Wyoming coal companies are out of bankruptcy and rehiring. President Trump's promise to put coal miners back to work appears to have come true in northeastern Wyoming where nearly 300 mining jobs have returned, bringing residents home and boosting local morale. Still, there’s a lot of uncertainty for the state and the coal industry overall. Inside Energy’s Madelyn Beck reports from Gillette at the heart of Wyoming’s Powder River Basin coal country.
New Federal Education Policy Hands Wyoming The Reins
In 2015, No Child Left Behind was replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act. Known as ESSA, it gives states more authority over K thru 12 education than they’ve had in nearly two decades. Now that the two year transition period is over, ESSA will take effect this fall. Wyoming Public Radio’s education reporter Tennessee Watson, takes a look at how Wyoming’s plan is taking shape.
Dubois Downtown Fire Rebuild's Ready For Rent
A historic gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks is making a comeback this summer after a fire devastated its downtown business district in December of 2014, burning down four buildings. Correspondent Leslie Stratmoen has more.
Art Exhibition "Topophilia" Explores And Expands The Myth Of The West
A new art exhibition at the University of Wyoming explores and expands what it means to live in and love the American West. TOPOPHILIA: A loving reconfiguration of the Mythology of our American West Through Studio Practices and Collaborative Projects was created by the founders of the Wyoming Art Party, a Laramie-based group of artists that aims to connect the community through art. I sat down with them to find out more about their latest work.
How Wyoming Leaders Might Change The Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act is threatened. Or at least facing significant reform. Momentum in Congress and in western states is building to make changes to the landmark regulation that protects threatened animal and plant species and their habitats. Wyoming Public Radio’s Cooper McKim reports.
Golden Eagles Losing Ground In Wyoming's Sagebrush Steppe
For nine years now, the Draper Museum in Cody has been studying golden eagles and what they mean for the dwindling sagebrush ecosystem where they live. That study will end next year so Wyoming Public Radio’s Melodie Edwards joined researchers on a trip to band eaglets and find out what all this research is revealing about this iconic species.
Long-Lost Bird Collection Becomes Treasure Trove For UW
Last year, a mysterious collection of stuffed birds was found at the Laramie high school. The discovery was perplexing at the time, but as Willow Belden reports, it ended up being a goldmine for scientists at the University of Wyoming.
K9s 4 Mobility Goes Beyond Sit And Stay
Several years ago Cheyenne residents Bob and Jill Jensen went looking for a service dog to assist Jill with her multiple sclerosis. Their search took them to Kansas City where they acquired their animal. The couple then wondered about developing a training facility for various types of service dogs in Cheyenne, which is unique in this region. Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck reports that happened five years ago and the program is thriving.
Wyoming Public Media is launching our newest podcast next week: it’s called Spoken Words…and it features authors writing from or about the mountain west. Here’s a preview to introduce us to the show, its producers, and some of the authors.