skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, February 7, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Pronghorn deaths in Eastern Colorado a warning to motorists

play audio
Play

Thursday, December 5, 2024   

Pronghorn, which can reach speeds of 60 miles per hour, are the second-fastest mammal on earth but their speed is no match for cars and trucks.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently released video showing more than 100 pronghorn killed along eastern Colorado roads after heavy snowfall blocked their escape routes.

Liz Rose, Colorado field representative for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, said unfortunately, such numbers are not unusual. Every year, 4,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions are reported across the state.

"Those are just the reported incidents," Rose pointed out. "The actual collision rate is thought to be more than 14,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions each year in Colorado."

Colorado is home to herds of bighorn sheep, deer, elk and pronghorn, and all must travel between winter and summer habitat for food and shelter. Rose emphasized because migration corridors intersect with roads and highways, motorists need to be on the alert. Each year, collisions cost $80 million in property damage and medical-related expenses, and 24 million in lost wildlife.

Wildlife-related recreation added $7.5 billion to Colorado's economy each year. Rose believes it is important for lawmakers to protect the revenue stream by creating and maintaining overpasses, underpasses, fencing and signage. The first major wildlife crossing on the I-70 mountain corridor, completed last June west of Denver, cost just over $10 million.

"Additional funding for the crossing infrastructure is desperately needed," Rose contended. "Because these are big projects and for them to be really successful, it's important to incorporate the best data, the best construction practices, to do it right."

Using GPS tracking data, scientists have identified 88 top-priority sites across the state where large herds routinely encounter roads and highways. Rose stressed everyone wants to feel safe driving across Colorado's iconic landscapes and most want to see wildlife, just not on the road.

"The risk of wildlife-vehicle collisions affects all of us in Colorado," Rose added. "Anyone who drives, especially near sunrise or sunset, we are all at risk of potentially encountering wildlife."

Disclosure: The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Endangered Species and Wildlife, Environment, and Public Lands/Wilderness. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Opponents of a South Dakota bill that would require the Ten Commandments be posted in all public school classrooms say it would be an unfunded mandate. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A South Dakota House committee takes up a controversial bill today that would require all school districts in the state to display the Ten Commandment…


play sound

Virginia ranks third behind only Maryland and Delaware among the worst states for the average amount of back wages companies owe to their workers…

Environment

play sound

Some North Dakota school districts are part of a movement that has embraced electric school buses, but the federal funding shakeup carried out by the …


Florida immigrant advocacy groups are intensifying efforts to help undocumented individuals navigate encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. (David Peinado/Pexels)

Social Issues

play sound

Immigrant advocates in Florida are ramping up efforts to help families navigate President Donald Trump's new immigration orders, which have increased …

Social Issues

play sound

The rate of U.S. high school seniors seeking higher education is on the upswing, according to research from Lumina Foundation. Although Hoosier …

Gov. Kathy Hochul's free community college proposal would apply to people pursuing first-time associate degrees for jobs in high-demand fields, including nursing, teaching, technology and engineering. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

New York State is making historic higher education investments. As part of the 2026 budget proposal, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposes free community …

Social Issues

play sound

Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposed state budget includes a significant increase for public education to address Pennsylvania's school funding issues and …

Social Issues

play sound

Alabama nonprofits are coming together to tackle challenges that may threaten their survival, from declining donor support to shifting federal …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021