Why Are So Many Kids Without Health Insurance?
Wyoming is a pretty good place to be a kid, and the 2019 Kids Count Data Book agrees. Their report released this week gave the Equality State high marks for education and economic well-being. But when it comes to health, we're second to last in the nation. Wyoming Public Radio's Tennessee Watson takes a look at why.
When There's No Doctor Nearby, Volunteers Help Rural Patients Manage Chronic Illness
If you live in a rural place, basic services aren't just own the street, and that includes a doctor's office or emergency room. For people living with a chronic condition, that can make life complicated. Wyomng Public Radio's Maggie Mullen reports on one program attempting to help rural patients.
Report Raises Concerns About Why Hospitals Charge Private Insurance Such High Premiums
A recent report found that Wyoming hospitals are charging private insurance way more than Medicare. The report raised some eyebrows about why that may be the case, and if hospitals are overcharging. Wyoming Public Radio's Kamila Kudelska has more.
At a march last month on the University of Wyoming campus, Governer Mark Gordon announced a decision to create a taskforce to study the problem of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Wyoming. As Wyoming Public Radio's Melodie Edwards reports, a gap in data makes it unclear just how systemic the issue is here, but nationally it's believed that Native American women experience violence at rates ten times the national average.
After Years Of Hurdles, Gillete's Water Project Is Nearly Done
Thanks to long term growth, Gillette has been in dire need of an expansion to their existing water supply. Soon, a more than 10-year effort to expand the existing water supply will come online, providing water to those residents and possibly others. Wyoming Public Radio’s Catherine Wheeler reports on what officials say is the largest water project in the state history.
New Technology Could Help Rebuild A Fragmented Western Landscape
Wildfires and energy development have changed the Western landscape, clearing hundreds of thousands of acres of native vegetation. It's fragmented the once-massive sage brush ecosystem relied upon by hundreds of species. Wyoming Public Radio's Cooper McKim reports scientists are developing a way to rebuild that landscape.
Audio Postcard: Singers And Dancers Share Tips On Powwow Etiquette
Powwow season kicks off on the Wind River Reservation this weekend with the 60th annual Eastern Shoshone Indian Days. Visitors will have the chance to see singing and dance competitions, try Indigenous foods and shop Native-made art and jewelry. There is also etiquette to keep in mind. Wyoming Public Radio's Tribal Affairs Correspondent Savannah Maher visited powwow singers and dancers during an exhibition at the Wind River Casino and asked for their advice on being a respectful visitor.
WPR Reporter Weaves Together Expertise And Imagination In New YA Fantasy Novel
Two twin girls set out on a quest to save a species on the brink extinction. This is the premise of the new children's novel Akorena and the League of Crows. It's set in the American West in a distant, almost dystopic future. The girls Zita and Isabel can talk to birds, and so their quest is tied to the natural world in more ways than one. The book's author is Melody Edwards, also a reporter at Wyoming Public Radio. She joined host Caroline Ballard to talk about the book and its message.
StoryCorps: Teton Science School Making A Difference In The Lives Of Students
When StoryCorps came to Jackson last summer, Teton Science School Executive Director Chris Agnew asked a former board member Jean Jorgensen to recall the school's early days... and how it all started with the founders Joan and Ted Major.
