KNAU update for April 26

For many years the tiny town of Punkin Center, south of Payson, Arizona, has been best known for the prominent jack-o’-lantern sign. Now it’s home to a cutting-edge alternative to traditional electrical transmission lines. Learn more at KNAU.org.

A lot more plastic is ending up in U.S. landfills after China stopped importing many kinds of recyclables last year. The City of Flagstaff, for instance, now only accepts limited types of plastic, and has undergone a campaign to educate the public about what’s recyclable and what’s not. Learn more at KNAU.org.

The head of the Arizona Republican Party is working to jump-start a stalled legislative proposal that would ask voters to raise the state sales tax to provide additional funding for schools. Learn more at KNAU.org.

This year, 6 percent of parents declined to give their kids at least one required vaccine. Now the Arizona Department of Health Services warns 9 counties in the state don’t have the immunization levels to protect against measles outbreaks, which are happening in other parts of the country. Learn more at KNAU.org.

Reservoirs around the Colorado River basin are in good shape after an exceptionally wet winter. The largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are expected to be more than half full this year. Learn more at KNAU.org.