Local Motion

Western dams are a contentious issue. But in this episode of West Obsessed, the writers and editors of High Country News discuss the realities of dam removal, from Washington’s Elwha River, whose dams came down six years ago, to Utah’s Bear River, where a diversion is still being planned. 

KVNF is working with Montrose and Ouray County community members to open up a new studio in Montrose.   KVNF’s General Manager Jon Howard and two members of the Community Advisory Board heading up the project – Margaret Freeman and Chris Marcinek give us an update on the project.

KVNF News takes at the issue of racism in Western Colorado.   Locals share their feelings about the events in Charlottesville, VA. including those who attended a vigil in Montrose for Heather Heyer.   History Professor, Steven Schulte talks about the history of the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado.  The Grand Junction chapter of Black Lives Matter responds to KKK flyers being distributed in their area.

Climate chaos, mass extinction, and the potential collapse of civilization? In the episode of West Obsessed, the writers and editors of High Country News ask the question: How can we face grief in the age of ecocide?

KVNF News looks at two different expressions of the Progressive Movement in Colorado. First we have an interview with filmmaker Jacob Smith, who screened the documentary "Waking the Sleeping Giant" in Paonia. And we'll have interviews with panelists from the D3Indivisible Summit that was held in Ridgway. Both events reflected the influence of Senator Bernie Sanders.

Local storytellers share stories about Fire and Ice...

A group of North Fork residents went to Washington DC where they spoke with decision makers regarding the community's vision for the future.  Alex Johnson Executive Director at the Western Slope Conservation Center, Mary Marshall of Solar Energy International and local business owner, Frederick Zimmer talk about their trip.

Health Policy Analyst Bob Semro speaks with Ali Lightfoot about the spending, cost and waste in the American healthcare system.

The election of Donald Trump to the presidency came to the surprise of many. In the aftermath, coastal media rushed to understand rural areas better, but failed to do much more than parachute in and make assumptions. In this episode of West Obsessed, the writers and editors of High Country News discuss the political nuances of one Colorado county that flipped from blue to red. 

Most people think of Nevada's crime scene investigators as slick detectives from Vegas. In this episode of West Obsessed, however, the writers and editors of High Country News discuss another kind of beat: cow cops, who ride the range and meet up with all kinds of mysteries.

In this episode of West Obsessed, the writers and editors of High Country News take a look at Adelanto, California, a desert town that has embraced the incarceration economy--a corner of our justice system that keeps innocent people, including asylum-seekers, behind bars.

KVNF's Felix Belmont speaks with Jeffrey Wright, who serves as Delta County's Emergency Manager. Emergency Management works with County departments, local governments, volunteer organizations and the private sector across Delta County to develop disaster preparedness plans and provide training and exercise activities.

Aiya, Ellie, Julian and Jackson share the stories and interviews they produced during the 2017 Youth Radio Camp.

HopeWest is a non-profit hospice, palliative care and grief support organization serving western Colorado.   Here, Deb Horowitz and Nancy Hovde of HopeWest discuss the work of the organization with Ali Lightfoot. 

Zoe, Carmen, Alyster and Liza share the stories and interviews they produced during the 2017 Youth Radio Camp.

On Earth Day, thousands of scientists, students and advocates gathered on the National Mall in Washington D.C. to call on the Trump administration to support science and evidence-based policy. Noted scientists including Bill Nye gave speeches in D.C. Satellite marches took place in major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles and Boise. But smaller marches and rallies also took place in places like Grants Pass, Oregon, and Silver City, New Mexico.

Theo, Hannah,  Otus and Lena share the stories they produced during KVNF's Spring 2017 Youth Radio Camp.

Host Felix Belmont welcomes Don Suppes, the newest member of the Delta County Board of County Commissioners, for his first appearance on KVNF's monthly Delta County Commissioners Report.

Wildfire season is getting longer and longer across the West, and fires are burning bigger and hotter than ever. In this episode of West Obsessed, the writers and editors of High Country News discuss the newest fire research--and its dark link to the fire bombings of Germany in World War II.

KVNF's Eric Goold and Ali Lightfoot speak with the editors and publishers of three local newspapers.  Jay Seaton of the Daily Sentinel, Randy Sunderland of the Delta County Independent and Thomas Wills of the Merchant Herald discuss fake news, the first amendment and what's news-worthy in rural western Colorado.

In this episode of West Obsessed the writers and editors of High Country News discuss the landmark investigation that  unraveled a Washington timber-poaching gang.

In a typical issue of High Country News, they are primarily concerned with the facts and forces that shape the American West: the landscapes, water, people and wildlife that make this region unique. In the travel issue, however, they take a different tack. In this episode of West Obsessed, we imagine the region as though we were new to it, and in doing so, we see it with fresh eyes.

High Country News Assistant Editor Paige Blankenbuehler spent the last year reporting on the drug epidemic in Craig, Colorado. In this episode of West Obsessed, she discusses her reporting and where Craig fits into the national drug addiction story.

We all know that nature is good for us. But how good? And why? In her new book, The Nature Fix, journalist and author Florence Williams sets out to learn what nature does to the brain. In this issue of West Obsessed, High Country News Managing Editor Brian Calvert discusses the book with the author, including a river trip she took with nine women veterans suffering from the trauma of war. 

KVNF News Host & Reporter Eric Goold takes a look at 2 Delta County outreach programs for seniors: A Little Help and the Senior Meals Program.

Presenters at this year's Western Colorado Food and Farm Forum speak with Ali Lightfoot .  Drew Smith of the Rodale Institute talks about a food trial comparing the nutritional value of organic and conventionally grown vegetables.   Maureen West of the Colorado Department of Agriculture discusses the state's hemp industry.  Kate Greenberg of the National Young Farmer's Coalition talks about resources for beginning farmers.