In The NOCO

It's Election Day in Colorado. And along with who wins or loses, something that a lot of people are thinking about today is election security. After all, elections are complicated: Millions of Colorado voters will fill out and turn in their ballots. And county election officials will gather and tally them – quickly. On top of that, some recent headlines have called Colorado’s election systems into question. Mesa County officials reported recently that someone stole 12 mail ballots and returned them. And news broke last week that the Colorado Secretary of State’s office accidentally posted some security passwords on their website. State officials say they’ve fixed that problem, and election systems around the state have not been compromised. Even so, we wanted to look at the steps that make sure your ballot is collected and counted securely. Two county clerks – people whose job is to keep ballots secure – walked us through some of Colorado’s election safeguards. ITN’s Erin O’Toole spoke with Molly Fitzpatrick, a Democrat from Boulder County, and Carly Koppes, a Republican from Weld County. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

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. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Evacuating thousands of people during a natural disaster is a lot more complicated than simply telling everyone to move to safety. A wildfire or tornado in Colorado, or the hurricanes that recently struck the southeast U.S., often hit vulnerable populations especially hard. Elderly folks, people with disabilities, or people who can’t afford to quickly pick up and leave have a more difficult time getting out of harm’s way. Carson MacPherson-Krutsky is a researcher with the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder. In a new study, Carson laid out what she’s learned about how communication during natural disasters helps save lives – or, in some cases, fails to help. She conducted the study in part because officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) wondered why more people didn’t take advantage of shelters it set up during hurricanes. Carson spoke with ITN’s Erin O’Toole about how she thinks emergency managers should rethink how they warn the public about natural disasters. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Paying for a hospital visit often ends in a guessing game. For example, if you hurt your ankle and need an X-ray, you could pay a few hundred dollars – or nothing at all – depending on which hospital you go to and the deal they’ve negotiated with your insurance company. That fluctuation in pricing from hospital to hospital is true for many procedures in Colorado. But some new websites might help consumers find answers. One of them – ColoradoHospitalPrices.com – was developed by a nonprofit to let patients look up price estimates for various procedures and find the best value. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis was so impressed he promoted the site in a press conference last week. He said it’s a first step to creating market pressure that will level out price differentiation. John Ingold is a health reporter for The Colorado Sun who has been covering this story. He spoke with In the NoCo’s Brad Turner about the these websites and how they could help Coloradans. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

A handful of Colorado schools monitor their students with cameras that use facial recognition software. It’s a security measure: An administrator with access to the technology can upload a student’s photo and then the system can use cameras around the school to pinpoint a student’s location. More school districts across the state are exploring whether to adopt this technology, according to a recent story in the Denver Post. And it's highlighting a conflict between supporters who say it helps make schools safer and opponents who call it a violation of students’ civil rights. In the NoCo’s Brad Turner talked with Denver Post education reporter Elizabeth Hernadez, who has been covering the subject and spoken with people on all sides of the issue. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Crews recently began work to extinguish a blaze that has burned underground for more than a century. It's happening on Marshall Mesa, south of Boulder in an area popular for hiking. A fire in a coal seam there has been smoldering beneath the surface for years. It's a remnant of a time when coal mining thrived in the area. Because heat from underground blazes can sometimes set fire to grass and other brush nearby, residents of nearby Superior and Louisville have been more concerned about potential dangers since the Marshall Fire. So in the weeks ahead, crews from Colorado’s Inactive Mine Reclamation Program will prepare to dig up the combustible material at Marshall Mesa and bring it to the surface. They’ll mix it with cooler dirt to prevent future fires. Jeff Graves, Director of Colorado’s Inactive Mine Reclamation Program will manage the job. He spoke with In the NoCo’s Brad Turner about how crews will snuff out the blaze. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Endless work emails. Slack messages from coworkers. Virtual meetings on Zoom. If these things boost your anxiety, you're experiencing something called technostress. Technostress can also include anxiety about keeping up with new technologies – or being replaced by them. It makes employees miserable. And easing technostress at work is an ongoing struggle for employers, especially since technology seems to blur the boundaries between work time and personal time. Jason Thatcher is a University of Colorado researcher who studies how people do their jobs and use technology in the workplace. He teaches at CU’s Leeds School of Business. In a recent paper, he argues that the key to reducing tech-related stress is to understand that individual employees will react to different technologies in different ways. Jason spoke with ITN’s Brad Turner about how you, and your boss, can lower the technostress you encounter at work. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Heart disease causes one out of every five deaths in the United States. Now, a University of Colorado researcher says she’s found promising clues that could help treat it, but the source of her discoveries might make your skin crawl. Dr. Leslie Leinwand is a professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at CU Boulder. Her insights come from research conducted on a rather unwieldy animal to keep in your laboratory – pythons. Leinwand and her team observe Burmese pythons – snakes that go weeks or months between meals without eating. She has studied pythons for decades and she recently published a new paper on her research. Erin O’Toole spoke with Lienwand about her research and learned that, while humans and snakes have very different physiologies, the way snakes eat in the wild may inspire new treatments for heart disease and other metabolic conditions in people. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Colorado and its pets are suffering from a shortage of veterinarians. It's leading to long wait times at some clinics. And the Colorado Sun reports that many animal hospitals are so swamped they’re forced to turn away dogs and cats who need care. On Election Day, Colorado voters will be asked to weigh in on a possible solution. Proposition 129 would create a new class of veterinary workers called a veterinary professional associate, or VPA. VPAs would require less training than traditional veterinarians to become certified. If voters approve the plan, it could mean Colorado would see more professionals able to treat pets. To help us understand the proposal, and the arguments for and against, ITN's Brad Turner talked with Jon Geller. He's a retired, Fort Collins-based emergency veterinarian, and a graduate of the school of veterinary medicine at Colorado State University. (He’s also the founder of the Street Dog Coalition, a nonprofit that helps provide pet care for people experiencing homelessness.) Jon has studied the issue but has not taken a stance on Prop 129. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Wildfires in Colorado rip through communities. They torch homes and disrupt lives. But wildfires also cause some surprising – maybe even uplifting – things to happen. They make people more resilient. They strengthen the bonds between neighbors. And those stronger connections help people prepare for future emergencies. That’s according to Lori Peek – a researcher who studies how communities come together during and after natural disasters. Lori is a sociologist and the director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder. Today, we’re listening back to a recent conversation she had with Erin O’Toole about the surprisingly robust field of study that examines how humans interact during and after a crisis. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional 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.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Victorian Death Experiences is a Halloween attraction with a historic twist. The program takes place in the historic home which houses the Center for Colorado Women’s History in Denver. Visitors see rooms decorated for mourning. They hear stories of death in the Old West. And they see fascinating artifacts, like hair jewelry made partly from the hair of a deceased loved one. “We’re really not focused on having a haunted house, but rather, experiencing some reverence around our understanding of death,” said Cat Jensen, education coordinator for the center. Above all, the program highlights the central role that women have traditionally played when a loved one died – preparing bodies for burial, hosting wakes, and other acts that allowed people to mourn at the end of life. “Certainly, death, for Victorian women, was a deep and sacred act. Women, regardless of race or class, have long been the arbiters of life and death,” Jensen said. This is the second year for Victorian Death Experiences. It takes place on selected Thursday and Friday evenings throughout October. Find more information and tickets here. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Weld County’s Clerk and Recorder Carly Koppes has a noticeable online presence. She posts lots of informational videos around election time telling voters how to cast a ballot or get ready for Election Day. But here’s something that keeps Koppes -- and a lot of other election officials -- up at night. Artificial intelligence is developing so quickly that a bad actor could take one of Koppes’ videos and convincingly alter her voice, so that it sounds like she’s saying something misleading -- such as giving the wrong hours when polls are open. Koppes and other clerks from Colorado’s 64 counties recently gathered to talk about those scenarios as Election Day approaches. Koppes spoke with host Erin O’Toole in August to discuss how election officials like her are gearing up to respond to misleading emails, deepfake videos, and social media misinformation. With the election just three weeks away, and ballots showing up in voters’ mailboxes now, we’re listening back to that conversation. Not sure if your voter registration is up to date? Check it at GoVoteColorado.com: We discussed Mesa County clerk Tina Peter in this episode. Read more about her sentencing in The Colorado Sun. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn 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!

Nearly three decades ago Colorado was known as The Hate State. In 1992 Colorado voters passed Amendment 2, which banned anti-discrimination laws meant to protect gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. But the Amendment never went into effect because there was immediate backlash. It was challenged again and again for being unconstitutional, bringing it all the way to the supreme court. Season 4 of KUNC’s Colorado Dream podcast retraces Colorado’s tumultuous history and evolving relationship with its queer and transgender population. Stephanie Daniel is the Executive Producer and host for the Colorado Dream. Erin O’Toole spoke with Daniel about the new season, which began earlier this week. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

A new tax on sales of guns and ammunition could be used to fund services that help crime victims. That’s the idea behind a proposal Colorado voters will consider on the November ballot. Proposition KK would add a 6.5 percent excise tax on guns, some parts and accessories, and ammunition. Buyers in Colorado already pay state and local sales taxes on the purchase of firearms and ammunition, and a federal tax of around 10 percent. It’s a novel approach that its backers say will generate about $39 million dollars a year to fund programs that address some of the harms of gun violence, including mental health support services. But opponents say it will just make it more difficult for law-abiding Coloradans to buy guns. To learn more about what this tax would do, host Erin O’Toole checked in with Lucas Brady Woods, who covers politics and state government for KUNC. You can read up on all 14 statewide measures on the November ballot here. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

More law enforcement officers in Colorado are using artificial intelligence to create their police reports. Boulder Police launched a pilot program earlier this year allowing artificial intelligence to help officers generate reports related to minor crimes. A few months later, they expanded the policy to let AI help write police reports for all types of cases. That’s according to a story from Boulder Reporting Lab. Boulder officers use a new technology called Draft One. Fort Collins police have also been using Draft One since April. So how reliable is this technology? And will the police reports it generates hold up in court? Host Erin O’Toole spoke with Melissa Inglis, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Oklahoma – who studies how law enforcement uses artificial intelligence programs – to answer those questions. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Patients in Colorado feel the brunt of a growing healthcare crisis every day. There’s a shortage of primary care doctors and other health care workers in most Colorado counties – and that has an especially big impact on low-income and rural communities. That physician shortage is projected to get even worse, with roughly a third of doctors in the state aged 60 or older, and nearing retirement – according to a recent report by the American Association of Medical Colleges. To help boost the number of primary care doctors, a new medical school – just the third one in Colorado – is being built at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. UNC officials celebrated the groundbreaking for the new College of Osteopathic Medicine on September 28. The new school has a price tag of around $200 million, and will eventually graduate 150 new doctors each year when it opens in 2026. ITN host Erin O’Toole spoke with the founding dean of the new medical school, Dr. Beth Longenecker, back in May when the school was first announced. Today we’re listening back to that conversation. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Visit any farmers’ market in Colorado and you’ll see long lines of people waiting to buy produce that’s grown in the state. And when fall arrives... it’s all about Pueblo chiles. The aroma of those dark green peppers roasting as they spin in large metal tumblers fills the crisp autumn air. People often buy extra bags of them – some to use now, some to freeze for use during the chilly winter months. But the popularity of those Colorado-grown peppers is a relatively recent phenomenon. Although farmers in Pueblo and other parts of Colorado have been growing different kinds of peppers for decades, Colorado 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. ITN host Erin O’Toole spoke with the now-retired Bartolo to learn more about what makes the Pueblo chile so beloved – and why he thinks green chile is such a source of pride for many Coloradans. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn 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. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

In 2002, Colorado saw a turning point for water use. It was the year Front Range cities got serious about how they use water and how to waste less of it. Luke Runyon is a reporter who specializes in covering water issues for the University of Colorado Boulder’s Water Desk. (You might remember him as the host of KUNC’s Colorado River podcast Thirst Gap.) In a new story, Runyon looked at how many Colorado cities grew dramatically since 2002 but also shrank their water usage. Host Erin O’Toole talked with Runyon about how cities achieved water conservation and what they might need to do in the future as populations continue to expand. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

More students in Colorado are headed to college. And enrollment numbers at Colorado colleges are climbing faster than predicted. At the University of Colorado, for example, enrollment grew by 3.5 percent this school year – that's substantially more than the 0.5 percent increase the school’s officials had expected. So, what’s behind the increase? And how is it changing who’s attending college in Colorado? Spoiler alert: It might involve CU Boulder football coach Deion Sanders. For answers, host Erin O’Toole checked in with Dr Angie Paccione – Executive Director of Colorado’s Department of Higher Education. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

If you want to feel empowered to reduce your carbon footprint and fight climate change, the meals you plan, and the ingredients you buy, may be a great place to make some changes. That’s a central point in a new book by Mark Easter. He’s a retired ecologist in Fort Collins who studies the carbon footprint of the food we eat. In his book, titled The Blue Plate: A Food Lovers Guide to Climate Chaos, Easter walks readers through the typical ingredients in a home cooked dinner, like steak, potatoes, and fruit pie. Then he explains the carbon footprint of each ingredient, and how to reduce that footprint by making smarter purchases at the grocery store. Mark shares his research from places like orchards and feedlots. Mark will talk about his book at several upcoming events in Colorado: Sept 27, 6:30 p.m.: Foothills Unitarian Church, Fort Collins Oct. 3, 7 p.m.: Patagonia, Boulder Oct. 8, 6 p.m.: Tattered Cover (Colfax), Denver Brad Turner talked with Mark Easter about his new book, which was published this month.Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn 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. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

A measure on Colorado’s ballot this November asks voters to choose whether wildcat hunting in the state should be banned. Supporters of the initiative point to what they say are cruel hunting practices, like using large teams of dogs to chase mountain lions up trees to then be shot and killed. Supporters also say the initiative would eliminate unethical “trophy hunting” – meaning hunting for sport without making use of the meat. Opponents say a hunting ban would cause mountain lion populations to explode in the state – and that could devastate deer and elk herds, or lead to more livestock being killed or maimed. So how badly do Colorado’s big cats need the protections being proposed here? Host Erin O’Toole sat down with Denver Post reporter Elise Schmelzer who covers this issue. They discussed the reason this proposal is going before voters, what it might accomplish, and how it might affect Colorado’s mountain lion population. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

A Boulder County jury reached a verdict Monday afternoon: They found the man who killed ten people in a mass shooting at a Boulder King Soopers guilty on all counts. That includes 10 counts of first-degree murder and 45 additional charges. At sentencing later that day, the judge overseeing the trial issued 10 consecutive life sentences, among other penalties. The verdict comes three and a half years after the shooting on March 22, 2021. And it followed long debates over whether the shooter was mentally competent to stand trial. For the victims’ families, Monday was a milestone. Erika Mahoney lost her dad, 61-year-old Kevin Mahoney, in the shooting. Erika sat in court for most of the trial. She joined host Erin O’Toole shortly after the verdict was read to share reflections on the court proceedings, as well as the mass shooting that shocked the community. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Fall begins Sunday – which means leaf-peeping season is here in Colorado. Soon the mountains will fill with people looking to drink in the glorious sight of all those orange and gold aspen leaves that cover the hillsides. And you can bet that quite a few of those tourists will look at those vibrant aspen trees and wonder why they can't just plant one in their own yard. Experts with Colorado State University Extension say “how to plant an aspen at home” is one of the most commonly asked questions they get from the public. "I think aspens have a special way of evoking strong memories of going to the mountains and looking at leaves,” says CSU Extension horticulture specialist John Murgel. “So it's a way to bring those experiences and those memories closer to home.” Unfortunately, Murgel says that although the aspen is a uniquely beautiful tree, it may be a lousy choice for your landscape. He joined ITN host Erin O’Toole to discuss the science behind that. If you’re looking to plant a tree this fall or in the spring, Murgel mentioned several alternatives to aspen – including the American Hornbeam and the Rocky Mountain maple. Here are a few more suggested varieties and a helpful guide to planting from the horticulture desk at CSU Extension. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

The college experience can seem like a carefree time, filled with social activities, weekend football games... and, of course, the occasional visit to the library or an all-night study session. But reality paints a very different picture for many students. Federal data shows that nearly a quarter of the nation’s college students struggle with getting enough nutritious food. That’s 3.8 million students, including thousands in Colorado. And being hungry makes it harder to focus on academics. In response, most of Colorado’s colleges and universities maintain food pantries, mobile markets, and other services to help students who struggle to pay for food. So how do these pantries and mobile markets make a difference for students who struggle to pay their bills – especially at a moment when inflation has driven food prices up ... and as state officials want to make college more accessible to students from different income levels? Jason Gonzales, who covers higher education for Chalkbeat Colorado, wrote about this after spending time at one of these mobile markets. He talked with ITN’s Erin O’Toole about what he learned. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Kids who were babies or toddlers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic... are now preschoolers and kindergarteners in Colorado classrooms. And experts see signs that the pandemic changed their behavior compared to older children. A recent round of data from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood seems to confirm that more kids now show signs of developmental delays. Behavior patterns like struggling to communicate or having emotional outbursts can often be a sign of those delays. And they can create extra challenges for families and educators. Ann Schimke covers early childhood education for Chalkbeat Colorado. She’s been following this story for Chalkbeat, and reporting on how educators are helping kids adjust to preschool and kindergarten classrooms.

Being a farmer or rancher in Colorado means living with uncertainty on a daily basis. Hailstorms, drought and insects can wipe out an entire season of crops. Diseases and predators can devastate livestock without warning. And then there are other pressures, like holding onto a farm or ranch that’s been in the family for generations so it can be passed on to future family members. Experts say these stresses add up to an almost silent mental health crisis for the agriculture community. A new documentary film that explores this crisis will screen this weekend at the Breckenridge Film Festival. Legacy shares the stories of several Colorado farmers and ranchers who speak openly about the toll their livelihood can take on their mental health, and why they often struggle to ask for help. Director Steve Vanderheide joined host Erin O’Toole to share more about the project – and how training more mental health professionals to work with patients in rural areas is crucial. Legacy screens Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Breckenridge Film Festival. You can find the full schedule here. Find more information about the Colorado Agricultural Addiction and Mental Health Program (CAAMHP) at campforhealth.org.

Greeley artist Armando Silva paints some of the most prominent artwork along Colorado’s Front Range. His vibrant, expressive murals depict sugar beet workers who helped establish Fort Collins ... or a steer to honor the Greeley Stampede. And he’s working to create a space for more artists to create more murals. He’s part of the team launching WeldWalls, a brand-new mural festival in Greeley that launches next week. That got us curious about how he hopes to grow the public arts scene in Colorado – and how he got started painting murals in the first place. Armando joined host Erin O’Toole to share more about his unique career, and what he hopes this new outdoor art festival will bring to Northern Colorado's arts community. WeldWalls mural festival takes place September 17 – 21 in Greeley. Full schedule here. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

If you follow national news, you might think the biggest story in Colorado right now is centered on an Aurora apartment complex that was reportedly overtaken by an armed group of Venezuelan gang members. If you watched the presidential debate this week, you likely heard former president Donald Trump mention that gangs had “taken over” the city. Many right-leaning media outlets across the country have reported, without proof, that armed members of the Tren de Aragua gang had driven out the apartments’ property managers and were running the community through intimidation and violence. Conflicting statements from city officials and the Aurora police only added to the confusion. The whole viral story has become a flashpoint for the immigration debate during this presidential election year. Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown suspected there might be more to the story. She spoke with tenants at the complex as well as Aurora city leaders... and she found the situation is actually more nuanced. And while the apartments do have serious problems, being run by gang members doesn’t seem to be one of them. She joined ITN host Erin O’Toole to walk us through what she learned. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Homeowners in Colorado have been watching their insurance costs increase at rates faster than the national average. On average, they pay more to insure their homes than homeowners in other states – about $1,700 more, according to recent figures. You might hear that and assume it’s because wildfires and hailstorms cause more destruction in Colorado, and climate change seems to be making it worse. But that’s only part of the story. The Denver Post reported recently that insurance companies are changing the way they decide how risky it is to insure a home – and to determine what its owners should pay for insurance. Boulder Reporting Lab reported that homeowners in the Boulder area are seeing skyrocketing rates, or being dropped, even if they don’t live in mountainous areas that are more prone to wildfire. Amy Bach is executive director of United Policyholders, a consumer advocacy group. She has been critical of how insurance companies use this new information. Bach says that traditionally, insurers might look at some straightforward details to decide whether to insure your home. Now, companies are using technology to look at other factors like slope and vegetation data that they collect from aerial images. And the reams of data they are collecting often lead to higher rates for homeowners – and to more homes being deemed uninsurable. ITN host Erin O’Toole spoke with Bach to learn more about why this is happening, and what consumers can do about it. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Officials in the city of Boulder say they have a problem: too many parking spaces. Some transportation experts believe having too many empty spots is a waste of space, especially considering some of that space could be used for housing, retail, or a park. By some estimates, Boulder has twice as many parking spots as it needs. Some city leaders say that’s a missed opportunity in a city that struggles to make space for attainable housing. In fact, several Colorado cities are wrestling with this issue now. Host Erin O’Toole sat down with Boulder City Council member Ryan Schuchard to discuss why Boulder and other Front Range cities are considering eliminating minimum parking requirements for developers. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

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 without a headstone... until now. Denver author and barbecue historian Adrian Miller is something of an expert on Columbus B. Hill. He championed Hill’s induction into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame last year. And this Saturday, he’ll honor Hill with a memorial at his burial site in Denver’s historic Riverside Cemetery. Adrian Miller joined ITN’s Erin O’Toole to share the story of the “best barbecue man in the West.” All are welcome at the dedication of the headstone, at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7. And – to truly celebrate the legacy and spirit of Columbus B. Hill – Miller will serve up a barbecue dinner to those who attend the ceremony. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

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.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Colorado's Republican Party is torn between people claiming to be chairman at the state level. And it's splitting the party leadership into two factions at a critical time. It’s a presidential election year, and a moment when the party is working to regain some of the seats they’ve lost at the state level. The leadership of the state GOP recently voted out their chairman, Dave Williams, and installed a new chair named Eli Bremer. But Williams and his supporters says the vote was illegitimate, and he’s still chairman. Williams was reaffirmed at a second meeting held last weekend. When something like this happens to one of the two major parties in the state it makes us wonder: how did we get here? ITN host Erin O’Toole talks with KUNC’s statehouse reporter Lucas Brady Woods to learn more. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Since the 1980s, a growing number of Colorado school districts have adopted a four-day schedule. Currently, about one in seven K-12 public school students in Colorado attends class four days a week rather than five – primarily those in smaller, rural school districts. These districts often have smaller budgets than schools along the Front Range and in mountain towns. And researchers say the four-day schedule is often used as an incentive to attract and retain teachers when the district can’t offer a more competitive salary. But a new report from the Keystone Policy Center says the four-day school week may have negative impacts on student achievement. On top of that, it doesn’t appear to be effective in the goal of recruiting and keeping teachers. Keystone senior policy director Van Schoales helped research and write the report, titled “Doing Less with Less.” He spoke with host Erin O’Toole about what they learned – and what they recommend for districts considering this in the future. Keystone Policy Center, in conjunction with The Colorado Sun, created an interactive data map to accompany the report. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

The Palisade peach might be one of Colorado's best-kept secrets. Those grocery store peaches from California or Georgia are perfectly fine. But a good peach from Western Colorado is often juicier, sweeter and bigger than its out-of-state competition. As peach season winds down for the year, the In The NoCo team wanted to find out: What makes the Palisade peach such a singular treat? It turns out, much of it has to do with the microclimate in Palisade and other fruit-growing areas of Colorado’s Western Slope. “Oftentimes we don’t have those massive temperature swings like you do over in the Front Range,” says Jeff Pieper. He’s a commercial horticulture specialist with Colorado State University Extension who helps growers in Palisade with everything from irrigation advice to dealing with insects. He shared some of the science behind what makes Palisade peaches such sought-after Colorado produce with ITN host Erin O’Toole. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

The Colorado Tourism Office recently published a report outlining the economic benefits of travel in different regions around Colorado. And the numbers show that tourism is growing. The report labeled one region the ‘Rockies Playground’ – that's an area that includes parts of Summit, Eagle, and Pitkin counties. And visitor spending in that region grew by about 50 percent between 2013 and 2023. But that surge in visitors -- and the ‘playground’ label from the tourism office -- caught the attention of Scott Fitzwilliams. He’s the supervisor of the White River National Forest, the most visited national forest in the country, which includes land near Breckenridge, Aspen and Vail. Fitzwilliams joined host Erin O’Toole to discuss how this surge in tourism signals a moment where Coloradans need to decide: What’s the right balance between treating public lands as a playground, or as places that need to be protected? Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Weld County’s Clerk and Recorder Carly Koppes has a noticeable online presence. She posts lots of informational videos around election time telling voters how to cast a ballot or get ready for election day But here’s something that keeps Koppes -- and a lot of other election officials -- up at night. Artificial intelligence is developing so quickly that a bad actor could take one of those videos and convincingly alter her voice, so that it sounds like she’s saying something misleading... such as giving the wrong hours when polls are open. Koppes and other clerks from Colorado’s 64 counties recently gathered to talk about those scenarios that give them nightmares as the November election approaches. She joined host Erin O’Toole to discuss how election officials like her are gearing up to respond to misleading emails, deepfake videos, and other social media misinformation. Not sure if your voter registration is up to date? Check it at GoVoteColorado.com: Read more about Mesa County clerk Tina Peters’ verdict in The Colorado Sun. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Wildfires, like the ones that hit Colorado’s Front Range this summer, rip through communities. They torch homes and disrupt lives. But wildfires can also cause some surprising -- even uplifting -- things to happen. They strengthen the bonds between neighbors. They make people more resilient. And those stronger connections help people prepare for future emergencies. In fact, there’s a whole field of study that examines and documents those silver linings after a disaster. Lori Peek is a professor of sociology and the director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder. She joined ITN host Erin O’Toole to discuss how communities come together during and after natural disasters. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

On Colorado’s Western Slope a single sign represents a mining town that was once there. The town helped provide the uranium in the first atomic bomb. The town was called Uravan. Journalist Alec Cowan has long been fascinated by stories of Uravan. Cowan grew up in nearby Grand Junction and remembers hearing urban legends about Uravan. Officials closed and buried the town in the 1980s due to radiation concerns. Cowan set out to record interviews with former residents of Uravan, and recently turned his research into a six-part podcast series. It's called Boom Town: A Uranium Story. In The NoCo’s Brad Turner talked with Cowan to hear about this largely forgotten corner of Colorado. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

In Colorado, there are approximately 3,000 search and rescue incidents each year, according to the state's Search and Rescue Association. And when someone goes missing in the backcountry, every hour counts.Heat, dehydration and exposure to the elements make a person's survival less likely as time ticks by. Rescuers in our state also deal with rugged mountains, steep canyons, dense tree cover, and extreme temperatures at high elevations. All this makes it more difficult to locate someone quickly. But new technology could give search and rescue teams a powerful new tool. It's called Lifeseeker – and it effectively turns a helicopter into a moving cell phone tower, able to detect a missing hiker’s mobile phone. A Durango-based company, Colorado Highland Helicopters, is testing the new technology as it seeks FCC approval in the United States. Dr. Tim Durkin coordinates search and rescue programs for them. He joined host Erin O'Toole in June to explain how Lifeseeker works, and the potential impact it could have in Colorado. We're listening back to that conversation today.*Note: This is an encore of our podcast that originally ran on June 18, 2024.* * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

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. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio

Grasshoppers are everywhere along Colorado's Front Range right now. They blanket the sidewalks and lawns – which makes them a pest. But they also devastate crops, which makes them a real problem for farmers. Our friends at the Colorado State University Extension run a sort of hotline for folks with questions about gardening and lawncare. They confirmed that this is an extraordinary summer: They say grasshopper-related calls are up 600 percent in recent weeks as dozens of people call in with their hopper-related concerns. Host Erin O’Toole got some explanation about why grasshoppers are so bad this year – and what to do about it – from Karim Gharbi, a horticulture expert and entomologist with the CSU Extension. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

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. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn 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: [email protected] 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.

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. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

As much as 40 percent of the homes in some Colorado mountain resorts sit unoccupied for much of the year. And housing is in such short supply in communities like Breckenridge or Steamboat Springs that many workers find themselves living in hotels, rather than a house or apartment.Leaders in a coalition of ski towns called the Colorado Association of Ski Towns, or CAST, are asking lawmakers for a new tool to address the housing shortage. They want the ability to discourage those homeowners, who let their properties sit empty, from doing so.And one way they might do that is by taxing those unoccupied homes.Revenue from those taxes could then fund affordable housing programs and cut down on vacant homes.Host Erin O’Toole spoke with Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins, who has been covering this story.* * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.