KZMU News features grassroots, independent journalism broadcast from the heart of Moab, Utah. A daily newscast with reliable coverage, local voices, and reporting that empowers community.
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Weekly News Reel: Crash on Highway 191 leaves 3 dead, 4 injured
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On the Weekly News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about the Moab Police Department’s year-in-review report, which uses a new records management system that will hopefully make it easier to track 9-1-1 calls by category in the future. We also cover two tragedies that happened last week – two fatalities in Canyo…
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Traveling Smithsonian exhibit about rural America comes to Green River
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Today we hear from our partners at KGNU about a traveling Smithsonian exhibit that is currently on display at the John Wesley Powell River History Museum in Green River. We also hear from Rocky Mountain Community Radio's Maeve Conran about western Colorado's approach to managing the spread of Japanese Beetles.…
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Doulas now included in Colorado's Medicaid program
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Today we hear from KSUT about a new program to provide locally grown produce to Indigenous communities. We also hear from KGNU about Colorado's new Medicaid plan that includes doula services.By KZMU News
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Regional Roundup: An interview with sci-fi writer Paolo Bacigalupi
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This week on the Regional Roundup, we hear a two way interview with best-selling author and Paonia native, Paolo Bacigalupi, produced by KBUT. We also hear a feature on finding solutions to polarized politics, a recent forum at the Aspen Ideas Festival, produced by Aspen Public Radio. And we finish up with a presentation on evaluating media in the …
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Weekly News Reel: Financial scandal at USU spurs scrutiny at satellite campuses
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On the Weekly News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about the extent of the damage from two recent floods. We also discuss a scandal at the Utah State University satellite campus in Price, Utah, where an employee was paid $157,000 over two years without working. - Show Notes - • Moab’s recent flash floods: The e…
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Grand County cuts glass from single stream recycling
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As of July 1, Grand County and the City of Moab are no longer accepting glass in single stream recycling. Residents can still recycle glass for free at the Moab Community Recycling Center. But now, Grand County will join the rest of the state and most of the country in cutting glass from single-stream recycling.- Show Notes - • Moab Community Recyc…
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Colorado court vacates sentences against funeral home operators who sold bodies illegally
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Today we hear from our partners at KVNF about a recent decision by a Colorado court to vacate the sentences against Sunset Mesa Funeral Home operators who were caught illegally selling body parts. We also hear from Aspen Public Radio about DACA recipients who are worried about whether they'll be able to continue living and working in the U.S. depen…
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Kane Creek developer donates over $40,000 to Utah attorney general candidate
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The Utah Investigative Journalism Project recently reported that Kane Creek developer Craig Weston donated over $40,000 to attorney general candidate Derek Brown's campaign in 2023. Reporter Eric Peterson connects the dots for us about why this relationship is relevant within the larger story of the controversial housing development in Moab. - Show…
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Regional Roundup: Space camp, psychedelics & the memories of trees
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This week on the Regional Roundup, we hear a feature about students from Ignacio, Colorado, who headed to Space Camp in Alabama, produced by KSJD/KSUT. We also hear the keynote speech of the Aspen Psychedelics Summit about the intersection of psychedelics and neurodiversity, produced by Aspen Public Radio. And we finish up with an interview with a …
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Weekly News Reel: Couple still missing two weeks after flash flood
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On the Weekly News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about the city’s plans to repave Mill Creek Drive starting in August. We also talk about the proposed increase in property taxes, which have been set at 0% in Moab for over 30 years. We finish up with a story about a Texas couple who went missing during a flash…
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Writer Kevin Fedarko discusses his latest book on hiking 750 miles along the Grand Canyon
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KOTO’s Gavin McGough speaks with writers and long-time friends Hampton Sides and Kevin Fedarko about their new books. Fedarko's "A Walk in the Park" captures his 750-mile hike along the Grand Canyon, and Sides' "The Wide, Wide Sea" tells of map-maker Captain James Cook’s final journey to Hawaii.By KZMU News
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Colorado's new pack of wolves welcomes new pup
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Today we hear from our partners at KDNK about Colorado's recently introduced wolf pack. We also hear from Utah News Connection about price gouging in the pork industry. We finish up with a story from KUNC about a federal program to pay Arizona cities to conserve water from the Colorado River.By KZMU News
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Regional Roundup: Turning guns into gardening tools
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Today on the Regional Roundup, we hear a feature about using an augmented reality app to get kids outdoors, produced by KDNK. We also hear a two way on a non profit from Colorado Springs that turns guns into gardening tools, produced by the Rocky Mountain Community Radio. We finish up with a two way with a man from Kurdistan who now lives in Salt L…
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Weekly News Reel: State audit found Grand County misused tourism-related funding
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On the Weekly News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about the state’s audit of Grand County, which found that over $1 million in tourism-related funding was misused. We also discuss the status of a sexual battery case involving former elementary school teacher, Bruce Hucko, and a 12-year-old student. - Show Note…
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National Weather Service underestimated rainfall that triggered recent flash flood
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Grand County has multiple alert systems to warn residents and tourists of local emergencies. On Friday, all cellphones within the identified high-risk area were pinged with a flash flood warning from the county. Residents not within the high-risk area did not receive the notification, leading some to believe the warning system failed, an issue the …
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Search and rescue responds to missing persons report following flash flood
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On Monday, Grand County Search and Rescue began looking for two individuals who were reported missing following Friday's flash flood. Their car was found near the Steel Bender off-roading area, and soon after, GCSAR found an abandoned UTV associated with the missing man and woman. The search is still ongoing. The incident follows another recent flo…
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Moab city assesses damage and cleans up after flood
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On Friday, Moab received over one inch of rain in just 15 minutes, triggering a severe flash flood that overflowed onto multiple roads in town. We speak with Moab City Manager David Everitt about the city's clean up plan and how prior mitigation techniques held up during this emergency.Photo by Emily Arntsen/KZMU.…
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Regional Roundup: How do road closures across the Mountain West affect rural communities?
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Today on the Regional Roundup, we hear a feature on why a landslide has resulted in the catastrophic failure of a major thoroughfare connecting Westering Wyoming and Eastern Idaho, from KHOL. We also hear a short feature on the impact on drivers of the ongoing U.S. 50 closure, from KVNF. Plus, a story from Writers on the Range commentary on what re…
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Weekly News Reel: Grand County Administrator resigns following inquiry into email correspondences
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On the Weekly News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about the hostile work environment that prompted Grand County Administrator Mallory Nassau to resign. We’ll also talk about an upcoming rate increase for trash collection in Moab City and changes to how residents will have to recycle glass. We finish off with a…
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Today we hear from our partners at the Utah News Connection about getting people of color access to public lands. We also hear from KGNU about a rally of janitors in Denver who came out to protest unfair wages and commemorate the anniversary of a violent janitor's protest that happened in California in 1990.…
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Forest officials plant native seeds after fire
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Today we hear from our partners at Aspen Public Radio about replanting native species after a fire in western Colorado. We also hear from KDNK about a new program to engage kids outside with augmented reality.By KZMU News
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Does more precipitation spur greater wildfire risk in Utah?
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Today we hear from our partners at KUER about wildfire risks despite heavy precipitation in Utah the last two years. We also hear from KSUT about a federal program to remediate coal mines on the Navajo Nation. And we finish with a story from Aspen Public Radio about cuts to the music departments at Carbondale schools.…
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Regional Roundup: What really happened during the 'killdozer' rampage in Colorado?
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Today on the Regional Roundup, we hear a two way with the author of Killdozer: The True Story of the Colorado Bulldozer Rampage, about the twentieth anniversary of the armored tank rampage in Granby, Colorado, and the disinformation that persists, from KFFR. We also hear a feature on increasing tree canopy in one Denver neighborhood, from KGNU. Plu…
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Weekly News Reel: County responds to state audit into TRT spending
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On the Weekly News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about Grand County’s response to a state investigation into whether transient room taxes were misallocated during an economic diversification program that was cut short in 2023. We’ll also talk about the county’s reaction to a new state law that could give deve…
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New laws regulate the funeral industry in Colorado following several malpractice cases
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Today we hear stories about rural Utah’s greenhouse gas emissions, Colorado’s new laws to regulate the funeral industry following multiple malpractice cases, and Dine College’s new law program.By KZMU News
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Residents in western Colorado oppose Dolores River monument
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Today we hear from KUER about a recent candidate debate for Utah's U.S. Senate election. We also hear from KOTO about the ongoing controversy over a proposed monument to protect the Dolores River canyon.By KZMU News
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Farewell to Molly Marcello, founder of KZMU News!
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Today we say goodbye to Molly Marcello who founded KZMU News in 2018. We reflect on the highlights of Molly's reporting and her accomplishments as News Director over the past six years. It's not goodbye for good, though. Molly will continue to work for KZMU developing a podcast about search and rescue. Emily Arntsen will take over as News Director.…
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Regional Roundup: Moab police uncover new evidence from a murder at Woody's Tavern
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Today on the Regional Roundup, we hear a two way interview with KZMU's Emily Arntsen about a three-part series on a cold case in Moab that may soon be solved. We also hear a two way with the Executive Director of the Earth Law Center in Durango, which works with Indigenous partners in the U.S. to enforce the rights of nature. We finish up with an i…
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Weekly News Reel: Well water access cut off to Kane Creek housing development
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On the Weekly News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about construction at the Kane Creek housing development, which was stalled briefly after the state cut off access to a well developers were using illegally. We also discuss Moab’s new title as a Dark Sky Community and what that will mean for businesses moving …
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New study outlines financial hardships Southwestern farmers face during drought
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Today we hear from KSUT about recent water rights negotiations between three Native American tribes, the state of Arizona, and the federal government. We also hear from KGNU about the financial hardships of drought on Southwestern farmers.By KZMU News
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New documentary explores the mental health crisis affecting ski towns
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Today we hear from our partners at KUER about one Utah town’s solution to the housing crisis. We also hear from KSUT about Colorado’s new Seal of Climate Literacy designation for high school students. Plus, we hear from KUNC about an upcoming Colorado River conference during which key negotiators will make a plan about the waterway’s future. We als…
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Navajo-Churro sheep herders and weavers celebrate the heritage breed in southwestern Colorado
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Today we hear from our partners at KSUT and KSJD about a weekend celebration of Navajo-Churro sheep weaving in southwestern Colorado. We also hear from KUER about a Utah mermaid performer who participated in the Swiss Mer-lympics last month.By KZMU News
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Regional Roundup: Refugee advocate remembers post-war immigration from Vietnam to Colorado
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Today on the Regional Roundup, we hear an interview with a survivor of a Japanese American prison camp in Wyoming about the need to remember this history, from KZMU. We also hear an interview with a refugee advocate who was part of a wave of thousands of Vietnamese refugees who came to Colorado between 1975 and 1990, from KGNU. We finish up with an…
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Weekly News Reel: Two bike paths in Moab cleared for future improvements
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On the Weekly News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about upcoming improvements to two bike paths in Moab, one on Highway 128 and one along Highway 191 on the way to Arches National Park. We also highlight key takeaways from a recent interview with Brian King, a Democratic State Representative who’s running in U…
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Bird flu infects four herds of cattle in Colorado
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Bird flu has infected four herds of cattle in Colorado, and scientists believe milk is one likely source of transmission. We also hear from our partners at KUNC about a federal program to pay farmers not to grow crops on their land in order to conserve water. We also hear from KUER about a Utah initiative to reduce recidivism rates on the Navajo Na…
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Award-winning victim advocate from Moab discusses local crime trends
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Nathaniel Clark, a victim advocate with the Moab Police Department, won the System-Based Advocate of the Year award from the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault. We discuss crime trends in Grand County, which has the most domestic violence cases per capita in the state.- Show Notes - • Utah’s shelter crisis has gotten worse after a change meant t…
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Copper mine in San Juan County seeks approval for in-situ recovery
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The BLM opened a public comment period today for a new plan proposed by the Lisbon Valley Copper Mine in San Juan County. The company hopes to start in-situ recovery, which requires approval from the EPA to inject acidic solution into the aquifer. This kind of mining permanently contaminates the aquifer, making the water non-potable indefinitely. W…
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Regional Roundup: A death doula challenges the taboos of dying
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Today on the Regional Roundup, we hear a feature about an immersive theater production that aims to heal the historical trauma of the Sand Creek Massacre from Rocky Mountain PBS. We also hear a two-way with Dr. Anne Giesen, a gerontologist with 20 years of hospice care about end of life choices from KGNU. And we finish off with an interview with Ho…
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Weekly News Reel: UMTRA pipeline could bring water to Thompson Springs community
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On the Weekly News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about the cost of trash collection, which is expected to rise in Moab this summer. We also talk about an old pipeline that could be repurposed from the Crescent Junction UMTRA site to bring water to the town of Thompson Springs. Plus, we preview the Moab Arts F…
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Japanese incarceration camp survivor speaks at the Moab Museum
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Today, we hear an interview with Sam Mihara, a survivor of the Heart Mountain Prison Camp for Japanese Americans in Wyoming. He spoke at the Moab Museum on Tuesday as part of the museum’s current exhibit on the history of the Moab Isolation Center, a Japanese incarceration camp that operated north of town during WWII. We also hear from the Utah New…
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New state law appears to target controversial Kane Creek housing development
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A new state law makes it easier for unincorporated land to become a municipality. The new legislation was passed earlier this month, just days before Grand County denied developers of the controversial Kane Creek housing complex the permits they would need to construct a wastewater treatment facility on the property. The developers have already app…
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What does an embargo on Russian uranium mean for Utah?
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Last week, the U.S. banned the import of Russian uranium, which supplied over 20 percent of the country's fuel demands. Mines in the La Sal Complex south of Moab and at Pinyon Plain near the Grand Canyon have been ramping up production to meet domestic energy demands in response. Today we also hear from the Utah News Connection about fire weather i…
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Regional Roundup: Using Indigenous knowledge to address climate change
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Today on the Regional Roundup, we hear a story about the connection between beavers and humans from KSUT. We also hear a two-way with Dr. Daniel Wildcat, a professor at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, who was a speaker at a recent conference in Colorado on using Indigenous knowledge to address the climate crisis, produced by …
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Weekly News Reel: Dog found after nine-day search along Colorado River
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On the Weekly News Reel today, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about local first responders who were recently honored by the state for how they handled a fatal plane crash that killed Senator Doug Larsen and his family last fall. We also talk about Meadow, a pet dog that was found after a nine-day search along the Colorado…
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Vets seek compensation for illnesses linked to Nevada Test and Training Range
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Today, we hear from KSUT about a bill in Colorado that would fund research about Native American boarding schools in the state. We also hear from KSJD about vets who are seeking compensation for health complications they link to working at the Nevada Test and Training Range where radiation levels are high.…
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Grand County High School to see a boost in graduation rates this year
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This year, the Grand County School District started a program called the Student Career Success Center to help boost historically low graduation rates. The program is intended to help students earn enough credits to graduate by offering a flexible, online schedule that allows students to work while still attending high school. The program director …
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Space storm triggers northern lights across Utah
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The northern lights swept across the Mountain West last weekend. We hear from a space scientist at the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, about what causes this phenomenon, and the effects it has on Earth. We also hear from a Utah drag artist who performed in Moab two weekends ago about what drag means to the queer community amid…
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Weekly News Reel: Principal of Grand County High School fired by state board
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Today on the Weekly News Reel, we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Moab Times-Independent, about why the high school principal, Todd Thompson, was fired last week. We also talk about why a policy that was supposed to help local businesses provide workforce housing hasn’t really succeeded. And we finish up with a story about a rally for motorized…
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Regional Roundup: Student activist commemorates 50th anniversary of Los Seis de Boulder
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Today on the Regional Roundup, we hear an interview with KBUT and KVNF about the impact of the closure of U.S. Route 50, which is impacting thousands on Colorado's Western Slope. We also hear a feature about how one school district is working with high school students ahead of prom to warn them about the dangers of driving under the influence. Plus…
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New study predicts more precipitation in the Colorado River in coming years
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Today we hear from our partners at KUNC about a new study that predicts more precipitation at the headwaters of the Colorado River in the coming years. We also hear from KSUT and KSJD about a program to bring fiber optic cables to the Ute Mountain Ute tribe. Plus, we hear from KHOL about the beginning of this year's shed antler hunting season and h…
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