On this week’s episode: Jackson landlords are tacking on extra housing fees, and it’s adding up to sticker shock for renters. And the upcoming Mountains of Color Film Festival aims to promote inclusivity in outdoor spaces. Also, outrage continues after a man brought a muzzled and leashed wolf into a bar about an hour from Jackson, and hatred is falling on the backs of those who had nothing to do with it. Plus, as Pride month is kicking off. Local organizers share how LGBTQ+ events have grown in ...
May 31, 2024•28 min•Ep. 112
On this week's episode: We’re doing something a little different. KHOL recently partnered with Wyoming Public Media on an episode of its podcast, The Modern West. It’s part of the new season, High Altitude Tales, that goes behind the scenes with reporters out in the field. This episode is about one of the biggest issues in the region — you guessed it — housing in Jackson. It's all about people finding creative solutions to make it work in the Tetons, like this guy, living in his van. "It’s cold ...
May 17, 2024•43 min•Ep. 111
On this week’s episode: We go out shed hunting near the National Elk Refuge. A new law limited the opening week to Wyoming residents, but competition was still fierce. And a new immigrant resource center opened in Jackson specifically to support people from Tlaxcala, a small state in Central Mexico. Also, in the next part of our Workers series, we spend some time with barn owls and take a commute over Teton Pass. Plus, we talk to local professional skier Veronica Paulsen about her new film serie...
May 03, 2024•26 min•Ep. 110
On this week’s episode: Recent allegations of wolf abuse in the southwest part of the state have drawn attention from around the world. We talk to some of the people who have been covering the story. Later, in the latest in our radio diary series of workers in Jackson Hole, a snow plow driver shares his efforts to prioritize his crew’s mental well-being. Also, we talk to Teton County State Representative Mike Yin about his time advocating for the region in Cheyenne during the legislative session...
Apr 19, 2024•29 min•Ep. 109
On this week’s episode: A local nonprofit stepped up to try to make Teton Pass more safe, by running a shuttle for recreationists. Also, in Eastern Idaho, a streak of avalanche deaths among snowmobilers has revealed forecasting gaps, but some are trying to change that. And, on both sides of the Tetons, men are gathering in groups to get mental and emotional support, in the wake of a community tragedy. Plus, in our new KHOL series on the workers making Jackson run, we shadow a Spanish language in...
Apr 05, 2024•28 min•Ep. 108
On this week’s episode: Jackson and Teton County officials have made it a priority to play a larger role in building relationships in the state capital and, for one local, that meant calling Cheyenne home for two weeks. Also, the future of the state’s only procedural abortion center remains uncertain under new legislation. Later we get into March Madness, but brackets for the cutest dogs. And we talk to a local photographer working to showcase the different immigrant communities in Jackson. Thes...
Mar 22, 2024•29 min•Ep. 107
On this week’s episode: Jacksonites host a vigil for an Oklahoma teenager and share concerns for the safety of LGBTQ+ youth. Wyoming’s legislature passes a bill which may ban most gender-affirming care for minors if it becomes law. We look back at the bill' journey this year and residents’ reactions to the legislation. Also, The Gem State pivoted to primary caucuses this year and some local voters discuss their opinions on the new process amid low turnout. And, skijoring is a growing sport, but ...
Mar 08, 2024•27 min•Ep. 106
On this week’s episode: Teton County has seen a boom in construction in recent years, with old homes being demolished and mansions going up in their place, but what happens to the old structures? One organization is trying to repurpose them and address the region’s worsening housing crisis. Plus, we head to the top of Teton Pass, where a group of skiers is hiking up in the dark — some with 90-pound packs — to honor a historic climb from the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division. Also, the potential...
Feb 23, 2024•28 min•Ep. 105
On this week’s episode: The Wyoming legislative session kicks off next week, with hot topics surrounding the budget, property taxes, education and LGBTQ+ rights. Our state government reporters tell us what to expect. And members of a comedy group in Jackson share how they find community – and laughter – in the world of improv. Plus, a look at how a new law could impact shed hunting in the region and bring locals back to the feedgrounds. And we hit the ice for a game of broomball, where some play...
Feb 09, 2024•28 min•Ep. 104
On this week’s episode: We go salsa dancing! Latin Dance Night has become a monthly staple in the region, and is helping bring the community of all backgrounds together. Also, an annual sled dog race returns to Wyoming, and this year one team is a bit different from the norm. Later, we talk to one of the biggest names in Jackson’s theater community and learn about his plan to help more people get their ideas up on the stage. And Teton County has new resources for people to help improve their men...
Jan 26, 2024•30 min•Ep. 103
On this week’s episode: In new survey results of the Jackson community, locals share that they’re being forced to move away because of high housing costs. We talk to the region’s housing director about what folks are saying about their struggles to pay rent. And later, Wyoming’s only avalanche center in Jackson is trying to bring together snow observations from community members in less-studied snowpacks in the eastern half of the state. Also, we take a ride on the new airport shuttle, which won...
Jan 12, 2024•31 min•Ep. 102
On this week’s episode: We return to some of our favorite stories from 2023. Santa visited Jackson kids in a new multi-million dollar helicopter. Skiers said goodbye to a green billboard covered in stickers known to many as the ‘shrine of the pass.’ We went mushroom foraging in the Tetons. And a Ukrainian family is acclimating to life in the Mountain West - and their ‘freedom baby’ who made it possible to keep them together and safe. These stories + we sit down with KHOL’s music director to look...
Dec 29, 2023•31 min•Ep. 101
On this week’s episode: We dive into issues surrounding healthcare access in our region and across Wyoming. Two Wyoming residents with opposing views feel passionately about how our state should legislate on abortion, but find commonality through conversation. An assisted living facility on the other side of Towgetee pass is trying to reach more of the state’s aging population. One reporter is investigating the causes and impacts of Wyoming's maternity desert. And, we also have a bit of fun on t...
Dec 15, 2023•29 min•Ep. 100
On this week’s episode: Women in Jackson share their concerns about another OB/GYN clinic closing this year amid rising costs, leaving some with few health care options. We also discuss the impending court hearing that could decide the future of abortion access in Wyoming. Later, there’s a tiny fish that only lives in a thousand feet stretch of stream in Western Wyoming…and nowhere else. Also, a new festival is kicking off in Jackson this month featuring films gunning for Oscar nominations. And ...
Dec 01, 2023•24 min•Ep. 99
On this week’s episode: Locals and conservationists are fighting back against the proposed sale of the ‘Kelly Parcel,’ hundreds of acres of Teton County land in a migration corridor. Also, our region is losing millions of acres of agricultural land to development, but some ranchers who could make a fortune by selling, are choosing not to. Later, Hoback-based musician Aaron Davis stops by the KHOL studios to play a song he wrote off his new EP inspired by a serendipitous gift. And we learn how an...
Nov 17, 2023•29 min•Ep. 98
On this week’s episode: Two Jackson political figures, with different stances on local issues, recently got together for a public one-on-one conversation. Former Mayor Pete Muldoon and current town councilmember Jim Rooks. We’ve been collaborating with StoryCorps to bring community members with different beliefs and backgrounds to talk and discover common ground. Also, filmmaker Mike Hatchet shares how he captures epic snowboarding videos in the backcountry with the help of Teton Gravity Researc...
Nov 03, 2023•28 min•Ep. 97
On this week’s episode: There’s a new mural on Jackson’s bike path honoring Northern Arapaho Native Americans which showcases "The Four Hills of Life." Plus, we get to know the documentarian producing the One Small Step project for KHOL and her work bringing people of diverse backgrounds together to get to know one another. Then, we hear one of the conversations in the series between a young progressive and a wealthy conservative who find common ground. Also, this month is the 25th anniversary o...
Oct 20, 2023•34 min•Ep. 96
On this week’s episode: A local artist is documenting the issues Jackson’s working class faces in the midst of the region’s growing housing crisis. The new exhibit showcases the lives of community members struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Later, wildlife managers across the West have been stocking high, alpine lakes with fish for decades, mostly so anglers have something to catch. New research is looking into how that history changed the Rocky Mountain environment and the genetics of t...
Oct 06, 2023•29 min•Ep. 95
On this week’s episode: An effort is underway to change Idaho’s primary rules, in an attempt to change party leadership in the red state. And, what’s it like to document what may be the most famous living bear on earth? We talk to Grizzly 399’s photographer. Also, Teton County is home to a growing immigrant community. Now, a new nonprofit is helping increase their access to legal aid. And later, as part of our One Small Step series, we share a conversation between two local fathers. Although pol...
Sep 22, 2023•28 min•Ep. 94
On this week’s episode: A group of women ascend the Grand Teton to honor a 100-year anniversary. Later we talk about bears, berries and ways to keep residents safe and bruins prepare to hibernate for winter. And we hear another conversation in our One Small Step series, which shares conversations between people with different political beliefs. Also, we go mushroom foraging — but don’t expect local hunters to quickly share up their secret spots. Plus, multi-instrumentalist and yodeler Nick Shoul...
Sep 08, 2023•32 min•Ep. 93
On this week’s episode: As part of KHOL’s One Small Step initiative, the head of Teton County’s Republican Party sat down with a local progressive — and they found common ground. And Ukrainian refugees are calling Jackson home while they wait for the war to end, but for some, leaving their country meant growing their families. Plus, a comedy group is regularly coming to the region and other rural communities around the U.S. Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via live-stream Mondays at 7...
Aug 25, 2023•28 min•Ep. 92
On this week’s episode: Wyoming conservationists are working to protect more areas for the near threatened sage grouse that calls Teton County home. Later, we talk with a photographer who is helping bring attention to Black cowboys and cowgirls across the Mountain West. Also, more than thirty immigrants recently became citizens during an annual ceremony in the Tetons. It was part of an initiative to connect new citizens to national parks throughout the country. And we get to know a blind climber...
Aug 11, 2023•30 min•Ep. 91
On this week’s episode: Partisan national politics may have caused the Teton County School District to part ways with the state’s school board association. We talk with one of the region’s education reporters about what’s been going on. Also, we take a look at how trillions of federal infrastructure dollars are being spent and examine one project here in the Cowboy State. And Idaho-based artist Trevor Powers, aka Youth Lagoon, discusses his new album, described as mutant Americana, and the influ...
Jul 28, 2023•28 min•Ep. 90
This week on Jackson Unpacked [July 14]: Jackson officials have begun regularly recognizing the town hall sits on the homeland of Native Americans. What do Indigenous leaders and history keepers think of these land acknowledgments? Also, Teton County faces high wildfire risks. As climate change worsens fires across North America, what lessons can local residents take away from a particularly destructive wildfire in California? And, the federal government is working with agricultural producers to...
Jul 14, 2023•28 min•Ep. 89
This week on Jackson Unpacked [June 30]: Longtime Jackson locals and members of the LGBTQ+ community reflect on growing up here and how they feel seeing Pride celebrations expand in town and across the Rockies. Later, pickleball is taking over the Mountain West. Also: creepy, little blood suckers! Western Wyoming people are saying it’s a big tick year. We head to where there’s the highest rate of tick fever disease in the country. And a Wyoming climber competes for $100,000 on reality TV. Jackso...
Jun 30, 2023•28 min•Ep. 88
This week on Jackson Unpacked [June 16]: We’re honoring community heroes! We asked residents to nominate people who are making a difference in Jackson Hole and will get to know the three finalists for our inaugural Community Hero Award. Also, Jackson is the first town in Wyoming to join a nationwide network of police cameras to help fight crime. But civil rights advocates have privacy concerns. And later, we sit down with a WyoFile reporter who's looking at opioid overdose data in the state and ...
Jun 16, 2023•26 min•Ep. 87
This week on Jackson Unpacked [June 2]: Teton County recently became the first in Wyoming to have its own rescue helicopter. Also, a mining company may have found the largest known deposit of rare earth minerals in North America in Wyoming. Plus, local organizers are launching what may be the most ambitious Pride month in Jackson’s history. And a KHOL reporter attends a Holocaust memorial in Germany, amid a rise in antisemitism across the globe. Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via li...
Jun 02, 2023•28 min•Ep. 86
This week on Jackson Unpacked [May 19]: Teton County has a local TV news station for the first time in decades - and it’s devoted entirely to the Spanish-speaking community. Also, the region’s affordability issues could be keeping teachers out of classrooms. And, in an era of bans being enacted across the country, are national politics influencing long-held values in the Cowboy state? Plus, a local athlete hopes to make the Winter Olympics and be the first for his country. Jackson Unpacked airs ...
May 19, 2023•29 min•Ep. 85
This week on Jackson Unpacked [May 5]: We explore how local advocates are coming together to create housing for people with disabilities. And the Pink Garter Theatre returns to Jackson, bringing some residents a sense of community. Plus, a look at the aftermath of a devastating winter to big game in Wyoming. And a new album brings together 14 folks artists from across the state. Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via live-stream Mondays at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 a.m. ...
May 05, 2023•27 min•Ep. 84
This week on Jackson Unpacked [April 21]: Backcountry skiers in Jackson are saying goodbye to a cultural symbol — the billboard atop Mt. Glory. And a look at the NPR twitter controversy and public radio’s role in the media landscape. Plus, Jackson businesses are trying to innovate ways to curb the environmental impacts of tourism. And local podcast The Fine Line is launching a new season on backcountry misadventures, bringing together survivors and their rescuers. Jackson Unpacked airs locally a...
Apr 21, 2023•28 min•Ep. 83
