The Mountain West News Bureau is a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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Immigrants without legal status make up a large part of the workers in several industries and have a combined household income of almost $27 billion in the Mountain West. -
In Idaho, a sheriff is raising his hand to help the feds crack down on illegal immigration. In Colorado, lawmakers are working to bolster laws to prohibit such collaboration. -
Talk of deportations from President-elect Donald Trump and other elected officials have left many people scared, especially those who have deep roots in the country and have built lives, businesses and have children who were born here. -
Progress has been slow, but Light Up Navajo, a program started five years ago by the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and the American Public Power Association, is making inroads on electrification. -
Nationwide, nearly 17,000 homes on tribal lands still need electricity hook-ups. A majority are spread across the Navajo Nation, where climate change is making it harder for families to keep cool. A mutual aid program, however, has helped to change lives. -
In pricey Western towns, some employers are getting homes trucked in from factories to house workersIn Jackson, a state agency has found a way to stretch limited dollars by bringing in modular homes. This sped up the construction time by months and was a game changer for one family. -
Thanks to a constitutional right Republicans fought for in the wake of the passage of the federal Affordable Care Act, abortion remains legal in Wyoming. Voters also recently protected access to abortion in Montana, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado.
