In The NoCo

Today on Colorado Edition: A report from the United Nations out this week catalogues the physical science behind human-driven changes to our climate and paints a grim picture of what could lie ahead if significant changes aren’t made. We’ll explore the report’s findings, and how our changing climate could shape the inhabitability of the Front Range. We’ll also hear from artists who have used time away from performing to examine the safety and equity of their art. And, we speak with teachers from different school districts about how their schools are approaching the return to in-person classes this month.

Today on Colorado Edition: We learn how the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is taking action against a Weld County company accused of oil spills and gas leaks. Then, we shift our gaze towards the sky and learn about the annual Perseid meteor shower. Next, a climate reporter tells us what she’s learned from two different journeys down a dam just upstream of the Grand Canyon, 30 years apart. Plus, we hear how hiking 14ers can sometimes harm the very trails we rely on — and what one group is doing to mitigate the damage.

Today on Colorado Edition: As the concert scene heats back up, some Front Range clubs will require concertgoers to show proof of vaccination. We’ll explore what that will entail and how venues hope it will help them recover from last year’s pandemic slump. We talk with an Olympic gymnast from Colorado about his road to Tokyo, and how COVID-19 has impacted the games. We hear how the rafting industry has made a comeback, despite this summer’s mudslides and wildfires. And, we meet bumblebee-sniffing dog Darwin, trained to work with conservation experts to help increase our understanding of bees and other pollinators.

Today on Colorado Edition: We explore the latest COVID-19 health and safety guidance and its influence on how school districts are envisioning the year ahead. We also hear about a team of homebuilders in Northern Colorado that's exploring shipping containers as an affordable housing solution. We’ll visit a class in Denver that’s teaching children about a newly popular, cutting-edge technology. And we investigate the consequences of how crime is reported, both by police departments and news organizations.

Today on Colorado Edition: We get the latest on rising cases of COVID-19 and learn how Colorado officials are trying to mitigate the spread. Then, we hear from a runner who is blind and his sighted guide as they embark on their longest trail race to date -- and learn what message they are trying to send with the ambitious feat. Plus, we hear about a “pulse flow” that reconnected the Colorado River to the Pacific Ocean as we say a temporary farewell to KUNC’s resident water reporter, Luke Runyon.

Today on Colorado Edition: After a federal moratorium on evictions expired over the weekend, we get an update on what will happen next with Colorado renters and landlords. We also hear about the Olympic debut of sport climbing, and the Colorado climbers who will be competing. Plus, we learn how the Americans with Disabilities Act has shaped outdoor places in the last 31 years. And, we visit the Wilderness on Wheels camp in Park County that has focused on accessibility in nature since the mid-1980s.

Today on Colorado Edition: We look back on the history of Black cowboys in the American West and how they helped shape what our state would become. And, we travel back to a time before Colorado was a state to hear the story of a man who successfully lobbied to delay statehood until African Americans received the right to vote. We’ll also revisit our conversation with the artist behind the trail maps found at ski resorts across the state. And KUNC’s film critic reviews a movie about the intelligence and emotions of trees.

Today on Colorado Edition: we learn about the uptick in health organizations requiring their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and why these mandates are coming months after the onset of widespread vaccine availability. Then, we check in with Colorado local Flora Duffy, who recently won the first Olympic gold medal for her home country of Bermuda. Plus, with Colorado Day on the horizon, we meet the newest state historian and learn about her goals for the year ahead.

Today on Colorado Edition: We hear how the pandemic has changed some students' college paths. We ride along with a co-responder team in Summit County to learn how they’re changing the way they respond to people in mental health crises. We talk with the head of the state’s new environmental justice unit about the work they’ll be doing. And, we hear how the wedding business is bouncing back in America’s wedding capital, Las Vegas.

Today on Colorado Edition: We hear how monsoon patterns and thunderstorms contribute to flash floods, like the ones last week in Glenwood and Poudre Canyon. We also get an update on unidentified aerial phenomena spotted in Eastern Colorado last year. Plus, we explore how Colorado mountain towns are weathering a “perfect storm” of a housing crisis, worker shortages and waves of tourists. And, we learn the results of a study on a Denver program that gave people experiencing homelessness a permanent place to live and access to extensive social services.