Stories
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About 2,000 people live in Kemmerer, which is in the corner of southwest Wyoming, where the mountains meet the desert. It is known for a few things – the original JCPenney store, ancient fossils and consequently, the fossil fuel industry. But, in late 2021, the company TerraPower, founded by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, announced their plans to build a nuclear plant nearby. While there is some push back with the project, the hope is to create ‘greener’ energy and jobs for former coal workers. -
Jenny Loveridge is a scientist who’s lived in Laramie since 2004. She’s snorkeled just about every body of water within 200 miles. This summer, when she was snorkeling in Alsop Lake, she saw something new on the plants: New Zealand mudsnails – an invasive aquatic species. They’re the size of a grain of rice, with a swirly tan or dark colored shell. Loveridge saw millions. -
Just southeast of Rawlins on the Overland Trail Ranch, federal and local officials broke ground with shovels on the TransWest Express Transmission Project. It will be a 732-mile powerline that will transfer Wyoming’s wind-generated electricity to the southwest. This is just one way the Biden Administration hopes to achieve 100 percent ‘clean’ energy by 2035. -
An all-women’s climb of the Grand Teton celebrates the first female ascent of the peak 100 years agoIn 1923, Eleanor Davis became the first known woman to climb the Grand Teton – the second tallest peak in Wyoming. A hundred years later, this all-female group of climbers along with an all-female team of guides were getting ready to summit the peak to celebrate her legacy. -
More than half of the firearms deaths in the U.S. are done by suicide, and Wyoming has the highest number of people who take their own life per capita in the country. Getting help for mental health problems is not easy for firearm owners. And this conference is part of Hlebinsky’s mission to get rid of the stigma gun owners feel about getting help. -
In the new Modern West podcast series, a family loses their beloved home in Colorado’s Marshall FireThe Modern West podcast just released the trailer for its new series. “The Burn Scar” tells the story of podcast producer Ariel Lavery, how her parents were evacuated, and how her family lost their home in the Marshall Fire, an urban grassfire that burned into the suburbs of Boulder in the middle of winter in 2021. The Modern West’s host Melodie Edwards sat down with Ariel to talk about why she decided to produce a podcast about this devastating event, and starts by asking what made the Marshall Fire so unusual. -
You may have witnessed a popular way that the American public is attempting to reckon with its history of genocide of Indigenous people: before a public event, someone recites a list of the original peoples from the area. But what do Indigenous leaders and history keepers really think of these land acknowledgments? We decided to ask. Wyoming Public Radio’s podcast The Modern West is currently releasing the series Mending the Hoop, which takes a look at the history of the Plains Indian Wars from the perspective of tribes. Host and producer Melodie Edwards assembled this collection of Indigenous voices.
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Today on the show, in honor of a successful fund drive, we are showcasing our award-winning work. Every February, WPR submits stories from the past year for award consideration. We are still waiting to hear the results from 2024. So we wanted to share the stories that won awards in 2023:It was a big year for energy in the state. Including a groundbreaking for a huge wind energy project outside of Rawlins. A forum tried to address stigmas that are stopping firearms owners from seeking mental health resources. We’ll also hear about two of WPR’s Modern West podcast seasons. Those stories and more...
