Open Spaces

Today on Open Spaces, the Wyoming Legislature has passed the halfway point in its 40-day general session. We’re taking this Open Spaces to focus on some big themes, like how some bills may end up affecting how Wyoming residents and businesses handle taxes. There are a lot of bills that will potentially affect K-12 school education. We talk to three stakeholders, including a teacher. And one bill could have Wyomng join 19 other states in calling for a rare convention proposing amendments to the U.S. Constitution. They specifically want to limit federal powers, but some think the event could go awry. Those stories and more.

This week on Open Spaces, Wyoming lawmakers might roll back a sales tax on electricity, which would save us money but could cripple small towns. That’s a revenue they depend on to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. Grizzly bears are still considered threatened in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but scientists say the population has recovered. A new exhibition offers an intimate look into the lives of creative ranching women at the turn of the 20th Century. And, of course, we’ll have our weekly check-in on the Wyoming Legislature with the Cheyenne Roundup. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, we’ll hear about a bill that seeks to “make carbon dioxide great again." It would stop a lot of Wyoming’s climate change mitigation efforts, but that doesn’t mean an emissions free for all. Big movie theater chains may be closing their doors across the country. But, in some small towns in our region, theaters are still vibrant community hubs. And, we hear some tips on keeping your brain healthy and reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, a little lake north of Pinedale has long been treasured by locals for fishing. But this fall, something happened... it turned red. There’s going to be an influx of new faces at the Wyoming Capitol this month after a slate of newcomers beat out incumbents in recent elections. And we have the story of how a group of Green River High School students wrote a proclamation to make January 5th Nellie Tayloe Ross Day. Those stories and more.Editor's note: This audio has been updated to correct a misstatement.

Welcome to our year-in-review of Open Spaces. Today we have a batch of stories our reporters picked as their top news items of last year. We’ll hear how wildfire managers anticipated a busy summer after a flurry of spring burns got the season started early. We’ll revisit the early days of a program that aims to work with Native families to address grief and intergenerational trauma. And we’ll dive back into the mysterious illness that left dozens of cows nearly unrecognizable. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, we’ll hear from county firefighters reflecting this past year’s massive wildfires, and about some food sovereignty projects on the Wind River Reservation. We’ll tag along with a long time Sublette county local for a very unique kind of Christmas tree hunt…Those stories and more on Open Spaces.

Today on the show, tourism in the Cody area hasn’t kept up with other Yellowstone gateway towns. We’ll hear how the town is changing up its marketing strategy to reflect that. Employers in the Cowboy State are getting creative with how they house workers. And for some, that means trucking in homes from factories. And, Miss Wyoming talks about the importance of sports and more open conversations about mental health. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, more than a decade ago, Wyoming Republicans backed a change to the state constitution, which gave people the right to make their own healthcare decisions. It was meant to signal disapproval of the Affordable Care Act. That amendment was just used to strike down two near-total abortion bans in the state. Climate change, the energy transition, and affording everyday life are all big topics on our minds. How that all might be affected in Wyoming with Donald Trump as our next president. And we hear about bringing the more-than-a-hundred-year-old remains of an Eastern Shoshone boy back to the Wind River Reservation from an East Coast boarding school. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, the results of the election are in and The Wyoming Freedom Caucus now has a majority of seats in the House. One legislator says it’s going to be interesting. A Lakota historian reflects on how the railroad impacted bison habitat. In football, the Cowboys' running back, Sam Scott, flipped to the other side of the ball and is contributing in big ways this season. Plus, a rare disease popped up in Carbon County - how the handling of it has upset locals. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, as we gear up for the general election, we dive into how ballots get counted and how elections get certified. In an effort to lower their carbon footprints, people in our region are building homes out of straw bales. Students took a trip to a creek outside of Cheyenne with ties to a 19th Century treaty. Plus, we hear about how Grizzly 399 was managed differently than other bears. Those stories and more.