Open Spaces

Today on the show, we reach beyond our studios and bring you interviews from Wyoming PBS’ "Wyoming Chronicle." On this week’s show, we go behind the scenes of the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra with music director Christopher Dragon.And back in 2019, Wyoming doctors were trying to get telehealth integrated in the state.

Today on the show, a grizzly bear was mistakenly killed near Cody earlier this month. Are black bear hunters educated well enough? As the Colorado River shrinks, one of its largest reservoirs is at a record low. Before Lake Powell gets a big springtime boost, dropping water has revealed an otherworldly landscape. And, a mining company may have found the largest known deposit of rare earth minerals in North America in Southeast Wyoming.

Today on the show, it's the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, a landmark and sometimes controversial law in the world of wildlife conservation. Extreme weather events are affecting birds’ migration patterns, so University of Wyoming researchers recently began using a tracking device that is light enough to attach to small songbirds. And we learn about cowboys in Italy that have a unique connection to American cowboys. And Jackson Hole now has a local TV station devoted to the Spanish-speaking community. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, we reach beyond our studios and bring you interviews from Wyoming PBS’ Wyoming Chronicle. On this week’s show, we meet a photo outfitter who goes out to the backcountry with photographers looking for wildlife. And we hear a conversation with the current State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Today on the show, Yellowstone’s east entrance is now open and the superintendent is hoping for a normal year. Teton County continues to grapple with funding new housing efforts – and local advocates are working to help people with disabilities. A University of Wyoming researcher is using his knowledge of tardigrades to make vaccines more resilient to temperature. And we chat with our general manager on how Wyoming Public Media is funded. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, one of the main utilities in Wyoming is proposing an increase in rates because of unforeseen costs largely due to extreme weather. Plans to track spending for visitors and participants at this year’s National High School Finals Rodeo have caused some concern. But officials say people shouldn’t be worried. And ground breaking research from the University of Wyoming has found that Indigenous people were using horses earlier than previously thought. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, we reach beyond our studios and bring you interviews from Wyoming PBS’ Wyoming Chronicle. On this week’s show, we meet Wyoming’s Chief Justice Kate Fox. She says she didn’t have a plan for her future when she was young. And then we go to a ranch in Clearmont where the world companion stock dog lives - a border collie named Quirt.

Today on the show, Wyoming communities were recently hit with false active shooter reports. And even though the threats are fake, the consequences from them are real. Due to the harsh winter, Southwest Wyoming is seeing unprecedented deaths of mule deer and antelope. People can count them from the sides of roads. The Colorado River is under a lot of stress. That’s caused a lot of tension among the people who decide how it’s shared. But a new project is trying to change those attitudes, starting with the region’s youngest water users. And a conversation with a celebrated Wyoming woman artist. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, we check in with two leaders of the legislature on how they felt it went. Because the legislature didn’t expand Medicaid, some say Wyoming’s rural hospitals are in trouble. Plus, Wyoming is the latest state to ban transgender girls from playing on female sports teams. The Cowboy State’s beauty has inspired many musicians. But the vastness can also present challenges. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, we reach beyond our studios and bring you interviews from Wyoming PBS’ show "Wyoming Chronicle." On this week’s show, we meet some Wyoming school resource officers - law enforcement officers working in schools. Then we turn to the University of Wyoming’s rare earth element research program, which is seeing whether its production could be economically beneficial to the state.

Today on the show, abortions were illegal in the state for a few days early this week, but they are legal once more. Some say the battle is far from over. Due to a teacher resignation earlier this school year, students at Newcastle High School have had to adapt to virtual learning for math classes. The University of Wyoming has graduates across the world. And sometimes, that connection helps others get their start. And we’ll hear from the host of the new season of Wyoming Public Media’s podcast HumaNature. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, how, with Lake Powell at record lows, the federal government is paying farmers not to irrigate. We’ll also tag along on one of the hardest endurance races in the lower 48. We’ll also hear how the city of Boulder is considering giving tribes some land as reparations for the Sand Creek Massacre. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, we reach beyond our studios and bring you interviews from Wyoming PBS’ show "Wyoming Chronicle." A group of people came together about 20 years ago in Rock Springs and founded a community theater group dedicated to producing plays that normally wouldn’t be seen in Wyoming. And we go down to Laramie, where we learn how the town was able to receive the “Great American Main Street” award last year.

Today on the show, we have come to the end of the Wyoming 67th legislative session. Three of our reporters bring us a recap. We check in with the Wyoming federal delegation including newly sworn-in congresswoman Harriet Hageman. We’ll hear how Wyomingites feel about the future of energy and how that plays into their everyday values. And Colorado state parks are increasing accessibility with technology. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, we hear from former Democratic Wyoming governor Dave Freudenthal. His book looks at the history of the state’s economy. We visit Rock Springs, which is expecting a lot of job growth. One community college is training students to fill that need. Plus, we hear about the newest podcast by Serial Productions based on a cold murder case in Laramie. Those stories and more.

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.

Today on the show, the legislature is considering some bills that are turning off healthcare providers from coming and practicing in Wyoming. In January, communities nationwide try to count their homeless population. The number is on the rise in Gillette. Plus we speak to a Northern Arapaho singer/songwriter about his new music video. Those stories and more.

Today on the show, the second week of the legislative session has ended. If passed, a bill may soon protect a little-known archeological site in eastern Wyoming. Plus, policymakers are considering a bill they hope will stall the anticipated decline of coal. And it's been some 80 years since Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps throughout our region…one is set to be restored by the National Park Service. Join us for these stories and more.

Today on the show, the Wyoming 67th legislative session has begun. We spoke with a few of the leader policymakers. Across the west, bighorn sheep are at risk of catching pneumonia. Wyoming researchers are trying to understand why different herds react differently. And the federal government has been looking for solutions to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people, but progress has been slow. Those stories and more.

Today, we’re looking back at our stories from 2022. The newsroom picked a couple of our favorites. We’ll hear about how two hospitals in the state cut pregnancy services this year. A team at the University of Wyoming is trying to help return cultural artifacts in museums to their rightful owners. And we look into how rising temperatures can affect the livestock industry. Those stories and more.