In The NoCo

On today’s Colorado Edition, we hear about a new bill that would cover the cost of college tuition for thousands of foster youth in the state. And we listen back to a conversation with Dr. K. Ron-Li Liaw, the new chief of mental health at Children’s Hospital Colorado, about the ongoing challenge to provide resources and support for young people struggling with mental health issues.

Water feeds Northeast Colorado’s corn and wheat fields, creating a booming agricultural economy. But that water is disappearing from the tributaries that feed the Republican River, flowing 450 miles from the cropland of Yuma County through Kansas and Nebraska. In this special episode of Colorado Edition from KUNC, reporter Adam Rayes takes us on a journey to explore the water crisis in Colorado’s Republican River basin.

Today on Colorado Edition, we head up to Loveland to watch how a new reservoir project takes shape, and we hear how a volunteer for a nonprofit that helps people navigate insurance after disaster is working with Marshall Fire survivors.

Among many things the pandemic revealed was just how undervalued many essential workers are, especially those who work in lower-paid service-industry jobs. Denver-based author and blogger Adam Kaat chronicles his experience working in a busy grocery store during the height of the pandemic, in a novel called Life on the Grocery Line: A Frontline Experience in a Global Pandemic.

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

Today on Colorado Edition, we explore local and statewide efforts to prevent overdose deaths and reduce harm. We also hear about a report commissioned by the Interior Department that outlines serious problems at tribal jails.

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

Today on Colorado Edition, we hear about Marshall Fire survivors who are struggling with a challenging housing market and a strong desire to stay put. We also listen back to a conversation with journalist Lisa Napoli about four women who were foundational to the early days of NPR.