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
KZMU News: Friday October 25, 2019
October 25, 2019 19:00 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBKZMU welcomes Doug McMurdo, associate editor of The Times-Independent, to the station for a discussion on the paper's latest coverage. This week - the study committee, stuck over the question of new districts and which entity has the authority to make them, continues their work on changing Grand County's form of government. Then, the Utah Court of Appeals hears oral arguments in the case against the proposed Lionsback Resort, adjacent to Sand Flats Recreation Area. Plus, Election Day is Novem...
KZMU News: Thursday October 24, 2019
October 24, 2019 19:00 - 8 minutes - 7.78 MBThe Day of the Dead Festival or Festival del Dia de Muertos is a deeply meaningful celebration of life, meant to honor the spirits of loved ones who have passed away. Some people say its a time when those spirits return to earth to visit the living. The Moab Valley Multicultural Center is celebrating Day of the Dead this Sunday, and as per tradition, community members can expect brightly decorated altars, traditional Latin cuisine, live mariachi, and folk art. In honor of this unique celebrat...
KZMU News: Wednesday October 23, 2019
October 23, 2019 19:30 - 9 minutes - 8.82 MBAccording to audio obtained by High Country News, acting BLM Director William Perry Pendley faced questioning from staff over the decision to move career positions to Grand Junction, CO. Today's news features an interview with HCN reporter Nick Bowlin, speaking with our partners at KDNK about this upheaval at the BLM, consolidation of policymaking power, and the future of public lands management.
KZMU News: Tuesday October 22, 2019
October 22, 2019 19:00 - 5 minutes - 4.9 MBClimate change has been called “the new normal” by some. But residents in the southwest say there’s nothing normal about it. Communities in the Four Corners – where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona meet – have been bouncing between desperately dry and record-breaking moisture for the past few years. Our partners at Rocky Mountain Community Radio have the story.
KZMU News: Monday October 21, 2019
October 21, 2019 19:00 - 6 minutes - 5.86 MBToday on the news, our partners at UPR profile the one research facility in the whole country dedicated to studying conflicts between humans and carnivores. Then, Public Lands Corner explores yet another proposed change to our National Parks – privatizing the operation of park campgrounds. Plus, a big thanks to everyone who contributed this radiothon. [Photo: NPS/Chris Wonderly]
KZMU News: Friday October 18, 2019
October 19, 2019 16:09 - 10 minutes - 9.34 MBKZMU chats with Doug McMurdo, associate editor of The Times-Independent, about their latest coverage. This week - facing budget shortfalls, the Grand County Council moves forward on a property tax increase, and local governing bodies oppose vehicles like ATVs and UTVs in Utah's National Parks. Plus, Airport Director Judd Hill plans to leave the county and a profile of some climbers' harrowing experience on Castleton Tower. Tune in.
Get An Earful - Getting an Address in San Juan County
October 19, 2019 16:09 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MB*Saturday Extra* Today on the extended newscast, a situation in San Juan County that started as a voting rights issue, but turned out to be so much more – addressing. We speak with Maggie McGuire, the editor of the Moab Sun News, about the many Navajo residents without traditional addresses, and how that affects their ability to vote, get medical care, and mail. McGuire gives some history on this issue, and shares what she’s learned about a non-profit/private partnership currently working tow...
KZMU News: Thursday October 17, 2019
October 17, 2019 20:36 - 5 minutes - 5.26 MBArches National Park is officially re-forming their approach to long-term traffic congestion management by taking a harder look at mandatory shuttle service, additional entrance roads, and traffic patterns within the park. At a meeting this week in Moab, park staff said the growing traffic problems at Arches are now part of the typical visitor experience – and that’s a problem. At the end of this process, Arches wants a solution to traffic congestion that will improve access to the park and p...
KZMU News: Wednesday October 16, 2019
October 16, 2019 19:15 - 6 minutes - 6.02 MBAll three governing bodies in the Moab area have united in opposition to allowing vehicles like ATVs and UTVs in Utah’s National Parks. In a joint resolution passed Tuesday, Moab City, Grand County, and the Town of Castle Valley state they oppose the vehicles in the parks without an environmental study and public comment process. An NPS spokesperson told KZMU News that the federal agency is “working through a process that we want to be able to share soon” and “this component of public engagem...
KZMU News: Tuesday October 15, 2019
October 15, 2019 19:00 - 6 minutes - 6.2 MBAt the Indigenous Celebration Monday evening, community members gathered to learn about Native American heritage, commune over warm food, and engage with Indigenous songs and dance. New local nonprofit Full Circle Intertribal Center co-hosted the event along with Moab City and the Native American Club, and board members spoke about the importance of Indigenous Peoples' Day with regard to unity, resilience, and visibility. Tune in.
KZMU News: Monday October 14, 2019
October 14, 2019 19:15 - 6 minutes - 6.45 MBToday on the news, the BLM’s Acting Director says past comments he’s made doubting the existence of climate change are irrelevant. Plus, light pollution is a growing problem in Utah, so much that officials at the University of Utah have created a new minor and science journal centered on dark skies. And later, Public Lands Corner discusses the importance of natural soundscapes and lightscapes in National Parks. Tune in.
Get An Earful - Ken 'Seldom Seen' Sleight
October 12, 2019 16:00 - 17 minutes - 16.5 MB*Saturday Extra* At 90 years old, legendary river runner and activist Ken Sleight is the subject of a new documentary, 'The Unfinished Fight of Seldom Seen Sleight,' which premieres this weekend at Star Hall. This film focuses on his lifelong work to protect Rainbow Bridge and Glen Canyon, a place after many decades away he still calls home. We sat down with Ken and filmmaker Susette Weisheit at his Pack Creek Ranch home to talk about the film, activism, and Ken’s recipe for standing up for w...
KZMU News: Friday October 11, 2019
October 11, 2019 19:00 - 9 minutes - 9.15 MBKZMU News chats with Doug McMurdo, associate editor of The Times-Independent, about the paper's latest coverage. This week - U.S. Rep John Curtis visits Moab to talk ORV's in local National Parks, the Moab UMTRA milestone, and other local issues. Plus, the Moab Mosquito Abatement District considers tax and structure changes, the city makes several new hires, and Terry Morse plans to leave the county council. Tune in.
KZMU News: Thursday October 10, 2019
October 10, 2019 19:35 - 9 minutes - 9.2 MBLocal elected officials told the public this week that they are organizing a response to the change in National Park Service policy allowing ATVs and UTVs on Utah’s park roads. City Manager Joel Linares said staff and elected leaders will “take action in the interest of what we’re hearing from our constituency.” Southeast Utah Group Superintendent Kate Cannon publicly opposes this policy, stating Tuesday that allowing off-road vehicles in the parks would be “detrimental to the experience of v...
KZMU News: Wednesday October 9, 2019
October 09, 2019 20:14 - 5 minutes - 4.93 MBThe Moab UMTRA project reached a major milestone this Fall – 10 million tons of uranium mill tailings were removed from the banks of the Colorado River. That means over 62 percent of the estimated 16 million ton pile is now gone. Representatives from the Department of Energy, local elected officials, and interested community members gathered to celebrate this week. Many spoke about healing the community and the environment, crediting the hard work and dedication of passionate people to get th...
KZMU News: Tuesday October 8, 2019
October 08, 2019 19:00 - 7 minutes - 6.75 MBAgriculture is more than what we eat – it has the power to shape culture and socio-economic divides. This has played out in many areas across the West. KUNC’s Esther Honig has the story of how lettuce changed one of the poorest regions in neighboring Colorado, the San Luis Valley. [Photo: A field pack machine slowly makes its way through the rows of lettuce. Credit Esther Honig/KUNC]
KZMU News: Monday October 7, 2019
October 07, 2019 19:00 - 7 minutes - 6.76 MBOpposition mounts against a National Park Service order to allow off-road vehicles like ATVs and UTVs on Utah’s park roads, as critics call for a public environmental analysis. Amid fears that rangers will have difficulty enforcing such vehicles to stay on the road, a recent memo by the Superintendent of Arches and Canyonlands states, “the propensity of these vehicles to be driven off-road where prohibited is well established in research.” Learn more during the News and Public Lands Corner. P...
KZMU News: Friday October 4, 2019
October 04, 2019 19:00 - 5 minutes - 5.02 MBIn today’s booming economy, more and more employers are facing a shortage of workers; one that they might fill by reaching out to people with disabilities. But what about the cost of accommodations for workers with disabilities? In their series Diagnosed, our partners at Utah Public Radio take a look at some misconceptions about the cost of employing a non-typical worker, whether they need high-tech, low-tech or no-tech solutions. [Photo: For some, using voice to text technology is a matter ...
KZMU News: Thursday October 3, 2019
October 03, 2019 19:00 - 5 minutes - 5.51 MBThe unemployment rate for people with disabilities was eight percent in 2018: more than twice the rate for the general population, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And getting a job is only the first step: staying employed is also a challenge. As part of their series Diagnosed, our partners at Utah Public Radio speak to an employer, an educator, and a person with autism to find out more about how some workers with disabilities found the supports they need to stay employed. [Photo...
KZMU News: Wednesday October 2, 2019
October 02, 2019 19:00 - 7 minutes - 7.18 MBAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, just under 19 percent of people with disabilities are employed, compared with 66 percent of people without disabilities. Policymakers and educators want to change that. Over the past five years, many Utah universities launched programs aimed at preparing young people with disabilities to enter the workforce. While many people without disabilities look to work as a way to gain health insurance benefits, some workers with disabilities worry they may ...
KZMU News: Tuesday October 1, 2019
October 01, 2019 19:00 - 5 minutes - 5.27 MBWe’ve heard a lot about the booming economy, and it’s true the employment rate has risen, for both people with and without disabilities. Still, the employment gap—that’s the difference in employment rates between typical employees and those with disabilities—is wider than it was in 2008, when the Great Recession began, according to a study from the University of New Hampshire. Where does Utah fit in all of this? We rank third in the nation for employment rates among people with disabilities, ...
KMZU News: Monday September 30, 2019
September 30, 2019 19:00 - 7 minutes - 7.01 MBFor some, graduating and leaving high school or college school means entering the adult world. But for people with disabilities, an independent life is less certain. Eight in 10 people with disabilities are not in the labor force, compared with three in 10 among people without a disability. As part of their series Diagnosed, our partners at Utah Public Radio speak with Utahns who initially struggled to make that transition but are now seeing success. [Photo: Jenna Mosher graduated from Aggie...
Get An Earful - Clearcutting Grand Staircase
September 28, 2019 17:00 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MB*Saturday Extra* There was a recent victory in the pro-wilderness world – a plan by the Bureau of Land Management to clearcut more than 30,000 acres of pinyon-juniper forest and sagebrush stands within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was overturned by a federal appeals board. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, along with the Western Watersheds Project, the Wilderness Society, and the Grand Canyon Trust brought the appeal. On the extended newscast, SUWA wildlands attorney Kya M...
KZMU News: Friday September 27, 2019
September 27, 2019 19:00 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MBKZMU News chats with Doug McMurdo, the associate editor of The Times-Independent, about their latest issue. This week - Grand County and the Moab Area Travel Council discuss a new proposal that would lower the requirement counties must spend on tourism promotion. And then, the city takes on a northern sewer line project, a Moab resident wins a national skydiving award, and an artist uses the local landfill as her latest statement on the environment. Tune in.
KZMU News: Thursday September 26, 2019
September 26, 2019 23:03 - 8 minutes - 7.93 MBThe Utah Association of Counties is currently proposing changes to state law which would require counties to spend 32 percent of their tourism revenue on promotion instead of the currently mandated 47 percent. While more revenue could theoretically be spent on mitigation efforts, the current proposal also guarantees a revenue freeze for promotion at 2018 levels. And later, it’s that time of year where community members gather to dance in the streets in celebration of community and the fight t...
KZMU News: Wednesday September 25, 2019
September 25, 2019 19:00 - 9 minutes - 8.52 MBThe first annual Harvest Festival at the Youth Garden Project drew community members for games, music, and local farm-fresh food over the weekend. The event featured a blue ribbon produce exhibition with categories like ‘weirdest,’ ‘most anatomically correct,’ and ‘biggest.’ Event organizers called it a success, one that furthered YGP’s mission to connect people with food from farm to table. And later in the news, our partners at KRCC report that the spread of cheatgrass could make wildfires ...
KZMU News: Tuesday September 24, 2019
September 24, 2019 19:38 - 7 minutes - 6.98 MBStudents, teachers, and staff at Grand County Middle School took part in a ceremonial groundbreaking last week at the future site of the new middle school building. An upgraded facility with better learning spaces, technology, and community spaces will replace the current uranium-era middle school. Property taxes will pay for the $31.5 million building, which administrators estimate should last 100 years. And later in the news, with the recent completion of “Aggie Boulevard,” USU-Moab is on t...
KZMU News: Monday September 23, 2019
September 23, 2019 20:15 - 10 minutes - 9.23 MBLocals have noticed a curious increase in ursine activity this summer, frombears up a tree in Castle Valley, to several feasting on fruit in town, and the bear that attacked a child last month at Dewey Bridge Campground. In our spotlight on the Moab Sun News, editor Maggie McGuire discusses the uptick – which she reports relates to both environmental factors and human activity. And later in the newscast, Public Lands Corner host Chad Niehaus visits Arches National Park during the recent celeb...
KZMU News: Friday September 20, 2019
September 20, 2019 19:00 - 10 minutes - 9.41 MBKZMU News chats with Doug McMurdo, the associate editor of The Times-Independent, about the latest stories in the paper. This week – Moab City starts planning for major infrastructure maintenance, the high school considers drug testing athletes, the MAPS senior housing project moves ahead, and the county considers purchasing the current USU-Moab campus buildings. Plus, a highlight on the Moab Festival of Science. Tune in!
KZMU News: Thursday September 19, 2019
September 19, 2019 19:00 - 8 minutes - 8.02 MBHemp is taking the Colorado agriculture industry by storm and gaining a reputation as a highly valuable, supposedly drought tolerant cash crop. But is the plant really as ideal for a state facing severe water scarcity as it’s being made out to be? Or is the outside-the-box thinking hemp is inspiring really behind hemp’s water needs and viability in the west? Our partners at KGNU spoke with researchers and visited multiple hemp grows in Colorado to try to find out. [Photo: David Lebsock exami...
KZMU News: Wednesday September 18, 2019
September 18, 2019 19:00 - 5 minutes - 5.5 MBDozens of people on mountain bikes and motorbikes gathered at the Slickrock bike trailhead last weekend to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The gearheads hit the trail for a social ride, but also to do some restoration work. The much-loved trail was the first of its kind in the area, and helped bring new life to Moab via recreation after the uranium industry sputtered to a halt. Now after 50 years, locals say the Slickrock Bike Trail is still a very special place.
KZMU News: Tuesday September 17, 2019
September 17, 2019 20:28 - 8 minutes - 8.21 MBWriter Zak Podmore has found his stories as a reporter in Southeast Utah, most recently as a Bluff-based Report For America fellow at The Salt Lake Tribune. But over the years, he’s found his personal life intersecting with his work. In a new book called “Confluence” he traces the personal and political along the rivers that have shaped the West. Our partners at KSJD in Cortez, Colorado spoke with him about the new book. [Photo: The San Juan River snakes through canyons in Southeast Utah. Cr...
KZMU News: Monday September 16, 2019
September 16, 2019 19:00 - 7 minutes - 6.94 MBThe sixth annual Dancing with the Moab Stars brought community members together over dance and performance, in a fundraiser for the Moab Valley Multicultural Center. This year, eight local stars were paired with instructors to compete for first place, as well as other categories like best production and people’s choice. Funds raised during the evening support the MVMC and their services including crisis resource and advocacy as well as interpretation and translation. Plus later in the newscas...
Get An Earful – Change of County Government
September 14, 2019 17:00 - 10 minutes - 9.38 MB*Saturday Extra* The update to state law that mandated Grand County change it’s form of government was not such an easy pill to swallow for some locals. The change sparked protests from community members and general confusion over the law’s interpretation. But since those early days of conflict, a diverse study committee came together and drafted a recommendation on a new form of government for voters’ approval. After tedious work to get it on the ballot this year, voters will now have to wai...
KZMU News: Friday September 13, 2019
September 13, 2019 19:00 - 10 minutes - 9.59 MBKZMU News chats with Doug McMurdo, the associate editor of The Times-Independent, about the stories in their latest edition. This week - Grand County's change of government issue will not appear on the 2019 ballot, a local mail carrier is under investigation, and the county faces a difficult budget season ahead. Plus, EMS gets major funding for new facilities. Tune in.
KZMU News: Thursday September 12, 2019
September 12, 2019 19:00 - 9 minutes - 8.42 MBPublic works recently identified an estimated $73 million worth of much-needed infrastructure projects, from capital improvements to major maintenance. In order to address these large-scale needs, city manager Joel Linares asked the Moab City Council to step up the amount of public works projects they fund throughout the year. Also on the news, the Moab Mosquito Abatement District recently trapped Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, a vector for various viral diseases including yellow fever and dengue....
KZMU News: Wednesday September 11, 2019
September 11, 2019 21:35 - 7 minutes - 6.87 MBWater officials across the West are talking about a Grand Bargain that would change the 1922 Colorado River Compact. KDNK’s Amy Hadden Marsh spoke with Andy Mueller, director of the Colorado River Water Conservation District, to find out more about the deal. [Photo: The Colorado River immediately downstream of Glen Canyon Dam, Credit: Colorado River Water Conservation District]
KZMU News: Tuesday September 10, 2019
September 10, 2019 19:20 - 7 minutes - 7.12 MB- BLM investigates vandalism along State Highway 313, looking to the public for more information on damaged kiosks - Bear roaming the Mulberry Grove neighborhood captured and removed to Book Cliffs - Tarantula mating season in Southern Colorado brings enthusiasts to glimpse their migration [Photo: A vandalized BLM kiosk found along State Highway 313 over the weekend]
KZMU News: Monday September 9, 2019
September 09, 2019 19:00 - 7 minutes - 6.98 MBMoab City’s new dark skies ordinance aims to lower light pollution and achieve an International Dark Sky Association standard. But what does this mean for residents who need to bring their properties into compliance within five years? In our spotlight on the Moab Sun News, editor Maggie McGuire explains. And later, Public Lands Corner host Chad Niehaus returns with several excerpts from a new federal memo about electric bike use on public lands. [Photo: Canyonlands National Park dark skies, ...
Get An Earful - Sacred Snake
September 07, 2019 16:00 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MB*Saturday Extra* Local resident Rory Tyler has spent years studying a twenty foot long snake petroglyph and its important astronomical markers. He will share his decades of experience at the Moab Museum next week. KZMU’s Christy Williams spoke with Tyler to learn more about his observations and this sacred site.
KZMU News: Friday September 6, 2019
September 06, 2019 19:00 - 10 minutes - 9.9 MBKZMU News welcomes Carter Pape, staff writer for The Times-Independent, to the studios for a discussion on the paper's latest coverage. This week - USU makes a big financial ask of Grand County for its new campus, and local elected officials want to solve the traffic problem at Arches National Park - with the community. Plus, an analysis of local traffic accidents on Highway 191 - where the hotspots are and preliminary data. Tune in.
KZMU News: Thursday September 5, 2019
September 05, 2019 19:00 - 8 minutes - 7.8 MBIt’s tough to find a river in the West that still behaves - like a western river. One that rises and falls with the rush of melting snow. Most of the region’s major streams are controlled by dams. That makes the relatively free-flowing Yampa River in northwestern Colorado unique. As Luke Runyon reports, the people who depend on it are wondering how best to protect the river as the West’s water grows more scarce. [Photo: Rafters float past Steamboat Rock at the confluence of the Yampa and Gre...
KZMU News: Wednesday September 4, 2019
September 04, 2019 19:00 - 5 minutes - 5.43 MBFor the first time, there is now credible evidence that at least one American marten – and likely more – live in the La Sal Mountains. The mammal was spotted at high elevation by a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources trail camera. This is a big find, because state biologists weren’t quite sure if the marten’s range extended into the La Sals. And later in the news, the public protest period opens for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument management plans. Tune in.
KZMU News: Tuesday September 3, 2019
September 03, 2019 19:00 - 7 minutes - 6.77 MBPlanned Parenthood, with over 600 locations nationwide, withdrew from the federal Title X program last month, rather than comply with a new Trump Administration rule that forbids referrals to doctors who can perform abortions. Our partners at KDNK spoke with Adrienne Mansanares, the CXO of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, to find out what this decision means for our region.
KZMU News: Monday September 2, 2019
September 02, 2019 19:00 - 7 minutes - 6.56 MBIn a new feature spotlighting the Moab Sun News, we learn about the ‘revived’ Moab Mountain Bike Association from their managing editor Maggie McGuire. The MMBA brings local mountain bikers together on group rides, trail maintenance, and educational clinics. And later in the news – it’s widely-known that graffiti is a problem at Utah’s National Parks, but what about trash and litter? Our partners at UPR have the story.
Get an Earful – City Manager Joel Linares
August 31, 2019 17:30 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MB*Saturday Extra* Between affordable housing development, infrastructure maintenance, writing new regulations for overnight lodging, and keeping up with the state’s tax reform process, the staff at Moab City Hall are busy. On the extended newscast, we speak with the person guiding day-to-day operations as well as helping to implement long term visions – Moab City Manager Joel Linares. He dropped by the KZMU studios for a discussion about some of the top local issues right now. Tune in and lea...
KZMU News: Friday August 30, 2019
August 30, 2019 19:00 - 8 minutes - 7.82 MBKZMU chats with Doug McMurdo, the associate editor of The Times-Independent, about the paper's latest coverage. This week – the Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission will launch a new film contest this Fall, Moab City begins an eminent domain process for a wastewater improvement project, and more confirmed local cases of West Nile Virus. Plus, a fatal traffic accident on Highway 191. Tune in.
KZMU News: Thursday August 29, 2019
August 29, 2019 22:04 - 9 minutes - 8.89 MBTransitioning from high school to the job market can often be challenging, but made a little easier when you have work experience and marketable skills. The special education staff at Grand County High School want their students to be as prepared as possible for life outside of school. So, throughout the school year, special education students complete community internships, which help increase their independence, self-worth, and future employability. These kids have a lot to offer employers,...
KZMU News: Wednesday August 28, 2019
August 28, 2019 19:00 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBThe Utah Division of Water Resources has set new water conservation goals for the state. For the first time, these goals are targeted region by region. In Southeastern Utah, the state agency wants a 20 percent reduction in municipal and industrial water use by 2030. These goals apply to residential homes, commercial businesses, and institutions like schools and parks. On today’s news, we speak with Rachel Shilton at DWR to learn more. [Photo Courtesy of Utah Division of Water Resources]
KZMU News: Tuesday August 27, 2019
August 27, 2019 19:00 - 6 minutes - 6.41 MBThe Abbey Subdivision, a new development slated for the intersection of Mill Creek Drive and Powerhouse Lane, moved forward in the planning process last week. After a well-attended public hearing August 22nd, the city’s planning commission unanimously approved the subdivision’s preliminary plat, which outlines a plan for 102 household units. The public weighed in on the proposed development, citing concerns about traffic, water resources, and affordability.