Lawmakers Leave Cheyenne With Mixed Feelings
The 2016 Wyoming legislative session has come to an end and few seem to be leaving Cheyenne feeling satisfied. Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck has more.
School Districts Respond To Lawmakers' K-12 Cuts
One of the big things lawmakers have been discussing over the past month is funding for Wyoming’s K-12 schools. The House and Senate have agreed to a budget that will cut about $36 million dollars from education in the next two school years. That’s a 1 percent cut for next school year, and a 1.4 percent cut for the following one. The cut is less than what the Joint Appropriation Committee proposed earlier this year, but school districts say they’ll feel it. I spoke with Campbell County School District Superintendent Boyd Brown.
"Senseless Exposures": How Money And Federal Rules Endanger Oilfield Workers
Since 2010, at least nine oil workers have died after being enveloped by clouds of petroleum gas. But many more are exposed as a routine part of doing their jobs. Inside Energy’s Emily Guerin has part two of our story on deadly gasses in the oilfield.
As Coal Mining Continues, What Does Bankruptcy Mean On The Ground?
Peabody Energy’s senior lenders recently recommended it file for bankruptcy. If the coal giant goes under, it would be the latest in a string of major producers filing for bankruptcy. But if you drive through one of the country’s most productive coal regions - Wyoming's Powder River Basin, dynamite blasts still shake the earth and miners in gigantic trucks are still scooping up coal. So what does bankruptcy actually mean on the ground? Our Inside Energy reporter Leigh Paterson has more.
Program Succeeds At Reducing Lead Exposure In Eagles And Ravens
For years, no one could figure out why birds of prey were turning up with extremely high levels of lead poisoning. The issue made headlines when the newly reintroduced condor in California began dying off from lead exposure. Craighead Beringia South is a group of wildlife researchers in Kelly, Wyoming who were among the scientists who started studying the problem in other species, back in the early 2000’s.
They found that such scavengers as eagles and ravens were ingesting lead bullet fragments left in the elk and deer gut piles left behind by hunters. So they started handing out free copper bullets to see if that helped. Wyoming Public Radio’s Melodie Edwards visited their office in the tiny town of Kelly to talk to researcher Ross Crandall about the results of their work.
Timing Is Everything When It Comes To Your Future Electricity Bill
Historically, electricity pricing has been relatively straightforward: the more you use, the more you pay. But today, that simple equation is not so simple. Increasingly, the time of day when you use electricity factors into the cost as well. As Wyoming Public Radio’s Stephanie Joyce reports, so-called time-of-use pricing saves money and energy, but it’s not always popular.
Chesapeake Energy's Downfall Is Another Oil Company's Gain
The US oil and gas industry was shocked last week (Week of 2/29- 3/4/16 ) by the sudden death of one of its most influential executives. Aubrey McClendon was killed after driving his SUV into a concrete embankment, a day after being indicted on bid rigging and price fixing charges. He was the former CEO of Chesapeake energy, a major producer now floundering under low oil and gas prices. Our Inside Energy reporter, Dan Boyce, explores whether Chesapeake’s cautionary tale contains glimmers of hope.
Want More Women In The Legislature? Just Ask
Across the United States, women make up just under a quarter of state legislators. In Wyoming, the statistics are even worse – only 13 percent of legislators are women. That makes the “Equality State” 50th in the nation. Wyoming Public Radio’s Caroline Ballard reports that part of the problem is no one is asking them to run.
Grand Teton Music Festival Expands With Winter Music
The Grand Teton Music Festival is a major event for classical music in the summer. Now, the festival is expanding with an inaugural Winter Music event. Executive director Andrew Todd tells Wyoming Public Radio’s Micah Schweizer this month’s mini-festival is about two larger goals.