Ryan Heinsius
Executive ProducerRyan joined KNAU's newsroom in 2013. He covers a broad range of stories from local, state and tribal politics to education, economy, energy and public lands issues, and frequently interviews internationally known and regional musicians. Ryan is an Edward R. Murrow Award winner and a frequent contributor to NPR.
Before making the leap to public radio, Ryan spent more than a decade in print media as the editor of an alternative weekly paper. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University in political science and journalism and has also returned to teach at his alma mater.
Ryan is a Flagstaff-based musician and has performed and recorded with many bands in the Southwest. He spends as much time as possible with his wife, daughter and dog hiking and cycling the amazing terrain of northern Arizona and the West.
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A pipeline on the San Francisco Peaks that provides water to Flagstaff has been shut down after it suffered heavy damage during recent monsoon rain. Many areas northeast of Flagstaff have seen cataclysmic flooding following this year’s wildfires. -
Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema is among a bipartisan group of lawmakers who’ve introduced a bill that would prevent states from banning abortion access. It comes just over a month after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision.
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Governor Doug Ducey has declared a state of emergency in Coconino County following recent flooding. Multiple communities in and near Flagstaff have been impacted since heavy monsoon rains began last month.
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Arizona is among five states holding primary elections today. The results in the highly contested battleground are some of the most closely watched in the nation during this year’s election cycle.
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According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rates of drug overdose deaths among Black, American Indian and Alaska Native people increased significantly in the U.S. in 2020 over the previous year.
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A federal appeals court has ruled that a land exchange paving the way for one of the nation’s largest copper mines can move forward. Oak Flat in central Arizona is a sacred site to the San Carlos Apache Tribe, who’ve opposed the project for years.
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A new report highlights several logging projects in the U.S. that environmental groups say are endangering some of the nation’s oldest forests. Among the threatened areas is a 15,000-acre swath on the Kaibab Plateau near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
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A coalition of environmental groups has filed a lawsuit against the federal government over Mexican gray wolf management. They say new parts of the recovery plan for the endangered animals fail to protect the species in the Southwest.
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Gov. Doug Ducey has signed a bill into law that allows those without bachelor’s degrees to start teaching in the state’s public schools. Supporters say it’ll boost teacher recruitment in a time when major staff shortages are hampering many districts in the state.
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Advocates for reproductive rights in Arizona say they’ve failed to collect enough signatures to enshrine abortion access in the state constitution.
