Today on the show, three of our reporters spent time in Cheyenne this week covering the legislature. We’ll hear about how lawmakers are tackling energy - they’re looking at both renewables and more traditional fossil fuels. Mental health advocates believe another bill going through the legislature will be vital to help the suicide rate in the state. And anti-abortion lawmakers worried a bill could help the other side, but an amendment changed that. Plus - we hear about the newest season of the modern west podcast. Those stories and more.

Open Spaces, February 10, 2023

A news and public affairs program about Wyoming and the Mountain West.

News

Today on the show, We’ll hear from best selling author CJ Box. He writes stories about wildlife and hunting culture in Wyoming and has thoughts on the recent wolf incident in Sublette County. Wyomingites need solutions for affordable rental housing, and fast. Cheap housing is growing scarce. Preserving posters printed more than 100 years ago can be a challenge, and a new exhibition looks at how to ensure the preservation of Buffalo Bill-era posters. Those stories and more.

Sublette wolf, Buffalo Bill, and more

This week, we reach beyond our studios and bring you interviews from Wyoming PBS’ "Wyoming Chronicle." It’s an election year and there are a couple of new rules. The Secretary of State talks in detail on the new rules and the reasoning behind them. And a vertical farm operation has put roots down in the state and is focused on how to make sure there’s a production method in the world's back pocket for a future where agricultural production is less stable and more expensive.

Open Spaces: Wyoming Chronicle

Today on the show, a conservative student group at the University of Wyoming has become a significant presence in campus politics. Almost a third of families with single moms live in poverty in the state and one organization is helping to change that. And we learn about how a couple decides to buy a record shop in Cheyenne – despite competition from national chains and a tough environment for small shops. Those stories and more.

UW football, supporting single moms, and more

Today on the show, Wyoming is the only state to feed elk every year depending on snowpack. A newly finalized plan gets the ball rolling for reimagining what that might look like going forward. A federal agency wants to revoke management of lands on the Wind River Reservation. Muddy Ridge could go to the BLM, or to the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes. We take a ride on a snow plow in Grand Teton National Park during one of the biggest storms of the season and hear about one leader’s efforts to prioritize his crew’s mental health. Plus - we learn about how Wyoming judges are dealing with a rise of threats. Those stories and more.

Elk feedgrounds, comic strip controversy, and more

Today on the show, the newsroom is celebrating our successful fund drive with some of our favorite stories from this year so far. The FBI started a new initiative to gather more data about cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous people in Wyoming. We’ll hear from the Senate reading clerk about his job, and his voice. And Wyoming leads the nation in self-employed businesses. We hear from some. Those stories and more.

Open Spaces, February 10, 2023

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