In The NOCO

If you listen to music at all in 2024 it’s clear that female artists are a dominant force. From Taylor Swift to Beyonce, Dolly Parton to Billie Eilish, women are some of the top-selling artists in the business. But behind the scenes? It’s a different story. Statistics show only a small fraction of people in the music industry are women – not on the performing side, but in behind-the-scenes jobs like engineering and production. A new nonprofit called Project Traction has a mission to create opportunities for women and non-binary music producers. It was founded by Jim Eno – the drummer for the band Spoon. He hopes to boost the number of women in these important industry roles by providing mentorship and hands-on studio experience. And the latest iteration of Project Traction is focused on Northern Colorado. Briana Harris, a singer and saxophonist in Greeley, is one of the musicians participating in Project Traction. She got to fine-tune her studio skills alongside Eno, producing a new music track from Denver-based indie rock band Barbara. She joined host Erin O’Toole to discuss the project – and why it’s important to elevate women in all roles across the music industry. Project Traction Volume 2 is accepting applications until Friday, June 14, 2024. Hear Briana Harris’ solo work here – and check out her work with The Burroughs here. “For Good Measure,” the Barbara track Briana co-produced is out now. Listen here: Barbara: "For Good Measure" (co-prod. Briana Harris) - KUTX

The future of the Colorado River is in the hands of seven people who represent the states that use its water. And right now, they can’t agree on a set of new rules to share the shrinking supply - despite a quickly approaching deadline. Those negotiations typically happen behind closed doors, rather than in a public setting. But last week, representatives from Wyoming to California met at the University of Colorado Boulder for an annual water law conference. About 300 people with an interest in the future of the Colorado River were in the audience to hear what leaders had to say. KUNC's water reporter Alex Hager was there, too. He joined host Erin O'Toole to share some details from that conference.

Pets give us companionship and keep us healthier. They can give us a reason just to get out of bed in the morning. Unfortunately, some people have had a difficult time being able to keep their pets in recent years. The cost of housing is up. Inflation makes it harder to afford veterinary care, pet food and other supplies. Eviction moratoriums and financial assistance programs that helped people during the pandemic have largely gone away. As a result, many shelters are at or near capacity. Now the people who run those shelters are turning to creative ways to help keep pets in their homes – with their owners. To learn more about these approaches, host Erin O'Toole talked with Mouse Jewell, a client intake specialist with the Longmont Humane Society, and Judy Calhoun, CEO at NOCO Humane, which serves Larimer and Weld counties.

Fifty years ago, in 1974, a pair of car bombings in Boulder killed six people. Five of the six were University of Colorado students and alumni who had been part of a Chicano student activist group on campus called UMAS. Their names were Una Jaakola,Reyes Martínez, Neva Romero, Florencio Granado, Heriberto Terán and Francisco Dougherty. They were known as Los Seis de Boulder. At the time, the police said the activists likely blew themselves up with their own explosives – a claim that’s still met with skepticism today. The case remains unresolved. City officials recently unveiled a memorial in downtown Boulder. Artist Jasmine Baetz designed it to commemorate the tragedy. We spoke to Baetz about how she learned of Los Seis, and the artwork she created.

When we see weeds start to pop up in the yard or the garden, the first instinct for many of us is to figure out how to get rid of them. But here's the thing: Many plants we might regard as ugly or invasive are, in fact, edible. Orion Aon learned this in his early years growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He would go on camping trips with family and friends – who gave him some of his first lessons in finding food in the wild. Today, he is the owner of Forage Colorado. He began the business in 2015, initially as a way to create a community with fellow foragers to share stories and knowledge. "It turns out that there weren't that many people doing that, at least online, and sharing about it at the time," Aon says. "So it quickly turned into me teaching other people what I knew."Now, he shows clients how to connect with nature by finding and and preparing wild foods like dandelions, tumble mustard, and curly dock. Here at In The NoCo, we like to talk to folks with unique businesses. Orion was kind enough to take host Erin O'Toole out on a foraging lesson along a trail in her neighborhood.You can read Orion's tips on harvesting and preparing lambsquarters; aka wild spinach. In 2023, he spoke with KUNC about the potential harm from AI-written foraging guide books, which you can read here.

There is a deeper link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease than doctors may have previously understood.New research at the University of Colorado could point the way to changing how, and when, doctors screen for Alzheimers. Dr Allison Shapiro, assistant professor of Pediatric Endocrinology at CU’s Anschutz Medical Campus, led a study that looked for biomarkers that are typically found in older adults with Alzheimer's, in young people with diabetes - specifically people in their teens and twenties. The results were surprising, but also confirmed the deep connection between brain and body.

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. Last 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 the people who settled in the Tres Colonias – and their indelible contributions to Northern Colorado history. We're listening back to that episode, which originally aired Dec. 1, 2023.Betty's foundation runs several charitable events every year in the Tres Colonias, including The Backpack Program which helps provide school supplies to students from working-class and low-income families. This event takes place the first Tuesday in August.

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.

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.

Each spring, the Front Range endures miller moth season. Even in relatively mild years like this one, the tiny winged visitors enter our homes, annoy us and even frighten us. But they’re also fascinating.So we asked Karim Gharbi – an insect expert and horticulture specialist with Colorado State University Extension – to help us unpack the mysteries of the miller moths. Where do they come from? Where do they go when they leave? Are they dangerous? And why does Erin’s dog seem to love the taste of them? The answers may surprise you – just like a miller moth darting out of your medicine cabinet first thing in the morning.

For many of us, Memorial Day is the first day of the year we get to fire up the grill. We make hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks - all foods that taste good with a bit of a char and that added smoky flavor. They’re also all meats. So what if you want a plant-based Memorial Day cookout, but you don’t want that frozen veggie patty from the grocery store? Today on the show: some easy ideas for a meat-free or vegetarian-friendly barbecue. To help with those plans we spoke with Justice Marcellus, owner and manager of The Mighty Vegans - a food truck serving all plant-based options. The Mighty Vegans just had their grand opening in Longmont this week. You can see Justice’s recipe for her Smokin’ Herb Burger on our website at KUNC.org.

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.

Adjusting street lamps and other exterior lights to allow the stars to shine more brilliantly – that's part of the process for becoming a certified Dark Sky community. More than 200 places in 22 countries around the world have this designation. Advocates say limiting light pollution helps preserve expansive views of the night sky, and helps nocturnal creatures thrive. And the Colorado Tourism Office believes the Dark Sky designation helps attract visitors.Town leaders in Grand Lake recently took the first steps toward becoming an official Dark Sky community. They would join five other towns in Colorado that already have that designation. About two dozen more Dark Sky places are in the pipeline, including communities and parks across the state.Aaron Watson is with the group DarkSky Colorado. He joined host Erin O'Toole to discuss the problem with light pollution, and why a growing number of Colorado towns are taking the idea of dark skies so seriously.Read more about the overview effect that Watson mentions near the end of the conversation.

Danielle SeeWalker is a Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta artist living and working in Denver. Her work incorporates traditional Native American materials and themes. This past January, SeeWalker was approached and offered a residency by the town of Vail. The residency would have included SeeWalker creating a public mural. However, on May 9, town officials backed out on that plan. They stated a concern about the politicization of their public art program. Vail officials pointed to SeeWalker’s recent social media posts sharing a painting she had created, called "G is for Genocide." The piece is a statement on the conflict in Gaza. The painting depicts a person wearing a keffiyeh – a traditional Palestinian scarf – as well as a braid, a feather and other traditional Native American imagery.The rescinded offer became a social media firestorm for both SeeWalker and the town. Vail released another statement on May 14. They apologized for inconveniencing SeeWalker. But they also defended their decision, saying they could not “support messaging that targets one group of residents or guests over another.”SeeWalker spoke with host Erin O’Toole about why she painted “G is for Genocide,” her ideas for the mural she had planned for Vail and whether this experience will change her approach to art.

One of the most definitive signs that spring has arrived is the sound of lawnmowers filling the neighborhood. But this month, that rumble may be a little quieter than usual. That's because of a recent trend in yard care called "No Mow May." The idea is simple: wait until June to mow to allow flowers like dandelions and clover to grow and support bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The concept was started in 2019 by Plantlife, a UK-based conservation organization, in response to declines in pollinators and their natural habitat. It's since become a popular movement among some gardeners and conservation advocates in the U.S. – propelled, perhaps, by the catchy name and the #NoMowMay social media hashtag. But is it a good idea for our region?Before you decide whether to break out your lawnmower this weekend – or leave it idle – we asked for advice from our friends at Plant Talk Colorado at CSU. Extension professor of horticulture Alison O’Connor joined us to explain whether No May May is backed up by science. If you have questions about plants or yard care that you’d like us to ask our friends at Plant Talk Colorado, send us an email at [email protected].

Just off Highway 34 outside of Greeley sits a ghost town dotted with a couple of deteriorating buildings and a sign. In the early 1900s, this area was home to Dearfield. The thriving agricultural community founded by O.T. Jackson was Colorado’s largest Black homesteading site. At its peak there were around 300 residents, and Dearfield boasted a number of businesses including a grocery store and a blacksmith shop, plus a school, several churches, and a dance hall. Settlers grew corn, winter wheat, melons and strawberries, and the community enjoyed great prosperity – until drought, the Dust Bowl, and the Great Depression forced most to leave and seek work elsewhere.“I think it's been very, very important to have Dearfield be an example of what Black people could do and have done – and the future of what Black people could do,” said George Junne, a professor of Africana Studies at University of Northern Colorado who has studied Dearfield for decades. Junne sat down with In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole in February to discuss the community's importance, as the National Park Service announced it is studying Dearfield for potential inclusion in the park system. We're listening back to that conversation in today's episode.This Saturday, May 18, the Dearfield Preservation Committee holds its annual conference on Dearfield from the Michener Library on the UNC campus. Attendees can participate in person or virtually.

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

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

Springtime in Northern Colorado means the return of a quintessential summer pastime. The Fort Collins Trolley resumed service last weekend. This season marks 40 years since the restored trolley began once again to take passengers on a leisurely journey along Mountain Avenue into Old Town. The electric streetcars were once a common sight in the streets of Fort Collins, at least until the early 1950s, as car ownership rose and fewer people relied on public transportation. In the late 1970s, a group of dedicated volunteers began to restore the aged trolley cars and to reinstall the track. Host Erin O’Toole took a ride and got a personal tour, where she learned some of the trolley's quirky history – including the time the old depot became a victim of the CU-CSU football rivalry… and how a group of people opposed to bringing the trolley back nearly derailed the restoration.The Fort Collins Trolley operates weekends and holidays through Sept. 29, 2024. You can learn more about the trolley's history and find schedule and fare information here.Thanks to depot agent Kathy Mabry and conductor Kevin Mabry for sharing their stories. They co-authored and illustrated a children's book about the trolley (available at the depot). And a huge thank you to motorman Bethany O'Brien for sharing both her historical knowledge and her expert driving skills.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Anxiety about climate change is hitting the youngest of us hard. And if you’re too young to vote, it may feel like there’s nothing you can do to change what your future looks like. But students in the Boulder Valley School District proved otherwise this past school year. A group of high school students successfully campaigned for the school board to adopt the Green New Deal for Schools resolution - a policy demanded by the Sunrise Movement. The youth-led climate activism organization held a summer camp in 2023 that helped inspire two Fairview high school students to advocate for the resolution. Twins Emma and Molly Weber said they felt empowered by coming together with peers from across the nation and learning how to take a stand.“We have our whole lives in front of us,” said Emma Weber. “But a lot of times the things that we want to do in our dreams are being destroyed by this issue that is devastating so many different aspects of our lives.”After eight months of campaigning, Boulder Valley became the first school district in the nation to adopt the climate resolution. In the NoCo’s Erin O’Toole spoke with both Molly and Emma Weber about what the experience was like.If this conversation was of interest to you, check out this interview with youth activist, Madhvi Chittoor. She advocated for a statewide ban on styrofoam takeout containers that became law in 2024. .

Longmont author and journalist Stephen Robert Miller is fascinated by climate disaster stories. He says they’re often teachable moments.“There’s so much to be learned from looking in the past — environmental histories and histories of instances of when people have tried to control nature and ultimately it's failed,” Miller said.In his new book, “Over the Seawall,” Miller examines the deeper impacts of some of these failures. He investigates how governments and people are using infrastructure to slow or stop the effects or the symptoms of climate change – giant concrete barriers in Japan meant to stop tsunamis, for example, or dams and canals in Arizona meant to make a desert move-in ready for lots of people. Government policies created to manage the Colorado River and distribute water among its unquenchable stakeholders are another example. In other words, Miller says people are keen to adapt and that seems great, “but it can also be tricky if it causes us to rush into rash decisions,” he said. Simple measures that work with nature, not against it, are often more successful in the long run.Miller joined In The NoCo to discuss the book, and some of humanity’s attempts to adapt to climate change that have not gone according to plan. We're listening back to the conversation as we commemorate Earth Week.NOTE: This is an encore of our episode from Dec. 8, 2023.

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

Colorado is one of the healthiest states in the nation when it comes to physical fitness. Perhaps that’s no surprise given how much there is to do in the outdoors. But when it comes to mental health, Colorado ranks in the bottom half of states, according to a 2023 report by Mental Health America. While there are a few reasons for this poor ranking, we’re going to zoom in on one factor that has to do with the culture of mountain resort life, and how it affects the people living and working there - alcohol and drug misuse. Eric Turner is one such resident who was surprised to find himself sucked into a culture of heavy substance use. “I thought that the focus would be more on physical health and emotional well being,” said Turner. He came to Colorado with the goal of “getting out in nature and focusing on those aspects and not so much, you know, hiking to the top of a mountain and pulling out a bottle.”Today, Turner is sober and works as a certified addiction technician and founder of Rock to Recover, a non-profit organization that hosts sober music events. Turner was featured by journalist Ryan Spencer in a Summit Daily News story that investigated the drug and alcohol epidemic plaguing the mountain communities of Colorado. This story is part of a larger series by the publication called The Longevity Project.Host Erin O’Toole sat down with Turner and Spencer to talk about the issue of substance misuse and why it's so prevalent in mountain communities.

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

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

It's spring… and a handful of Northern Colorado farmers markets are opening up for what's likely to be a busy season – at least, if the last few years are any indication. We've come to expect throngs of eager shoppers waiting in long lines to buy western slope peaches by the crate, boxes of Olathe sweet corn, Pueblo chiles, and other locally grown produce. But farming in Colorado comes with a lot of challenges – the growing season is short, the sun is scorching, and the rainy season can be very unpredictable. Coloradans seem to appreciate how difficult it is for farmers, which helps explain some of the high demand. But there are plenty of other reasons for that homegrown produce pride, according to Colorado State University professor and agricultural economist Dawn Thilmany. She recently spoke with host Erin O'Toole to explain why there's so much importance placed on buying local. In anticipation of more farmers markets opening, we're listening back to that conversation.In the episode, we brought up this story from KUNC's Rae Solomon about folks suffering from "peach anxiety." We also mentioned agritourism around local farms and ranches, including Miller Farms in Platteville. And while at this point in the season only a handful of Front Range farmers markets have opened, others will quickly follow suit over the next few weeks. Find a list of markets here, and a visitors' guide to Northern Colorado farms, pumpkin patches, and CSAs here.

The risk of wildfire is a reality that is beginning to define life in Northern Colorado. This last weekend, tens of thousands of people in Boulder County were left suddenly without power for days when Xcel shut it off in anticipation of high winds and potential loose lines. Today we’re listening back to an interview covering a 2023 report from the company CoreLogic, which showed that thousands of homes in Northern Colorado are susceptible to damage from wildfires. In Boulder, nearly 10,000 homes are at risk. In Fort Collins, that number rises to more than 14,000. Statistics in the report put Colorado in the number two slot nationwide for potential wildfire damage. We discussed these risks and more with Jude Bayham, who researches wildfire management at Colorado State University.We mentioned the pay raise for federal wildland firefighters that's stalled in Congress. And you can learn more about protecting your home from wildfire here.

Have you ever wondered how NPR came to be? It certainly didn’t happen overnight. The history of National Public Radio is long and convoluted, starting in the early twentieth century with university-housed stations scattered across rural areas. These stations broadcast things like cooking lessons, and how to use indoor plumbing. But with the Communications Act of 1934 came the first congressional control over what was heard over the airwaves. With this, commercial media outlets enjoyed greater lobbying power than noncommercial broadcasters. This meant public media needed to evolve to meet the demands of a growing listening audience. This complex history is chronicled in a new book, Shadow of the New Deal: The Victory of Public Broadcasting, by University of Colorado media history professor Josh Shepperd.“Public media is the last bastion in reporting upon communities from the community itself,” said Shepperd when reflecting on public media’s role today. “So I think we need to protect our local public medias, especially our rural public medias.”In The NoCo host Erin O’Toole sat down with Shepperd to talk about what public radio looked like 100 years ago, and how Western states like Colorado helped create the NPR name.

Northern Colorado’s unique weather patterns can be a challenge for backyard gardeners. The climate is dry; the growing season is hot and short. And of course, we’re no strangers to wind and hail events. But new research out of Colorado State University can help gardeners choose crop varieties that thrive in those conditions. KUNC's rural and small communities reporter Rae Solomon spoke to the researchers about what they learned. Just in time for early spring garden planting – she sat down with In The NoCo's Erin O'Toole to share intel on the best tomatoes and peppers to grow in Northern Colorado. See the results of the Larimer County in-ground tomato trials here and the container varieties here. See the sweet pepper trials here.And if you have a gardening question, share it with us! Email [email protected] -- or send a text or voicemail to (970) 614-5323.

On Monday, April 8 a total solar eclipse will darken the skies over 13 states, from Texas up to Maine. While Colorado is not in the path of totality, in which the moon completely covers the sun, our region will experience a partial solar eclipse. A total solar eclipse over the U.S. is relatively rare – the last one occurred in August 2017. And cities and towns in the path have been gearing up for a massive influx of eclipse tourists for months. They might want to take a cue from an earlier time in Colorado's history. Back in 1878, a total eclipse over the Rockies helped lay the foundation for how to welcome flocks of curious visitors eager to witness a celestial event - and to get a first look at the Wild West. Steve Ruskin is a historian of astronomy based in Colorado Springs, and the author of America's First Great Eclipse."Colorado had just become a state in 1876 - so it was only two years old when they knew this eclipse was going to go over the Rocky Mountains,” said Ruskin. “Tourists came west, not only to see the eclipse, but also to see the Rockies for the very first time."In The NoCo host Erin O’Toole sat down with Ruskin to learn more about that historic event – and with producer Ariel Lavery to reflect on how modern-day Americans are willing to drive thousands of miles to experience a total eclipse.

Immigrants are the backbone of a lot of mountain communities in Colorado. That’s because many work in service industry jobs that keep these towns thriving. But for immigrants in these places, certain disparities are more pronounced, like access to transportation. In one part of Summit County, this particular issue had become dangerous in the snowy winter months.“We need to walk on the roads where cars are running all the time,” said Miriam Garcia, an immigrant and employee of an advocacy organization called Mountain Dreamers. “And then there was an issue with one of my neighbors, she was hit by a car. And the driver didn't stop.”Garcia led an effort through Mountain Dreamers to get shuttle service to people in her neighborhood who were navigating a mile of snow and ice to catch a bus. Host Erin O’Toole sat down with Garcia and founder Peter Bakken, to discuss this work and learn more about how - and why - they’re advocating for immigrants in Summit County.

It’s no secret there’s a crisis of shrinking local news across the U.S. And we know that in places where local news evaporates, democracy takes a hit. Government corruption tends to increase when powerful entities realize there's less media scrutiny on what they're doing. "This year has been particularly difficult for the local media news business," says journalist Corey Hutchins. The co-director of the Colorado College Journalism Institute writes a weekly newsletter that goes behind our state’s headlines. He recently sat down with In The NoCo's Erin O'Toole to discuss the health of Colorado media, including a few happenings that could have far-reaching impacts on our democracy.You can subscribe to Corey Hutchins' weekly newsletter here.

Most people would agree that the immigration system in the United States is broken… but how it's broken – and how to fix it – are the real debate. As this debate persists, the stories of people caught in a messy immigration web continue to rise. The documentary film If I Could Stay tells the story of two such people, Jeanette Vizguerra and Ingrid Encalada Latorre, two undocumented mothers living in Colorado. When they faced deportation and being separated from their young children, they chose to take refuge in churches in Denver and Boulder. Ahead of the film's Colorado premiere at CSU's ACT Human Rights Film Festival in Fort Collins, In The NoCo's Erin O'Toole sat down with one of those two mothers who sought sanctuary in 2017, Ingrid Latorre, and Florencia Krochik, one of the film's co-directors.If I Could Stay screens during the festival's opening night, Wednesday, April 3 at Colorado State University's Lory Student Center theater.

Temple Grandin sees the world through a different lens. The Colorado State University professor of animal science is neurodivergent, and her differences as an autistic person have been foundational to her work – especially when it comes to advocating for the humane treatment of animals. She is also an advocate for neurodivergent thinkers of all ages. Her new book for children, “Different Kinds of Minds,” is an adaptation of her book “Visual Thinking.” Both explain the need for a diverse range of thinkers and how different minds can thrive. Grandin recently joined In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole to discuss the book and much more. This is an encore of our podcast from Jan. 4, 2024.

Advocates say failing to invest in childcare is a missed opportunity to address inequity. And the lack of investment is hitting Northern Colorado families in multiple ways. For one, it leaves rising kindergartners unprepared to enter public schools. “The achievement gap is present well before children enter kindergarten,” said Tarryn Morrisey, a professor of child and family public policy at American University. “And so if we were to invest early, we could narrow that before it even began.”In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole sat down with Morrisey to learn more about what is driving the high cost of childcare, and why it is critical to find solutions.This is part of our ongoing coverage on the childcare crisis in Northern Colorado. Find more episodes on the challenges and solutions here and here.

The cash bail system continues to face scrutiny in the U.S. Activists say it subverts the long-held American ideal that a person is innocent until proven guilty. In other words, under the cash bail system, if you can’t afford to post bail, you could end up sitting in jail for days, weeks or months waiting for a trial regardless of your innocence. In Colorado, like other states, people of color are overrepresented in jails and prisons, making this a huge equity issue. State Rep. Elisabeth Epps recently won a seat in the statehouse in part because of her activism on this issue. She has been fighting to reform the justice system and eradicate cash bail in Colorado for several years and the documentary How We Get Free tells that story. "It is incredibly challenging when you talk about folks who have been incarcerated, or even unjustly incarcerated, to get people to sit up and pay attention,” said co-director Geeta Gandbhir. “But it's just the nature of the way that in our country, folks who are economically more vulnerable have been vilified.”Ahead of the film’s screening at the ACT Human Rights Film Festival in Fort Collins, In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole sat down with Gandbhir to learn why she made Epps’ grassroots efforts the subject of her documentary. How We Get Free screens during the festival's opening night, Wednesday, April 3, at Colorado State University's Lory Student Center theater.

The need to screen students for learning disabilities is on the rise in Northern Colorado and mental health providers are having trouble meeting the demand. Marybeth Rigali-Oiler, a child and adolescent psychologist with the Health District of Northern Larimer County, says finding answers isn’t always straightforward, either.“You also have to kind of throw a broad net to see, well, is it actually ADHD? Is it actually anxiety? Is it because this child fell behind during Covid and just hasn't had the intervention to catch up? Or is there an underlying learning disability?” Rigali-Oiler said. “And it could be a combination of all of those things. And so testing really should have a broad net that's looking at social-emotional factors, cognitive ability and achievement in order to really see where the puzzle pieces land.”When kids don’t get the screenings they need, questions about why they are struggling to achieve persist. Parents are also left to wonder when, say, kids are anxious about going to class, known as “school refusal,” Rigali-Oiler said. Is it a learning disability, mental health, or something else? In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole sat down with Rigali-Oiler to learn about the factors fueling this problem.

Water – and how to manage it – is a perennial topic in the parched American West. So today on World Water Day, we are looking at some of the most pressing water issues of the moment and how we in Northern Colorado can better appreciate and conserve this precious resource. "I just wish people would realize the foresight it took to build some of these water systems that we take for granted now,” said Jennifer Gimbel, a water scholar at Colorado State University’s Colorado Water Center. “Over 100 years old, many of them are, and just the engineering that was involved to get it here. And so – appreciate when you turn on that water, and clean water comes out, we are blessed. There are people in the United States, people on the Navajo Nation who can't say that. They have to haul their water. So we are blessed."In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole sat down with Gimbel to tap into what is happening with water in our state.

Many of us have been told that our twenties are the best time in our lives. But some data suggests otherwise. At least one new report says 20-somethings in the U.S. are some of the most unhappy in the world. "I have yet to meet someone who's like, ‘Gosh, I wish I could be in my 20s again,’” said Meg Jay, a clinical psychologist who specializes in this formative decade of life. “You know, your 20s are not going to be the best years of your life. Thank God, right? I mean, what if they were -- and then it was all terrible from there?”Jay discusses her new book, The Twentysomething Treatment: A Revolutionary Remedy for an Uncertain Age, at Colorado State University on Tuesday, March 26. Ahead of her talk, In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole sat down with her to discuss the unique stressors 20-somethings face today and what she has learned about these pivotal years.

Prisons in Colorado are severely understaffed and that is hitting workers especially hard. But the effects of this shortage stretch far past the staff.“You have not only the stress on the staff from the vacancy, you have the disruption of normal functionality for the department as a whole and, then of course, this incredible negative impact on the people who are incarcerated,” said Christie Donner, executive director of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, which wants to see more money invested in community initiatives and less spent on the prison system.Donner and her colleagues recently released a report surveying hundreds of incarcerated Coloradans about their living conditions amid the staffing shortage. She sat down with In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole to discuss what incarcerated people said about their experience.

In many communities across Colorado, teens say there are few things for them to do after school. In Summit County, as local leaders work on a long-term plan for the future, young people are asking for more affordable indoor spaces. KUNC senior editor and reporter Leigh Paterson sat down with local students to discuss why these hangout spots are so important to them and their well-being. She joined In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole to explain what young people had to say.