Bob Beck

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead defended the state’s wolf management plan this week, saying it’s been peer reviewed by scientists.

The Wyoming Cowboys football team is hoping for its first win of the season Saturday against Toledo.  Wyoming lost last week to nationally ranked Texas and while Toledo lost to Arizona. Wyoming Head Coach Dave Christensen said that the Rockets are well coached and will will present a number of challenges. “They are gonna come in with two very good Quarterbacks, both do an excellent job of executing their offense," Christensen said.

Drought, hay shortage mean tough economic times for Wyoming ag industry
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says this year’s hay crop will be the worst in decades, because of the drought. Hay is already in short supply, and prices have spiked. Wyoming Public Radio’s Willow Belden reports that the hay shortage is forcing ranchers to make tough choices and could have a lingering economic impact on the state’s ag industry.

Earlier this year we told you about an effort to turn coal into gas in Medicine Bow.  Today DKRW Advanced Fuels has announced that it has secured a contract to its Medicine Bow project with the Sinopec  Engineering Group in based out of China.   Bob Kelly is Executive Chairman and co-founder of DKRW, and he tells Bob Beck that getting an actual bid on the facility puts wheels in motion.  

The University of Wyoming Cowgirls Volleyball team believes that this could be their year.  18 years after their last NCAA tournament appearance and coming off two strong seasons, the Wyoming squad believes it will take a big step forward this year.  Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck has more.

It’s Labor Day weekend, which means there will be a lot of discussion surrounding workers in the state.  Kim Floyd is the Executive Secretary of the Labor Organization the AFL-CIO.  He tells Bob Beck it’s an interesting time for many workers

The Wind River Reservation is actively trying to acquire some 160 bison that will be moved from one of Ted Turner’s ranches.  Federal agencies are helping ranch managers determine where they should go. 

Eastern Shoshone tribal member and wildlife scientist Jason Baldes says both the Northern Arapaho and Shoshone would like to acquire at least some of the Bison.  Federal lands and refuges are being considered as other possible locations. 

Garrit Voggesser of the National Wildlife Federation likes the idea of putting the animals on the Wind River Reservation.

The Wyoming Cowgirls volleyball team got off to a fast start and defeated Presbyterian College three games to one in the first round of the UniWyo Wyoming invitational. 

The Cowgirls won the first two games handily by scores of 25 to nine but lost the third game 20 to 25 before winning the match 25 to 14. 

Head Coach Carrie Yerty says her team struggled in the third game because she played a number of new players and combinations.

This week the Legislature’s Joint Revenue committee agreed to submit a bill to the legislature that would increase the gas and diesel tax by ten cents a gallon, raising the tax to 24 cents.  The money would go to the Wyoming Department of Transportation and local governments to pay for road construction.  

Due to decreases in federal funding, the legislature has been forced to find other money to pay for roads. But with the downturn in energy prices, less money will be available in the future. 

The University of Wyoming will present its proposed supplemental budget request to the UW board of trustees Thursday and the request will include money for a pay hike. 

Even though state budgets could be trimmed from four to eight percent, UW wants the Governor and Legislature to set aside five million dollars that can be used for merit based pay raises.  The average increase would be about three percent. 

A group of Gillette residents is hoping to put an end to a long dispute over where a long term care facility should be located. 

The state-of-the-art facility is supported by the community and state, but while some in the community want it located at the site of the former recreation center, a group of community members are pushing to have it placed across the street from Campbell County Memorial Hospital where some former school facilities were located. 

Tom Johnson of the group For All Of Us-Citizens United says the recreation center would be a poor location.

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One candidate for the US House of Representatives wants your help to get on the ballot.  Cheyenne Resident Charlie Hardy got into the race after he found it difficult to communicate with our current congressional delegation.  He’s also concerned that the country remains at war.  Hardy wants to run as an independent.  He’s long written and spoken about issues surrounding foreign affairs and has served as a Catholic Priest and missionary.  Hardy tells Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck that while he opposes the country’s continued war effort, he is not anti-military.

We are joined now by Mike Fierberg who works for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services for the US Department of Health.  He tells Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck what seniors can expect from Medicare this year, but we start by asking him how competitive the insurance marketplace will be now that the U-S Supreme Court has approved most of the Affordable Care Act.

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A Bush administration official has been speaking to members of the media this week about his concerns that the Environmental Protection Agency is overstepping its bounds.   Bud Albright is the former undersecretary for the Department of Energy.  Albright’s main point is that the EPA is unfairly making it difficult for energy companies to operate.  He says they are unfairly impacting the energy market.  He speaks with Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck.

Next on the show is the a Wind Energy expert and the author of the book Harvest the Wind:  America’s Journey to jobs, energy independence and climate stability.  Phil Warburg tells Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck that while it appears that enthusiasm for Wind Energy has slowed down in Wyoming, that is not the case in the rest of the country.

In seems that most people are afraid of a Hospice.  Statistics show that if they are used, people will wait until the final days of someone’s life until they are called upon.   But those who run Wyoming’s 18 Hospices would like to change that.   Hospice care is a less expensive option than a nursing home or hospital that is focused on helping the patient die with dignity while also healing the family.  Most who have been through the process say it actually is a positive experience.  Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck has more.

The University of Wyoming will host a panel discussion Thursday on how climate change can impact planning and management at national parks. 

Researchers from around the world will discuss how environmental changes can impact tourism.   UW Professor Patricia Taylor is one of the organizers.  She says it’s important that those in running parks consider how stakeholders are impacted by decisions park managers make on topics concerning climate. 

The University of Wyoming just finished its second straight year raising over 40 million dollars in private donations.  U-W Foundation President Ben Blalock says the support the University gets from the state leads to donations from the public.

BAER Teams Check Extent of Damage After Wild-land Fires

The fire season came early to Wyoming this year. Usually, Wyoming doesn’t see its biggest fires until late July but already there have been 10 fires that have burned over 265-thousand acres of land. Wet weather and the efforts of thousands of firefighters have contained the larger blazes …So what happens after a fire? Wyoming Public Radio’s Irina Zhorov reports.

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This week Yellowstone National Park has held a series of meetings discussing its new proposed winter use plan.  Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk joins Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck and they discuss the fact that after several years of reduced numbers, more snowmobiles may soon be allowed in Yellowstone.

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The National Science Foundation announced today (Friday) that the University of Wyoming will receive a 20-million-dollar grant to study water resources in the state.  It’s the largest grant ever received by the University.   U-W Researcher Steve Holbrook says they hope to answer a number of water related questions and help future water managers.

Earlier this year the Wyoming legislature told the State Department of Health to study the rising costs of Medicaid and determine if the program can be changed.  

This week the Department will begin a series of meetings to see if members of the public have ideas on how the program can be both more efficient and improved.  Medicaid pays for the health care of low income people and those with disabilities.  Health Department Spokeswoman Kim Deti  says this is not just about trimming the budget.         

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Over the weekend, Wyoming Public Radio News won a station-record five national awards from Public Radio News Directors Incorporated. PRNDI recognizes excellence in Public Radio journalism across the country.  

At Saturday's annual awards banquet recognizing the best news coverage in Public Radio. Wyoming Public Radio's Tristan Ahtone picked up first- and second- place awards for best investigative journalism and a first place award for best soft feature story.

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