COMMENTARY – THE JOYS OF HOLIDAY FAMILY TRAVELS
The holidays – a joyous time to be together with our families. Sometimes that means traveling, with our families, and sometimes, the joyousness somehow evaporates. Commentator Sandra Knauf finds that that might be a multi-generational experience. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

2006 IN REVIEW, PART ONE
We begin our look back at 2006 as heard on Western Skies. This time: dark skies, a Ft. Carson soldier is convicted of killing an Iraqi general and we meet Tressie Knowlton, aka Miss Rodeo USA 2006 – she’s from Pueblo County.

[LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

GOV. LAWMAKERS STATE GOALS FOR 2007 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Health care, transportation and the economy – Democrats and Republicans agree those will be top priorities in 2007, but the parties differ on how they’ll choose to address them. Bente Birkeland reports. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

COMMENTARY -VALUING THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED
Last week on Western Skies, we aired a story by reporter Lindsay Patterson about efforts to make Colorado Springs more aware of local people with developmental disabilities. Much of the story was about how difficult it is to find public funding for services for the developmentally disabled. It prompted this response from Debbie Swanson, development director at The Resource Exchange, a local non-profit that coordinates services for the disabled. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

TOP DWI REDUCTION PROGRAM TAKES ON METH
San Juan County, New Mexico’s DWI reduction program is about twice as effective as any treatment center in the nation when it comes to reducing the number of repeat offenders. The county is hoping its new methamphetamine treatment program will show great results as well. Joan Zwisler of Four Corners Public Radio reports. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]

PETE DOMENICI FLIP-FLOPS ON PROTECTION FOR NEW MEXICO NATURAL AREA
In our twice-monthly interview with editors at High Country News, we hear about NM senior Senator Pete Domenici, who mysteriously dropped his opposition to federal protection for the Valle Vidal. Valle Vidal is a 100,000 acre parcel of public land between Raton and Taos that environmentalists have long sought to protect from energy development. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]