Madelyn Beck
Madelyn Beck is a regional Illinois reporter, based in Galesburg. On top of her work for Harvest Public Media, she also contributes to WVIK, Tri-States Public Radio and the Illinois Newsroom collaborative.
Beck grew up on a small cattle ranch in Manhattan, Montana. Her previous work was mostly based in the western U.S., but she has covered agriculture, environment and health issues from Alaska to Washington, D.C.
Before joining Harvest and the Illinois Newsroom, she was as an energy reporter based in Wyoming for the public radio collaborative Inside Energy. Other publications include the Idaho Mountain Express, E&E News/EnergyWire, KRBD Rainbird Radio, the Montana Broadcasters Association, Montana Public Radio and the Tioga Tribune.
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A federal contract to investigate deaths at tribal jails went to a man who had oversight of those facilities during 6 of the deaths. Now, watchdog group Project on Government Oversight is calling on the Interior’s Office of Inspector General to investigate that contract and whether it violated rules regarding former federal employees. -
The Mountain West is as divided on abortion as the nation, itself. States like Colorado have passed legislation to preserve access to abortion, but several others intend to outlaw the practice as soon as possible. That may be sooner than later, given a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that calls for Roe v. Wade to be overturned. -
A housing crunch in the West has some looking to public lands as a solution…and a place to live. -
Court cases for the hundreds of Jan. 6th capitol rioters are ongoing. More than 40 of those charged are from the Mountain West. -
If you’re watching the Olympics, you’ve likely seen big brown mountains covered in veins of artificial snow trails. That more compact manufactured snow has pros and cons: racers like it’s consistency and how fast they go. But if you crash, you might get hurt worse. It will likely continue to be used, as researchers look for a way to scale up making fluffier, more natural snow for the future. -
The Bureau of Indian Affairs announced reforms to its criminal justice system Monday, including more training on how to perform death investigations. That follows a Mountain West News Bureau and NPR investigation into more than a dozen deaths in tribal jails. There are also ongoing questions about the firm hired to review the deaths for BIA. Some Congressmen have been critical of the BIA’s choice because the firm was led by a former agency official. -
The U.S. The Department of Agriculture granted $500,000 to a group recently to help build a maple syrup industry in the Mountain West. At least one business is already doing this in Montana, but organizations across the region are working together to spread awareness and research a possible syrup industry in our own backyards. -
As the climate changes, hibernating animals will, too. Hibernation is generally used to survive extreme weather and food scarcity. Some animals hibernate at a certain time every year. Others respond to environmental factors like temperature or hunger. Climate change will likely affect both, especially when it comes to available food and each animal’s adaptability. -
A new survey of several Mountain West states found that 85% of respondents are concerned about our Democracy. Research firm Morning Consult talked with nearly 1900 people. Most were also concerned about misinformation and expect more violence similar to what we saw on January 6. -
Spring bird migration is underway and will continue in the Mountain West for the next few months.
