In The NOCO (KUNC)

On today’s show, we hear from two Colorado scientists who recently discovered one of the oldest female infant burial sites in a cave in Europe. We’ll hear their analysis, and what they think life may have been like for the child and her family.

Today on Colorado Edition: We’ll explore a package of bills heading toward passage in Colorado that aims to prevent deaths among pregnant women and create better outcomes for babies. We’ll hear about a local initiative that creates art by sifting through wildfire ashes, and we’ll get a look at youth homelessness across our region through a shelter in Colorado Springs. We’ll also speak with the new food editor at 5280 Magazine.

In 2025, many of us are on social media – and lots of us are hunting for a new job.  

If that sounds like your situation, a University of Colorado researcher says be thoughtful about what you post online. Because what you do on Facebook or Threads or BlueSky can change your odds of landing that new gig. 

Jason Thatcher has been studying how hiring managers use social media to make decisions about candidates. And he found 60 percent of hiring managers decide who to interview or who to hire, in part, by checking out applicants’ social media accounts.  

So how do your Facebook posts about politics affect your chances of landing your dream job? And is there anything you can do to make your social media accounts more appealing to a hiring manager? 

Thatcher recently spoke with Brad Turner about what he’s observed. We’re listening back to that conversation today. 

You can also check out his previous In The NoCo interview on how to keep “technostress” from driving you crazy at work. 

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
 
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Manipulating the clouds to make it rain or snow sounds like the stuff of science fiction. But the technology behind cloud seeding is nothing new: It dates back to the 1940s. 

That science got a new look recently when lawmakers ordered the Government Accountability Office to re-examine the possibilities of cloud seeding as water becomes a more precious resource in the U.S. The newly published report calls cloud seeding promising, but also says more research is needed. 

That got Alex Hager – KUNC's in-house water reporter -- thinking about how cloud seeding might affect what’s probably the biggest water story in the nation: the drought-stricken Colorado River. Alex wrote about it recently, and joined In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole to talk about what he learned.  

For more on the Colorado River, check out KUNC’s award-winning podcast Thirst Gap.

Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

One of Cary Morin’s guitars is proudly displayed at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. That black Fender electric speaks to his musical legacy here in Northern Colorado as an Americana artist — or "Native Americana," as some have dubbed his musical style. It is a style with deep Indigenous roots that Morin brought with him from Montana and replanted in Fort Collins four decades ago.

"The people that I grew up around influenced the songs that I write and the music that I play, just like any songwriter is influenced by the people that they grew up around,” Morin said. “My Crow heritage is definitely rich in unique music, and culturally unique. So that provided a different backdrop for me."

Morin’s new album coming out later this month is inspired by the paintings of Charles Marion Russell, whose work conjures vivid images of life in the Old West. In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole met up with Morin at the museum to talk about this new project.

Five years ago this month, the coronavirus pandemic upended life in Colorado and around the world.   

More than 14,000 Coloradans died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the state saw more than 1.7 million COVID-19 cases. 

It was a global health crisis that also reshaped the state’s economy in an instant.  

Businesses and air travel largely shut down for a time. Remote work, online grocery ordering, and meal delivery services became familiar parts of everyday life.  

Richard Wobbekind is a senior economist with the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business. If his name sounds familiar, it’s likely because lots of media outlets turn to him for his analysis.  

Five years after the pandemic began, we wanted to hear his perspective about how the event changed the state’s economy in ways large and small. He spoke with Erin O’Toole about COVID-19's impact on Colorado’s housing market, outdoor industry, and other facets of business in the state.    

Read more from NPR on the legacy and impact of the COVID pandemic. 

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
 
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

 

Today on Colorado Edition, we hear why Nebraska is staking a claim to more water from the South Platte River. We also learn why some methods to test drugs for fentanyl in the West are illegal. And, we talk about a new apprenticeship program for restaurants in Colorado.

A piece of U.S. immigration law allows some people who have entered the country illegally to be detained and quickly deported – without typical legal proceedings and a hearing before an immigration judge.   

Until recently, this policy applied to people without legal status who had been in the country for less than two weeks, if they were detained near the U.S. border.  

But on the first day of his new term, President Trump dramatically expanded that policy, known as expedited removal. Now, immigrants without legal status who’ve been in the country for up to two years can be deported more quickly. And Trump’s revised version of the policy applies to the entire U.S. – not just the border region.  

This shift potentially affects thousands of noncitizens here in Colorado, at a moment when immigration officials have been ramping up raids in cities like Denver and Aurora.  

To better understand expedited removal, we reached out to Violeta Chapin, a professor of immigration law at the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder, where she teaches the Immigration Defense Clinic. She spoke with Erin O’Toole about the potential impact of this policy change. 

Read a fact sheet and advice for members of the immigrant community from the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition.

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
 
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.
 

Shared experiences that echo across different cultures... and the unique perspectives that people from different places bring to our community.  

An art show on display in Fort Collins explores those ideas through poems, letters and portraits of immigrants living in Northern Colorado.   
 
Curator Brigid McAuliffe collected images and writings from people representing thirty-eight countries for two projects that make up the show. Querida Familia features members of families from Mexico who now live in Fort Collins who wrote letters and recollections prompted by photos of significant moments in their lives. And in Hyphens & Hemispheres: The Places We Come From, participants created poems reflecting how they have been shaped by where they’re from. 

The dual exhibit marks the latest installment of Picture Me Here – a series of art and storytelling programs focused on immigrants and refugees, that started in 2012. McAuliffe says this show feels especially timely, as the topic of illegal immigration drives political debate during a presidential election year.   

Host Erin O’Toole visited the gallery at the Carnegie Center for Creativity, to talk with McAuliffe and two contributors to the exhibit – Diana Castro and Rookhan Sherzad.

The exhibit is free and open to the public. It runs through September 29.

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

 

It was a shocking crime.

In January, thieves in Wichita, Kansas allegedly stole and destroyed a bronze statue of Jackie Robinson, the trailblazing baseball player and civil rights hero. Only the statue's bronze shoes were left behind. The statue had stood near ballfields used by League 42 – a youth baseball league named after the number on Robinson’s uniform. 

News of the crime generated an outpouring of support, including more than half a million dollars in donations to replace the statue. And the work to create the new statue is happening in Loveland. 

Art Castings of Colorado, which was started in 1972, specializes in bronze sculptures. The company worked on the original Jackie Robinson statue. Now, the staff at the foundry is creating the replacement, which League 42 plans to dedicate later this year..  

Art Castings owner Tony Workman joined host Erin O'Toole to share what makes the statue so special.

More than 200 copies of the Ouray County Plaindealer were recently stolen out of distribution boxes around town. The newspaper had just published a front-page story about an alleged sexual assault at the home of Ouray’s police chief. 

Journalist Corey Hutchins has some thoughts on this. The co-director of the Colorado College Journalism Institute writes a weekly newsletter that goes behind Colorado headlines.  In that newsletter, “small and mighty” are the words he used to describe the Plaindealer, which was purchased by residents Mike Wiggins and Erin McIntyre in 2019.

“This is not a vehicle for advertising with a little bit of, fun, fluffy news sprinkled in, like you might find in the diner in some small town somewhere. This is a newspaper, I believe that has, since they've owned it for the past few years, taking public service journalism seriously,” he told In The NoCo.

And that’s in a county of roughly 5,000 people, amid a crisis of shrinking local news.

It means the small paper is still managing to be a watchdog and hold local government accountable. A lot of Hutchins’ research tells us this isn’t the norm, though. He joined host Erin O’Toole to discuss the incident in Ouray County -- and what it tell us about the state of local journalism.

Read a letter from the Plaindealer’s publishers on why the paper reported about this incident here. 

Corey Hutchins’ weekly newsletter covers all things Colorado media. Here’s how to subscribe.

Today on Colorado Edition, we hear how omicron is impacting students and teachers in classrooms across the state. We also travel to the fields of central Arizona, where farmers are grappling with federal water cutbacks. And, we talk with the Bureau of Reclamation's new deputy regional director for the lower basin.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about new potential requirements for prospective Colorado educators seeking teaching licenses. Then, we hear about the racist legacy of one “sundown town” in Nevada. Next, we dive into the latest economic boost in the energy industry in Weld County. And, we learn how a failed Jewish farming colony in the 1880s helped lay the foundation for Colorado’s Jewish communities.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about a new research center out of Colorado State University that will study the benefits of cannabinoids. We also hear how a collaborative in Northern Colorado is weaving spooky stories into an upcoming event series. Plus we speak with legendary ski map artist James Niehues as he retires from painting trails and passes his torch forward.

Many of Colorado’s healthcare workers are burned out, as we heard from Kaiser Permanente staff who walked off the job last week. Staffing shortages are largely to blame — and this is an issue that’s also affecting first responders. KUNC statehouse reporter Lucas Brady Woods recently reported on the dire state of Colorado’s ambulance services. He sat down with In The NoCo's Robyn Vincent to discuss how the situation is affecting some EMTs and paramedics.

Nearly 200,000 undocumented people live in Colorado. It’s a life that comes with a lot of uncertainty, especially in accessing things like healthcare. A 2021 law expanded healthcare access for Coloradans regardless of immigration or documentation status. It paved the way for the creation of OmniSalud, which helped connect 10,000 undocumented low-income residents with affordable health insurance last year.

With Colorado's open enrollment period right around the corner (Nov. 1), host Erin O'Toole spoke with Dale Whyte, program manager of Boulder County's health coverage enrollment center. 

A team of scientists, including a CSU seismologist, recently spent years peering beneath the largest mass of ice on Earth. 

The unique study yielded fascinating insights about the relationship between the massive glaciers that cover much of Antarctica’s surface, and the ground underneath the ice. And the findings may help scientists better predict how climate change will affect sea level in the decades ahead. 

Researchers discovered that the rock beneath Antarctica’s ice sheets actually rises and sinks under the weight of the continent’s glaciers. That geologic movement will likely affect how much sea level rises as the planet warms in the decades ahead. 

Dr. Rick Aster, a professor of geophysics and the head of the Department of Geosciences at Colorado State University, gathered seismological data from underneath the continent’s surface. The results were published earlier this month in the journal Science Advances.  

Aster joined host Erin O’Toole to share more about what his team discovered. 

You can read more about the project here. And for fun -- check out this poem inspired by the team’s research. 

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org

Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

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. 

Today on Colorado Edition: We hear how Coloradans working in our elections system are grappling with misinformation and threats to their safety. And we explore the ongoing youth mental health crisis with the head of mental health at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

We continue our look at doulas today and the crucial role they could play in addressing high rates of maternal mortality for Coloradans of color. Jannah Farooque is a doula with Mama Bird Doula Services. For the people of color she works with, she says just showing up at the hospital and being by their side makes a difference.

“As an African American Muslim woman doula, I know that my presence is so impactful in a positive way because I'm, I wear the hijab, so I'm easily identifiable as Muslim,” Farooque said. “I just remember working in one of the hospitals that largely works with immigrants … as soon as I would walk into the rooms of these women, you could immediately see relief.”  

As a full-spectrum doula, she’s around before, during and after a baby’s birth. Her work acknowledges the many different stages when things can get complicated - and when people are most in need of an advocate.

In The NoCo’s Robyn Vincent sat down with Farooque to learn more.

A note: Today’s episode deals with issues around suicide and firearm violence. 

Over the past decade, Colorado has seen more than 7,000 deaths by suicide that involved a firearm. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, guns are involved in more than half of Colorado’s deaths by suicide. 

A bill making its way through the state legislature could help reduce those numbers.  

The proposal would allow Coloradans to place a voluntary freeze on their own access to buy a gun.  Someone who’s concerned about their mental health could add their own name to a database of people who are ineligible to purchase a firearm.  

Colorado’s proposal is based on a national campaign called Donna’s Law. If approved, the bill would make Colorado the fifth state to set up what's known as a Do Not Sell registry.  

So, how effective are voluntary programs like this at reducing the risk of suicide with a firearm? Erin O’Toole spoke with two KUNC colleagues: editor and reporter Leigh Paterson, and Chas Sisk, editor of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, to learn more.

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
 
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Funeral homes in Colorado have been operating like they exist in a Wild West time capsule. The lack of regulations has been center stage after authorities recently discovered almost 200 bodies that had been improperly stored at a funeral home in southern Colorado. That shocking discovery wasn't the only example of funeral home improprieties. Now lawmakers are looking at ways to regulate the industry – and hopefully bring some closure to distraught families. 

KUNC investigative reporter Scott Franz has been examining the issue for months. He sat down with In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole to explain what he has learned.

Scott mentioned a database in this episode where you can research whether a funeral home has been investigated or disciplined by the state. Here’s his reporting on that.

For many veterans, Independence Day can be a hard day.   

Celebrating America’s birthday typically comes with booming, colorful blasts of fireworks. We don’t talk about it a lot, but for veterans with PTSD, that can be a struggle. It can remind them of combat or other traumatic experiences from their time in the military.  

“We often have veterans who describe, regretfully, dreading this time of year,” says Dr. Mandy Rabenhorst-Bell, PTSD program manager with the VA healthcare system serving Eastern Colorado. “Although they love the celebration and maybe used to find this a very joyful time of year, now they don't -- and find that they no longer kind of approach it with the same sense of joy and wonder as they once did.” 

She joins host Erin O’Toole to give a glimpse at what the Fourth of July is like for those with PTSD – and how friends, family and neighbors can help support them.   

Find more information and resources for PTSD from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs here. 

The sugar beet industry began in Colorado right around 1900. Today it's only a small part of the state's economy, but through the early part of the 20th century, beets were the most significant agricultural product grown here. They were so important to the economy that people  referred to sugar beets as 'white gold.' During this time, thousands of Hispanic and Mexican people came to Northern Colorado to work in the beet fields. Many of them eventually settled in Fort Collins - predominantly in what would come to be called the Tres Colonias – three neighborhoods that surrounded the Great Western Sugar Company.

Betty Aragon-Mitotes is something of an expert on the legacy of the families who settled in this area. She has been a longtime community leader, advocating for Hispanic and Latino communities. She co-founded a cultural center spotlighting the Tres Colonias neighborhoods, and is the founder and president of the nonprofit Mujeres de Colores, which educates and provides support to working-class and low-income families. 

This October, she was awarded the 2023 Polly Baca Raíces Fuertes Community Leader Award from Rep. Joe Neguse in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. She sat down with host Erin O'Toole to share more about this piece of Northern Colorado history.

Betty mentioned the Posada Christmas program, which is seeking donations of new, unwrapped toys, coats, hats, gloves and mittens. The event will take place Dec. 16, 2023.

The newest season of KUNC's The Colorado Dream podcast is exploring how our state's housing crunch is affecting mountain communities. In Summit County, the situation is especially dire. Housing was already in short supply there due in part to the region's high construction costs and relative shortage of buildable land. Meanwhile, the recent explosion in short-term rentals, like Airbnb and Vrbo, has drastically cut the number of homes that would be available as long-term rentals for locals. A recent survey of residents suggests the county will need more than 2,500 rental and for-sale units — at all price points — to meet the high demand for housing.

In today's episode, we talk with Stephanie Daniel, host and creator of The Colorado Dream: Housing Wanted, about how Summit County officials are addressing the housing crunch there.

Today on Colorado Edition, we learn how public schools in the Greeley-Evans district are grappling with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And we learn about a new collective that seeks to make entertainment events safer and more uplifting.

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 our listeners at the beginning of April for submissions of eight-word poems. You can read and listen to those poems in the bonus content section at our website, KUNC.org.

In many parts of the country, sources of local journalism are in decline. A recent report from the Center for Information, Technology and Public Life notes that more than a fourth of the country’s newspapers have disappeared, and residents in thousands of communities now live in a news desert. This matters, because local news outlets play an essential role in keeping the community informed about elections, public safety, and what their local representatives are up to. Local journalism also help to inform common values that create a sense of shared purpose within a community.      

 

With that in mind, a collaborative made up of area newsrooms, public libraries, working journalists and media scholars launched in the fall. The aim of the Northern Colorado Deliberative Journalism Project is to strengthen local journalism by reimagining the current information ecosystem and elevating our ability to tackle shared problems in a more thoughtful, constructive way. Martín Carcasson is the founder and director of CSU’s Center for Public Deliberation, or CPD, which is part of the project’s core team. He joined us to share more about the project, and how the public can be involved.  

 

Note: The core team’s meeting will be open to the public once a quarter, beginning Monday, April 4 at 2:00 p.m. You can sign up to participate here. 

 

Rural northeast Colorado has fewer employed artists than any other region in the state, according to a 2020 report. While musicians, dancers and fashion designers may sell a lot less out there, they are still creating. KUNC’s Adam Rayes recently went to Yuma County to hear two musicians from different generations discuss their craft. 

 

Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. 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 Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you! 

Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions. 

 

 

Today on Colorado Edition: Experts have suggested that eyewitness accounts to identify potential suspects are often inaccurate, given the trauma of seeing a crime take place. Stephanie Daniel explores how the misidentification and wrongful arrest of a Black teen led to a grassroots effort in Colorado to change the practice of using showups.

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. 

Today on Colorado Edition: Every month, the RiNo Mural Program in Denver’s River North Art District pays local artists to create community installations. In celebration of Native American Heritage month, three Indigenous artists in Colorado have painted works exploring cultural representation and identity. We speak with the artists about their murals, and the connection between artistic expression and social change.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear how a Colorado town that is almost entirely vaccinated is still being impacted by the spread of COVID-19. We also learn about a new ballot proposal to fund educational programs, and talk to a Community College instructor about the lack of benefits for adjunct faculty.

The phrase "gardening season" may bring a few images to mind: large beds of colorful wildflowers… rows of neatly staked tomato plants… big bags of mulch stacked up against the side of the house. Or perhaps your mental image of gardening looks a little more modest. As in, potted herbs growing on a windowsill. 

That's the case for KUNC digital producer Natalie Skowlund. She recently decided to research and write an introduction to gardening for novices. And she lives in an apartment, so she wanted to focus on the benefits of starting small as you work on your green thumb. 

She joined In The NoCo host Erin O'Toole to commiserate over all the basil plants they've allowed to die over the years... and to share some of the tips she's learned – including why it's important to branch out when choosing drought-tolerant plants. 

Dozens of Native people have gone missing in Colorado since the state activated a new alert system in late December of last year. But advocates say some of those alerts aren’t going out fast enough. Raven Payment, who is Ojibwe and Kanienkehaka, is on the task force that helped set those alerts in motion through a recent law. She works closely on the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people, who face disproportionately high rates of violence. She sat down with In the NoCo to talk about recent strides and setbacks in addressing the problem.  

You’ve probably seen 3D printing used to create objects out of plastic – things like toys or chess pieces. A company that recently moved its headquarters to Greeley thinks that one day your new home might be created with 3D printing. And they want Greeley to be a major global hub for this approach to construction.

Alquist 3D was founded by Zack Manheimme. Alquist is the first company in the U.S. to build a lived-in 3D printed home. They use a process called concrete printing construction,  meaning they build houses one thin layer of concrete at a time. 

Alquist says it’s faster, and should eventually cost less, than traditional homebuilding, which makes it a potential strategy to reduce housing shortages. 

Alquist already has a location in Greeley. Starting in August, the company will partner with Aims Community College on a new program to train students in the design and manufacturing of concrete printing construction.  

Zack Mannheimer spoke with host Erin O'Toole about his company’s unique construction process, and how his creative background led him to think about solutions to the housing crisis. 

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about a ballot measure meant to weaken the power of the state's executive branch. We also learn how the newest historic landmark in Fort Collins is groundbreaking in its preservation of the city’s Black history.

On today’s Colorado Edition: As COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out across the state, health experts are noting disparities in communities of color. We’ll hear about the work of a statewide vaccine equity task force, and a group in the Roaring Fork Valley, working to change that by broadening the message around the safety of the vaccines. And we’ll hear from Dr. Melba Patillo Beals, one of the members of the Little Rock Nine, about her experience integrating Central High School in 1957 and the ongoing fight against racism today.

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.

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.

Summer may be winding down, but many northern Colorado farmers' markets are still humming, with people lining up to buy crates of Palisade peaches, Olathe sweet corn, Pueblo chiles, and other locally grown produce. But growing in Colorado can be challenging – 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 may help explain some of the demand for fruits and vegetables grown here. But there are plenty of other reasons for that homegrown produce pride, according to Colorado State University professor and agricultural economist Dawn Thilmany. In today's episode she talks with host Erin O'Toole about why we place so much importance on buying local.

In the episode, we brought up this story from KUNC's Rae Solomon about folks suffering from "peach anxiety" this Spring. 

We also mentioned the idea of visiting local farms and ranches in the episode - including Miller Farms in Platteville, which celebrates the Fall harvest by allowing you to come harvest your own veggies through mid-November. And there are plenty of corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and CSAs near you if you're ready to get out and celebrate the coming of autumn.

Today on a special episode of Colorado Edition: We feature reporting from the KUNC newsroom that focuses on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Weld County's Latino communities. The series was produced by KUNC's Stephanie Daniel, Leigh Paterson, and Adam Rayes. You can find more on the series, "Over-Infected, Under-Resourced," including versions of the story in Spanish, by clicking here.

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 with him to learn more about the research.

Credits
Colorado 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.
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
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!

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about Durango’s COVID cowboys, enforcing mask mandates while staying true to that Old West charm. We'll also travel back in time to revisit the Denver prohibition of 2020 – although it sounds more like the prohibition of the 1920s. Plus, we'll take a look at our changing climate with a story about what researchers are learning about drought by looking at soil, and a conversation about how an increased risk of wildfires could impact the future of Colorado's hemp producers.

If you visit the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge northwest of Denver, you see different types of wildlife, miles of hiking and biking trails and acres of rolling prairie.  

But you don’t see any trace of the astonishing history of what happened there during the Cold War: The Rocky Flats plant made plutonium triggers for nuclear weapons until it was shuttered in the early 1990s.  

The buildings used in processing the plutonium were destroyed and the area was cleaned up under a Superfund site designation. And after a series of sometimes contentious public hearings, the wildlife refuge opened to the public in September 2018. 

Filmmaker Jeff Gipe explores that history in a new documentary, Half-Life of Memory: America’s Forgotten Atomic Bomb Factory. Gipe grew up in nearby Arvada. His father worked at the plant in the 1980s.  

Gipe says he made the film to remind people of the hazards buried beneath the wide-open spaces of the wildlife refuge, and to share the voices of workers whose lives were affected by the dangerous materials processed at Rocky Flats. He spoke about the documentary with ITN’s Erin O’Toole. 

The film premieres Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Denver Film Festival. Find the complete lineup and schedule for the festival here. 

You can watch the film’s trailer here. 

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado. 

Today on Colorado Edition: We’ll get the latest on pandemic relief for unemployed Coloradans and small businesses, including how fraud has mired the process for some. We explore why the pandemic-induced recession has been particularly hard on women. We’ll hear about efforts in Lamar to rethink a racially insensitive school mascot. And we’ll learn about the life and legacy of Denver’s first Black woman physician, Dr. Justina Ford.

On today’s Colorado Edition: The state has announced it will hold five $1 million drawings for Coloradans who've been vaccinated against COVID-19. The idea is to encourage more people to get the shots in a timely manner – but do vaccine incentives actually work? We’ll hear more about what the research shows. Then, we’ll dig into the latest population estimates in Northern Colorado to see what the trends reveal. And we explore a little-known tool that can predict how lawmakers might vote on a bill, even before it comes up for debate.

Eye doctors today perform surgeries that would have seemed unthinkable a century or two ago. They can remove cataracts, correct someone’s vision with Lasik surgery, or do a cornea transplant to relieve pain or restore someone’s sight. 

But one procedure they can’t do at the moment is a full eye transplant for vision restoration. And that prevents doctors from treating some more serious eye conditions.  

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus want to change that. A team there was recently awarded up to $46 million to figure out how to make successful eye transplants a medical reality.  

Dr. Kia Washington is leading the team’s research. And she refers to the project as a “moonshot.”  

Host Erin O’Toole spoke with Washington about what makes eye transplantation so complex, and why this research could create huge advances in eye medicine.

Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Since early 2023 hundreds of Denver residents experiencing homelessness received a monthly income whether they had a job or were unemployed. 

Eight hundred participants received the payment as part of a program called the Denver Basic Income Project.  It was a pilot program designed to study whether rates of homelessness decrease when people are given a base-line income. Participants received either $600 a year or $12,000 a year.  

The money came from a combination of public and private sources, including $4 million dollars from the office of the Denver Mayor. But the mayor’s office recently announced it plans to end its funding of the project. A spokesperson from the mayor's office pointed to disappointing results documented in a study of the program. 

So what were the results – and did the basic income payments help the people who received them? 

Erin O’Toole spoke with  Katie Calhoun -- an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University -- about the results of the study.  She served as a research lead on the project and also advocates for guaranteed basic income. She and a team of researchers at the University of Denver worked with the Denver Basic Income Project to decide what the different levels of income would be for participants. Then her team interviewed recipients on how it affected their lives to receive a guaranteed income.

Correction: An earlier version of this episode misstated the amount of funding the office of Denver’s mayor contributed to the Denver Basic Income Project. The audio has been updated to reflect the correct amount, which is $4 million.

Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Today on Colorado Edition: We get an update on a bill that would place limits on when paramedics can sedate people with ketamine. We also hear an economist’s perspective on an incentive program from the state aiming to get unemployed Coloradans back into the workforce. And we’ll hear why a different incentive program to vaccinate Colorado’s correctional officers isn’t working like officials had hoped.

A new exhibit at the Museum of Boulder illuminates the stories of Black Coloradans, highlighting their influence on the region's history and their impact on the future. "Proclaiming Colorado's Black History" centers on places like the once-bustling farming community of Dearfield; and notable people like businessman Barney Ford and philanthropist Julia Greeley. 

It's about sharing the lives and stories of people who aren't necessarily in Colorado's history books, said Adrian Miller, co-Project Director and lead curator for the exhibit.

"It's important because we're in a time now, across the country, where Black history is actually being vanished, where there are laws being passed and other things to discourage giving a more comprehensive view of our history," said Miller.

The project was several years in the making, and was shaped with a lot of community input and collaboration, Miller said. It includes a variety of installations, collections of oral histories, and an art display that delves into Afrofuturism.

Miller joined host Erin O'Toole ahead of the exhibit's launch. We're listening back to that conversation today as we continue to think about the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

This is an encore of our podcast from Sept. 28, 2023. 

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about the city of Aurora’s new crisis intervention program. We also learn about new efforts to help plants and wildlife thrive in western Colorado’s wetlands, and we talk to a member of a hiking group that advocates for body diversity in the outdoors.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about efforts to increase Hispanic and Latinx participation and representation in the outdoors. We also learn how the work of beavers helped to spare some watershed areas from wildfire damage.

Today on Colorado Edition, we hear about upcoming changes to the police and fire departments in Aurora. We also learn about the first nuclear plant that will use Natrium technology, and hear what happens to oil and gas wells when their producers go bankrupt.

In 2021, Nicki Gonzales became Colorado’s first Latina state historian. History is a lifelong vocation for the Regis University professor – one that has helped to inform her own identity, and honor her family’s legacy.

"When I was state historian, I would dedicate my presentations and my activities to my paternal grandmother, who I never met, but who was a single, mother of three boys here in Denver,” Gonzales said. “Her family, they were miners and they worked in the agricultural fields of Northern Colorado, Boulder County. And I think the most satisfying thing has been being able to honor my family's history."

Gonzales’s work has helped to provide us with a fuller picture of Colorado’s cultural landscape, uncovering state history and acknowledging its sometimes problematic details. She will give remarks at an event Wednesday, Feb. 28 at History Colorado, during the launch of a new curriculum for K-12 students focused on Denver's Chicano movement. That starts at 2:00 p.m.

Gonzales joined In The NoCo's Erin O'Toole to reflect on her search for identity and deeper meaning, starting with her own family history.

This is an encore of our podcast from Sep. 22, 2023.

Today on Colorado Edition: We speak with a Fort Collins-based writer and poet about her work in an anthology of writings at the intersection of the climate movement and feminist thought, and we explore the work of a trans photographer in Paonia who documented the early days of his transition in a recent photo essay.

Water — we know it’s a precious resource; yet in many American households, it’s easy to take it for granted. We turn on our tap and expect a clean gush of H2O to always spill out. But our water supply is shrinking — and the infrastructure helping to quench our thirst is aging. All this could mean the price of our water bills is likely to increase. In some of his recent reporting, KUNC’s Alex Hager dives into some of the factors at play, like the state of the Colorado River and middle-aged utilities. He joins In The NoCo to explain.

Today on Colorado Edition: We speak with Elijah McClain’s mother, Sheneen, about her son and the recent independent investigation into his death in Aurora. We’ll also get more details about an investigation into coronavirus safety measures in the country’s largest meatpacking plants, including JBS USA in Greeley, which was launched this week by federal lawmakers. Lastly, we check in on basketball at the University of Northern Colorado, which is back to playing games following a recent COVID-19 outbreak.

A year ago last summer, a young bicyclist named Magnus White was struck and killed by a driver on Highway 119 near Boulder. A memorial ride for Magnus earlier this month drew more than 2,000 participants, with hundreds more joining virtually.  

His parents spoke to the crowd and called for measures that would make roads safer for cyclists – including better bike lanes and stiffer penalties for careless driving.   

And they also called for a more unusual measure: a federal requirement that all new vehicles be equipped by the year 2029 with Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) systems that can sense bicycles. For example, if your car drifts into the shoulder where a bicyclist is riding, the car would automatically brake or be nudged back into its lane.  

 

Data shows roads across the U.S. are becoming more dangerous for cyclists. In 2022, just over 1,100 pedalcyclists were killed in vehicle crashes – an increase of about 13% over the previous year, and more than 46,000 were injured. Here in Colorado, 20 traffic-related cyclist fatalities were recorded in 2023 – a 33% increase over 2022. 

All of this got us wondering – how well do advanced safety systems like AEB or V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) work? And how feasible are they right now?   

We reached out to Bryan Reimer with the Center for Transportation and Logistics at MIT to learn more. He researches driver behavior, and how humans interact with automatic braking systems and other advanced vehicle technologies. 

Reimer spoke with host Erin O’Toole about the potential for this new technology, and its limitations.  

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org

Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio 

Today on Colorado Edition, we see what recovery is looking like for a Superior family one month after losing their home in the Marshall Fire. We also hear how some survivors are struggling through insurance inventories of everything they lost in the fire. And, we listen back to a story about Barney Ford, who helped with the Underground Railroad and lobbied for African American rights in Colorado.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about the rollout of COVID-19 booster shots in Colorado. We also wrap up our series on sundown towns in the Mountain West with a look at discrimination in Loveland and a conversation with some of the journalists who worked on the project.

You may have heard the recent news of a scandal involving state lab technicians who falsified some test results of drinking water. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment suspended further testing for now, saying the results couldn’t be trusted.  

You may also have heard about bogus test results in monitoring for water contamination near oil and gas wells around the Front Range.   

On top of that, you might also recall hearing about tainted DNA test results at the state crime laboratory earlier this year. The issue potentially may have affected hundreds of criminal cases.  

Colorado has multiple investigations into mishandling of data at several state labs.  These scandals might make you wonder if you should be concerned about your health and safety.  

“The thing that really connects them is that they all involve some element of science, and some element of the scientific process being subverted,” says John Ingold, reporter with The Colorado Sun who focuses on health and healthcare coverage.  

He’s been following these stories and joined host Erin O’Toole to offer some answers, and a bit of reassurance. 

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Today on Colorado Edition: We explore the latest COVID-19 health and safety guidance and its influence on how school districts are envisioning the year ahead. We also hear about a team of homebuilders in Northern Colorado that's exploring shipping containers as an affordable housing solution. We’ll visit a class in Denver that’s teaching children about a newly popular, cutting-edge technology. And we investigate the consequences of how crime is reported, both by police departments and news organizations.

The focus of today’s episode: settlements for allegations of police misconduct that are centered around reforms to policing. The 11 largest cities in Northern Colorado have paid out $50 million over the past decade to settle 205 allegations of police brutality and other abuses of power. Many of these cases have slipped under the radar. Years before the death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain, two families attempted to reform the Aurora police department through legal settlements.

But despite past promises to improve procedures and diversity within the department, a KUNC investigation into the data reveals there hasn’t been much progress toward these goals. Investigative reporter Michael de Yoanna shares what he uncovered in the process, including efforts to increase diversity among Aurora’s police. We hear the second in de Yoanna's two-part series on settlements, and speak with him about his reporting.

Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. 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 Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!

Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.

Journalism wasn’t always in the cards for NPR’s Lori Lizarraga, until one 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 is informed by her cultural identity. Host Erin O'Toole spoke with the Code Switch host about how race, cultural identity, and lived experience are inextricably woven into the fabric of her work.

NOTE: This is an encore of our podcast from Oct. 13, 2023. 

Colorado has taken a bold step as one of the first states to employ an incarcerated professor in a prison education program. It is a move that could have big impacts on incarcerated people and society more broadly. Chalkbeat Colorado’s Jason Gonzales spent time at a state prison in Canon City to learn more. He joined In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole to talk about what he learned and the people he met.

Featured Segments
Slowdown 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.

Credits
Colorado 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 composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.

Today on Colorado Edition, we hear why a panel of medical experts concluded that a common justification used by paramedics to sedate people has racist implications. We also learn how climate change is impacting fruit-growing across the Western Slope. And, we get the latest on a lawsuit challenging a federal workplace vaccination mandate.

We're celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with conversations featuring Hispanic and Latino changemakers, innovators and creators. Today's episode is about music - specifically, mariachi. The style is rooted in Mexico's history, dating back to colonial times, and started to grow in the United States around the 1930s, when people began hearing it on radio stations and in films. 

These days, it's showing up more often in Colorado schools' music programs, alongside the usual  jazz, orchestra, or symphonic band options for students. That provides the opportunity for more culturally relevant programming to serve increasingly diverse student populations, says Ben San Martin Kellogg. 

Kellogg isn't from Mexico himself – he's of European and Peruvian ancestry – and he didn't grow up listening to or playing mariachi. But he fell in love with the style when he was brought in to play trumpet in a mariachi ensemble while a student at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He's now a music educator at Edgewater Elementary, where he guides students in learning several styles of music, including mariachi. 

In today's episode, he shares why it's so important to train more educators to teach different genres of music, and what we should pay attention to when we listen to mariachi.

You can hear Ben perform with his ensemble for a Hispanic Heritage event on October 14 at Luki Brewery in Arvada. And he was featured in this 2017 KUNC story about the MSU mariachi program he went through. 

Colorado has an all-state youth mariachi ensemble, Mariachi Estelares de Colorado. And the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley has a new Bachelor of Arts in Latinx Music degree program that launched this year.

A tiny parasite is an emerging threat to honeybees globally. And a scientist at the University of Colorado is sounding the alarm. 

Dr. Samuel Ramsey is an entomologist, someone who studies insects. Dr. Sammy, as he is also known, is assistant professor of entomology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado Boulder and talks about science on his YouTube channel.

The tropilaelops mite -- or as Ramsey likes to call them, tropi-mites -- have devastated bees in Asia and are spreading to Europe. Ramsey is studying how we might prevent this species from spreading to North America and becoming a honeybee pandemic. 

Ramsey is a gay, Christian, Black scientist who attributes much of his research success to his unique perspective. We talked with him about what tropilaelops could mean for honeybees, as well as how a diversity of viewpoints makes for better scientific research.  

For many, the holidays are all about gratitude, reflection, and family – but they can also be a major source for tension. If you’re among the 60 percent of Coloradans traveling for the holidays, you’re likely navigating congested roads or chaotic airports. If you’re hosting dinner, you’ve got a whole other set of concerns, like catering to an array of dietary needs, and getting a hundred different dishes to come out of the oven at the same time.

But, here we are – you made it to your family's gathering, the wine is flowing like water and it’s time to relax. But not so fast… Even in the kindest of families, dinner table discussions sometimes turn into heated debate. And we’ve all got plenty of opinions, whether it’s on the war in the Middle East, reproductive rights, or this week's Colorado Supreme Court decision that former president Donald Trump cannot appear on our state's primary ballot. . We're talking about a lot of potential flashpoints… but there is a ray of light here. With some thought and intention, your holiday conversations can be peaceful — and maybe even bring people closer together...

“Sometimes when you have a pretty good conversation with someone, the main thing you realize is, wait, we don't disagree nearly as much,” says Martín Carcasson, a communications professor at Colorado State University and director of CSU's Center for Public Deliberation. “There's still going to be disagreement. I'm not saying we're all going to agree … but normally the disagreement is much more manageable than we think it is when we have a good conversation. 

Then, Carcasson says, the goal becomes easier: “to develop a little more understanding about each other.”

Ahead of the holiday season, Carcasson gave us some guidance on how to have healthier conversations at the dinner table. And for more tips on how to navigate the holiday dinner conversation, Carcasson recommends this Monica Guzman TED talk, or the discussion guides at Living Room Conversations.

NOTE: This is an encore of our podcast from , Nov. 21, 2023. 

Today on Colorado Edition: We learn how the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is taking action against a Weld County company accused of oil spills and gas leaks. Then, we shift our gaze towards the sky and learn about the annual Perseid meteor shower. Next, a climate reporter tells us what she’s learned from two different journeys down a dam just upstream of the Grand Canyon, 30 years apart. Plus, we hear how hiking 14ers can sometimes harm the very trails we rely on — and what one group is doing to mitigate the damage.

Today on Colorado Edition: We learn about the recent indictment of Aurora police officers and paramedics involved in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, an unarmed Black man who was placed in a chokehold and injected with ketamine. Then, we hear how students, teachers and administrators are adjusting to the latest COVID-19 protocols as they embark on the new school year. And, we wrap up our series on policing with a look at why so many officers are leaving the force, and what the Boulder Police Department is trying to do about it.

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.

Today on Colorado Edition, we listen back to our favorite stories about two Fort Collins homes with important historical legacies. One is the home of Virgil Thomas, the first known African American to graduate from a Fort Collins high school. The other is an adobe-style home that belongs to the Cordova family, who have lived in Fort Collins for 100 years.

Comedian and writer Stephanie Sprenger bares all in her comedy.  

Through her standup, the Arvada resident broaches subjects that might make people blush -- but are very real portrayals of life as a middle-aged single mom. She jokes about topics like menopause, potty breaks and divorce. 

Stephanie is part of a group of four comedians and four storytellers performing this Thursday in Lafayette at an event called “Reclamation: The Fempire Strikes Back.”  

She spoke with host Erin O’Toole about what inspires her comedy and how she came to standup relatively late in life. 

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org

Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

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 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 composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.

When someone dies nowadays, their online accounts and social media profiles can become a poignant online memorial. Or sometimes, those accounts can become a hassle for grieving loved ones.   

For many people who have recently lost someone, knowing what to do with a loved one’s online accounts is a mystery.  Sometimes an account gets deleted by the organization that manages them. Sometimes the account gives the impression that the dead person is still alive. Or th account might simply sit unused.  

A new clinic set up by a University of Colorado researcher provides guidance and aid in handling digital accounts after someone passes away. It’s a free help desk called the Digital Legacy Clinic. Professor Jed Brubaker founded the clinic and oversees its operation. 
 

Brubaker joined Erin O’Toole to discuss the unusual task of managing our online accounts for after we’re gone. He said it’s a reflection of how we mourn in a more digital age. 

Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about the new congressional map that was recently approved by the state’s independent redistricting commission. We also talk to a Fort Collins resident about her century’s worth of family history in Northern Colorado.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about a recent investigation on police and paramedics in Aurora, and learn the latest on carbon policies in Colorado.

Today on Colorado Edition: We hear from members of Colorado’s Ukrainian community who gathered for a church service over the weekend. We also examine Colorado’s move to add a public option insurance program and what lessons we can take away from Washington’s public option rollout; and we revisit a conversation about the history and future of Black cowboys in the American west.

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 here.

* * * * *

Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

 

Today we've got something special for In The NoCo listeners. It's the first episode of "Ending the Hate State," the new season of KUNC's podcast The Colorado Dream.

If you heard our Friday episode of In The NoCo, you already heard Colorado Dream host Stephanie Daniel talk about the new season. This first episode explores a time in the 1990s when Colorado voters refused to protect people from being discriminated against based on their sexuality. It's about civil rights, boycotts, activism and a legal battle that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Stephanie and the other KUNC reporters who make The Colorado Dream dig into recent history and capture how it changed the lives of everyday people here in Colorado.  
 
If you want to hear the upcoming episodes of The Colorado Dream, follow that show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks! 

Today on Colorado Edition: we learn about the uptick in health organizations requiring their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and why these mandates are coming months after the onset of widespread vaccine availability. Then, we check in with Colorado local Flora Duffy, who recently won the first Olympic gold medal for her home country of Bermuda. Plus, with Colorado Day on the horizon, we meet the newest state historian and learn about her goals for the year ahead.

Colorado has made multiple strides toward representation and equality for queer residents. The Movement Advancement Project, an independent think tank, gives our state high ratings for a range of policies that protect sexual orientation and gender identity. This marks a big change from a few decades earlier, when Colorado was dubbed the 'Hate State' after voters approved a 1992 ballot initiative, Amendment 2, that prohibited state and local governments from granting protections for LGBTQ residents. Activists responded by organizing a successful boycott against Colorado, steering tourists and businesses away from the state. Amendment 2 was eventually struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Still, being queer in Colorado doesn’t come without anxiety or very real fears for your physical safety. Nearly one year ago, the mass shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, revived and deepened some of those worries. 

Susy Bates, campaign director at One Colorado, says it’s critically important we hold onto the memory of the victims, the survivors, and of what happened at Club Q. She and her colleagues just wrapped up a monthlong statewide listening tour that stopped in more than a dozen communities across the state. We sat down with her to learn what she heard at those meetings — and why she remains hopeful through it all.

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 Segments

The 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 ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by Arizona Public Media, and supported by the Walton Family Foundation. You can hear more about this story and other Southwestern water issues on the AZMP podcast Tapped.

 

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People have always feared the unknown. That fear transforms some animals into monsters in our minds, like sharks in the ocean — or rattlesnakes in the West. But just how evil can an animal be? The Mountain West News Bureau’s Madelyn Beck set out to learn more about those villain-ized snakes.  

 

If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, you can call the Poison Helpline at 1-800-222-1222 or visit poisonhelp.org. This story is part of the Mountain West News Bureau, a regional reporting collaboration, of which KUNC is a member.

 

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Every week, KUNC gets an update from our colleagues at the Colorado Sun to see what stories they’re covering. This week KUNC’s Beau Baker spoke with Colorado Sun editor and co-founder Larry Ryckman about forever chemicals, wild mushrooms, and more.

 

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The new movie Spin Me Round tells a story about a young restaurant manager sent to Italy by her company, only to find something other than food education. For KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz, the picture lies somewhere between comedy and horror, but not even the filmmakers seem to know where.

 

Credits

Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. 

 

The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!

 

Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.

Today on Colorado Edition, we speak to Deborah Winking about her new book, Capable: A Story of Triumph for Children the World has Judged as 'Different,' a deeply personal account of raising a child born with a rare genetic syndrome.

These shorter, colder days over the midwinter holiday are the perfect time to break out that bag of roasted Pueblo chile peppers some of us have kept stashed in the freezer since the fall. They're just waiting to be turned into a big batch of spicy green chile.  

And for many pepper aficionados, only the Pueblo chile will do.   

But the popularity of these Colorado-grown peppers is a relatively recent phenomenon. Farmers in Pueblo and other parts of Colorado have been growing different kinds of peppers for decades, but the state didn’t really have its own signature variety of chile until the early 2000s.  

That’s when Dr. Michael Bartolo, an agriculture professor with Colorado State University, developed the unique Mosco variety of the Pueblo chile. And in a few short years, they’ve become a regional rival to New Mexico’s more famous Hatch chiles. 

Host Erin O’Toole spoke with the now-retired Bartolo earlier in the year to learn more about why chiles are such a point of pride for some people. It was one of our favorite science-related interviews of 2024, which we’re revisiting this week.

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

 

Today on Colorado Edition, we get an update on vaccine outreach efforts for Hispanic and Latino communities in Fort Collins. We also learn what public health departments in the Mountain West are doing to address vaccine hesitancy. We discuss why a public option health insurance plan has derailed in Colorado. And, we hear how people celebrated the Muslim holy month of Ramadan during a pandemic for the second year.

Wolves are a contentious topic in the West, especially in Colorado where they were recently reintroduced. They are also central to a new 20-year study looking at their removal and reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park and what that means for disruptions to the food web. 

Tom Hobbs and his research team at Colorado State University found that reintroducing apex predators like wolves failed to restore the ecosystem to its original state. Still, he cautions against drawing certain conclusions from the research.

“I really don't want our work to be cast as sort of anti-wolf, to use it to say, ‘Well, it wasn't a good idea to reintroduce wolves.’ That's not what we're showing at all. What we're showing is that the benefits of a complete food web — that includes large carnivores like wolves — can take a long time to be realized.”

Hobbs joined In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole to discuss his research – and what it could mean here in Colorado.

Today on Colorado Edition, we learn about the expiration of federal pandemic-related paid time off, leaving employees feeling pressured to show up at work. We also hear how the federal infrastructure bill aims to stem the tide of firefighters leaving the field due to low pay and benefits. And we talk about a group that aims to make hiking inclusive for people with all body types.

Many rural towns across the mountain West are experiencing a moment of crisis — water scarcity and the threat of wildfire, as well as extreme income inequality and a shortage of workers, in part, because the cost of living is often incredibly high. We speak with veteran ski journalist Heather Hansman, who covers these issues in her new book. And we hear about efforts to ban a common but potentially unsafe series of chemicals known as PFAS from ski wax products.

During Jim Crow and even after those laws were overturned in the 1960s, green book sites were safe havens — places where Black Americans could stop when they were traveling without fear of discrimination or violence. The sites bear the namesake of what’s known as the Green Book. It contained listings for hotels, restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores and more. Terri Gentry says her grandparents never left home without that book. 

“We were traveling around the country, we were out exploring. We wanted to go see family members,” she said. “We felt like as citizens and with the National Park Service, we wanted to start engaging in different places and spaces around the country, but we had to navigate it very differently.”

Gentry is with History Colorado. She and her team are working to register green book sites throughout the state and add to the list of 160 places so far. She sat down with In The NoCo’s Robyn Vincent to discuss Colorado’s recent past — and the ways that this history has touched her personally.

A massive reservoir project that will eventually clear the way for a half-million new residents in Northern Colorado is now a step closer to breaking ground.  

The $2 billion water project will create two new reservoirs that will feed 15 towns and water districts in Northern Colorado. Advocates for NISP, the Northern Integrated Supply Project, say it’s essential to ensure that these fast-growing communities in Larimer and Weld counties have the water they need as development booms.  

The project has been tied up in planning, permitting and opposition for more than two decades. But it cleared a final hurdle recently, after an environmental group that had sued to stop the project agreed to settle the case. 

Alex Hager covers water issues for KUNC. He joined Erin O’Toole to explain how NISP could help transform Northern Colorado. 

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
 
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

 

School districts across Colorado have been suspending kids for problematic behavior at significantly higher rates than before the pandemic.   

A recent analysis of data in The Denver Post found that school administrators across Colorado have been issuing out-of-school suspensions 25% more compared to the 2018-2019 school year.  Those figures are even higher in Denver public schools, which have seen suspensions jump by 42% in that same time frame.  

Many districts with higher suspension rates also struggle to hire school counselors or special education teachers – positions that often help curb problematic behavior.   

Research shows certain students are more vulnerable than others to the long-term impacts of out-of-school suspensions or expulsions. A state legislative task force found those punishments tend to disproportionately target students of color or those with disabilities. And analysis from the University of Colorado found that students who attend schools with higher suspension rates are more likely to be incarcerated as adults 

So, why is this happening more frequently now? And is there a better strategy?   

To learn more, host Erin O’Toole spoke with Dr. Lauren Henry from Children’s Hospital Colorado. Henry is a clinical psychologist who works with both educators and students who struggle with behavior issues.   

Read more about how to help children develop active coping skills here.

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

A $20 boiler maintenance fee. A $60 fee to drive your garbage to the dump. A $1 monthly pest maintenance fee.  And a $6 fee to add up those other fees. 

These are actual charges billed to renters by landlords in Denver, according to a recent article by the Denver Post. The fees are tacked onto a tenant’s monthly bill on top of their rent.  
 
Critics call them junk fees – and say they usually aren’t clearly outlined in rent agreements or even mentioned to a renter before the first monthly bill arrives. Junk fees can sometimes add hundreds of dollars to what a tenant pays each month. 

But the Colorado Attorney General’s office has taken note, resulting in lawsuits against some landlords and management companies who charge these fees. So what effect will those lawsuits have for the renters who fall victim to this? 

In the NoCo’s Brad Turner spoke with Denver Post reporter Elizabeth Hernandez who’s been covering the issue. She’s spoken with dozens of renters who have horror stories about junk fees. 

If you believe your landlord has charged you junk fees, you can reach out to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office for help.

Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

People who come to Estes Park marvel at the sights they see... Longs Peak on the horizon... the Stanley Hotel above town... herds of elk just about everywhere.  

And on Elkhorn Avenue in the heart of downtown, curious onlookers gather on the sidewalk to watch the hypnotic movements of the mechanical taffy puller in the window of The Taffy Shop.  

Now, more people are checking out the iconic shop after it was named Best Candy Store in the country by USA Today in June. 

The independent, family-owned store has essentially made one type of candy since it opened in 1935. The original saltwater taffy recipe is a closely guarded secret -- and is still used today, said Mark Igel, who bought the business in 2014 from the original owners. 

“It’s funny, because my first impression was, how can there be a saltwater taffy shop in a Colorado mountain town?” Igel recalled about his first visit to the store as a customer. “Until you know what saltwater taffy really is, and that we can have the best saltwater taffy in the country, here in Colorado. It’s not salt or water, it's not the ocean; it's the way that you make the candy.” 

Mark Igel joined host Erin O’Toole to share more about what it's been like to be recognized nationally... and why tradition is such an important ingredient in everything they do. 

We mention The Taffy Shop’s online taffy cam at the end of the episode – you can find that soothing livestream here. 

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org

Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

If you’re a Colorado high schooler who lives in a middle- to high-income household you’re most likely going on to college. A recent report from the state’s Department of Education shows 67% of those students enroll in a bachelor’s degree program. But those numbers are much lower for low-income students and students of color, in particular.

Last year, state lawmakers took several steps toward making access to higher education more equitable. Gov. Jared Polis signed two bills – one banning the use of so-called “legacy admissions” by public colleges and universities, making Colorado the first state to do away with that practice. He also signed a bill to remove a requirement that public colleges consider SAT or ACT scores for freshmen; instead having them rely on high school performance indicators such as grade point average, class rank and the overall academic rigor of a student’s course work. The new law still allows students to submit those test scores if they wish.

Nearly a year after those bills were signed into law, it’s not clear yet what the impact will be. Dr. Pius Kamau believes much more needs to be done to encourage and support children from underrepresented groups in the pursuit of higher education – especially in STEM fields. Dr. Kamau was born and raised in Kenya and spent three decades as a surgeon in Colorado. He spoke with Colorado Edition about how higher education institutions can do more to help students.

During an ongoing mental health crisis, many Coloradans with serious mental illnesses end up cycling in and out of the emergency department... or jail. Without easily accessible long-term treatment, this cycle leaves some with nowhere to go. KUNC’s Leigh Paterson reports on a $65 million piece of legislation that aims to create more places where people can get help.

Lastly -- May 4th is known to fans around the world as Star Wars Day And Colorado fans can show off their light- or dark- side fandom by grabbing one of a handful of custom license plates being auctioned by the state. Configurations include ANAKIN, KYLOREN, MANDO, YODAIAM, and JEDI. The proceeds raised go into a fund to benefit Coloradans living with disabilities. This auction continues through Sunday. May the Fourth be with you!

Colorado Edition is hosted and produced by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1). Web was edited by digital operations manager Ashley Jefcoat. 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 Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!

Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we revisit some of our favorite stories. We hear how wildfire smoke is impacting air quality and learn about recently unearthed documents at a former tuberculosis treatment center in Colorado Springs. We also check in with activist Buck Adams to learn about his artistic approach in calling for prison reform.

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’s Riverside Cemetery without a headstone.  

Denver author and barbecue historian Adrian Miller has been on a mission to change that.

He devoted an entire chapter to Columbus B. Hill in his book Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue. He championed Hill’s induction into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2023. And last September, he honored Hill with a memorial dedication at his burial site. 

Adrian Miller joined ITN’s Erin O’Toole a few days before that ceremony to share the story of the “best barbecue man in the West.”  

We’re revisiting that conversation as part of In The NoCo’s new Holiday Book Club, which will continue each week this month.

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org
Like 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'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

If you read the Colorado Sun, you might be familiar with the comic strip called ‘What’d I Miss?’ It follows conversations between Ossie – a young Black man – and Myra – an older white woman – who has awakened from a long coma.   

Together they struggle to understand modern day politics and culture. Ossie and Myra talk about issues like artificial intelligence, disinformation on social media and more recently, the attempted assassination of Former President Donald Trump. 

‘What’d I Miss?’ is written by Denver resident R. Alan Brooks. He also writes graphic novels and teaches graphic novel writing at Regis University. This weekend, he will be a featured guest at Fort Collins Comic Con.  

Host Erin O’Toole spoke with Brooks to talk about his work and life in comics. 

Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? 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'Toole 
Producer: Ariel Lavery 
Executive Producer: Brad Turner 
Theme music by Robbie Reverb 
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions  
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.