In The NOCO

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.

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Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected]
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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected]
Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!

Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

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

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.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected]
Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!

Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

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.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected]
Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!
Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

If you 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.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected]
Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!

Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

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

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

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

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

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

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected]
Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!

Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

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

A 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.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected]
Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!

Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

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.

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected]
Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!

Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

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

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.  

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected]
Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!

Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

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

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.

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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org
Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected]
Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!

Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner

Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

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