This is KVNF’s Regional Newscast for Thursday July 28, 2022.
Katheryn Heidelberg with the Montrose Press reported that Montrose County will pay former employee Jonathan Goodman $89,500 after reaching a settlement over a 2021 lawsuit. Commissioners said it was less expensive to settle rather than taking the case to trial. Goodman sued the county last year after being fired for expressing concern over the COVID-19 mask mandate. Goodman claimed this restricted his first amendment rights.
And the Delta County Independent reported on the successes of Delta County’s free recycling program. Previously, residents had to pay $10 for 10 visits to the recycling center or $2-$5 for a single visit. Recyclables like cardboard, paper, aluminum and glass all saw increases after fees were eliminated in 2022.
Rae Solomon reports from KUNC about a new national report saying inflation has hit people living in rural areas harder than their urban counterparts.
The report from Iowa State University says that since 2020, the rising cost of transportation has had the biggest impact for rural households, followed by housing and health insurance.
Rising costs for necessities have also cut the amount of money left over for discretionary spending in half. Some costs, like food, have increased more sharply in urban areas. But those impacts are softened by higher incomes and faster wage growth among city-dwellers.
Inflation rates are uneven across the country, with the Mountain West feeling accelerating costs more than the coasts.
The U.S. Department of Energy is building up the country's strategic uranium reserve. That’s meant to provide a reliable supply of the material for energy and defense. Rocky Mountain Community Radio’s Justin Higginbottom speaks with a regional uranium producer on what the policy means for business.
SPOT (2:03)
Our region’s long drought is putting pressure on drinking water supplies. Add in a water main break and the situation can be catastrophic. Caitlin Tan reports for the Mountain West News Bureau on one area that’s already under water restrictions.
FEATURE (3:57)
And that does it for Thursday’s KVNF Regional Newscast. I’m Stephanie Maltarich, thanks for listening.