In The NoCo

Featured Segments
Recovery residence: Early in the year, KUNC’s Stephanie Daniel visited a Greeley home where a small group of women are supporting each other to stay substance-free. They call it a “recovery residence.”
And as Stephanie reported, they’re growing in numbers as more people choose to live in substance-free environments.
This story was produced in February.

Grand Canyon norovirus: KUNC’s Luke Runyon leads our Water Desk coverage. In September, he brought us this story about a nasty stomach bug usually associated with cruise ships and buffets — the norovirus.
The virus can sicken people for days with nausea and vomiting. Runyon reported that the virus is so contagious that outbreaks can pop up in unexpected places, such as the Grand Canyon.
This story originally aired in September.
It’s part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.

John Denver: There was one story we couldn’t pass up in this Colorado Edition episode of memorable stories.
This past October marked 50 years since John Denver released “Rocky Mountain High.” KUNC’s Emma VandenEinde explains the legacy of his life and his music.
Emma first reported this story in October.

Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.

Featured Segments
Slowdown at the Office of Gun Violence and Prevention: Some Colorado lawmakers are upset with the state’s new Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Legislators created the office almost two years ago in an effort to save lives by focusing on firearm safety and using the state’s new red flag law to take guns away from those flagged as dangerous.
KUNC reporter Scott Franz has found the office has done little of that work, leaving lawmakers with questions.

The Ogallala Aquifer drying up: The Ogallala Aquifer is a vast, underground water supply that lies beneath eight states, including parts of Eastern Colorado. Many farmers on the eastern plains depend on it as a reliable source of water to irrigate their crops — but the aquifer is drying up.

KUNC reporter Rae Solomon asked what that means for the future of agricultural communities in the area.

This story is part of the “America Amplified” initiative. America Amplified is a national public media collaboration focused on community engagement reporting.

Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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

Glen Canyon Dam: New forecasts for the Colorado River paint a grim picture. Climate change and steady demand are shrinking the water supply for 40 million people.

At the nation's largest dams, that means the ability to generate hydropower could soon be under threat. KUNC's Alex Hager introduces us to the Glen Canyon Dam. What was once a mighty piece of Western infrastructure is now possibly unable to function.

This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.

Holiday grief: The holiday season is here. It's a festive time for many, with families getting together to celebrate — but the holidays can be especially hard for some.

Many are mourning the loss of a loved one and dealing with profound grief. University of Colorado College of Nursing Nurse Practitioners Heather Coats and Kerry Peterson gave some insight into how to manage grief and depression over the holidays.

If you or anyone you know is struggling during the holidays, you can connect with these sources:
Crisis and Emergency information, CU Denver
Grief and Loss, CDC
Grief & The Holidays, Caring Info
Grief, APA

Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.

It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!

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

Featured Segments

Psilocybin's next steps: Proposition 122 was one of the ballot measures approved by voters last month. It decriminalizes the psychedelic substance psilocybin for personal use and mental health treatment. But as KUNC's Lucas Brady Woods reports, Coloradans won't see clinics offering psychedelics quite yet.

No return for some Marshall Fire survivors: It's been nearly one year since the Marshall Fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Boulder County.However, there's another group of affected homeowners — their houses are still standing, yet they don't feel safe returning home due to issues such as smoke damage.The story is a collaboration between students at the CU Boulder Center for Environmental Journalism, the Boulder Reporting Lab, and KUNC. We spoke with CU Boulder student Zain Iqbal about their team effort.

Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata.

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

The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

Featured segments

Wind repair: While the Marshall Fire was burning down over 1,000 houses last December, the 100-mile-an-hour winds that day were also damaging nearby mobile homes.

Roofs, siding, windows and doors were blown off and smashed. In the freezing days that followed, pipes burst. KUNC's Leigh Paterson reports on the rush to finish repairs almost a year after the fire and before winter arrives.

Eliminating acres of irrigated land: Colorado Parks and Wildlife has pledged to eliminate thousands of acres of irrigated agriculture in a focused region on the eastern plains as a part of an agreement with the states of Kansas and Nebraska to conserve water used from a shared underground aquifer.

The burden falls mostly on private landowners, but as KUNC's Rae Solomon found, the state also has irrigation wells there. Local farmers say they shouldn't be the only ones to sacrifice their water rights.

This story is part of the "America Amplified" initiative. America Amplified is a national public media collaboration focused on community engagement reporting.

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

Credits

Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata.

The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

On this episode of Colorado Edition, we focus on water. We have two stories from our ongoing coverage of the Colorado River: Checking in with the people who have a front row seat to the crisis, and seeing if the Colorado River Compact is still working.

Front row seats to the Colorado River crisis: The Colorado River is drying up, and the communities that rely on it are already feeling the pinch.While many large cities throughout the Southwest are well-positioned to weather the coming crisis, the threat of losing their water supply is no longer hypothetical in some small towns such as Page, Arizona.

The Colorado River Compact: The Colorado River’s foundational legal document turns 100 years old this month. The agreement among seven western states was groundbreaking for its time, but as KUNC’s Luke Runyon reports, it continues to contribute to the Southwest’s water crisis.

These stories are part of ongoing coverage of water in the West. It’s produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.

Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.

Midterm Election Debrief: The midterm elections were held just last week. KUNC’s Statehouse Reporter Lucas Brady Woods talks about the results and how things shook out post-election.
Pobre Pancho’s: One of Fort Collins’ oldest Mexican restaurants — Pobre Pancho’s — closed last spring. The owner wants to sell the property to a fast food change planning to knock the building down.But reporter Mickey Capper says the family who ran the restaurant for decades is now fighting to preserve the building and its history.
Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata.
The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.

Green Rooves: A researcher in our region is looking at a new way to grow vegetables and flowers at home, but as KUNC’s Emma VandenEinde reports, it might be more difficult than anticipated.

Tap Water Taste Test: There’s nothing quite as refreshing as a cold glass of water straight from the tap — but it takes a lot of work to make your water clean and tasty.City water providers from all over the Mountain West put their supplies to the test at a recent event in Colorado. KUNC’s Alex Hager was invited to judge.This story is a part of ongoing coverage of water in the West, produced by KUNC and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.

A study into the health activity of dairy cattle: A research team at Colorado State University is using pedometers to monitor the activity of dairy cattle. The goal is to improve milk quality while maintaining a cost-effective solution for local farmers.Heading the study is CSU’s Department of Animal Science, Associate Professor Dr. Pablo Pineda. KUNC’s Yoselin Meza-Miranda spoke with him to learn more about the research.

Credits
Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling.
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!

Voting is underway in Colorado, and ballots are due on Election Day by 7 pm. As a reminder, Election Day is Nov. 8, which is less than two weeks away.

Proposition FF: If approved, Proposition FF would raise the money needed to provide free school lunches at all public schools in Colorado.

Phil Weiser, Colorado Attorney General Incumbent: Colorado voters are deciding this election whether to keep incumbent candidate Phil Weisner in the State Attorney General seat or bring in challenger John Kellner. KUNC's Beau Baker spoke with Weiser about what he's been doing on the job. Their conversation begins with how the state is distributing opioid settlement funds to help stem a major drug crisis.

John Kellner, Colorado Attorney General Challenger: KUNC reached out to Republican candidate John Jellner several times but did not hear back.

Kellner currently serves as a district attorney for the 8th judicial district, which includes Arapahoe, Douglas Elbert and Lincoln Counties. His platform centers largely around public safety and cracking down on crime. If he's elected, he wants to use the Attorney General; 's office to deal with high rates of fentanyl misuse, violent crime and cart theft.

Kellner supports the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. He is in favor of abortion being dictated by states, as opposed to the federal government. In Colorado, he said he will uphold abortion access because it's codified in state law ad does not support a federal abortion ban.

Kellner has also rejected claims that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent and has said that former President Donald Trump holds some responsibility for the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

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

Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by digital editor Megan Manata. 

The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

What to expect on your ballots: Ballots for the November election are hitting mailboxes this week, and there’s a lot at stake. Not only will Coloradans decide who will represent them in Congress and at the state House, but there are also 11 statewide questions that could affect everything from how much people pay in taxes to where they can buy wine.

Colorado’s gubernatorial race — Heidi Ganahl: Colorado’s governor ticket is expected to be one of the most heated races on the ballot. Republican Heidi Ganahl is hoping to replace incumbent Jared Polis in the governor’s mansion. She said Polis is not doing enough to move the state forward. Here’s what she said she would do differently.

Colorado’s gubernatorial race — Jared Polis: Gov. Polis has been busy crisscrossing the statem toting his record over the last for years — namely his administration’s delivery of free full-day kindergarten and his leadership through the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s what he said about his vision for a second term.

Colorado Edition is hosted by Yoselin Meza Miranda and produced by the KUNC newsroom, led by news director Sean Corcoran. Web was edited by Digital Editor Megan Manata. The mission of Colorado Edition is to deepen understanding of life in Northern Colorado through authentic conversation and storytelling. It's available as a podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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