Trouble And Lead In Pinedale's Water
In 2015, the town of Pinedale turned off its sodium silicate water treatment--a type of corrosion control that helps prevent lead contamination from old plumbing. The next year, dangerous levels of lead were found in one residence and at the town’s high school. As Wyoming Public Radio’s Maggie Mullen reports, the treatment has been turned back on, but residents want to know why it was shut off in the first place.
Land Transfer Amendment Dies In Wyoming Legislature
A bill drafted for the legislature proposed to revise Wyoming's constitution to allow the state to take over management of federal lands. The idea was intensely controversial and was killed on Friday. But as Wyoming Public Radio's Melodie Edwards reports, a couple of weeks ago, some legislators sat down with the Wyoming Wildlife Federation to come up with the alternative to public land transfers to led to the bill’s demise.
Congressman Liz Cheney Is Getting Noticed
It’s been nearly three decades since a Cheney has represented Wyoming in Congress, but voters sent Liz Cheney to the nation’s capital to follow in her dad’s footsteps in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressional correspondent Matt Laslo has the story from Washington.
Wyoming Humanities Council Kicks Off "Insight" Series
For the past few years, the Wyoming Humanities Council has put on a series of events called “Ignite” where locals gave short multimedia presentations, like TED-talks. This year, the council is kicking off another series of presentations in Cheyenne, Casper, and Laramie with a name change and a shift in focus to storytelling. Jason Burge joined me talk about some of these changes.
Lawmakers Discuss Shortfall And Revenue Ideas
After a historic downturn in revenue, the Wyoming legislature has started this year’s session with a number of concerns. They still have a $150 million shortfall in revenue to fund their current budget and K-12 education funding has a $400 million deficit and they have no money for school construction. Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck reports that while legislative committees have been focused on other issues, there will soon come a point where lawmakers need to figure out how to move forward.
Students And Teachers Need Support To Embrace Technology
There’s a bill before the legislature that would help improve virtual learning in Wyoming schools, especially in rural areas where hiring teachers in specialized fields can be hard. Districts across the state are already experimenting with online courses, but the Department of Education wants to bring this opportunity to all students. Wyoming Public Radio’s education reporter Tennessee Watson went to Rock Springs to visit a school that’s blazing ahead.
Speaker Of The House Discusses Education Shortfall
Wyoming’s revenue downturn has forced lawmakers to take a look at cutting a lot of money from education. K-12 education has a $400 million shortfall. Speaker of the House Steve Harshman joins Bob Beck to discuss the problem and how they plan to fix it.
University Of Wyoming Cultural Programs Looks To Spring 2017 Season
As the University of Wyoming begins another semester, a new line-up of cultural programming at the school is on the horizon. Janelle Fletcher is the director of Fine Arts Outreach and Cultural Programs at the University of Wyoming. She sat down with me to talk about what Spring 2017 has in store for students and the public.
A Nation Engaged: What Jackson Residents Expect From Trump Administration
As part of NPR’s A Nation Engaged series, we set out to hear what Jackson residents are hoping to see from the new Trump Administration. Rebecca Huntington brings us these voices.