KZMU News

Nearly 70 percent of American households have a pet, and many of them are dogs. In Moab, both residents and visitors are not just enjoying their dogs in their homes, but also outdoors on local trails. And just like other recreation enthusiasts, dogs can have an impact on the environment - especially when it comes to leaving paw-prints and waste on the desert soils. Today on the news, reporter Ashley Bunton explores these impacts and what local experts think we can do about them.

Show Notes:

Photo: Dogs Juniper, Maggie, and Karma on the trail in Moab. Their owners’ hiking tip is to keep dogs on a leash, especially when another dog or person is approaching.

Traveling with Your Pet in Moab

https://www.discovermoab.com/pet-information/

KZMU’s new project – Lift Up: LGBTQ+ Visibility – continues today, bringing another storyteller to share their personal experience and reflections on our airwaves. We are hopeful Lift Up: LGBTQ+ Visibility helps deepen understanding and empathy within our community and reinforces a sense of belonging.

Our second LGBTQ+ storyteller is Nicole Croke, a lover of art and the outdoors who has called Moab home for the past four years. Nicole uses she/they pronouns. They currently work in environmental conservation, managing logistics for field crews and hope that by showing up as a queer woman in a leadership role, they can help the field feel more accessible to a broader group of people. When they aren't teaching young adults to operate chainsaws or identify invasive species, they enjoy rafting, crafting, and soaking up desert sun.

Thank you Ginger Allen and Serah Mead, who co-produced today's piece.

Plus, the Weekly News Reel, where we check in with reporters on their latest local coverage. Carter Pape of The Times-Independent discusses the resignation of the Moab Area Travel Council chair, the Grand County Attorney’s effort to end the death penalty in Utah, as well as a new article on the double homicide in the Moab area. Alison Harford of the Moab Sun News highlights the Walnut Lane affordable development returning to phase one, city council members’ concern over the city manager’s resignation, and the upcoming Green River Melon Days and the Moab Festival of Science.

Show Notes:

Photo: Nicole Croke is our second storyteller in KZMU’s Lift Up: LGBTQ+ Visibility project. Nicole currently works in environmental conservation, managing logistics for field crews. They hope that by showing up as a queer woman in a leadership role, they can help the field feel more accessible to a broader group of people. Courtesy Nicole Croke

Lift Up: LGBTQ+ Visibility

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

Music featured in today’s newscast includes:

Guestlist by Podington Bear

Wallow by Ketsa

Only Knows by Broke For Free

Weekly News Reel –

The Times-Independent: Travel council chair – Grand ‘opts out’ of intent of law

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/travel-council-chair-grand-opts-out-of-intent-of-law/

The Times-Independent: Sloan joins effort to end death penalty in Utah

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/sloan-joins-effort-to-end-death-penalty-in-utah/

The Times-Independent: Warrant reveals additional details in double homicide

*Advisory: This Article Contains Graphic Details That Might Be Upsetting*

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/officers-discovered-slain-couple-partially-undressed/

Moab Sun News: Back to the drawing board at Walnut Lane – City Council frustrated as project returns to phase one

https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_180d7752-1739-11ec-97ca-13008751bdf0.html

Moab Sun News: ‘Dysfunction’ between city council, administration – Council members concerned about communication after staff resigns

https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_bbfbab90-1734-11ec-8014-9f3a394a99c0.html

Moab Sun News: Melon days are here again ¬ – Popular annual Green River Festival is back

https://www.moabsunnews.com/get_out_and_go/article_f4721be8-1767-11ec-88df-2737a3bde0ee.html

Moab Sun News: Free five-day celebration of local science – Moab Festival of Science features keynote on climate change

https://www.moabsunnews.com/get_out_and_go/article_2c2b9012-174c-11ec-b8cb-ef8cbded1456.html

A federal infrastructure bill making its way through Congress may allocate billions of dollars to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells. KZMU’s Justin Higginbottom reports on what that could mean for Utah. And, most people want to build their way out of America’s affordable housing crisis. But as our radio partners report, there may be ways to make existing homes more affordable.

Show Notes:

Photo: Abandoned pumpjack in southeastern New Mexico. Credit JN Stuart/Creative Commons

On Saturday, Niagara Rockbridge was crowned as the 69th Miss Navajo Nation. Large in-person gatherings in the Navajo Nation are currently prohibited due to the ongoing pandemic, so the event was streamed live online. As Miss Navajo Nation, Rockbridge will speak as a leader, teacher, and counselor. Plus, a report on what Estonia has to do with uranium processing in San Juan County. And, state officials say they need millions more federal dollars for water infrastructure issues.

Show Notes:

Photo: Niagara Rockbridge of Piñon, Arizona is Miss Navajo Nation 2021-2022. Credit Office of Miss Navajo Nation

KUER: Utah Has $100 Million of Federal Aid Money To Spend On Water, But It Needs 10 Times That

https://www.kuer.org/politics-government/2021-09-15/utah-has-100-million-of-federal-aid-money-to-spend-on-water-but-it-needs-10-times-that

KSJD: Niagara Rockbridge Is Crowned In The Miss Navajo Nation Pageant

https://www.ksjd.org/podcast/ksjd-local-newscasts/2021-09-14/niagara-rockbridge-is-crowned-in-the-miss-navajo-nation-pageant

Office of Miss Navajo Nation

https://www.omnn.navajo-nsn.gov

Ballooning visitation to Arches National Park in recent years is causing parking congestion and crowding. Staff says the situation is negatively impacting public safety, visitor experiences, and the natural resources that they are there to protect. Now, Arches National Park is considering piloting a timed entry system for spring 2022. Plus, our radio partners report on the complexities of affordable housing inventory in southwest Colorado.

Show Notes:

Photo: A still from the ‘Arches Traffic Tips’ video on the Arches National Park webpage

Arches Visitor Use, Access, and Experience Project Page

https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=103740

Arches Traffic & Travel Tips

https://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/traffic.htm

Arches National Park Monthly Use Report

https://irma.nps.gov/STATS/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Monthly%20Public%20Use?Park=ARCH

KSJD: Affordable Housing Developments Are Going Up In Southwest Colorado. But They Can’t Solve The Housing Crisis Alone.

https://www.ksjd.org/2021-08-04/affordable-housing-developments-are-going-up-in-southwest-colorad-but-they-cant-solve-the-housing-crisis-alone

The first annual Red Sand Powwow was held over the weekend at the Old Spanish Trail Arena grounds, bringing dance, music, and community to the Moab valley. Organizers hoped the powwow would promote healing while strengthening relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. And later, our radio partners report on the Great Salt Lake’s lowered water levels affecting wildlife in the region.

Show Notes:

Photo: Jingle Dress dancers at the 2021 Red Sand Powwow. Credit SLC Air Protectors

SLC Air Protectors – Red Sand Powwow

https://slcairprotectors.org/red-sand-powwow/

Tapahe Photography: Art Heals – The Jingle Dress Project

https://tapahe.com/jingle-dress-project.html

UPR: The Great Salt Lake Is Low, What Does This Mean For Wildlife?

https://www.upr.org/post/great-salt-lake-low-what-does-mean-wildlife#stream/0

In light of the recent double homicide of a queer couple in our area, KZMU recognizes the need for voices and stories from LGBTQ+ community members to be featured and shared over our airwaves. We are launching a new project called ‘Lift Up: LGBTQ+ Visibility.’ Interviews with LGBTQ+ locals will appear in the newscast, and we will soon have a dedicated page on our website to their stories and this project. We hope Lift Up: LGBTQ+ Visibility helps deepen understanding and empathy within our community and reinforces a sense of belonging.

Our first LGBTQ+ storyteller is Laura DeFrain, a trauma-informed yoga, climbing, and mindfulness instructor currently living on Ute Land (Moab, UT). They have never considered themselves to be particularly ‘athletic’ but they developed a passion for intuitive movement on their own trauma-healing journey. They began teaching in an effort to help support others in healing and also cultivate more queer and non-binary representation in both climbing and yoga.

Many thanks to Ginger Allen and Serah Mead, who are producing today’s piece.

And later, the Weekly News Reel where we discuss some of the latest stories about our local area with the reporters who wrote them. The Times-Independent’s Doug McMurdo reports on Moab City Police Department’s ‘institutional’ body camera misuse and the resignation of city manager Joel Linares. The Moab Sun News’ Alison Harford discusses mask mandates in Utah, progress on the new USU-Moab campus, and an event bringing bagpipes to downtown.

Show Notes:

Photo: Laura DeFrain is our first storyteller in KZMU’s Lift Up: LGBTQ+ Visibility project. Laura began teaching intuitive movement in an effort to help support others in healing and also cultivate more queer and non-binary representation in both climbing and yoga. Courtesy Laura DeFrain

Music featured in today’s newscast includes:

‘Pennies’ by Ketsa

‘Chicago’ by Scott Holmes Music

‘Upbeat Funk Pop’ by Scott Holmes Music

Weekly News Reel Mentions –

The Times-Independent: Updated Sept. 9 – Linares resigns

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/linares-resigns/

The Times-Independent: Judge Torgerson – MPD body camera misuse ‘detrimental to fair process’

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/judge-torgerson-mpd-body-camera-misuse-detrimental-to-fair-process/

Moab Sun News: Grand County High cancels class due to COVID outbreak

https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_7dbe9086-0e65-11ec-acfb-d7eac5f7f517.html

*more stories from the Moab Sun News will be added when available online*

Masks are now a requirement for all students, faculty, and staff at Grand County’s schools. The 30-day mandate was enacted after Grand County High School was temporarily closed when an outbreak of COVID-19 affected teaching staff. Plus, August Granath is new economic development director for Grand County. He replaces his former manager Elaine Gizler, who left the position in August to serve in a similar role in San Juan County. And, the Bureau of Land Management is once again leasing public land to the oil and gas industry. But what happens if someone bids on the land with no plan for development? Today on the news.

Show Notes:

Photo: Grand County’s new economic development director, August Granath. He has spent the last six months working as the business development specialist for the county.

Science: Allow ‘nonuse rights’ to conserve natural resources

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abi4573

Grand County School District: Covid Update – Important – Classes Cancelled for High School Sept.7th-Sept.10th

https://www.grandschools.org/apps/news/article/1489786

Local COVID-19 Information

https://www.seuhealth.com

Grand County: Economic Development Department Director Announced

https://www.kzmu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/ED-Director-PR-9-8-21.docx

During the news last week, we spent some time with actor George Takei and composer Kenji Bunch on their new performance 'Lost Freedom: A Memory.' Debuting at the Moab Music Festival last weekend, the piece chronicles Takei’s early childhood spent in Japanese American confinement. Today we have a feature story on their performance, Takei’s visit to the former Moab Isolation Center site, and his lifelong activism to prevent racism through art.

Photo: George Takei onsite at the former Moab Isolation Center. The artist activist has made many pilgrimages to former confinement camps that held Japanese American civilians during WWII. Courtesy Richard Bowditch

For a transcript of this story and more photos, click here: https://www.kzmu.org/wednesday-september-8-2021/

Kylen Schulte and her wife Crystal Turner were found murdered three weeks ago outside of Moab. As the community grieves, authorities search for clues to their deaths. Kylen’s father recently arrived in Moab hoping to gather tips and attend his daughter’s memorial. Today on the news, an interview with Sean-Paul Schulte.

Show Notes:

If you have information that may be relevant to the double homicide, please call the Grand County Sheriff’s Office at 435-259-8115. According to GCSO, there is currently a $20,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) involved.

For a transcript of this interview, click here:

https://www.kzmu.org/tuesday-september-7-2021/?fbclid=IwAR3i_z5WDRkyuqwLEErYGokAkSNm3jp-FVW0jT3Q2yl-x4gDkpl_-ypZfx0