Author: The Associated Press

ARIZONA Uranium mined near Grand Canyon as demand, prices soar The largest uranium producer in the United States is ramping up work just south of Grand Canyon National Park on a long-contested project that comes as global instability and growing demand drive uranium prices higher. The Biden administration and dozens of other countries have pledged…

NORTH DAKOTA Wild horses facing removal find ally in Congress BISMARCK – Advocates for some 200 wild horses roaming North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park are hoping a signal of support from Congress will prevent the removal of the beloved animals from the rugged landscape. A National Park Service decision is expected around April as…

ARIZONA County confirms 645 heat-associated deaths last year PHOENIX – Public health officials in Arizona’s most populous county on March 13 reported they confirmed a staggering 645 heat-associated deaths last year – more than 50% higher than 2022 and another consecutive annual record in arid metro Phoenix. The numbers in the preliminary report by the…

MONTANA Man to plead guilty in ‘killing spree’ of eagles, other birds A Washington state man accused of helping kill more than 3,000 birds – including eagles on a Montana Indian reservation – then illegally selling their carcasses and feathers intends to plead guilty to illegal wildlife trafficking and other criminal charges, court documents show.…

NEW MEXICO Governor proposes $500M to treat fracking wastewater SANTA FE – Environmental activists pushed back on Jan. 22 against an initiative from the governor of New Mexico that would finance the treatment and recycling of oil-industry wastewater, warning that the plan relies on unproven technologies and might propel more water-intensive fracking for oil and…

NORTH DAKOTA Coal miners unearth mammoth tusk buried for thousands of years BISMARCK – The first person to spot it was a shovel operator working the overnight shift, eyeing a glint of white as he scooped up a giant mound of dirt and dropped it into a dump truck. Later, after the truck driver dumped…

NEW MEXICO Governor proposes 10% spending boost amid oil windfall SANTA FE – New Mexico’s governor is proposing a nearly 10% general fund spending increase for the coming fiscal year to shore up housing opportunities, childhood literacy and health care access, with additional payouts for electric vehicles purchases. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Jan.…

NEW MEXICO Wandering wolf captured, readied for dating game ALBUQUERQUE – A match made in the wilds of New Mexico? An endangered Mexican wolf captured in early December after wandering hundreds of miles from Arizona to New Mexico is now being readied for a dating game of sorts as part of federal reintroduction efforts. But…