show Notes:

Photo: The unincorporated town of Big Sky, Montana, has just 3,000 full-time residents but can host 10,000 visitors at a time during the busy season. A new program is paying property owners to rent to locals, like Shannon Sears. Courtesy of Shannon Sears/KHOL

KHOL: In Big Sky, New Affordable Housing Program Pays Property Owners To Rent to Locals

https://891khol.org/in-big-sky-new-affordable-housing-program-pays-property-owners-to-rent-to-locals/

The Nature Conservancy & National Wildlife Federation: On The Move, Pronghorn Migrations Across Seasons

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/8ac8a3010ba5473f96343842dff2dc68