INTRO: Each year, the Game and Fish Department discovers dozens of wildlife crimes in Wyoming. They range from hunting without a license, to killing an animal from the road. The department takes these infractions very seriously, and runs a cutting-edge wildlife forensics lab to investigate them. Wyoming Public Radio’s Willow visited the lab and filed this report.
Wyoming Animal Shelters are overcrowded and that means many pets get killed every year. But some organizations are taking an aggressive approach in trying to get more animals adopted and have fewer animals put to death. One of those is the Black Dog Animal Rescue in Cheyenne. The program involves a number of volunteers and a strong on-line and social media effort. Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck reports.
Health Department director proposed new Medicaid Idea One of the costs that continues to grow in Wyoming’s budget is the cost of Medicaid. Lawmakers were so distressed that they ordered the Department of Health to look for ways to control those costs. Department of Health Director Tom Forslund has proposed a plan to address the issue. But first he explains why those costs have gone up.
Riverton House and Senate Debate Recap On Thursday night, candidates for U-S House and Senate gathered in Riverton for a set of debates. They answered questions ranging from how to address the Medicare shortfall … to their views on climate change and the energy industry. Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck was one of the moderators … and he joins Willow Belden from Riverton to talk about the debate.
Nearly 3,000 hunters have purchased permits to target wolves in Wyoming's first regulated wolf hunt, which began on Monday. Conservation groups, meanwhile, are preparing to challenge Wyoming's approach in court. As of Thursday, hunters had reported killing six wolves since opening day. Rebecca Huntington has more.
HOST INTRO: Nearly 3,000 hunters have purchased permits to target wolves in Wyoming's first regulated wolf hunt, which began on Monday. Conservation groups, meanwhile, are preparing to challenge Wyoming's approach in court. As of Thursday, hunters had reported killing six wolves since opening day. Rebecca Huntington has more.
INTRO: Throughout the west a natural process is being witnessed that in some areas has had devastating impacts. The Bark Beetle epidemic has affected millions of acres of forest and caused public officials to ponder what if anything can be done about it. Big Horn Radio Network’s David Koch reports that officials recently looked at the situation in northwest, Wyoming.
Rep. Cynthia Lummis is running for her third term in the US House of Representatives. Lummis is a fiscal conservative who is a member of the appropriations committee. She joins Bob Beck on the campaign trail.
Democrat Chris Henrichsen is a political newcomer who teaches Political Science at Casper College. He is running against incumbent Republican Rep. Cynthia Lummis to focus attention on working people and the middle class. Henrichsen is hoping to be the first Wyoming democrat in Congress since 1978. He is battling a lack of funding, against one of the wealthiest members of Congress. But Henrichsen hopes he views will give him a chance.
HOST: The number of Northern Arapaho tribe members who speak their native language is dwindling. Tribal entities have been working for decades trying to preserve the language. Wyoming Public Radio’s Rebecca Martinez reports that they’ve been having mixed success.
(Sound: kids speaking Arapaho)
REBECCA MARTINEZ: Tribal elder Alvena Oldman is the director of an Arapaho language immersion preschool in Ethete.
OLDMAN: Hinono’ Eitiino’ Oowu’. Arapaho Language Lodge.
INTRO: This spring, an oil rig blew out near Douglas. Natural gas spewed into the air, and residents from a nearby neighborhood were evacuated for several days. Since the blowout, Chesapeake Energy has drilled several new wells around that same neighborhood, and residents have new concerns. Wyoming Public Radio’s Willow Belden reports.
