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Transmission & Streaming Disruptions

June 9th, 2017

Madelyn Beck/Inside Energy

Listen to the full show here.

Coal Jobs Return To Wyoming

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.

Spoken Words Preview

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.

Bob Beck retired from Wyoming Public Media after serving as News Director of Wyoming Public Radio for 34 years. During his time as News Director WPR has won over 100 national, regional and state news awards.
Before Wyoming, Cooper McKim has reported for NPR stations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and South Carolina. He's reported breaking news segments and features for several national NPR news programs. Cooper is the host of the limited podcast series Carbon Valley. Cooper studied Environmental Policy and Music. He's an avid jazz piano player, backpacker, and podcast listener.
Melodie Edwards is the host and producer of WPM's award-winning podcast The Modern West. Her Ghost Town(ing) series looks at rural despair and resilience through the lens of her hometown of Walden, Colorado. She has been a radio reporter at WPM since 2013, covering topics from wildlife to Native American issues to agriculture.
Tennessee -- despite what the name might make you think -- was born and raised in the Northeast. She most recently called Vermont home. For the last 15 years she's been making radio -- as a youth radio educator, documentary producer, and now reporter. Her work has aired on Reveal, The Heart, LatinoUSA, Across Women's Lives from PRI, and American RadioWorks. One of her ongoing creative projects is co-producing Wage/Working (a jukebox-based oral history project about workers and income inequality). When she's not reporting, Tennessee likes to go on exploratory running adventures with her mutt Murray.