Kunc's Colorado Edition

A measure on Colorado’s ballot this November asks voters to choose whether wildcat hunting in the state should be banned.   Supporters of the initiative point to what they say are cruel hunting practices, like using large teams of dogs to chase mountain lions up trees to then be shot and killed. Supporters also say the initiative would eliminate unethical “trophy hunting” – meaning hunting for sport without making use of the meat. Opponents say a hunting ban would cause mountain lion populations to explode in the state – and that could devastate deer and elk herds, or lead to more livestock being killed or maimed.  So how badly do Colorado’s big cats need the protections being proposed here?  Host Erin O’Toole sat down with Denver Post reporter Elise Schmelzer who covers this issue. They discussed the reason this proposal is going before voters, what it might accomplish, and how it might affect Colorado’s mountain lion population.  Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Sto

A Boulder County jury reached a verdict Monday afternoon: They found the man who killed ten people in a mass shooting at a Boulder King Soopers guilty on all counts. That includes 10 counts of first-degree murder and 45 additional charges.   At sentencing later that day, the judge overseeing the trial issued 10 consecutive life sentences, among other penalties. The verdict comes three and a half years after the shooting on March 22, 2021. And it followed long debates over whether the shooter was mentally competent to stand trial.  For the victims’ families, Monday was a milestone. Erika Mahoney lost her dad, 61-year-old Kevin Mahoney, in the shooting. Erika sat in court for most of the trial. She joined host Erin O’Toole shortly after the verdict was read to share reflections on the court proceedings, as well as the mass shooting that shocked the community. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help mor

Fall begins Sunday – which means leaf-peeping season is here in Colorado. Soon the mountains will fill with people looking to drink in the glorious sight of all those orange and gold aspen leaves that cover the hillsides.  And you can bet that quite a few of those tourists will look at those vibrant aspen trees and wonder why they can't just plant one in their own yard. Experts with Colorado State University Extension say “how to plant an aspen at home” is one of the most commonly asked questions they get from the public.  "I think aspens have a special way of evoking strong memories of going to the mountains and looking at leaves,” says CSU Extension horticulture specialist John Murgel. “So it's a way to bring those experiences and those memories closer to home.” Unfortunately, Murgel says that although the aspen is a uniquely beautiful tree, it may be a lousy choice for your landscape. He joined ITN host Erin O’Toole to discuss the science behind that. If you’re looking to plant a tree this fall or in the s

The college experience can seem like a carefree time, filled with social activities, weekend football games... and, of course, the occasional visit to the library or an all-night study session.   But reality paints a very different picture for many students.  Federal data shows that nearly a quarter of the nation’s college students struggle with getting enough nutritious food. That’s 3.8 million students, including thousands in Colorado. And being hungry makes it harder to focus on academics.  In response, most of Colorado’s colleges and universities maintain food pantries, mobile markets, and other services to help students who struggle to pay for food.    So how do these pantries and mobile markets make a difference for students who struggle to pay their bills – especially at a moment when inflation has driven food prices up ... and as state officials want to make college more accessible to students from different income levels? Jason Gonzales, who covers higher education for Chalkbeat Colorado, wrote about

Kids who were babies or toddlers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic... are now preschoolers and kindergarteners in Colorado classrooms. And experts see signs that the pandemic changed their behavior compared to older children.   A recent round of data from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood seems to confirm that more kids now show signs of developmental delays. Behavior patterns like struggling to communicate or having emotional outbursts can often be a sign of those delays. And they can create extra challenges for families and educators. Ann Schimke covers early childhood education for Chalkbeat Colorado. She’s been following this story for Chalkbeat, and reporting on how educators are helping kids adjust to preschool and kindergarten classrooms.  

Being a farmer or rancher in Colorado means living with uncertainty on a daily basis. Hailstorms, drought and insects can wipe out an entire season of crops. Diseases and predators can devastate livestock without warning.  And then there are other pressures, like holding onto a farm or ranch that’s been in the family for generations so it can be passed on to future family members. Experts say these stresses add up to an almost silent mental health crisis for the agriculture community.  A new documentary film that explores this crisis will screen this weekend at the Breckenridge Film Festival. Legacy shares the stories of several Colorado farmers and ranchers who speak openly about the toll their livelihood can take on their mental health, and why they often struggle to ask for help.  Director Steve Vanderheide joined host Erin O’Toole to share more about the project – and how training more mental health professionals to work with patients in rural areas is crucial. Legacy screens Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Bre

Greeley artist Armando Silva paints some of the most prominent artwork along Colorado’s Front Range. His vibrant, expressive murals depict sugar beet workers who helped establish Fort Collins ... or a steer to honor the Greeley Stampede. And he’s working to create a space for more artists to create more murals. He’s part of the team launching WeldWalls, a brand-new mural festival in Greeley that launches next week.  That got us curious about how he hopes to grow the public arts scene in Colorado – and how he got started painting murals in the first place. Armando joined host Erin O’Toole to share more about his unique career, and what he hopes this new outdoor art festival will bring to Northern Colorado's arts community. WeldWalls mural festival takes place September 17 – 21 in Greeley. Full schedule here. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show o

If you follow national news, you might think the biggest story in Colorado right now is centered on an Aurora apartment complex that was reportedly overtaken by an armed group of Venezuelan gang members. If you watched the presidential debate this week, you likely heard former president Donald Trump mention that gangs had “taken over” the city. Many right-leaning media outlets across the country have reported, without proof, that armed members of the Tren de Aragua gang had driven out the apartments’ property managers and were running the community through intimidation and violence. Conflicting statements from city officials and the Aurora police only added to the confusion. The whole viral story has become a flashpoint for the immigration debate during this presidential election year.  Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown suspected there might be more to the story. She spoke with tenants at the complex as well as Aurora city leaders... and she found the situation is actually more nuanced. And while the apart

Homeowners in Colorado have been watching their insurance costs increase at rates faster than the national average. On average, they pay more to insure their homes than homeowners in other states – about $1,700 more, according to recent figures. You might hear that and assume it’s because wildfires and hailstorms cause more destruction in Colorado, and climate change seems to be making it worse.  But that’s only part of the story. The Denver Post reported recently that insurance companies are changing the way they decide how risky it is to insure a home – and to determine what its owners should pay for insurance. Boulder Reporting Lab reported that homeowners in the Boulder area are seeing skyrocketing rates, or being dropped, even if they don’t live in mountainous areas that are more prone to wildfire. Amy Bach is executive director of United Policyholders, a consumer advocacy group. She has been critical of how insurance companies use this new information. Bach says that traditionally, insurers might look a

Officials in the city of Boulder say they have a problem: too many parking spaces. Some transportation experts believe having too many empty spots is a waste of space, especially considering some of that space could be used for housing, retail, or a park. By some estimates, Boulder has twice as many parking spots as it needs.  Some city leaders say that’s a missed opportunity in a city that struggles to make space for attainable housing. In fact, several Colorado cities are wrestling with this issue now.  Host Erin O’Toole sat down with Boulder City Council member Ryan Schuchard to discuss why Boulder and other Front Range cities are considering eliminating minimum parking requirements for developers.  Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!Host and Producer: Erin O'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad Tur

Columbus B. Hill was a pivotal figure in Colorado’s culinary history. He was a Black man originally from Missouri – and he was possibly the most popular barbecue chef in Denver in the late 1800s. His food was so good that it was served to thousands of people at official functions at the state Capitol.  But even among hardcore barbecue fans, very few people know his name. And his legacy wasn’t always well cared for. In 1923, Hill was buried in Denver without a headstone... until now.   Denver author and barbecue historian Adrian Miller is something of an expert on Columbus B. Hill. He championed Hill’s induction into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame last year. And this Saturday, he’ll honor Hill with a memorial at his burial site in Denver’s historic Riverside Cemetery.   Adrian Miller joined ITN’s Erin O’Toole to share the story of the “best barbecue man in the West.” All are welcome at the dedication of the headstone, at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7. And – to truly celebrate the legacy and spirit of

Drew Petersen’s career has been marked by extremes. As a professional skier, the Silverthorne native made a living carving turns on some of the toughest terrain in the world. But in recent years, he’s spoken openly, and made two films, about a different part of his life: his struggle with mental health and severe depression, which dates back to his childhood.  In his new film, Feel It All, Drew takes on another daunting challenge: running the Leadville Trail 100 – a grueling, 100-mile ultramarathon in Colorado’s high country. Drew weaves his story of training for and completing the race with thoughts on his own internal struggles. He says he hopes the film helps change the culture around mental health in mountain communities.   He spoke with ITN’s Erin O’Toole about his journey... and how preparing for the ultramarathon felt like a lifeline to him. The film plays this Friday at the Winter Park Film Festival, and at several other festivals. Find a list of upcoming screenings here. Or watch the film on YouTube

Colorado's Republican Party is torn between people claiming to be chairman at the state level. And it's splitting the party leadership into two factions at a critical time. It’s a presidential election year, and a moment when the party is working to regain some of the seats they’ve lost at the state level.  The leadership of the state GOP recently voted out their chairman, Dave Williams, and installed a new chair named Eli Bremer. But Williams and his supporters says the vote was illegitimate, and he’s still chairman. Williams was reaffirmed at a second meeting held last weekend. When something like this happens to one of the two major parties in the state it makes us wonder: how did we get here? ITN host Erin O’Toole talks with KUNC’s statehouse reporter Lucas Brady Woods to learn more.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite pod

Since the 1980s, a growing number of Colorado school districts have adopted a four-day schedule. Currently, about one in seven K-12 public school students in Colorado attends class four days a week rather than five – primarily those in smaller, rural school districts. These districts often have smaller budgets than schools along the Front Range and in mountain towns. And researchers say the four-day schedule is often used as an incentive to attract and retain teachers when the district can’t offer a more competitive salary.  But a new report from the Keystone Policy Center says the four-day school week may have negative impacts on student achievement. On top of that, it doesn’t appear to be effective in the goal of recruiting and keeping teachers. Keystone senior policy director Van Schoales helped research and write the report, titled “Doing Less with Less.” He spoke with host Erin O’Toole about what they learned – and what they recommend for districts considering this in the future. Keystone Policy Center,

The Palisade peach might be one of Colorado's best-kept secrets.  Those grocery store peaches from California or Georgia are perfectly fine. But a good peach from Western Colorado is often juicier, sweeter and bigger than its out-of-state competition.  As peach season winds down for the year, the In The NoCo team wanted to find out: What makes the Palisade peach such a singular treat?  It turns out, much of it has to do with the microclimate in Palisade and other fruit-growing areas of Colorado’s Western Slope.  “Oftentimes we don’t have those massive temperature swings like you do over in the Front Range,” says Jeff Pieper. He’s a commercial horticulture specialist with Colorado State University Extension who helps growers in Palisade with everything from irrigation advice to dealing with insects. He shared some of the science behind what makes Palisade peaches such sought-after Colorado produce with ITN host Erin O’Toole. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas

The Colorado Tourism Office recently published a report outlining the economic benefits of travel in different regions around Colorado. And the numbers show that tourism is growing.  The report labeled one region the ‘Rockies Playground’ – that's an area that includes parts of Summit, Eagle, and Pitkin counties. And visitor spending in that region grew by about 50 percent between 2013 and 2023.  But that surge in visitors -- and the ‘playground’ label from the tourism office -- caught the attention of Scott Fitzwilliams. He’s the supervisor of the White River National Forest,  the most visited national forest in the country, which includes land near Breckenridge, Aspen and Vail.  Fitzwilliams joined host Erin O’Toole to discuss how this surge in tourism signals a moment where Coloradans need to decide: What’s the right balance between treating public lands as a playground, or as places that need to be protected?  Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us:

Weld County’s Clerk and Recorder Carly Koppes has a noticeable online presence. She posts lots of informational videos around election time telling voters how to cast a ballot or get ready for election day But here’s something that keeps Koppes -- and a lot of other election officials -- up at night. Artificial intelligence is developing so quickly that a bad actor could take one of those videos and convincingly alter her voice, so that it sounds like she’s saying something misleading... such as giving the wrong hours when polls are open. Koppes and other clerks from Colorado’s 64 counties recently gathered to talk about those scenarios that give them nightmares as the November election approaches. She joined host Erin O’Toole to discuss how election officials like her are gearing up to respond to misleading emails, deepfake videos, and other social media misinformation.   Not sure if your voter registration is up to date? Check it at GoVoteColorado.com:  Read more about Mesa County clerk Tina Peters’ verdict

Wildfires, like the ones that hit Colorado’s Front Range this summer, rip through communities. They torch homes and disrupt lives.  But wildfires can also cause some surprising -- even uplifting -- things to happen. They strengthen the bonds between neighbors. They make people more resilient. And those stronger connections help people prepare for future emergencies.  In fact, there’s a whole field of study that examines and documents those silver linings after a disaster. Lori Peek is a professor of sociology and the director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder.  She joined ITN host Erin O’Toole to discuss how communities come together during and after natural disasters. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!Host and Producer: Erin O'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer:

On Colorado’s Western Slope a single sign represents a mining town that was once there. The town helped provide the uranium in the first atomic bomb. The town was called Uravan. Journalist Alec Cowan has long been fascinated by stories of Uravan. Cowan grew up in nearby Grand Junction and remembers hearing urban legends about Uravan. Officials closed and buried the town in the 1980s due to radiation concerns.  Cowan set out to record interviews with former residents of Uravan, and recently turned his research into a six-part podcast series. It's called Boom Town: A Uranium Story.  In The NoCo’s Brad Turner talked with Cowan to hear about this largely forgotten corner of Colorado. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!Host and Producer: Erin O'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme musi

In Colorado, there are approximately 3,000 search and rescue incidents each year, according to the state's Search and Rescue Association. And when someone goes missing in the backcountry, every hour counts.Heat, dehydration and exposure to the elements make a person's survival less likely as time ticks by. Rescuers in our state also deal with rugged mountains, steep canyons, dense tree cover, and extreme temperatures at high elevations. All this makes it more difficult to locate someone quickly. But new technology could give search and rescue teams a powerful new tool.   It's called Lifeseeker – and it effectively turns a helicopter into a moving cell phone tower, able to detect a missing hiker’s mobile phone. A Durango-based company, Colorado Highland Helicopters, is testing the new technology as it seeks FCC approval in the United States. Dr. Tim Durkin coordinates search and rescue programs for them. He joined host Erin O'Toole in June to explain how Lifeseeker works, and the potential impact it could have