KZMU News
1,411 episodes - English - Latest episode: 17 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
Writer Kevin Fedarko discusses his latest book on hiking 750 miles along the Grand Canyon
July 03, 2024 21:09 - 8 minutes - 7.8 MBKOTO’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.
Colorado's new pack of wolves welcomes new pup
July 02, 2024 20:40 - 10 minutes - 10 MBToday 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.
Regional Roundup: Turning guns into gardening tools
July 01, 2024 18:10 - 29 minutes - 39.9 MBToday 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 Lake City sharing his experience as a refugee, produced by KRCL.
Weekly News Reel: State audit found Grand County misused tourism-related funding
June 27, 2024 22:20 - 8 minutes - 7.35 MBOn 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 Notes - • State audit finds Grand County misused, misreported TRT money https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/state-audit-finds-grand-county-misused-m...
National Weather Service underestimated rainfall that triggered recent flash flood
June 27, 2024 18:42 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBGrand 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 county ran into during the last major flood in August of 2022. But Cora Phillips, emergency management director for Grand County, said the system w...
Search and rescue responds to missing persons report following flash flood
June 26, 2024 17:29 - 8 minutes - 8.11 MBOn 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 flood-related rescue. On Friday, 20 hikers were evacuated from Grandstaff Canyon after getting trapped by high water. According to Grand County Sear...
Moab city assesses damage and cleans up after flood
June 26, 2024 01:40 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MBOn 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.
Regional Roundup: How do road closures across the Mountain West affect rural communities?
June 24, 2024 19:25 - 29 minutes - 39.8 MBToday 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 resort towns can learn from Aspen, from KVNF. We finish off with two way on the need to have Pride celebrations in rural communities from KBUT, and a...
Weekly News Reel: Grand County Administrator resigns following inquiry into email correspondences
June 21, 2024 20:40 - 9 minutes - 8.99 MBOn 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 an update from Lena Pace, the National Park Service Superintendent for southeastern Utah, about timed entry and possibly going cashless for park adm...
Janitors protest unfair wages in Denver
June 20, 2024 18:12 - 10 minutes - 10 MBToday 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.
Forest officials plant native seeds after fire
June 20, 2024 18:08 - 10 minutes - 10.1 MBToday 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.
Does more precipitation spur greater wildfire risk in Utah?
June 19, 2024 03:47 - 8 minutes - 7.5 MBToday 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.
Regional Roundup: What really happened during the 'killdozer' rampage in Colorado?
June 17, 2024 18:00 - 29 minutes - 39.8 MBToday 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. Plus, a feature on an all-female wild land fire fighter crew, from Aspen Public Radio.
Weekly News Reel: County responds to state audit into TRT spending
June 14, 2024 18:00 - 12 minutes - 11 MBOn 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 developers of a controversial housing project on Kane Creek the power to create their own municipality and bypass Grand County zoning codes. Plus, we’l...
New laws regulate the funeral industry in Colorado following several malpractice cases
June 13, 2024 18:00 - 9 minutes - 8.43 MBToday 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.
Residents in western Colorado oppose Dolores River monument
June 12, 2024 19:08 - 9 minutes - 8.95 MBToday 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.
Farewell to Molly Marcello, founder of KZMU News!
June 11, 2024 21:55 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBToday 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.
Regional Roundup: Moab police uncover new evidence from a murder at Woody's Tavern
June 10, 2024 18:00 - 29 minutes - 39.8 MBToday 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 interview with author Erica Berry about her new book Wolfish: Wolf, Self and the Stories We Tell about Fear.
Weekly News Reel: Well water access cut off to Kane Creek housing development
June 08, 2024 20:12 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBOn 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 forward. We finish off talking about a public hearing scheduled for June 25 for Moab residents to tell the City Council how they want their new pro...
New study outlines financial hardships Southwestern farmers face during drought
June 06, 2024 18:04 - 10 minutes - 9.75 MBToday 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.
New documentary explores the mental health crisis affecting ski towns
June 05, 2024 18:26 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBToday 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 also hear from the Utah News Connection about one county in Utah that’s hoping to conserve water through a new wastewater treatment facility. And we f...
Navajo-Churro sheep herders and weavers celebrate the heritage breed in southwestern Colorado
June 04, 2024 20:28 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBToday 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.
Regional Roundup: Refugee advocate remembers post-war immigration from Vietnam to Colorado
June 03, 2024 18:08 - 29 minutes - 39.8 MBToday 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 interview about films featured in Māsima: Pacific Islands Film Tour, a recent film festival that took place in Salt Lake City, from KRCL.
Weekly News Reel: Two bike paths in Moab cleared for future improvements
May 31, 2024 17:08 - 9 minutes - 8.83 MBOn 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 Utah’s gubernatorial race. We finish off with a recap of the Grand County High School’s graduation ceremony, and the announcement of the new high s...
Bird flu infects four herds of cattle in Colorado
May 30, 2024 18:00 - 10 minutes - 9.94 MBBird 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 Nation.
Award-winning victim advocate from Moab discusses local crime trends
May 29, 2024 21:27 - 10 minutes - 9.82 MBNathaniel 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 to help domestic violence victims https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/utahs-shelter-crisis-has-gotten-worse-after-a-change-meant-to-help-domestic...
Copper mine in San Juan County seeks approval for in-situ recovery
May 28, 2024 19:20 - 9 minutes - 8.63 MBThe 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. We also hear from our partners at KHOL about changes to wolf hunting laws in Wyoming. We hear from KUNC about the best runoff storage in a decade,...
Regional Roundup: A death doula challenges the taboos of dying
May 27, 2024 18:00 - 29 minutes - 39.8 MBToday 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 Holly Carlin who is terminally ill and Jude Higgins, a death doula about having a peaceful death from KRCL.
Weekly News Reel: UMTRA pipeline could bring water to Thompson Springs community
May 24, 2024 18:00 - 9 minutes - 9.05 MBOn 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 Festival and give updates on big repairs needed at the Moab Recreation and Aquatics Center. And we finish off with a story about two people who stol...
Japanese incarceration camp survivor speaks at the Moab Museum
May 23, 2024 18:00 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBToday, 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 News Connection about the disenrollment of children from the Medicaid system in Utah. - Show Notes - • A Moab Prison Camp: Japanese American Incarce...
New state law appears to target controversial Kane Creek housing development
May 22, 2024 21:00 - 8 minutes - 7.95 MBA 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 applied to become a municipality through this new program, and if approved, they would be able to bypass county laws and establish their own land use ...
What does an embargo on Russian uranium mean for Utah?
May 21, 2024 18:00 - 8 minutes - 8.22 MBLast 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 in Utah. Plus, we hear from KSJD about a new law to repatriate sacred objects to Native American tribes. We finish off with a story from KUNC about ...
Regional Roundup: Using Indigenous knowledge to address climate change
May 20, 2024 18:00 - 29 minutes - 39.8 MBToday 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 KGNU. Plus, an interview with a veteran on challenges facing veterans trying to get compensation for radiation exposure at the Nevada Test and Trai...
Weekly News Reel: Dog found after nine-day search along Colorado River
May 17, 2024 18:00 - 10 minutes - 9.74 MBOn 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 River. Plus, we have a story about parents who voiced their support for former Grand County High School Principal, Todd Thompson, after he was fir...
Vets seek compensation for illnesses linked to Nevada Test and Training Range
May 16, 2024 18:00 - 10 minutes - 9.24 MBToday, 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.
Grand County High School to see a boost in graduation rates this year
May 15, 2024 18:00 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBThis 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 says it will have helped at least 6 students graduate who otherwise would not have received a diploma. - Show Notes - https://gchs.grandschools....
Space storm triggers northern lights across Utah
May 14, 2024 18:00 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBThe 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 amidst the national culture wars. Plus, we hear from KUER about new snow survey technology that's flying over Utah. And we finish off with a story from...
Weekly News Reel: Principal of Grand County High School fired by state board
May 13, 2024 20:08 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBToday 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 vehicle use that turned into a Phil Lyman campaign event in Monticello last weekend. We also talk to Kenny Fallon, editor and publisher of a new...
Regional Roundup: Student activist commemorates 50th anniversary of Los Seis de Boulder
May 13, 2024 20:06 - 29 minutes - 39.8 MBToday 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, an interview with a student activist from The University of Colorado about Los Seis of Boulder, 6 Chicano activists who were killed 50 years ago ...
New study predicts more precipitation in the Colorado River in coming years
May 09, 2024 20:12 - 9 minutes - 8.27 MBToday 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 how things are different now that out-of-state hunters are barred from participating in the first week.
New law could override county's vote against wastewater facility at Kane Creek development
May 09, 2024 18:09 - 9 minutes - 8.67 MBOn Tuesday, Grand County Commissioners voted to deny a conditional use permit that would enable developers to build a wastewater treatment facility for the new Kane Creek housing complex. The vote was a big win for local organizers opposed to the project, which is under construction in an undeveloped corridor of the Colorado River. The battle isn't over yet, though. Organizers with Kane Creek Development Watch are worried a new state law could override the county's authority by granting devel...
Syphilis cases are on the rise in Colorado
May 07, 2024 17:57 - 10 minutes - 9.53 MBToday, we hear from our partners at KDNK about rises in the number of cases of syphilis, especially in newborn children. We also hear from Aspen Public Radio about how local law enforcement is trying to prevent DUIs in high schoolers after prom.
Regional Roundup: An award winning high school mariachi band tours through Colorado
May 07, 2024 17:55 - 29 minutes - 39.8 MBOn the latest Regional Roundup, we hear a story about an award-winning high school mariachi band from Uvalde, TX, which just wrapped up a tour of Boulder, Colorado. We also hear an interview on a new helpline for Indigenous Women in Utah. Plus, an interview with the film makers behind a new documentary about navigating housing and healthcare in Chaffee County, CO. To finish up, we hear a two-way with Derek Gow about his new book, Hunt for the Shadow Wolf, in which he explores the mythology, m...
Weekly News Reel: Lyman wins GOP nomination
May 03, 2024 20:57 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBToday on the Weekly News Reel, we talk to Sophia Fisher, reporter with the Moab Times-Independent, about a conditional use permit that was approved for a guiding business in a residential area in Spanish Valley. We also talk about plans for the Utah Renewable Communities Coalition, and what that could mean for renewable energy projects in Moab in the future. We also discuss the City Council’s response to upcoming evictions at the Walnut Lane trailer park. Plus, we talk about the GOP’s nominat...
Regional Roundup: Diversifying Snow Sports
April 29, 2024 18:00 - 29 minutes - 39.8 MBOn the latest Regional Roundup: an event in our region aims to welcome more people of color to the mountains and snow sports. Plus: a selection of cowboy poetry, recorded at a cowboy poetry gathering in 1990, from the archives. And: an interview with environmental historian Jessica Lee who explores borders, plants and belonging in her new collection of essays, 'Dispersals.'
Weekly News Reel: Commission takes time on Kane Creek decision
April 26, 2024 22:23 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBOn the Weekly News Reel, we talk to Sophia Fisher, reporter with the Moab Times-Independent, about the Grand County Commission postponing a decision related to a luxury and residential and overnight rental development. We also talk about why it's difficult to forecast weather in Moab and how local topography affects our weather systems. And we finish off with news of a groundbreaking at the Arroyo Crossing housing development. // Show Notes: https://www.kzmu.org/weekly-news-reel-county-tak...
Part 3 – The Woody's Tavern Murder
April 25, 2024 21:11 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBWho killed Ann Woodward? The question still haunts local law enforcement, who have been stumped by the murder since 1973 when the former owner of Woody’s Tavern was murdered at the bar. Law enforcement botched the initial investigation, and in the process, lost a box of crucial evidence for over 50 years. But earlier this fall, the Moab Police found that missing evidence, and thanks to DNA testing, the investigator who reopened the case is pretty certain he’ll be able to name a culprit once h...
Part 2 – The Woody's Tavern Murder
April 24, 2024 22:56 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBWho killed Ann Woodward? The question still haunts local law enforcement, who have been stumped by the murder since 1973 when the former owner of Woody’s Tavern was murdered at the bar. Law enforcement botched the initial investigation, and in the process, lost a box of crucial evidence for over 50 years. But earlier this fall, the Moab Police found that missing evidence, and thanks to DNA testing, the investigator who reopened the case is pretty certain he’ll be able to name a culprit once h...
Part 1 – The Woody's Tavern Murder
April 23, 2024 22:10 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBWho killed Ann Woodward? The question still haunts local law enforcement, who have been stumped by the murder since 1973 when the former owner of Woody’s Tavern was murdered at the bar. Law enforcement botched the initial investigation, and in the process, lost a box of crucial evidence for over 50 years. But earlier this fall, the Moab Police found that missing evidence, and thanks to DNA testing, the investigator who reopened the case is pretty certain he’ll be able to name a culprit once h...
Regional Roundup: 'Letters from an American' author on our democracy
April 23, 2024 15:33 - 28 minutes - 26.6 MBOn the latest Regional Roundup: an interview with Heather Cox Richardson, author of the daily e-newsletter and podcast 'Letters from an American,' about the state of our democracy, why she's worried and what we can do. Plus: we revisit an interview with Lena Pace, the superintendent of the Southeast Utah Group of National Parks. And: a report about the last train journey for the conductor of the Winter Park Express ski train.