Some say Wyoming lawmakers are inconsistent about personal freedoms when it comes to social issues
In recent years the state legislature has seen an increase in conservative Republicans who are focusing more on personal rights and freedoms. Those rights range from removing federal restrictions on gun laws, to voting against anything that might resemble a tax. They’ve had mixed success with this approach, but they see their role in the state legislature as important. But others wonder if they’re consistent. Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck reports from Cheyenne…
Ambassador to Egypt, Israel to visit Jackson
A former U.S. Ambassador to Egypt and Israel will be visiting Jackson next week. Daniel Kurtzer is now a professor at Princeton University and recently edited a book about the Arab-Israeli conflict. During his visit to Wyoming, he’ll be giving a talk entitled “America and the Middle East: Challenges of Change.” He considers it very important for the U.S. to take a leadership role in resolving conflicts in the Middle East and helping countries there transition to Democracy.
Grizzly Death Triggers Park to Weighs Options for Elk Hunt
The death of a grizzly bear in Grand Teton National Park on Thanksgiving Day of 2012 has triggered calls for ending the park's annual elk hunt. A hunting party shot the grizzly after the hunters said the bear charged them. Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott calls the bear's death a travesty. It's the first hunting-related grizzly death in the park. But Scott says her agency, the National Park Service, can't just end the hunt. Rebecca Huntington has more.
Another year of drought could spell disaster for ag community
Last year was the driest year Wyoming has seen in more than a century, and the dry spell has not let up. As a result, farmers and ranchers have had to make tough decisions and are deeply concerned about their livelihood for the coming year. Wyoming Public Radio’s Willow Belden reports.
UW program will prepare a new generation of landmen for the booming energy industry
University of Wyoming just initiated a new program out of its burgeoning School of Energy Resources. The professional land management concentration will train landmen. Those are people who look for untapped oil and gas and other resources and negotiate contracts between their owners and companies that want to develop them. Wyoming Public Radio’s Irina Zhorov reports that the program is just in time.
Found Footage Festival showcases goofy clips found in thrift stores
Next week, an event called the Found Footage Festival is coming to Laramie. We’re joined now by Curator Nick Prueher. He describes the festival as a guided tour through his vast collection of old, funny videos.
Wyoming Whiskey rides the wave of craft distilling popularity, readies for next release
Craft breweries and distilleries are hot right now. Not to be outdone, Wyoming entrepreneurs created a bourbon distillery in Kirby, using local ingredients from the Bighorn Basin and bearing the name Wyoming Whiskey. After four years of aging the first batch, Wyoming Whiskey flew off the shelves when it was released exclusively in Wyoming in early December. Wyoming Public Radio’s Rebecca Martinez visited the distillery and explored the hype. She filed this report.
The La Taifas Quartet brings the music of Moldova to Wyoming
The La Taifas Quartet is celebrated in their home country of Moldova. They’ve been featured in the film The Other Europeans, a documentary highlighting the music of Eastern European communities that have emerged from Soviet domination but which remain relatively unknown to Americans. The nonprofit Worlds of Music is sponsoring the La Taifas Quartet’s tour across Wyoming, and they’ve recently performed in Evanston, Lyman, Thermopolis and Powell with upcoming shows scheduled in Buffalo and Laramie. The band recently stopped to talk about their music with Wyoming Public Radio’s Grady Kirkpatrick.
Sonnet: “Dispatches from the Western Front”
In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, University of Wyoming student Zack Anderson began advertising his services around campus. The English and French major is offering customized sonnets for a fee. Wyoming Public Media requested that Anderson write a love poem… for us.