Open Spaces

This week on Open Spaces, Wyoming lawmakers might roll back a sales tax on electricity, which would save us money but could cripple small towns. That’s a revenue they depend on to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. Grizzly bears are still considered threatened in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but scientists say the population has recovered. A new exhibition offers an intimate look into...

Today on the show, we’ll hear about a bill that seeks to “make carbon dioxide great again." It would stop a lot of Wyoming’s climate change mitigation efforts, but that doesn’t mean an emissions free for all. Big movie theater chains may be closing their doors across the country. But, in some small towns in our region, theaters are still vibrant community hubs. And, we hear some tips on keeping yo...

Today on the show, a little lake north of Pinedale has long been treasured by locals for fishing. But this fall, something happened... it turned red. There’s going to be an influx of new faces at the Wyoming Capitol this month after a slate of newcomers beat out incumbents in recent elections. And we have the story of how a group of Green River High School students wrote a proclamation to make Jan...

Welcome to our year-in-review of Open Spaces. Today we have a batch of stories our reporters picked as their top news items of last year. We’ll hear how wildfire managers anticipated a busy summer after a flurry of spring burns got the season started early. We’ll revisit the early days of a program that aims to work with Native families to address grief and intergenerational trauma. And we’ll dive...

Today on the show, we’ll hear from county firefighters reflecting this past year’s massive wildfires, and about some food sovereignty projects on the Wind River Reservation. We’ll tag along with a long time Sublette county local for a very unique kind of Christmas tree hunt…Those stories and more on Open Spaces.

Today on the show, tourism in the Cody area hasn’t kept up with other Yellowstone gateway towns. We’ll hear how the town is changing up its marketing strategy to reflect that. Employers in the Cowboy State are getting creative with how they house workers. And for some, that means trucking in homes from factories. And, Miss Wyoming talks about the importance of sports and more open conversations ab...

Today on the show, more than a decade ago, Wyoming Republicans backed a change to the state constitution, which gave people the right to make their own healthcare decisions. It was meant to signal disapproval of the Affordable Care Act. That amendment was just used to strike down two near-total abortion bans in the state. Climate change, the energy transition, and affording everyday life are all b...

Today on the show, the results of the election are in and The Wyoming Freedom Caucus now has a majority of seats in the House. One legislator says it’s going to be interesting. A Lakota historian reflects on how the railroad impacted bison habitat. In football, the Cowboys' running back, Sam Scott, flipped to the other side of the ball and is contributing in big ways this season. Plus, a rare dise...

Today on the show, as we gear up for the general election, we dive into how ballots get counted and how elections get certified. In an effort to lower their carbon footprints, people in our region are building homes out of straw bales. Students took a trip to a creek outside of Cheyenne with ties to a 19th Century treaty. Plus, we hear about how Grizzly 399 was managed differently than other bears...

Today on the show, all of your questions about voting in the upcoming election answered. Plus a look at contested Wyoming House races in the General Election. On the Wind River Reservation, one tribal member is leading a program to help people coming back from prison stay out. And, a photographer talks about what motivates him to go to the front lines of some of the largest fires. Those stories an...

Today on Open Spaces, we're bringing back some of the biggest storylines of the summer to thank you, our listeners, for keeping us on the air and making this kind of place-based, informative storytelling possible. Gillette welcomed over 55 thousand people for a week-long event. And we’ll bring you behind the scenes of one of the biggest fires in Wyoming this summer. Those stories and more.

Today on Open Spaces, it’s been a busy wildfire season. We’ll hear how fire departments are coping with fewer volunteers. A non-profit that fills in the gaps for the largest national forest in Wyoming, is preparing to play a bigger role going forward. Last winter, the corporation that owns the Pinedale Roundup laid off all its employees except one. Then, major news hit. And the Road to Cheyenne se...

Today on Open Spaces, a summer camp lives out Wyoming’s vision for attracting young people to the state’s outdoor industry – even if camp chores include moving 90-pound hay bales. We hear from Cherokee painter DG House about how the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem inspires her art. Furry friends on Native American reservations are feeling the heat from climate change. And highlights of a bike race f...

Today on the show, the latest draft for how to manage millions of acres of federal lands in southwest Wyoming attempts compromise but there is still a chance for litigation. It’s been a pretty big year for wildfires in Wyoming. The state fire management officer says working with partners has been key. We hear from students at the University of Wyoming about changes happening on campus, like the po...

Today on the show, the Primary elections are almost over. We are going to take this Open Spaces to digest and analyze what happened. We chat with representatives of three voting blocks in the Wyoming legislature. Wyoming’s current speaker of the house will be out of politics for now after two sessions in the leadership position. He lost his bid for a senate seat. This comes after a particularly di...

Today on the show, a tribal bison manager in Wyoming says Yellowstone’s new plan to manage the animals is a good compromise. Three Fremont County schools are growing their libraries with new collections of Native books. These days, all eyes are on rural voters, especially since both presidential candidates picked running mates with rural roots. And, the primary is right around the corner - we look...

Today on the show, how do we balance safety with the desire to leave no trace? That’s the question that’s been consuming the rock climbing community in wilderness areas. Some Wyoming voters have received mail about the upcoming election that contains wrong or misleading information. And we check in on the southeast section of the state for the latest edition of our primary election series - The Ro...

Today on the show, we sent some of our reporters to hear how Wyomingites felt about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Summer heat is impacting river ecosystems and the fishing guides that rely on them. And we continue taking a closer look at the primaries, this time Wyoming’s lone congressional Those stories and more on Open Spaces.

Today on the show, Gov. Mark Gordon is the latest guest on a show where the interview happens over a meal – and he finished his whole plate. A silent trend is affecting Wyoming’s economy: the steady decline of childcare providers. And some of the state’s rules could be making it worse. Spanish-speaking communities are vital in many Mountain West towns — and so is their need to access services and...

This week, we reach beyond our studios and bring you interviews from Wyoming PBS’ "Wyoming Chronicle." Brian Nesvik has been the Wyoming Game and Fish director since 2019. After about 30 years in the department, he’s announced his retirement. We catch up with him as he reflects on his career. And we stay in the Game and Fish department, as we learn about a success story. Undesirable fish were foun...

Today on the show, Campbell County is part of a national program aimed at strengthening and growing opportunities in local economies shaped by coal industries. The Eastern Shoshone Tribe debuted a new arbor at their annual powwow in Fort Washakie. We’re back with our primary election series - the Road To Cheyenne. We’re taking a look at state House and Senate races in the northwest part of the sta...

June 19 marked the 70th anniversary since former Wyoming Gov. and U.S. Sen. Lester Hunt died by suicide in his office in Washington, D.C. Hunt’s political career peaked amid McCarthyism and he himself was targeted politically by McCarthy’s cronies. For many years, details of the political pressures exerted over Hunt were underreported or hidden. Our panelists, including historians, a current state...

Today on the show, with Teton Pass out of commission, we check in with businesses and commuters. We visit Kemmerer, where a highly anticipated nuclear power project just broke ground. And we kick off the primary election season with a new series - "The Road To Cheyenne." Every Open Spaces until the primaries, we will keep you updated with what you need to know. Today, the big picture. Those storie...

Today on the show, fire managers are anticipating a busy summer after a flurry of spring burns got the season started early. A new program aims to work with Native families to address grief and intergenerational trauma. India’s new consul general for our region met with state officials this week to talk clean energy, tourism and trade. And, a conversation with Governor Mark Gordon about working th...

This week, we reach beyond our studios and bring you interviews from Wyoming PBS’ "Wyoming Chronicle." Robin Sessions Cooley has had a long career in state government. She was most recently the director of the Department of Workforce Services. Now she’s trying her hand at being a Wyoming District Court Judge. She says her law degree really helped in her most recent job. And we hear from Miss Wyomi...