Gary Small wins fourth Native American Music Award

The Native American Music Awards have been lauding Sheridan, WY-based Gary Small for his broad ranges of styles and talents for years. His latest album, “Hostiles and Renegades” has a heavy reggae influence. I wrote spots about his for Wyoming Public Radio, but this music wrap was produced for National Native News.

https://soundcloud.com/martinezrl/gary-small-nammy-wrap

Fremont County waiting on SLIB decision to replace unsafe courthouse (May 20, 2013)

This spot came from reporting I did about Wyoming’s cash-strapped judicial branch. Riverton’s Circuit Court has overflowing dockets… and the building it’s in is unsafe, to boot. See it, behind the storage containers placed around it as a security measure?

Credit Rebecca Martinez / Wyoming Public Media

The Riverton Circuit Court is stationed in a small, pre-fab building with thin walls. After a bullet was shot from outside the building into the courtroom last summer, Fremont County stationed industrial shipping containers around the building to protect it. The Fremont County Board of Commissioners has requested funding from the State Loan and Investments Board to build a new circuit court facility.

 

 

The Fremont County Board of Commissioners is hoping the State Loan and Investments Board will approve its application for a $2.6 million dollar grant to build a Riverton justice center.

It would cover half the cost of a new building to house offices for the sheriff and county attorneys, as well as a circuit court.

Riverton Circuit Court Judge Wesley Roberts says the small pre-fab building they’re currently using has long been insufficient.

In recent years, County Commissioners offered upgrades like security cameras and monitors, but Roberts says they came around to his side after someone shot a bullet into the courtroom from outside the building.

“What we haven’t had is any real movement to do anything about a new building until the bullet hole appeared,” Roberts says.

“I wished it hadn’t taken that, but sometimes that’s the way we react in life, is something happens to you, and then you respond.”

Fremont County has placed industrial storage containers around the current circuit court building to increase security.

Roberts says it’s still a stressful place to work.

“It’s sort of … a dark cloud over the whole process, because you know you’re working in a vulnerable or dangerous facility, every single day.”

SLIB will decide whether to award the grant at its meeting in June.

Peer mentoring program aims to prevent substance abuse and keep kids in touch with tribal heritage (May, 17, 2013)

The Wind River Indian Reservation has incredible people and beauty there, and a disproportionate amount of bad news. I was excited to hear about a dynamic plan to tackle drug, nutrition, and emotional issues early by empowering kids to be peer mentors. This new program has a lot of support, and strong leaders at the helm. It was nice to report on positive and hopeful developments.

Substance abuse is a concern for most school districts across the country, but on the Wind River Indian Reservation, it’s a red flag for especially high crime and suicide rates. Tribes have been trying – with mixed success – to keep kids from abusing alcohol and tobacco… But a new program from the Eastern Shoshone Department of Juvenile Services is working to train a league of student mentors to help their peers avoid risky behaviors. Wyoming Public Radio’s Rebecca Martinez filed this report.

http://wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/peer-mentoring-program-aims-prevent-substance-abuse-and-keep-kids-touch-tribal-heritage

Arapahoe School Superintendent leaves after pivotal school year (May 17, 2013)

The once-faltering Fremont School District 38 in Arapahoe turned a complete 180 since Superintendent Jonathan Braack took the helm in January 2012.

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Credit Rebecca Martinez

During Jonathan Braack’s time as superintendent of Fremont School District 38, the Arapahoe School met federal education standards for the first time. Braack Arapahoe this week to become Niobrara County’s School Superintendent. Chantell Denson will take over as superintendent of Fremont #38.

Last fall, the Arapahoe School met No Child Left Behind’s requirements for Annual Yearly Progress for the first time under the Safe Harbor program, and frequent local assessments have shown steady improvement in math and reading. District 38 serves primarily Northern Arapahoe students with high rates of poverty, but Braack says poverty has little to do with the efficacy of education. He says aligning the curriculum and frequently and consistently testing the students has made the difference. 

Jonathan Braack left with Fremont 38 on Tuesday to become superintendent of Niobrara County School District. Assistant Superintent Chantell Denson is now acting Superintendent… and she’ll take over the job officially in July. Braack says she’s an excellent choice to fill the position. Denson says she’ll do everything she can to keep the school district on the right track.

UW Nursing School is working to meet needs of changing medical industry (May 16, 2013)

New programs at the University of Wyoming’s Fay W. Whitney School of nursing are gathering momentum as the school works to better prepare students to meet the changing needs of the healthcare industry.

Many organizations are demanding that nursing job candidates have a Bachelor of Science degree, which was only available at the University in Laramie, until recently.

 

http://wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/uw-nursing-school-working-meet-needs-changing-medical-industry

Wyoming Judicial Branch says there’s nothing left to cut (May 10, 2013)

A thriving energy industry kept Wyoming strong while the rest of the country succumbed to an economic recession. But now, the energy industry — coal and natural gas markets, specifically — is slowing, bringing the state economy with it.

The Wyoming Legislature cut an average of six percent from all agencies this session. The Judicial Branch was required to cut only two percent, but now that there are talks of further cuts, the judiciary is saying it can’t go any further.

http://wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/wyoming-judicial-branch-says-there-s-nothing-left-cut

Elk Antler Auction benefits habitat at National Elk Refuge (May 10, 2013)

Elk antlers are huge in western decor. There are a ton of them in the Jackson Hole area, especially for the National Elk Refuge… but that’s off-limits to the public. So I interviewed a spokeswoman there about how they gather and sell fallen antlers.

http://wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/elk-antler-auction-benefits-habitat-national-elk-refuge

Small movie theaters struggle to switch from film to digital

During a recent reporting trip, I stopped into the single-screen Ritz theater in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Locals say the only other thing to do in town is visit the famous hot springs there, which, while amazing, get old after a while. The theater is just one of a handful in Wyoming that’s struggling to come up with the money for a digital projector so it can stay in business.

Movie Theaters Struggle to go Digital Feature

Edie Rollings holds a 35mm film reel in the projection room at the Ritz Theater in Thermopolis.

HOST: Going to the movies has been a favorite pastime since the dawn of film… but Hollywood studios expect to stop printing movies on actual film before the end of this year. They’re switching over to a digital format, which requires all-new equipment… and the cost of the transition is proving prohibitive for some small Wyoming theaters. Wyoming Public Radio’s Rebecca Martinez filed this report.

Administrator takes down “UW Crushes,” apologizes

Page administers have removed UW Crushes from Facebook.  This follows a public backlash to a post that directed violent sexual language at a University of Wyoming student.

UW Crushes was not affiliated with the university.

The page allowed users to anonymously submit messages about other UW students. Many were vague compliments, but some were sexually explicit or use real names.

On Wednesday night, an unnamed “UW Crushes” poster targeted undergraduate Meg Lanker-Simons, a blogger and community radio show host who is a vocal advocate for many progressive social issues. The explicit post said her liberal messages made the poster angry, and that the poster wanted to have sex with Lanker-Simons until she became a quote “good Republican.” Lanker-Simons says she felt threatened.

UW students and alumni responded angrily to the post, demanding the page administrators take it down, or employ stricter moderation before posting comments that are explicit or use people’s names.

The University of Wyoming police began an investigation yesterday to determine who was responsible for the post and is considering whether it constitutes a criminal violation.

In another post on the UW Crushes page yesterday, the unnamed administrators identified themselves as “Engineering students” who did not have time to read messages before posting them.

After taking down the page, the founder of UW Crushes wrote in an e-mail to Wyoming Public Radio: It was an unintentional stupid mistake made by me posting it as I should have screened all the posts, but I took the easiest way in order to save time and get back quickly to my studies, and I repeat that I’m extremely sorry for doing it. I’m sorry Mrs. Simons. I’m sorry UW. I’m sorry for all people who got hurt because of me. Only God knows how pure my intentions were, but the wind always comes with what the ships don’t desire. I’m looking for forgiveness because I’m only a human-being, neither an angel, nor a systematic robot. Yet, I think lots of people attending UW should follow their logic more than their emotions.

The administrator did not identify himself or herself, but wrote that they hope Lanker-Simons will forgive them.

On Wyoming Public Media site: http://wpr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/administrator-takes-down-uw-crushes-apologizes

UW student targeted with violent, sexual language on anonymous web page; police investigate

University of Wyoming police are investigating an anonymous message posted to a public Facebook page. The message directed sexually violent language toward a UW student.

UW Crushes is a page on Facebook where users can anonymously submit messages about other UW students. They’re usually vague compliments, but some are sexually explicit or use real names.

On Wednesday night, an unnamed poster targeted undergraduate Meg Lanker-Simons, a blogger and community radio show host who is a vocal advocate for many progressive social issues. The explicit post said her liberal messages made the poster angry, and that the poster wanted to have sex with Lanker-Simons until she became a quote “good Republican.” Lanker-Simons says she felt threatened.

“I’m married. I don’t know you. And, honestly, I have been open about the fact on my website that I am a survivor of rape. You don’t message something like that to someone who’s been the victim of a sexual assault. Because to me, that’s saying that, ‘I’m going to have sex with you against your will until you believe what I believe,’ Lanker-Simons says.

“You’re going to use sex as a weapon… as punishment.”

After backlash from students and alumni, UW Crushes removed the post. Page administrators posted a statement, identifying themselves only as “Engineering students” and saying they are too busy to read all of the page’s submissions before posting them.

UW Spokesman Chad Baldwin says UW Crushes is not affiliated with the University, and that UW is looking into whether the post “constitutes a criminal violation.”

STOP Violence Coordinator Megan Selheim says it’s not uncommon for outspoken women to be threatened with rape, or to be told they deserve the negative attention. Selheim says “rape culture” normalizes and makes light of gender-related violence, and outspoken women are often targeted with threats.

“It can make it more difficult for survivors to reach out for help, or they may have trouble recognizing that what happened to them is not okay and that there is recourse for them,” Selheim says.

“It can also cause people to think it’s okay to behave more aggressively or more threateningly than they might otherwise do if they were more aware of how other people perceive their actions.”

Selheim says anyone upset by the post on UW Crushes can call the STOP Violence offices for support. Information is available at their website:http://www.uwyo.edu/stop/

 

One Wyoming Public Media site: http://wpr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/uw-student-targeted-violent-sexual-language-anonymous-web-page-police-investigate