Kunc's Colorado Edition

Just off Highway 34 outside of Greeley sits a ghost town dotted with a couple of deteriorating buildings and a sign. In the early 1900s, this area was home to Dearfield. The thriving agricultural community founded by O.T. Jackson was Colorado’s largest Black homesteading site. At its peak there were around 300 residents, and Dearfield boasted a number of businesses including a grocery store and a blacksmith shop, plus a school, several churches, and a dance hall. Settlers grew corn, winter wheat, melons and strawberries, and the community enjoyed great prosperity – until drought, the Dust Bowl, and the Great Depression forced most to leave and seek work elsewhere.“I think it's been very, very important to have Dearfield be an example of what Black people could do and have done – and the future of what Black people could do,” said George Junne, a professor of Africana Studies at University of Northern Colorado who has studied Dearfield for decades. Junne sat down with In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole in February to

Patients in Colorado feel the brunt of a growing healthcare crisis every day. Most Colorado counties have a shortage of primary care doctors and other healthcare workers – and that has an outsized impact on low-income and rural communities. And that shortage is projected to get even worse as physicians near retirement age. About a third of doctors in the state are 60 or older, according to a recent report from the American Association of Medical Colleges.On May 1, Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation to help address the shortfall. A new medical  school – just the third one in Colorado – will open in 2026 at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. The new College of Osteopathic Medicine has a price tag of around $200 million, and will eventually graduate 150 new doctors each year. The college's first dean, Dr. Beth Longenecker, joined In The NoCo to discuss how the new school will make a dent in a statewide and national shortage of doctors.

Access to a great education – and finding a way to pay for it – was a common thread running through some of the most notable bills Colorado lawmakers introduced at the state capitol in recent months. The 2024 legislative session wrapped up last week with lots of new laws on the books, including one that offers two years of free community college to some state residents. Another bill, designed to make sure rural K-12 schools are funded properly, marks the first major overhaul of the state's public education funding formula in 30 years.KUNC's statehouse reporter Lucas Brady Woods followed these and dozens of other bills during the session. He joined In The NoCo to highlight a few of the most notable legislative accomplishments.We want to hear from you! What questions do you have about Colorado laws, state politics – or something else entirely? Send us your burning questions, and we might look into some of them! Email us (or send us a voice memo) at NOCO@kunc.org

Springtime in Northern Colorado means the return of a quintessential summer pastime. The Fort Collins Trolley resumed service last weekend. This season marks 40 years since the restored trolley began once again to take passengers on a leisurely journey along Mountain Avenue into Old Town.  The electric streetcars were once a common sight in the streets of Fort Collins, at least until the early 1950s, as car ownership rose and fewer people relied on public transportation. In the late 1970s, a group of dedicated volunteers began to restore the aged trolley cars and to reinstall the track. Host Erin O’Toole took a ride and got a personal tour, where she learned some of the trolley's quirky history – including the time the old depot became a victim of the CU-CSU football rivalry… and how a group of people opposed to bringing the trolley back nearly derailed the restoration.The Fort Collins Trolley operates weekends and holidays through Sept. 29, 2024. You can learn more about the trolley's history and find schedu

A shortage of affordable housing – and a shortage of teachers – recently forced leaders in Eagle County to try an ambitious new project. They’ve taken the unusual step of becoming a builder and landlord for some of the school staff on their payroll.Miller Flats is a 37 unit housing complex built exclusively for school staff in Edwards. Last year reporter Rae Solomon listened in while second grade teacher Julian Millares checked to see if he’s won a spot in the building. Julian, whose story was part of the KUNC podcast The Colorado Dream, had entered a lottery set up for prospective residents.Recently, the apartment complex reached full capacity. And we are checking in with Julian to see how the living situation is. 

Last summer was brutal for the Colorado River - low water levels underscored the rising threats from a changing climate. Now, we're waiting on next moves from state and federal governments ahead of a quickly approaching 2026 deadline. Several states have proposed new ways to divvy up water from the river, which serves about 40 million people in the southwest United States and Mexico. Tribes that use the river also want a seat at the negotiating table. And the federal government has said it’s up to the seven states that rely on its water to agree on how to use less of it. Alex Hager covers the Colorado River for KUNC. He joins host Erin O'Toole to break down what different groups are proposing, why they can’t agree, and what comes next.Be sure to check out KUNC's podcast Thirst Gap for a deeper dive into the current threats and challenges to the Colorado River.

Colorado Mountain College isn't your typical higher education institution. Ski and snowboard repair, avalanche technician, ski area operator, and fly fishing guide are among the many career pathways that CMC offers. The school serves roughly 12,000 students across 11 campuses in mountain communities like Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs and Leadville. It also acts as a bridge to larger universities by offering bachelors and associate degrees in more traditional fields like business administration and social work.And for the first time in 11 years, the college has a new president. Matt Gianneschi was recently named head of CMC after holding other jobs there for about a decade. Today on In The NoCo, Gianneschi discusses the school's priorities as a Hispanic-serving institution, how they're working to overcome the thorny challenges posed by the high cost of housing, and his advice for this year's graduating class. 

The Force is strong with Colorado. For starters, there's Gov. Jared Polis, who regularly invokes Star Wars and other sci-fi stories in press conferences and state of the state addresses. Then there's the fact that the first-ever Star Wars Celebration - the largest gathering for fans of the franchise - was held in Denver in 1999. And a recent survey shows that Colorado is the fourth-most passionate state when it comes to Star Wars.  Fans of the movies and books celebrate Star Wars Day this Saturday, May the Fourth. But George Lucas and his characters already get plenty of publicity. So today we’re celebrating a local sci-fi celebrity you may not have heard about. Connie Willis is one of the most prolific and highly awarded science fiction writers in the world – and she lives right here in Northern Colorado. She spoke with In The NoCo's Erin O'Toole after the release of her most recent book, The Road to Roswell. Note: This is an encore of our episode from Jan. 2, 2024.

Back in January we learned about a man whose life took a huge turn. David Carillo had been serving a life sentence for his involvement in a murder that happened in 1993. While incarcerated, he began taking classes, and earned a degree. He continued studying, until he became one of the first professors in the country to teach from behind prison walls. And now, after Gov. Jared Polis granted him clemency last December, Carillo's life has seen another seismic shift. Carillo was released from the prison in Canon City – and he plans to continue teaching incarcerated students... only now, while living as a free man.Jason Gonzales, who covers higher education for Chalkbeat Colorado, has been following Carillo's journey. He joined In The NoCo's Erin O'Toole to share the latest.

It’s a presidential election year. And in the months leading up to November 5, 2024, we’re focusing our coverage around the issues people in our community, including younger voters, say they care about most. To better understand what's most important to college students and other young voters, we're working with student reporters at Front Range Community College. Isabel Delgado and Julian Hanes write for the student newspaper The Front Page and FRCC's podcast Up Front. They joined In The NoCo's Erin O'Toole to share what they’re hearing about the election from their fellow students.Voters are the heart of any election – and KUNC wants to know what you think candidates should be talking about this year. You can help shape our newsroom's coverage by sharing your hopes, priorities, and concerns with the election team. Visit our website to take a quick survey.

Tourists choose to take vacations in Colorado for numerous reasons – like our breathtaking mountains and the chance to hurtle down them on skis or snowboards. There's lots of hiking, fishing, whitewater rafting – even cannabis tourism. But what about wolf-watching?Since ten wolves from Oregon were released on the Western Slope last December, there's been plenty of interest in them. Ranchers, for instance, want to know how the wolves will threaten their livestock. Many other people are simply curious and want to catch a glimpse of the predators.There's a Colorado Parks and Wildlife map that tracks the collared wolves based on GPS data. A Facebook group that was started to share sightings and keep tabs on the wolves now has thousands of members. And a recent sighting on a lonely road near Kremmling spawned a surge in traffic. Could these be signs that wolves might eventually become a tourist attraction here?KUNC investigative reporter Scott Franz has been looking into that prospect. He joined host Erin O'Toole

We're closing out this week by commemorating National Poetry Month. And who better to celebrate with than Todd Simmons, founder and director of Wolverine Farm Publishing in Fort Collins? In 2002, Simmons left his job in the field of social science to focus full-time on literature and poetry. "I think creative expression, and the ability to communicate and give voice, is something that people are innately drawn to do," Simmons said. "I've always worked out moments of doubt through writing, and through giving voice to my thoughts and emotions."Simmons believes anyone can develop an appreciation for poetry, and that it's especially important in the early educational years to get books of poems into the hands of children. He sat down with In The NoCo's Erin O'Toole to share why he devoted his life to bringing a love of poetry and literature to Northern Colorado.Wolverine Farm is in the process of selecting the next Fort Collins Poet Laureate! You can vote in person through Monday, April 29.We put out a call to ou

As human interaction with our planet has evolved over time, so has the human emotional experience of living on Earth. Perhaps it’s no surprise that, as we become more aware of the climate crisis affecting the planet, our emotions tend toward cynicism and sadness. Charlotte Lin, the sustainability coordinator for the mountain town of Avon, thinks hope should be part of the emotional equation, too - especially if it inspires action. “Knowledge alone is really not enough,” she said. “We need to address that sort of inner awareness and who you are inside with regards to this topic.”Last week, Lin helped Eagle County organize a Climate Action Week, capped off with a book club event she led. They discussed the book Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in with Unexpected Resilience and Creative Power by Joanna Macy and Christopher Johnstone. Lin joined In the NoCo's Erin O'Toole the day after the book club had met – which happened to be Earth Day – to talk about how she found herself a champion of climate hope.

Anxiety about climate change is hitting the youngest of us hard. And if you’re too young to vote, it may feel like there’s nothing you can do to change what your future looks like. But students in the Boulder Valley School District proved otherwise this past school year. A group of high school students successfully campaigned for the school board to adopt the Green New Deal for Schools resolution - a policy demanded by the Sunrise Movement. The youth-led climate activism organization held a summer camp in 2023 that helped inspire two Fairview high school students to advocate for the resolution. Twins Emma and Molly Weber said they felt empowered by coming together with peers from across the nation and learning how to take a stand.“We have our whole lives in front of us,” said Emma Weber. “But a lot of times the things that we want to do in our dreams are being destroyed by this issue that is devastating so many different aspects of our lives.”After eight months of campaigning, Boulder Valley became the first

Longmont author and journalist Stephen Robert Miller is fascinated by climate disaster stories. He says they’re often teachable moments.“There’s so much to be learned from looking in the past — environmental histories and histories of instances of when people have tried to control nature and ultimately it's failed,” Miller said.In his new book, “Over the Seawall,” Miller examines the deeper impacts of some of these failures. He investigates how governments and people are using infrastructure to slow or stop the effects or the symptoms of climate change – giant concrete barriers in Japan meant to stop tsunamis, for example, or dams and canals in Arizona meant to make a desert move-in ready for lots of people. Government policies created to manage the Colorado River and distribute water among its unquenchable stakeholders are another example. In other words, Miller says people are keen to adapt and that seems great, “but it can also be tricky if it causes us to rush into rash decisions,” he said. Simple measure

While Colorado is known for having breweries on every corner, there's a new trend in town: cocktails - without the alcohol. The popularity of non-alcoholic drinks is soaring – especially among young adults – and more bars and restaurants are starting to feature creative mocktails on their menus. Currently, Colorado has only a few completely sober spaces where alcohol isn't served at all. But some mixologists are hoping to change that. KUNC reporter and host Emma VandenEinde visited some of these spaces and talked with mixologists who are focused on making exciting and delicious non-alcoholic drinks. She spoke with host Erin O'Toole about how this trend is shaking up the nightlife for the sober and sober-curious.You can learn more about the sober space that mixologist Han Cassera hopes to open this fall in Loveland at his GoFundMe page.

Colorado is one of the healthiest states in the nation when it comes to physical fitness. Perhaps that’s no surprise given how much there is to do in the outdoors. But when it comes to mental health, Colorado ranks in the bottom half of states, according to a 2023 report by Mental Health America. While there are a few reasons for this poor ranking, we’re going to zoom in on one factor that has to do with the culture of mountain resort life, and how it affects the people living and working there - alcohol and drug misuse. Eric Turner is one such resident who was surprised to find himself sucked into a culture of heavy substance use. “I thought that the focus would be more on physical health and emotional well being,” said Turner. He came to Colorado with the goal of “getting out in nature and focusing on those aspects and not so much, you know, hiking to the top of a mountain and pulling out a bottle.”Today, Turner is sober and works as a certified addiction technician and founder of Rock to Recover, a non-pro

Today we’re listening back to a conversation with aquaponic chicken farmer Sean Short of Blooming Health Farms, located in Greeley, Colorado. And just what is aquaponic chicken farming? Short says the farm uses aquaponics, “a fancy way of saying that we have some fish, and we use the fish water to grow plants.” In other words, aquaponics combines fish farming with hydroponics. Short is also using that fish water to grow chicken feed. He said that system helps him clean up wastewater from the messy process of producing the feed. All of this is connected to Short’s organic egg production to make some “really yummy eggs,” he said.Beyond agricultural sustainability — hydroponic farming conserves water and land, and reduces pesticide use — what is also notable about Farmer Sean’s operation is the people involved. He is bringing at-risk kids into the fold and helping them to learn new skills and carve paths away from the criminal justice system. And one of the ways he engages youth’s passions is to talk like them. 

A career in journalism wasn’t the plan for NPR’s Lori Lizarraga – at least, not until the day she found herself in the wrong classroom at Southern Methodist University. Lizarraga says she “stepped into Narnia” when she walked into the studio where journalism students were broadcasting the school’s daily newscast. The Latina journalist has been telling stories ever since – and a lot of that work as co-host of NPR's Code Switch is informed by her cultural identity. To wrap up our spring membership drive, we're listening back to our conversation with Lizarraga about how race, culture, and lived experience are inextricably woven into the fabric of her work.NOTE: This is an encore of our podcast from Oct. 13, 2023. You can listen to an extended version of her conversation with host Erin O'Toole here.

It's spring… and a handful of Northern Colorado farmers markets are opening up for what's likely to be a busy season – at least, if the last few years are any indication.  We've come to expect throngs of eager shoppers waiting in long lines to buy western slope peaches by the crate, boxes of Olathe sweet corn, Pueblo chiles, and other locally grown produce. But farming in Colorado comes with a lot of challenges  – the growing season is short, the sun is scorching, and the rainy season can be very unpredictable. Coloradans seem to appreciate how difficult it is for farmers, which helps explain some of the high demand. But there are plenty of other reasons for that homegrown produce pride, according to Colorado State University professor and agricultural economist Dawn Thilmany. She recently spoke with host Erin O'Toole to explain why there's so much importance placed on buying local. In anticipation of more farmers markets opening, we're listening back to that conversation.In the episode, we brought up this st