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January 8th, 2016

Miles Bryan

Listen to the full show here.

In Rural Wyoming, Cops Learn New Skills To Deal With Mental Health Crises

When someone is in a suicidal state often the first professional responders they see are law enforcement. This is true nationwide, but it's especially the case in Wyoming, where the suicide rate is double the national average, and which lacks the mental health resources of more urban areas. For a decade now Wyoming has been using “Crisis Intervention Training” to better prepare law enforcement. But the program has been slow to spread--especially in rural areas. Wyoming Public Radio’s Miles Bryan reports, in the first part of new series on suicide in Wyoming.

New UW President Wants To Take UW To The Next Level

Incoming University of Wyoming President Laurie Nichols has a lot to do prior to taking over her officials duties. She is already working with trustees and UW officials on a transition plan to get off to a fast start when she begins the job May 16th. Nichols plan to come to Laramie for a couple of days a month until that time and also plans to stop by the Wyoming legislative session. She tells Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck that she’s working hard to make the transition smooth.

Coal-Fired Power Plants Clean Up Their Act

Wyoming gets 90% of its electricity from coal-fired power plants. A series of new regulations from the EPA requires those plants to install new pollution controls - its either install, or close down. Nearly half of the electricity currently generated by coal in Wyoming is now either in compliance with mercury rules, or racing towards a compliance deadline. It is an expensive job. For Inside Energy, Reid Frazier of the Allegheny Front takes us inside a plant being retrofitted in Pennsylvania.

A Royal Mess For Public Land Payments

This is a story about accounting. I know, you’re already reaching for the dial, right?

But wait. This is a story about accounting for your money. Lots of money you may not even know you had. It’s buried on federal and tribal lands in the form of natural resources, in states like Wyoming and Colorado. In this report for Inside Energy, Amy Martin looks at the controversy around how much companies owe you when they extract those resources, and how much you’re allowed to know about it.

Wyoming's Role In Conserving Colorado River Water In Times Of Drought

You might think of the Grand Canyon as one of the wildest places in the U.S. But the fact is, the Colorado River that runs through that canyon is not wild at all. The Colorado starts in Wyoming as the Green River, feeding an elaborate canyon ecosystems, not to mention several thirsty states. As part of our series on the Green River, Wyoming Public Radio's Melodie Edwards looks at the responsibility of headwater states to keep that river ecology healthy as the climate gets hotter and dryer.

UW Researcher Prepares To Tackle Cancer

The American Cancer Society has awarded a University of Wyoming Researcher nearly 800-thousand dollars for what he hopes will be groundbreaking cancer research. Daniel Levy is an assistant professor in molecular biology. He tells Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck that he’s been studying cancer cells for a number of years.  

Teton County Considers A Dual-Language Immersion Magnet School

Right now, most Jackson elementary students attend one school in kindergarten through second grade and another for 3rd through 5th grades. But with a new school in the works there, district officials are considering making all of the town’s elementary schools K through 5. That raises a big question about the future of the district’s popular dual-language immersion program. Next week, the school board will decide whether the program will move to become housed in a single magnet school. Wyoming Public Radio’s Aaron Schrank reports.

Gillette Community Rallies Around Tattoo To Fight Suicide's Stigma

Suicide is hard to talk about everywhere. Here in Wyoming, where cowboy culture values strength and self-reliance, it can be even harder. That stigma can stop people who are considering self harm from getting the help they need. Recently a group in the city of Gillette launched an unconventional campaign to make it easier to talk about suicide. As part of our occasional series on suicide in the state, Wyoming Public Radio’s Miles Bryan reports. 

Laramie Poet Reads A Poem From Her New BookCloudshade

Laramie poet Lori Howe is the author of a new book called Cloudshade: Poems of the High Plains. Today she reads a poem from that book called Twilight and Dawn.

Amy Martin is a host and producer at Montana Public Radio. She is also a writer, musician and maker of exceptionally delicious chocolate chip cookies.
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.
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.