KZMU News
1,353 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsKZMU 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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Episodes
Lena Pace helms Southeast Utah Group of National Parks
April 09, 2024 21:22 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBLena Pace has worked all over this country. On a floating ranger station in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, to the desert of Lake Mead National Recreation Area, even the south shore of Long Island at Fire Island National Seashore. Now she will spend her time in the red rock of Arches, Canyonlands, Hovenweep and Natural Bridges as the superintendent of the Southeast Utah Group of National Parks. And: a USU researcher wants to know why pinyon jays are rapidly declining. Plus: a ski even...
Regional Roundup: Supporting artists with disabilities in Utah
April 09, 2024 00:03 - 29 minutes - 39.8 MBOn the latest Regional Roundup: an interview about making art more accessible for people with disabilities in our state. Plus, we hear about the challenges in researching women's history, new education programing aiming to increase diversity in nursing, and heartbreak poems.
Weekly News Reel: City to propose property tax for the first time in 30 years
April 05, 2024 18:29 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBToday we talk to Sophia Fisher of the Moab Times-Independent about the Hayduke Trail, an 800-mile route through six national parks that was co-founded by a Moab resident. We also talk about a lawsuit against the National Parks Service for no longer accepting cash at certain park entrances. Plus, we discuss the city’s plan to reinstate property taxes for the first time in over 30 years. We finish off highlighting an upcoming event about solutions for making Moab's Main Street safer. // Show N...
New rules prompt Denver museum to remove Native American objects from display
April 04, 2024 18:00 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBThe Denver Art Museum is preparing to reach out to tribes following new federal regulations regarding possession of Native American sacred and funerary objects. After new rules went into effect, the museum removed a case of ceramics from display. Plus: people in the Rocky Mountain West will see some effects from an upcoming solar eclipse. And: a new hiking group in our region is pushing back on exclusionary stereotypes of hikers. Finally: author Terry Tempest Williams releases a fine arts book.
Organizations protest Kane Creek development's water rights
April 03, 2024 20:39 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBLast week, multiple organizations filed protests with the state claiming the water rights for a controversial housing development on Kane Creek Boulevard should be revoked for nonuse. In Utah, water rights that go unused for seven years are subject to forfeiture. The property is located along a largely untouched section of the Colorado River, and many Moab residents have been pushing back against the development for months. The water rights protests are just one of many attempts local activis...
Heartbreak inspires regional poetry project
April 02, 2024 18:00 - 12 minutes - 11.5 MBHeartbreak – that thing of sorrow and loss – has united a group of poets in towns across the west. Their work is collected in the anthology Poems for Ex-Lovers, which recently released its third volume of heartbreak poems. Plus, neighborhood peacocks add a little magic to a street in Salt Lake City. And, environmental groups filed a proposal for managing the Colorado River. And! KZMU turns 32 today! It’s also the sixth anniversary of KZMU News! There’s so much to celebrate today. Thanks, li...
Regional Roundup: When cities don't want to become a sanctuary
April 01, 2024 18:00 - 29 minutes - 39.8 MBOn the latest Regional Roundup, a county in our region recently declared itself *not* a sanctuary city. Our regional reporters unpack what that might mean for local immigrants. Plus: skijoring is becoming an economic plus for many small towns in the Rocky Mountains. And: author Laura Pritchett on her new book Playing with (wild)fire, inspired by Colorado's largest wildfire.
Weekly News Reel: Road closures in Labyrinth Canyon will remain in effect
March 29, 2024 19:00 - 11 minutes - 10.1 MBToday we talk to Sophia Fisher, reporter with the Moab Times-Independent, about the BLM’s decision to keep off road vehicle trails closed in the Labyrinth Canyon area while litigation against the recent closures persists. We also talk about the upcoming departure of Moab City Manager, Carly Castle, as well as Sophia's upcoming resignation from the Times-Independent. We finish off discussing how the animal shelter in Moab is handling capacity issues, and we give a quick update about Seekhaven,...
Hopelessly clinging to the past with late writer Jim Stiles
March 27, 2024 18:00 - 9 minutes - 8.32 MBMoab is remembering Jim Stiles, the editor and publisher of The Canyon Country Zephyr, an alternative publication covering southeast Utah. Stiles passed away at his home in Coldwater, Kansas earlier this month. He spent over three decades living in the Moab area, first coming out in the 1970s to work as a seasonal ranger at Arches National Park. On today’s news, we hear an excerpt from an archival interview with Stiles, conducted over a decade ago by KZMU’s Christy Williams Dunton. // Find t...
Regional Roundup: Navajo Nation homes receive official addresses
March 25, 2024 18:51 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBOn the latest Regional Roundup, we revisit KZMU's reporting on how over 3,000 homes on the Navajo Nation received official addresses. Plus: an interview about teen mental health. And: a discussion on people moving back to rural America.
Weekly News Reel: Bears Ears management plan open for public comment
March 22, 2024 22:45 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBToday we talk to Sophia Fisher of the Moab Times-Independent about a phone scammer who targeted a Moab resident. We also talk about the new superintendent for Arches and Canyonlands Nationals Parks. And we finish off discussing two new management plans for the Bears Ears National Monument and for the Green and Colorado rivers within Canyonlands. // Show Notes: // Dollar General employee foils would-be scammer https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/dollar-general-employee-foils-would-be-scammer...
Green River residents voice concerns about lithium mine accident
March 21, 2024 19:42 - 8 minutes - 7.64 MBTwo weeks ago, a lithium mine in Green River overflowed with more than 400,000 gallons of water. Representatives from the company, A1 Lithium, said no discharge reached the river. But local residents worry larger accidents could contaminate the waterway in the future. // Photo: Green River residents gathered for a public meeting last week about a recent lithium well accident. Photo by Emily Arntsen // Show Notes: // Moab Times-Independent Coverage: https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/gree...
Canyonlands Regional Airport stages fake plane crash for emergency response practice
March 20, 2024 03:32 - 7 minutes - 7.25 MBLast week, the Canyonlands Regional Airport staged a fake plane crash as part of a mandatory emergency response exercise. All agencies included in the airport's emergency response plan were present, plus actors from the Grand County High School drama club, who played crash victims. Photo: Emergency responders carry an actor in a plane crash exercise to an ambulance. Photo by Emily Arntsen.
Regional Roundup: Building Housing on Public Lands
March 18, 2024 18:00 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBOn the latest Regional Roundup: an interview with reporter Susan Shain about her new High Country News article on building housing on public lands. And: how an elementary school in our region is implementing programs to make newly arrived immigrant children feel welcome and safe. Plus: a report on a new cannabis growing enterprise in a tiny Colorado town.
Weekly News Reel: Petito family drops officers in lawsuit against Moab Police
March 15, 2024 19:48 - 10 minutes - 9.22 MBToday we talk to Sophia Fisher of the Moab Times-Independent about the community’s backlash against a truck stop that’s proposed to go in near Sunny Acres Lane, a residential area right off of Highway 191. We also talk about the latest updates in a lawsuit filed by the parents of Gabby Petito against the Moab Police Department. And we finish off with a brief overview of the upcoming Grand County elections. // Show Notes: // San Juan County pushes forward Spanish Valley Love’s travel stop,...
First of its kind plan released for Bears Ears National Monument
March 14, 2024 18:15 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBFederal agencies and five sovereign tribal nations released a draft plan for Bears Ears National Monument. The federal-tribal partnership is the first of its kind, and so is the preferred draft plan, which would maximize tribal input on 1.36 million acres of public land in southeastern Utah. Plus: a documentary about mountain bikers on the Navajo Nation is screening across our region. And: people gathered in Jackson to bring attention to legislation that may dial back more rights of LGBTQ + p...
Telluride shows solidarity with Gaza
March 13, 2024 20:22 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MBToday we hear from KOTO about a recent demonstration in Telluride, Colorado, that showed solidarity with the people of Palestine. We also hear from our partners at KSUT & KSJD about the first naturalization ceremony to take place in Durango, Colorado. Finally, we hear from KGNU about the correlation between light snowpack and wildfires.
Colorado aims to make voting easier for Native Americans
March 12, 2024 19:53 - 9 minutes - 8.61 MBToday we hear from our regional partners at KSJD about how Colorado is trying to make voting easier for Native Americans during this election season. We also hear from Aspen Public Radio about a bill that would reintroduce wolverines to Colorado. Finally, we hear from KRCL about some recent wins in the state legislature for Utah's unions.
The Sound Of Rushing Water
March 08, 2024 21:29 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBThe Sound of Rushing Water is a collection of field recordings of Cataract Canyon made during the 2023 river season by Moab river folks Mike DeHoff and Meg Flynn. This project shares an intimate experience of traveling along the last truly wild stretch of the mighty Colorado River. // Photos and more: https://www.kzmu.org/the-sound-of-rushing-water/
Weekly News Reel: New nonprofit with tie to Kane Creek development receives $1M in state funding
March 08, 2024 18:39 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBToday we discuss an event celebrating the return of Glen Canyon as Lake Powell falls. We also talk about a determination related to allegations of illegal mining brought against the Kane Creek Developers. We also discuss the state legislature funding a new nonprofit with a tie to that same development. And we finish off with an update on the Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission celebrating their 75th anniversary. // Show Notes: https://www.kzmu.org/weekly-news-reel-new-nonprofit-with-tie...
Regional Roundup: Training Forest Workers on Horseback
March 04, 2024 19:00 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBForest workers in Western Colorado are being trained on horseback. Tune in to the latest Regional Roundup to hear why. Plus: the complicated history of Buffalo soldiers. And: an investigation into medical debt.
Weekly News Reel: Are the Kane Creek developers illegally mining?
March 01, 2024 16:00 - 9 minutes - 8.91 MBToday on the News Reel, we talk to Sophia Fisher, reporter with the Times-Independent. We discuss a proposal to pave 6 miles of road in the Sand Flats Recreation Area. We also talk about recent allegations of illegal mining brought against the Kane Creek developers as they extract sand and gravel from nearby plots to raise the riverbank along their property. We also discuss a story about local businesses that are hurting now that the Moab Airport no longer connects directly to Denver or Salt ...
State of the Station
February 27, 2024 19:20 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBKZMU News listeners, we have a special interview from our longest-running public affairs show, This Week in Moab. On Monday, host Christy Williams-Dunton interviewed KZMU staff and board members about the 'State of the Station.' It's been a season of discovery, change and recalibration.
Regional Roundup: Diversifying Science
February 26, 2024 19:00 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBOn the latest Regional Roundup: the American Association for the Advancement of Science hosted its annual meeting in Denver this month. We speak with a rep about the work of AAAS, diversifying science and more. Plus: Black history in Colorado, and a Diné musician captures the sounds of the southwest.
Weekly News Reel: Why did the Bears Ears land swap fall apart?
February 23, 2024 19:37 - 12 minutes - 16.8 MBToday on the News Reel we talk to Sophia Fisher, reporter with the Times-Independent. We discuss why a land swap between the state and the federal government recently fell apart within Bears Ears National Monument. We also talk about the Grand County School District’s superintendent, who will retire in July. And we finish off with a story about a local high school wrestling star, who recently won the state championship. // Show Notes: // Here's why the Bears Ears land swap fell apart https...
Over 3,000 homes on the Navajo Nation receive official addresses
February 23, 2024 17:06 - 10 minutes - 14.7 MBFor the past five years, the Rural Utah Project has been going door to door on the Navajo Nation teaching people how to use Plus Codes, an addressing system created by Google. Plus Codes are generated based on coordinates and serve as a good alternative to less standardized addresses many on the Navajo Nation were using previously. The project was intended to improve voter registration. But the new addresses also enable faster emergency services and better mail delivery. Photo: Adaline Snea...
Two Spirit Powwow celebrates Native LGBTQ+ community
February 21, 2024 19:56 - 9 minutes - 9.08 MBPowwows are meant to be safe spaces where Indigenous peoples can socialize and express themselves through song and dance. For some tribes, gender can limit what a person may perform. But those rules didn’t apply at the fourth annual Arizona Two Spirit Powwow held last weekend. Plus: the Moab Museum launches a new exhibit highlighting Japanese American incarceration in Utah, and Sema Hadithi explores the history of Black soldiers and veterans in the state. // Show Notes: https://www.kzmu.org...
Feds deny hydroelectric project in Black Mesa
February 20, 2024 19:23 - 10 minutes - 9.34 MBTribal officials and environmental justice groups have opposed three hydroelectric pumps in the Black Mesa region, saying the project would deplete already small groundwater reserves. Federal officials denied the project last week. Plus: Utahns shut down traffic in Salt Lake City in support of Palestine, conservation groups critique a new plan to help native fish in the Grand Canyon, and the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan offers a potential solution for how to save a shrinking Great Salt Lake. // S...
Regional Roundup: Mountain biking on the Navajo Nation
February 19, 2024 20:00 - 28 minutes - 26.6 MBOn the latest Regional Roundup: an interview with the director of 'In the Dirt,' a documentary about mountain biking on the Navajo Nation. And, we hear about a weekly community dinner for seasonal workers and a creek that never freezes in winter.
Weekly News Reel: Grand County tops state in domestic violence cases
February 16, 2024 20:00 - 13 minutes - 19 MBToday on the News Reel we talk to Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent. We cover domestic violence in Grand County, which has the highest number of cases per capita in the state. We also discuss a new report that found that short-term rental profits in Moab increased by over 130 percent during the pandemic. And we finish off with a story about the recent fatality on Highway 191. // Show Notes: // Utah’s shelter crisis has gotten worse after a change meant to help domestic violenc...
Kane Creek developers wield cash, connections
February 15, 2024 19:29 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBOver recent weeks, community members have raised many questions over potential impacts from a 180 acre parcel along Kane Creek Boulevard slated for development. One question that local journalist Jon Kovash has: where’s the money flowing? Today on the news, we speak with Kovash about his research on developer donations to local politicians and their clout with Utah legislators. And: conservation groups oppose an effort to create a state water council. Plus: the Ute Mountain Ute tribe will ope...
Audio Archives: 'Charlie-wood' Evictions
February 13, 2024 19:51 - 8 minutes - 7.81 MBLet's delve into the KZMU News audio archives. We zoom back to 2021, when community members living in trailers and other unique dwellings along Kane Creek Boulevard were evicted to make way for new development. // Show Notes: https://www.kzmu.org/audio-archives-charlie-wood-evictions/
Regional Roundup: Avalanche Trends
February 13, 2024 01:31 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBOn the latest Regional Roundup, an interview with Dr. Ethan Greene, the Director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, about trends in avalanches and what weather events lead to increased danger. Plus, we revisit our interview with a Moab resident who was a participant from the controversial 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment.
Weekly News Reel: Moab airport offering service to Phoenix
February 10, 2024 01:26 - 14 minutes - 19.8 MBToday on the News Reel we talk to Sophia Fisher, reporter with the Times-Independent, about the mysterious origins of the new Kane Creek development's zoning code. We also talk about the airport’s new service to Phoenix, the local OHV community, and the history of the Old Spanish Trail in Moab, which is receiving new interpretive signage soon. //County is investigating Kane Creek zoning https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/county-is-investigating-kane-creek-zoning/ //Moab's off-road communit...
Uinta Basin Railway derailed again
February 08, 2024 19:00 - 10 minutes - 9.24 MBFacing cross-country opposition, the controversial Uinta Basin Railway project has been derailed once again by a recent federal decision. Plus: Moab Regional Hospital mourns employee Annie Relph, who was killed in a head-on collision on Tuesday night. And: protestors criticize Utah Governor Spencer Cox, and private property in Zion National Park will be protected from development. // Show Notes: https://www.kzmu.org/uinta-basin-railway-derailed-again/
Are Utah’s lawmakers changing the way we vote? We hear from the Rural Utah Project
February 07, 2024 19:00 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MB“It would probably take all day to say everything [the legislators] are doing. There are more than 20 bill files now that have to do with voting access or changing elections in one way or another.” --- TJ Ellerbeck, executive director of the Rural Utah Project.
Regional Roundup: Sundance Film Festival
February 05, 2024 19:00 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBA look back at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival is featured on the latest Regional Roundup with reviews, interviews and more.
Weekly News Reel: A re-zoning mystery on Kane Creek Boulevard
February 02, 2024 20:00 - 12 minutes - 17.2 MBToday we hear from Sophia Fisher of the Times-Independent. We cover new city construction projects, speculative mining activity at the Yellow Cat Mine, a new documentary about a local base jumper who took his first jump after a severe injury, and an op-ed about what really happened with the re-zoning process for the property now under construction down Kane Creek Boulevard. //Dispersed parking, Kane Creek Boulevard projects ready to go https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/dispersed-parking-ka...
Hundreds protest ‘trans bathroom bill’ at Utah Capitol
January 30, 2024 20:31 - 10 minutes - 9.66 MBUtah lawmakers passed a bill that would ban transgender people from using bathrooms in schools and government buildings that correspond with their gender identities, reports our partners at UPR. This is the third year in a row that lawmakers in Utah have passed legislation that limits the rights of the state’s trans community. We also hear a report on climbers pushing back on new hardware regulations in wilderness areas. And a remembrance of Diné activist Klee Benally. // Show Notes: https:...
Regional Roundup: Drag queen and environmentalist Pattie Gonia
January 29, 2024 17:00 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBOn the latest Regional Roundup, an interview with drag queen and environmentalist Pattie Gonia as part of a live broadcast from Aspen Ski Week. And we hear about the first-black owned bank in the Rocky Mountain Region opening in Salt Lake City, as well as a feature on the Denver Stock Show.
Weekly News Reel: Moab's obstetrics unit persists as rural clinics close across the country
January 26, 2024 20:00 - 14 minutes - 20 MBToday we hear from Sophia Fisher and Gwen Dillworth of the Times-Independent. They cover the public's response to the Kane Creek development, a new overnight glamping accommodation, and how the Moab Regional Hospital can keep its obstetric unit open when so many rural facilities have folded in recent years. //Rural obstetric units are closing. Why not in Moab? https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/rural-obstetric-units-are-closing-why-not-in-moab/ //County approves glamping eco-resort https:/...
Grassroots organizers fight back against development on Kane Creek Boulevard
January 26, 2024 18:46 - 10 minutes - 14.6 MBMolly Marcello speaks with three organizers from Kane Creek Development Watch, a grassroots organization dedicated to fighting a new, 180-acre residential and commercial site along the Colorado River. Kane Creek Development Watch //https://kanecreekwatch.org/
High Country News Union demands sustainability, equity for staff
January 24, 2024 19:35 - 14 minutes - 13 MB“We need journalism. And we need really good journalism like [High Country News] produces. And we want to keep producing it. And we need to be able to do that under stable, sustainable conditions.” — B. ‘Toastie’ Oaster Learn more about unionizing efforts from three HCN staffers on today’s newscast.
Moab local reflects on his experience in the Stanford Prison Experiment
January 23, 2024 22:06 - 14 minutes - 20.5 MBMoab resident Jerry Shue was a prisoner in the famously controversial Stanford Prison Experiment in 1971. He was recently asked to participate in a National Geographic documentary about the study. Over 50 years later, Shue reflects on the experience and what it was like to see his fellow participants again. Photo: Jerry Shue, prisoner 5486, is accompanied to the bathroom by a guard during the Stanford Prison Experiment in 1971. Photo by Duke Downey for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Regional Roundup: Craig Childs' chaos theory
January 22, 2024 23:02 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBOn the latest Regional Roundup, an interview with author and naturalist Craig Childs about Chaos Theory, the theme of his latest Dark Night event. Plus, we hear about a Navajo musician who is channeling John Cage and his Navajo ancestors to honor those lost in the Long Walk. And, a world record setting 'skiing in jeans' event in Wyoming.
News Announcement
January 18, 2024 23:04 - 7 minutes - 10.5 MBKZMU News is back! News director Molly Marcello and reporter Emily Arntsen discuss where they've been and where the news department is headed.
Regional Roundup: Moab Solutions, Healthcare Access, Indigenous Foodways
December 18, 2023 19:00 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBOn the latest Regional Roundup, an audio portrait Bruni Mason who volunteers as a bell-ringer raising money for Moab Solutions. Plus, we hear about the Folsom Trail in Salt Lake City and the fight for OBGYN access in Jackson, WY. And later, an interview with two chefs about their new book using Native American ingredients.
Weekly News Reel!
December 16, 2023 00:25 - 18 minutes - 17 MBHi listener, KZMU News had to take an unexpected break this week. But we still met with our amazing media partners. On the Weekly News Reel, Gwen Dillworth of The Times-Independent discusses Utah Governor Spencer Cox’s proposal to invest $185 million in housing. Plus, she talks about the new Community Artist in the Parks and two local athletes who signed on to compete at the college level. Alison Harford of the Moab Sun News discusses upcoming biking and hiking trails in Dead Horse Point Sta...
Utah’s Jewish and Muslim communities address increasing hatred
December 12, 2023 19:00 - 10 minutes - 9.83 MBHate crimes have been on the rise over the last decade. Now, with the Israel Gaza conflict, there has been an increase of Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. ‘Speak Up & Stand Up Against Hate’ is a cooperative that looks to provide resources for those facing hatred. Our radio partners at KRCL spoke with representatives from the Utah Muslim Civic League and the United Jewish Federation of Utah to hear about the work they are doing.
Regional Roundup: All About Birds
December 12, 2023 00:56 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBOn the latest regional roundup, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count starts December 14, and around the region, groups of bird counters are participating in this important community science event. We'll have a few bird-related stories, plus an interview with the author of 'Killdozer,' which tells the story of Marvin Heemeyer, who in 2004 modified a bulldozer with concrete and steel and demolished numerous buildings in Granby, Colorado.