Kunc's Colorado Edition

On this episode of Colorado Edition, we listen to KUNC's three-part series "Fire Risk", which examines how the Marshall Fire prompted changes in building homes and how people are evacuated. Also, how can homeowners protect their existing homes? We meet a first-generation college student helping others like her through social media. Finally, John Denver's iconic "Rocky Mountain High" turns 50. Featured SegmentsEvacuating in an emergency: As the threat of wildfire grows in Colorado, so does the likelihood of mass evacuations. Perhaps no one knows this better than the survivors of last year’s Marshall Fire. In the first part of KUNC’s new series Fire Risk, Brittany Cronin reports on how the Marshall Fire has prompted changes to how these communities evacuate.Building fire-resistant homes: Homeowners in Boulder County are finally starting to rebuild, nine months after the Marshall Fire devastated the area. Many residents are constructing their new homes using fire-resistant techniques. In the second installment o

Climate change and the economy: Climate change and the economy are becoming more and more inseparable. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, climate-related disasters have caused an average of $3 billion in damage in Colorado over the last several years.Some view transitioning to a greener economy as meeting climate priorities and saving money. KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke with Bob Keefe, executive director of the advocacy group, Environmental Entrepreneurs and author of Climatenomics: Washington, Wall Street and the Economic Battle to Save Our Planet.Norovirus outbreak in the Grand Canyon: Norovirus is a nasty stomach bug usually associated with cruise shops and restaurants. It can sicken people for days with nausea and vomiting. As KUNC’s Luke Runyon reports, the virus is so contagious that outbreaks can pop up in unexpected places — like the Grand Canyon.This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.The Co

On this week’s Colorado Edition, we hear updates on the police shooting of a young man in Clear Creek County. Then, we travel to Nevada to hear how water scarcity is affecting one ranching community in a real way. Finally, we check in with the Colorado Sun and discuss what news they’re following.Featured Segments Updates on Clear Creek County police shooting: The parents of a young man shot and killed by police in Clear Creek County in June are demanding answers and accountability. Boulder resident Christian Glass, a 22-year-old white man, died near Silver Plume after calling 911 when his car got stuck on the side of the road. A warning for listeners, this story contains descriptions of violence and audio that may be disturbing. KUNC Reporter Leigh Paterson spoke with KUNC host Beau Baker about the latest developments.  Water scarcity in Nevada: Few things are more valuable to a farmer in the West than water. And when there’s not enough to go around, figuring out whose use matters the most can lead to heated

On this episode of Colorado Edition, we check out a group of citizen scientists who are passionate about studying mushrooms in the mountains and find new species. We examine how cities in the West are trying to reuse water as the Colorado River dries up. We hear about concerns that elected officials, law enforcement officers, and military members are on the Oath Keepers roster. Finally, a recap of the Telluride Film Festival and its respect for both old and new films.Featured SegmentsMushroom science: Despite ongoing drought in parts of Colorado, it was a wet August in the mountains, and heavy rains brought an abundance of wild mushrooms — including some new to science. As KUNC’s Rae Solomon reports, novel mushroom species are more common than you might think. And a lot of them are found by citizen scientists.Creatively re-using water: The Colorado River is drying up, and major cities in the West that depend on it are scrambling to boost their water supplies and keep taps flowing. Climate change is already cu

On this special episode of Colorado Edition, we highlight the new season of The Colorado Dream podcast called “Newcomers Welcome.” The series explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.Featured Segment - Episode five of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome. Aurora is home to immigrants and refugees from around the world. To help them succeed, the city created an integration plan, one of the first local governments in the country to do so. Aurora has made a conscious decision to welcome foriegn-born residents but should the city get all the credit for embracing newcomers? “I think it just happens to be the city that people were relocated to,” said Mathew Mengesha, a policy advocate who works on city and state level policies that support the successful integration of immigrant and refugee communities. “Like it more so had to do with the affordability of Aurora, in

On this episode of Colorado Edition, we check out how a river guide is turning information about the Colorado River drought into digestible TikToks. We speak with the new president of the University of Colorado. From Chalkbeat Colorado, we hear how one school district is trying to get students back in the classroom. Finally, we hear about this year’s Telluride Film Festival and what keeps the festival great.Featured SegmentsTikToking through the Colorado River drought: A 25-year-old river guide from Colorado is racking up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok explaining the megadrought in the Colorado River basin. The reasons for the drought, and potential solutions, can be hard to wrap one’s head around, but as KUNC’s Luke Runyon reports, Western Water Girl makes it snarky and fun.New CU President: Todd Saliman was officially selected as the 24th president of the University of Colorado system this year. He has served as interim president since July 20-21. Todd grew up in Colorado and graduated from CU Bou

Featured Segment - Episode four of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome. Episode Four - Newcomers Welcome: IdentityThe Black immigrant population in Colorado is growing faster than anywhere else in the U.S. They come from Africa, the Caribbean and beyond and many settle in Aurora, where about one in five residents is foreign born. What does it mean for these immigrants, and their kids, to be Black in America?“There's a tension between the African immigrant and the Black community. Why? Because of misconception and assumption from both (parties).” said Papa Dai, founder and president of African Leadership Group. “So for me, coming together, being united as Black, as African immigrant, as African in the Diaspora, however you want to identify yourself, it's a must and it's time.”The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome episode four examines the relationship between Black African immigrants and African Americans. It also shares how Salwa Mourtada Bamba and other Black immigrants in Aurora identify themselves.“I am

On this week’s Colorado Edition, we learn about a new mobile outreach unit to connect veterans experiencing homelessness with resources. As bear encounters get more common, we hear how one community is looking to reduce bear-human interactions. We get a breakdown of how the student loan forgiveness plan will affect Coloradans. Finally, we learn about Ethiopian coffee ceremonies happening in Aurora.Featured SegmentsThis week, the Veterans Community Project of Longmont launched a brand new mobile outreach unit. The van will connect veterans experiencing homelessness in rural parts of northern Colorado with resources like transportation and temporary housing. KUNC’s Beau Beaker spoke to the project's executive director, Jennifer Seybold, about the mobile unit and efforts to aid unhoused veterans in our region. Around here, it’s not unusual for a bear to wander into a neighborhood, especially as we head into fall. That can be dangerous – for the residents and bears. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Will Walkey rep

On this special episode of Colorado Edition, we highlight the new season of The Colorado Dream podcast called “Newcomers Welcome.” The series explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.Featured Segment - Episode three of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome. English is the “language of opportunity.” That’s a line from Aurora’s 10-year Immigrant Integration Plan. Before creating this plan, the city conducted focus groups in 2019 with community members and found the two top priorities for immigrants and refugees were learning English and finding employment.Research shows that immigrants who are proficient in English have higher paying jobs. Not only can they better support their families but the city of Aurora benefits too. The more money residents make, the more they can spend, and the more the city prospers. To help foreign-born residents succeed, Aurora’s integr

On this week’s Colorado Edition, we hear about efforts to elevate indigenous approaches to water management to conserve Colorado River water. We set out into the brush to learn more about rattlesnakes. We also check in with our colleagues at the Colorado Sun, and hear a review for Spin Me Round from our resident critic.Featured SegmentsThe seven western states in the Colorado River Basin are still looking for a way to conserve an unprecedented amount of water after failing to meet a federal deadline for a plan. The river’s two largest reservoirs are approaching critically low levels.  Native people have lived in the Southwest for thousands of years and have traditional ways to manage water that worked for them. When settlers arrived, they up-ended that system. Now, with so much pressure to find a solution, tribes in the Colorado River Basin are trying to elevate indigenous approaches to water management. Megan Myscofski from Arizona Public Media reports on how one tribe is doing that.  This story is part of o

On this special episode of Colorado Edition, we highlight the new season of The Colorado Dream podcast called “Newcomers Welcome.” The series explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.Featured Segment - Episode two of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome. Aurora is one of the most diverse cities in Colorado. In fact, about one in five residents is foreign born. Over half came from the Americas, mainly Mexico. After that the largest groups hail from Ethiopia, Vietnam, Korea, El Salvador and India. To help immigrants and refugees succeed, the city created an integration plan. It was among the first in the country to do so.“Our city leaders at the time, intentionally they (made) a very important decision,” said Ricardo Gambetta, manager of Aurora’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs. “They realize that in the last 20 years, we have a new face of the city

On this week’s Colorado Edition, we learn about grants aimed at helping people of color feel more comfortable in Colorado’s outdoors. Also, the Colorado River has hit an important deadline and cuts are impending. We hear more about the future of water in the states affected. Finally, we learn more about evictions in Colorado and what some are doing to protect people from them.Featured SegmentsColorado’s trails, campgrounds and parks are getting more crowded, but surveys show the droves of visitors are overwhelmingly white and wealthy. A new initiative launching this summer hopes to change that. As KUNC’s Scott Franz reports, the state’s new outdoor equity grants are helping people of color feel comfortable in nature. Water cuts are coming to some users along the Colorado River next year. They’re not enough to keep the river’s largest reservoirs from declining though. The federal government promises to take action to keep water flowing to 40 million people in the southwest, but as KUNC’s Alex Hager reports, wi

On this special episode of Colorado Edition, we highlight the new season of The Colorado Dream podcast called “Newcomers Welcome.” The series explores the Black immigrant experience in Colorado as told through the eyes of one African immigrant and Aurora, as the city - and its residents - strive to become an inclusive home for all.Featured Segment - Episode one of The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome.The Black immigrant population in Colorado is growing faster than anywhere else in the U.S. They come from Africa, the Caribbean and beyond, and many settle in Aurora, where about one in five residents is foreign born. A lot of them have overcome great challenges to emigrate here, including Salwa Mourtada Bamba.Episode One - Newcomers Welcome: ArrivalSalwa was born in Liberia, West Africa and endured the country’s brutal civil war. She was displaced, her sister was murdered and she literally fled for her life, moving to Ghana for four years. But during moments of relative calm she would daydream about coming to

On this week’s Colorado Edition, we look into the potential of turning the ocean into drinking water for the ever-drying West. We also visit the Yuma County Fair and what it’s doing to promote farms and farmers. We also hear from our colleagues at the Colorado Sun, and get a look at the latest episode of The Colorado Dream.Featured SegmentsFor users of the Colorado River, all signs are pointing to a future where they get less water. But cutting back is hard work. That makes finding a new source for the regions, cities and farms a seductive proposition — even if it is expensive and energy-intensive. From KUNC, Alex Hager has more on the tradeoffs that come with turning the ocean into drinking water. This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced and distributed by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.It’s county fair season, and things are getting back to normal this third summer of the pandemic. In the coming weeks Lincoln and Routt counties, among others, will have their

Sports are often divided by gender: women or girls on one team, men or boys on another. Trans people face barriers to joining the team that matches their gender, and there are few options for people that aren’t one of the binary genders. This year, the FireKracker 5K in Fort Collins decided to do things differently. They offered participants the options to sign up as male, female, or nonbinary. KUNC’s Yoselin Meza Miranda spoke with FireKracker 5K’s first nonbinary winner, Steph Campbell. For decades the Colorado River filled Glen Canyon to the brim. That’s where Lake Powell is, the second-largest reservoir in the country. But climate change and overuse are causing the reservoir to decline to a new record low, leaving the water supply for tens of millions in the Southwest uncertain. To show us what Lake Powell looks like at this historic moment, KUNC’s Luke Runyon took a boat trip with longtime river runners. This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC and supported by the W

One month ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to an abortion.Some in Colorado are working to expand access, while others are trying to push back. KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke to reporter Leigh Paterson about efforts and attitudes in Weld County.   A wildfire tore through Superior in December, destroying hundreds of homes before the fires were extinguished the next day. But the fire left its fingerprints on homes all over town. Months later, residents whose homes were unscathed by the fire had a smoky taste and smell in their water. As KUNC’s Alex Hager reports, that required an expensive fix, the likes of which could be more common for towns and cities across the West. The Northern Colorado Queer Memory Project was founded in 2021 to share the stories of LGBTQ+ people and the impact they’ve had on the region. KUNC’s Samantha Coetzee spoke with the project’s founder, Tom Dunn. He’s been studying queer history since 2005. Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda a

Many in Colorado are working to protect reproductive rights in a post Roe America. Providers in Mountain West states are juggling a sharp rise in demand from out-of-state patients. KUNC’s Robyn Vincent reports some are facing desperate circumstances.The seven Colorado River basin states have until mid-August to drastically cut their water use. Federal officials say it’s necessary to keep the river’s giant reservoirs from going empty. If state leaders fail to come up with a plan, they could be facing a federal crackdown. KUNC’s Luke Runyon has more on what that might look like.  This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC, and supported by the Walton Family Foundation. Creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ teens to express themselves is more important now than ever. Organizations in Colorado are working to create more of these spaces — including Longmont’s Firehouse Art Center and the Boulder Public Library. They created Slay the Runway in 2021, a design program for LGBTQ+ teens. K

Thousands gathered in Boulder on Saturday to protest the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Moments of sadness, anger and hope filled Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall. KUNC’s Robyn Vincent was there.  Colorado has recorded 9 monkeypox cases over the last three months, but health officials are worried the virus could spread fast if unchecked. To learn more, KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke with Dr. Michelle Barron. Barron is the senior medical director of infection prevention and control with UC Health. You can find vaccine clinics, resources and the latest information from the state on monkeypox at the Colorado Department of Health and Environment website.Every Tuesday, KUNC's Samantha Coetzee speaks with our colleagues over at the Colorado Sun about the local stories they're following. Earlier this week,  she spoke with editor Larry Ryckman about the Uinta Railroad, Denver Public Schools, and potatoes.A non-police response program in Denver is expanding with more funding and staffing. This comes as many loc

When the Marshall Fire burned over 1,000 homes in Boulder County in December, it also destroyed possessions: couches, children’s toys and family heirlooms. Since then, many fire victims have dug through the rubble to find anything that might be salvageable. In the final part of our series From The Ashes, Leigh Paterson brings us a story about salvaged objects that contain memories.  Hundreds of people summit Mount Everest each year. But before this year, fewer than 10 of them were Black. In May, the first all-Black team of climbers successfully reached the summit as part of the Full Circle Everest Expedition. To learn more about the expedition, KUNC's Samantha Coetzee spoke to Eddie Taylor. He's a member of the Full Circle Everest Team and a chemistry teacher from Boulder. A new report looks at the emergency response during the first 36 hours of the most destructive fire in Colorado History. The Marshall Fire is responsible for an estimated $1 billion in damages. Two people died in the blaze. KUNC's Beau Bake

Coloradans are still processing the Supreme Court’s historic decision to end federal abortion rights. Some residents are joining together to protest, while others are making plans to protect — or challenge — access to abortion here. KUNC’s Scott Franz has more on the early reactions to the ruling, and what it might mean going forward.KUNC's Beau Baker spoke to Dr. Warren Hern, director of the Boulder Abortion Clinic. He's been providing access to care since 1975, and says that the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could impact abortion services in Colorado.In the months after the Marshall Fire devastated parts of Boulder County, many families returned to sift through the debris. KUNC’s Leigh Paterson brings us a story about the memories contained in salvaged objects.The Greeley Stampede returned this year for the first time since COVID.. The summer rodeo festival celebrated its 100th year with rides, children activities, and food vendors at the Island Grove Regional Park. KUNC's Yoselin Meza Miranda was there,