According to the latest annual report from the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, four of the nine states with the weakest road safety laws are in the Mountain West and no state in the region is in the category with the top safety laws.

There’s a whole bunch of energy right below people’s feet in many Western states. And it doesn’t release any pollution into the air. But only a small fraction of it is being used for electricity. That could change, however, as the geothermal industry looks to expand.

Wildland firefighters and their advocates pushed hard for permanent pay raises before Congress’ holiday recess. What firefighters got instead was yet another last-minute extension of temporary raises.

The National Park Service encourages people to avoid going to parks, monuments and historic sites it manages if they close because of a shutdown.

It seems that every day a new headline tells a story of theaters shutting down. But in some parts of the West, including Wyoming, they’re still thriving.

Fixed anchors, which climbers use to get down from rock faces, have been at the center of a year-long fight between climbers, conservationists and the federal government.

Douglas, Fraser, and Noble fir trees are usually the ones people cut for Christmas trees every year. But tree farms are growing smaller because of disease and pests that usually get killed off in colder weather.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now testing the nation’s milk supply for the bird flu virus known as H5N1. The virus has spread through dairy cattle in 16 states, including most of the Mountain West.

More precipitation is falling as rain, instead of snow — which impacts ski resorts, tourism and ecosystems.

“Delivering for America” is intended to cut costs and increase efficiency, as the postal service strives to break even amid a $9.5 billion dollar loss last year due in part to mail volume declines and inflation.