Kunc's Colorado Edition

Coloradans recently approved the legalization of certain plant-based psychedelic substances, including psilocybin and psylocin found in so-called magic mushrooms – paving the way for licensed healing centers where people can legally obtain these plant medicines in the coming years. Indigenous people have long been the historical facilitators of this kind of medicine, leading ceremonies in lesser-known locations. As this movement sprouts above ground, some Indigenous healers and activists say they should be at the forefront. In today's episode, we talk with Kuthoomi Castro, a Boulder-based clinical mental health counselor, and one of those calling for greater representation.

Northern Colorado is a fascinating and fast-growing part of the Front Range. It's a region brimming with its own history, culture, food and music; and opportunities abound in education, civic life, and outdoor recreation. Of course, life here isn't without its share of challenges - from health and safety to housing and the environment. KUNC's new podcast In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, people, and issues important to the region. We help listeners lead better, more informed lives by providing context and clarity around the conversations shaping our communities, and highlighting the stories and voices of the real people who live here.The show unravels the big issues of the day and the untold stories of the moment. And we also make the time to celebrate all the things that make Northern Colorado such an incredible place to live, work, and play.

Welcome to a special preview of KUNC’s new podcast In the NoCo – a daily slice of Northern Colorado news and happenings. The Front Range is home to some of the most bike-friendly cities in the country, but bicyclists and pedestrians are facing increasing danger on many Colorado roads. In today's episode, we talk with KUNC investigative reporter Scott Franz about what's being done to try and change that. And we talk with our film critic Howie Movshovitz about the Telluride Film Festival, which is celebrating its 50th year this weekend. 

On this episode of Colorado Edition, affordable housing is even more elusive for Coloradans with disabilities and KUNC’s investigative reporter Robyn Vincent looks at the challenges many are facing. Plus a conversation with officials from Aurora’s Police Department about how they plan to increase female recruitment.

On this episode of Colorado Edition, we hear from a Northern Colorado couple who have not been able to return to their home in Haiti due to ongoing violence there. Plus, a review of the film “No Bears,” directed by an Iranian filmmaker who is currently imprisoned and banned from making films.

On this episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about the battle over a secret ballot system that many Colorado lawmakers continue to defend. We also journey to Rocky Mountain High School with reporter Leigh Paterson to examine the state of childhood mental health.

Featured SegmentsUpdates on the office to prevent gun violence: Colorado lawmakers are growing increasingly frustrated with an office they created a year and a half ago to prevent gun violence. They’re demanding answers and vowing to create a new oversight panel because they say the office has made little progress. KUNC Investigative reporter Scott Franz has been covering the ongoing story and has more on how lawmakers are trying to turn things around.Is snow news is good news? The Western U.S. has been slammed by wet weather so far this winter. That’s good news for the Colorado River, where snow could turn into a boost for major reservoirs that have shrunk to historic lows. But climate scientists say there’s a lot of winter left, and the 40 million people who use the river’s water should take the good news with a grain of salt. KUNC’s Alex Hager reports.This story is part of ongoing coverage of the water in the West, produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.Film remake falls flat: The n

Featured SegmentsAn EV charger in a place where there aren’t a lot of electric vehicles? Policymakers in Colorado envision a future with close to a million electric cars on the road by 2030. But before all those electric cars can hit the roadways, we’ll need a way to charge them. That includes in rural areas, not typically electric vehicle hotbeds.KUNC’s Rae Solomon spent the day at an EV fast charging station in rural Colorado to learn more.Expanded access to abortion pills: Major drug stores will soon be able to distribute abortion pills. The Federal Drug Administration made changes to a rule last week that gives women access to the pill at retail pharmacies.Kate Coleman is an expert on abortion access and teaches at the College of Nursing at the University of Colorado Anschutz and talks about what these changes mean.Film review: Women Talking: As an actor, Sarah Polley’s films include The Sweet Hereafter, The Weight of Water and The Secret Life of Words. Then, as a writer and director, Polley made the chal

Intro: You’re listening to Colorado Edition from KUNC. I’m Yoselin Meza Miranda. It’s Friday January 6th. In our first episode of 2023 we are looking at the legacy of the Marshall Fire. The fire destroyed more than one thousand homes and damaged at least 150 more. The cost of the fire is estimated to top 2 billion dollars. In December, just before the Marshall Fire anniversary, KUNC Reporter Leigh Paterson produced a three-part series that featured personal stories about the fire. In this first installment, Leigh checks in with a firefighter who was on scene.   FIRST FEATURE INTRO: As part of her Marshall Fire series, Leigh also spoke to residents who lived through the disaster but are still dealing with the aftermath. SECOND FEATUREINTRO: The Marshall Fire’s flames destroyed entire neighborhoods in Boulder County. But communities just outside the fire’s boundary were impacted too. Hundreds of mobile homes were damaged by high winds. In the third part of Leigh’s series, she reports from a mobile home park cal

Featured SegmentsRecovery residence: Early in the year, KUNC’s Stephanie Daniel visited a Greeley home where a small group of women are supporting each other to stay substance-free. They call it a “recovery residence.”And as Stephanie reported, they’re growing in numbers as more people choose to live in substance-free environments.This story was produced in February.Grand Canyon norovirus: KUNC’s Luke Runyon leads our Water Desk coverage. In September, he brought us this story about a nasty stomach bug usually associated with cruise ships and buffets — the norovirus.The virus can sicken people for days with nausea and vomiting. Runyon reported that the virus is so contagious that outbreaks can pop up in unexpected places, such as the Grand Canyon.This story originally aired in September. It’s part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.John Denver: There was one story we couldn’t pass up in this Colorado Edition episode of memorable stories.Th

Featured SegmentsSlowdown at the Office of Gun Violence and Prevention: Some Colorado lawmakers are upset with the state’s new Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Legislators created the office almost two years ago in an effort to save lives by focusing on firearm safety and using the state’s new red flag law to take guns away from those flagged as dangerous.KUNC reporter Scott Franz has found the office has done little of that work, leaving lawmakers with questions.The Ogallala Aquifer drying up: The Ogallala Aquifer is a vast, underground water supply that lies beneath eight states, including parts of Eastern Colorado. Many farmers on the eastern plains depend on it as a reliable source of water to irrigate their crops — but the aquifer is drying up.KUNC reporter Rae Solomon asked what that means for the future of agricultural communities in the area.This story is part of the “America Amplified” initiative. America Amplified is a national public media collaboration focused on community engagement reporting.C

Glen Canyon Dam: New forecasts for the Colorado River paint a grim picture. Climate change and steady demand are shrinking the water supply for 40 million people.At the nation's largest dams, that means the ability to generate hydropower could soon be under threat. KUNC's Alex Hager introduces us to the Glen Canyon Dam. What was once a mighty piece of Western infrastructure is now possibly unable to function.This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.Holiday grief: The holiday season is here. It's a festive time for many, with families getting together to celebrate — but the holidays can be especially hard for some.Many are mourning the loss of a loved one and dealing with profound grief. University of Colorado College of Nursing Nurse Practitioners Heather Coats and Kerry Peterson gave some insight into how to manage grief and depression over the holidays.If you or anyone you know is struggling during the holidays, you can conn

Featured SegmentsPsilocybin's next steps: Proposition 122 was one of the ballot measures approved by voters last month. It decriminalizes the psychedelic substance psilocybin for personal use and mental health treatment. But as KUNC's Lucas Brady Woods reports, Coloradans won't see clinics offering psychedelics quite yet.No return for some Marshall Fire survivors: It's been nearly one year since the Marshall Fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Boulder County.However, there's another group of affected homeowners — their houses are still standing, yet they don't feel safe returning home due to issues such as smoke damage.The story is a collaboration between students at the CU Boulder Center for Environmental Journalism, the Boulder Reporting Lab, and KUNC. We spoke with CU Boulder student Zain Iqbal about their team effort.CreditsColorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata. Our theme m

Featured segmentsWind repair: While the Marshall Fire was burning down over 1,000 houses last December, the 100-mile-an-hour winds that day were also damaging nearby mobile homes.Roofs, siding, windows and doors were blown off and smashed. In the freezing days that followed, pipes burst. KUNC's Leigh Paterson reports on the rush to finish repairs almost a year after the fire and before winter arrives.Eliminating acres of irrigated land: Colorado Parks and Wildlife has pledged to eliminate thousands of acres of irrigated agriculture in a focused region on the eastern plains as a part of an agreement with the states of Kansas and Nebraska to conserve water used from a shared underground aquifer.The burden falls mostly on private landowners, but as KUNC's Rae Solomon found, the state also has irrigation wells there. Local farmers say they shouldn't be the only ones to sacrifice their water rights.This story is part of the "America Amplified" initiative. America Amplified is a national public media collaboration

On this episode of Colorado Edition, we focus on water. We have two stories from our ongoing coverage of the Colorado River: Checking in with the people who have a front row seat to the crisis, and seeing if the Colorado River Compact is still working.Front row seats to the Colorado River crisis: The Colorado River is drying up, and the communities that rely on it are already feeling the pinch.While many large cities throughout the Southwest are well-positioned to weather the coming crisis, the threat of losing their water supply is no longer hypothetical in some small towns such as Page, Arizona.The Colorado River Compact: The Colorado River’s foundational legal document turns 100 years old this month. The agreement among seven western states was groundbreaking for its time, but as KUNC’s Luke Runyon reports, it continues to contribute to the Southwest’s water crisis.These stories are part of ongoing coverage of water in the West. It’s produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.CreditsCol

Midterm Election Debrief: The midterm elections were held just last week. KUNC’s Statehouse Reporter Lucas Brady Woods talks about the results and how things shook out post-election.Pobre Pancho’s: One of Fort Collins’ oldest Mexican restaurants — Pobre Pancho’s — closed last spring. The owner wants to sell the property to a fast food change planning to knock the building down.But reporter Mickey Capper says the family who ran the restaurant for decades is now fighting to preserve the building and its history.CreditsColorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata.The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!Our theme music was

Green Rooves: A researcher in our region is looking at a new way to grow vegetables and flowers at home, but as KUNC’s Emma VandenEinde reports, it might be more difficult than anticipated.Tap Water Taste Test: There’s nothing quite as refreshing as a cold glass of water straight from the tap — but it takes a lot of work to make your water clean and tasty.City water providers from all over the Mountain West put their supplies to the test at a recent event in Colorado. KUNC’s Alex Hager was invited to judge.This story is a part of ongoing coverage of water in the West, produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.A study into the health activity of dairy cattle: A research team at Colorado State University is using pedometers to monitor the activity of dairy cattle. The goal is to improve milk quality while maintaining a cost-effective solution for local farmers.Heading the study is CSU’s Department of Animal Science, Associate Professor Dr. Pablo Pineda. KUNC’s Yoselin Meza-Miranda spoke wit

Voting is underway in Colorado, and ballots are due on Election Day by 7 pm. As a reminder, Election Day is Nov. 8, which is less than two weeks away.Proposition FF: If approved, Proposition FF would raise the money needed to provide free school lunches at all public schools in Colorado.Phil Weiser, Colorado Attorney General Incumbent: Colorado voters are deciding this election whether to keep incumbent candidate Phil Weisner in the State Attorney General seat or bring in challenger John Kellner. KUNC's Beau Baker spoke with Weiser about what he's been doing on the job. Their conversation begins with how the state is distributing opioid settlement funds to help stem a major drug crisis.John Kellner, Colorado Attorney General Challenger: KUNC reached out to Republican candidate John Jellner several times but did not hear back.Kellner currently serves as a district attorney for the 8th judicial district, which includes Arapahoe, Douglas Elbert and Lincoln Counties. His platform centers largely around public saf

What to expect on your ballots: Ballots for the November election are hitting mailboxes this week, and there’s a lot at stake. Not only will Coloradans decide who will represent them in Congress and at the state House, but there are also 11 statewide questions that could affect everything from how much people pay in taxes to where they can buy wine.Colorado’s gubernatorial race — Heidi Ganahl: Colorado’s governor ticket is expected to be one of the most heated races on the ballot. Republican Heidi Ganahl is hoping to replace incumbent Jared Polis in the governor’s mansion. She said Polis is not doing enough to move the state forward. Here’s what she said she would do differently.Colorado’s gubernatorial race — Jared Polis: Gov. Polis has been busy crisscrossing the statem toting his record over the last for years — namely his administration’s delivery of free full-day kindergarten and his leadership through the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s what he said about his vision for a second term.Colorado Edition is ho

On this Colorado Edition election special, we speak with the U.S. Senate candidates Joe O’Dea and incumbent Michael Bennet. Then we head to Yuma to hear about a charismatic music teacher uniting his community through music.Featured SegmentsInterview with Joe O’Dea: State capitol reporter Lucas Brady Woods spoke with Republican Senate candidate Joe O’Dea about his platform, which includes shrinking government and limited access to abortion. He also says he would vote to codify same-sex marriage. Interview with Sen. Michael Bennet: Woods also spoke with the incumbent candidate, Sen. Michael Bennet. His platform includes expanding tax benefits for parents, increasing transparency in healthcare and getting special interests out of American politics.Yuma County Music Teacher: In the midst of endless cornfields in Yuma, high school music teacher Robert Zahller has carved out a special place in the Yuma High School music program. Small and rural communities reporter Rae Solomon tells the story.This story is part of