Cities Make Their Pitch To Raise Their Own Revenue
Cities and towns are terrified about their financial future…especially when it comes to having a stable source of revenue. Years ago legislators removed direct funding…preferring instead to fund them on a bi-annual basis from the state general fund. But Lawmakers have been engaged in budget cuts and communities fear they will lose their general fund money. Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck reports that communities think one solution is to have the ability to raise their own revenue.
UW's Ability To Protect DACA Students May Be Limited
Following Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA would be phased out, colleges and universities are trying to reassure impacted students, including those in Wyoming. But it’s unclear how much power higher ed institutions actually have to shield students against federal agencies. Wyoming Public Radio’s Maggie Mullen reports.
Albany County Prosecutor Partners With Schools To Support Youth
Each year there are over 700 incidents involving child offenders reported to law enforcement in Albany County. But the county’s prosecuting attorney Peggy Trent says at least 70 percent of the cases she sees could actually be handled in schools using restorative justice -- a practice that focuses on accountability and healing, rather than punishment. Wyoming Public Radio’s education reporter Tennessee Watson spoke with trainers Randy Compton and Catherine Childs, as well as Laramie resident Martha Doyle, after a recent Restorative Justice workshop sponsored by the Albany County Attorney’s Office.
What's The Effect Of So Many Wildfires On Global Warming?
For weeks, skies across the west have been filled with billowing white smoke. Many scientists agree that the warming climate is causing more extreme fires, but it’s hazy whether all that smoke is generating even more global warming as part of a self-perpetuating cycle. Scientists around the west are scrambling to find out. Wyoming Public Radio’s Melodie Edwards visited a laboratory-on-wheels that’s been chasing fires all summer to learn more about exactly what’s inside all that smoke.
Sage Grouse Are Back On The Docket
Future development on vast swaths of western land is uncertain now that sage grouse is back on the agenda. The well-being of this chicken-like bird was the focus of a hard-fought deal- a compromise, between nearly a dozen states, finalized a few years ago. Now the federal government is asking for changes to that deal with energy development and jobs in mind. Inside Energy’s Leigh Paterson teamed up with Wyoming Public Radio’s Cooper McKim to report on what it all means for compromise on major western issues.
Rep. Cheney Pushes Federal Gun Legislation
Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney is a part of a controversial new GOP push to loosen the nation’s gun regulations. Matt Laslo reports that she and other Republicans say it’s an effort to restore second amendment rights.
Over eighty percent of new wind power last year went up in states that voted for President Donald Trump. It may sound strange when Trump’s aim is to bolster coal, not wind, but what red states usually promote is individual choice and a smart use of money. Inside Energy’s Madelyn Beck reports that wind power - both large and small - is literally changing Wyoming’s energy landscape.
This month the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame will introduce a new class. The Hall of Fame honors Cowboys who have spent of a lifetime working in the profession. Hall of Fame President Scott Ratliff joins me to explain what the Hall of Fame is all about.
