In March – Shopko – a small town version of Walmart. There is potential for it to hit Wyoming communities hard. But some communities are fighting back. We’ll have three stories on how Upper Colorado River Basin states, including Wyoming, are building more dams and pipelines to stave off coming droughts. Wyoming is more racially homogenous now than it’s ever been. We will also looking into issues surrounding the availability of public defenders. Those stories and more.

Open Spaces June 7, 2019

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

News

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.

Best of 2024 so far!

Today on the show, recent allegations of wolf abuse in the southwest part of the state have drawn attention from around the world. A massive operation by animal rescue groups has given 10 West Bank dogs a new life in Wyoming. Eastern Shoshone educator Ivan Posey has announced a run for House District 33, which includes part of the Wind River Reservation. And one Wyoming town is struggling financially to keep its recreation center afloat. Those stories and more.

Wolves, small town funding, and more

On today's show, we check in with both political parties on how they are hoping to get young voters more involved. We’ll hear from the Senate reading clerk about his job reading all of the bills in the Wyoming Legislature and his voice. We learn about a group of Black musicians that left a lasting musical influence on Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. And our podcast, "The Modern West," is out with a new season. This time, it's focusing on stories from Wyoming Public Radio reporters. Those stories and more.

Young voters, painted wind turbines, and more

Today on the show, we hear the final recording of Wyoming Public Media’s and WyoFile’s podcast that keeps track of the Wyoming legislative session: the "Cheyenne Roundup." A special guest helped moderate the discussion - you may recognize him from previous episodes of Open Spaces.

Open Spaces Presents: The Cheyenne Roundup

Today on the show, we follow along as a Shoshone elder teaches a younger tribal member the Shoshone language. White supremacist trolls have been interrupting the Laramie City Council with hateful, antisemitic comments. And, the University of Wyoming Symphony Orchestra traveled to Europe for the first time in 17 years. We get to go along too. Those stories and more.

Open Spaces June 7, 2019

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