Douglas County is asking for ideas on how to spend $68 million in federal money, leading to nearly $250 million in requests for water diversion projects. Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth recently drilled into the details of the requests and their possible environmental implications.

Booth speaks with fellow Sun reporter Daniel Ducassi about what he found.

To learn more visit us at coloradosun.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As teachers returned to the classroom this year, determined to help catch kids up on academics, they were met with another challenge: students with more severe behavior problems than many had seen before. 

Colorado Sun education reporter Erica Breunlin speaks with fellow Sun reporter Daniel Ducassi about what teachers are seeing.

Read more at coloradosun.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Portions of a major Xcel Energy power project could be routed close to the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. Colorado Sun reporter Kevin Simpson spoke recently with tribal leaders and other park advocates who say that the proximity of towers and transmission lines could spoil the cultural and aesthetic character of the site. Simpson speaks with fellow Sun reporter Daniel Ducassi about the details.

Learn more at coloradosun.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Colorado family tried to save their cattle ranch by creating habitat for wildlife on their land. The bet paid off as rare birds flocked to the property with ornithologists in tow. Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth spoke with the family and conservationists to hear their story, providing a peek into what the future of ranching may look like in the state. Booth speaks with fellow Sun reporter Daniel Ducassi about what he learned.

Learn more at coloradosun.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A long line of out-of-state interests have fallen in love with Cuchara, the scenic mountain enclave in southern Colorado, over the years. They saw a chance to build a ski getaway and make a score with attached real estate. But unreliable snow and blustery winds doomed them to failure. Decades later, another out-of-state interest arrived with another vision for the area. But a very different kind of vision. The Sun’s Jason Blevins joined colleague Kevin Simpson to talk about Cuchara’s disappointing past -- and why locals nonetheless have high hopes for success this time around.

Learn more at coloradosun.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like many rural areas, the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado has a conundrum when it comes to keeping talented technical minds close to home. Lacking the educational opportunities to pursue degrees in engineering, young people often must leave to find the right college programs. At the same time, companies that need technical workers with an engineering background struggle to fill good-paying jobs. But a new joint program between Adams State University, the post-secondary education hub in the valley, and Colorado State University aims to change that dynamic. Sun reporter David Gilbert sat down with colleague Kevin Simpson to talk about his reporting on a way for talented, science-minded young people to remain in the close-knit community.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Check out our sponsors! Gaylord Rockies: https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/N4406.3781527COLORADOSUN/B26479838.315145984;dc_trk_aid=510089669;dc_trk_cid=160176852;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;ltd=

The Navajo Rangers were created in 1957 as a combination of law enforcement and cultural interpreters on the vast Navajo Nation in Arizona, which spills into neighboring states, including Colorado. But as their numbers have dwindled to just 9, the need for the Rangers’ watchful eyes has only increased as more and more people visit in search of outdoor recreation -- and sometimes to illegally excavate ancient artifacts. Sun correspondent Elizabeth Miller touched base with Kevin Simpson to talk about her reporting on the Rangers and how tribal lands must deal with rising numbers of recreational users.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Check out our sponsors! Gaylord Rockies: https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/N4406.3781527COLORADOSUN/B26479838.315145984;dc_trk_aid=510089669;dc_trk_cid=160176852;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;ltd=

New development can be a tricky thing to manage under any circumstances. But in the foothills west of Denver, a proposed housing complex has sparked a different kind of conflict, rooted in two things that have taken on ever-increasing importance amid climate change in the already arid West: water, and the looming fear of wildfire. Sun writer Shannon Najmabadi joined Kevin Simpson to talk about how the mountain town of Conifer, population 8,000, has been roiled by plans to build 188 new units.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Check out our sponsors! Gaylord Rockies: https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/N4406.3781527COLORADOSUN/B26479838.315145984;dc_trk_aid=510089669;dc_trk_cid=160176852;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;ltd=

Two years ago, Colorado took steps to address the increasing frequency of overdoses of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. A new program aimed to make the antidote -- called naloxone, under the brand name Narcan -- available to police, universities, recreation centers and schools. But as Sun reporter Jennifer Brown discovered, only two school districts in the entire state have taken advantage of the program. She sat down with colleague Kevin Simpson to talk about the program, the tepid response by schools and how one woman's experience helped bring the issue to light.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Check out our sponsors! Gaylord Rockies: https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/N4406.3781527COLORADOSUN/B26479838.315145984;dc_trk_aid=510089669;dc_trk_cid=160176852;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;ltd=

Colorado tried out a brand-new redistricting process this year overseen by two independent citizens commissions, an effort to take politics out of a process previously controlled by the state Legislature and political parties. But in addition to figuring that out for the first time, the commissions and their staff also had to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and long delays in getting U.S. census data. What went right and what went wrong? Reporter Thy Vo talked to two of the legislative staffers who have worked behind-the-scenes in Colorado redistricting for years, Jeremiah Barry and Jessika Shipley, and who helped commissioners navigate the brand new process. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.