Short Features

“Hey, can you see the flag in that thing?!”  It’s a question that makes us wince when observing the moon at astronomy outreaches.  The answer is…Maybe if you were aboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter… but, all six of the flags are now faded to white, and the first one blew over when the Apollo 11 lunar module blasted off departing the moon.

Headlines:

• Highway 133 opens to two-way traffic for the weekend
• Small victory for opponents of drilling in Thompson Divide
• Ensuring melon safety at Rocky Ford
• If you see a guy in high heels…
• Senate rejects increase in fines for oil and gas industry
• Williams delays plant expansion at leak site
• Take the Delta County Economic Development Broadband Survey
• Western Slope Skies Takes a closer look at our closest celestial neighbor
  

Saturn…The ringed planet. The sixth planet from the Sun; second largest in the Solar System behind Jupiter; and the one that evokes the most vivid images in our thoughts. It is an unforgettable sight, even in a small telescope.

From now until early May, Saturn will be the brightest it has been for more than 5 years. It rises in the east as the Sun sets and will be visible all night long.

Headlines:

• Pinon Ridge approved by state; first new uranium mill in the U.S. in more than three decades
• Authorities tie Grand Junction drug ring to Mexico kingpin
• Court upholds firing of medical marijuana patient for off-the-job use
• CU President won’t honor student wishes to divest fossil fuels companies
• Western Slope Skies: Viewing Saturn will be a treat in the next few weeks
  

Today Lance spoke about his planting schedule for the coming week :

Onions (by seed):  He likes Yellow Spanish, Newberger and Red Man onions - all good storage onions

Seed potatoes - planting potatoes for seed next year.  grows them like regular potatoes but picks the medium size taters for seed - choosing those that are the furthest and deepest from the stalk.  He also recommends not washing or cleaning the seed potatoes to prevent any kind of damage to skin = store in the state that they come out of the ground with.  

It's time for another "Attack on Rights" report from KVNF's youth reporter, Matthew Kane.   This time Matthew expresses his concerns about the US Drone program...

Matthew Kane is attending the Launch program in Cedaredge where the students can choose a particular area of study in the community.  He's working with KVNF's program director, Ali Lightfoot to produce these reports.

Listen to Western Slope Skies, a report on the night sky by the Black Canyon Astronomical Society.

Headlines:

• “Non-citizen” driver’s license bill passes Senate committee
• Whooping cough breaks out in Garfield County
• Can medical marijuana users buy guns? Some say no.
• The strange tale of the U.S. government and helium
• Western Slope Skies: The moon and its phases