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May 18th, 2018

Wyoming Department of Corrections

Listen to the full show here.

Wyoming Justice Reform Effort Gets A Re-boot

For the last several years the Wyoming Department of Corrections has urged lawmakers to implement a number of reforms that could reduce a growing prison population.  Some of those ideas involved changing sentencing guidelines and getting non-violent offenders back on the street.  But those efforts have failed in the legislature and recently led to the Department shifting 88 inmates to a private prison in Mississippi.  Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck reports that the problems seems to center on the lack of treatment.

Power Struggles At UW Bigger Than Just Wyoming

The University of Wyoming is also in the mood for reform… When the UW trustees met last week the campus was abuzz with concern about proposed changes to the authority of the board. What the administration is calling a routine update to university regulations was seen by some as a power grab that would give trustees the ability to more easily eliminate academic programs and ax faculty. Wyoming Public Radio’s education reporter Tennessee Watson takes a look at what’s behind that sense of insecurity.

Cheyenne Attorney Harriet Hageman Pushes For The GOP Nomination For Governor

Wyoming Attorney Harriet Hageman is seeking the Republican Nomination for Governor. Hageman was raised on a ranch in Goshen county and is the daughter of former State Representative Jim Hageman. She is one of the top private property rights and water rights attorneys in the nation and hopes to bring that background to the governor’s office where she hopes to fight a number of federal regulations and restore power to the state. Bob Beck met with Hageman at her office in Cheyenne and she tells me that she has a number of reforms in mind.

Governor Mead On Integrated Test Center: "I don't think we solve this and say we're done."

The Integrated Test Center is open for business. This Gillette-based facility is aimed at research and testing new uses for carbon dioxide, say, as a building material, common fuel, or green concrete. Many hope the center will find new, profitable uses for coal -- Governor Matt Mead is one of them. Wyoming Public Radio’s Cooper McKim spoke with the Governor about his expectations for the project and the risks that come with it.

Faces Behind The Fires: Archaeologist

Every summer, it takes a village to fight wildfires. For this upcoming season, we spoke with all kinds of people that lend a hand...from those on the frontlines, to others working a bit further back from the flames. For the Faces Behind the Fire series, Wyoming Public Radio’s Maggie Mullen talked to an archeologist with the U.S. Forest Service who helps decide what needs be preserved and what can be left to burn.

Ag Secretary Discusses Tariffs And Wildfires

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was in Wyoming as part of a tour of the Mountain West. Secretary Perdue told me that he is getting a lot of feedback from producers over tariff and trade issues and how that might hurt Wyoming producers.

Citizen Scientists Tracks Effects Of Climate Change On Imperiled Short-eared Owl

As climate change heats up the American West, it’s drying out the habitat of many birds…forcing them to move north where it’s cooler. One such bird is the short-eared owl. It may be not a bird you’ve heard of, but as Wyoming Public Radio’s Melodie Edwards found out, it’s one that lots of scientists and bird lovers still give a hoot about.

Monarch Of The Skies: How Golden Eagles Reveal The Intricacies Of An Entire Ecosystem

The Draper Natural history museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West will open a new permanent exhibition on June 10th. The exhibition focuses on the last 10 years of research on golden eagle activity in the Bighorn Basin. Golden eagles are a top predator so by studying the top of the food chain, researchers are learning not just about the bird but also about the dynamics of animals they eat and the ecosystem they live in.  Wyoming Public Radio’s Kamila Kudelska joins the team on a scouting trip.

Bob Beck retired from Wyoming Public Media after serving as News Director of Wyoming Public Radio for 34 years. During his time as News Director WPR has won over 100 national, regional and state news awards.
Before Wyoming, Cooper McKim has reported for NPR stations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and South Carolina. He's reported breaking news segments and features for several national NPR news programs. Cooper is the host of the limited podcast series Carbon Valley. Cooper studied Environmental Policy and Music. He's an avid jazz piano player, backpacker, and podcast listener.
Kamila has worked for public radio stations in California, New York, France and Poland. Originally from New York City, she loves exploring new places. Kamila received her master in journalism from Columbia University. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the surrounding areas with her two pups and husband.
Maggie Mullen is Wyoming Public Radio's regional reporter with the Mountain West News Bureau. Her work has aired on NPR, Marketplace, Science Friday, and Here and Now. She was awarded a 2019 regional Edward R. Murrow Award for her story on the Black 14.
Melodie Edwards is the host and producer of WPM's award-winning podcast The Modern West. Her Ghost Town(ing) series looks at rural despair and resilience through the lens of her hometown of Walden, Colorado. She has been a radio reporter at WPM since 2013, covering topics from wildlife to Native American issues to agriculture.
Tennessee -- despite what the name might make you think -- was born and raised in the Northeast. She most recently called Vermont home. For the last 15 years she's been making radio -- as a youth radio educator, documentary producer, and now reporter. Her work has aired on Reveal, The Heart, LatinoUSA, Across Women's Lives from PRI, and American RadioWorks. One of her ongoing creative projects is co-producing Wage/Working (a jukebox-based oral history project about workers and income inequality). When she's not reporting, Tennessee likes to go on exploratory running adventures with her mutt Murray.