Kunc's Colorado Edition

For the past seven years if you were a Colorado farmer who was struggling and felt overwhelmed, you had a place to turn for help.    The AgWell program offered mental health support to farmers and ranchers in several Western states. It gave them stress management tools and support from their peers. That’s important because farmers statistically struggle with isolation and die by suicide at rates twice as high as the general population.   But those services are on hold now. Amid other spending cuts ordered by the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture in April froze $10 million in funding for support programs like AgWell.  Colorado Sun reporter Tracy Ross recently wrote about the program. She spoke with Erin O’Toole about the abrupt loss of its funding. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks

An artist in Lakewood who specializes in creating tiny books and illustrations received an unusual offer recently. An art gallery reached out to Evan Lorenzen and asked for his help in creating a book of original art – no bigger than your thumbnail – to be placed on the moon.    The Moon Gallery, based in Amsterdam, works to send cultural artifacts into space. They’ve shipped artwork to the International Space Station. Now they wanted to focus on the moon.   Evan worked with the Moon Gallery to compile a tiny, 80-page book filled with images and poetry by dozens of artists and writers.   They called the book Moon Bound. It’s set to be launched into space later this year. Evan spoke with Brad Turner about the challenge of making the tiny book and some of the highlights from artists who contributed to the projects. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on yo

When people speculate about fallout from President Trump's threatened tariffs, they often talk about how tariffs on steel could drive up car prices, or how tariffs on some food products or imported wines will drive up prices at the store.  But tariffs are hitting some small outdoor recreation businesses in Colorado especially hard. Think about the price of a stand-up paddleboard or a ski jacket almost doubling. And some companies that sell Colorado-made products in other countries are cancelling orders altogether.          Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins recently spoke with the owners of several small outdoor companies about how the tariffs are hitting their bottom line. He talked with Erin O’Toole about how they’ll try to cope in the coming months amid the uncertainty.  The Mountain West News Bureau’s Rachel Cohen also reported on how tariff hikes could impact companies that make and sell outdoor gear. Find that story here. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feed

A new study suggests that researchers should take a closer look at cannabis as a treatment for cancer and its symptoms. The team behind the study says the results suggest the federal government should remove restrictions on that research.  An organization called Cancer Playbook, which is based in Evergreen, paid for the study. Cancer Playbook’s head of research says it works to provide people battling cancer with information about what treatments have helped other cancer patients – and that often includes medical marijuana. The study reviewed more than 10,000 published papers on medical cannabis. That makes it the most comprehensive analysis ever conducted on the topic, according to a recent story in The Guardian.  Ryan Castle is the director of research for Cancer Playbook and he led the study. It found that cannabis showed clear promise in many aspects of cancer treatment, from reducing pain to shrinking tumors. Ryan talked with Erin O’Toole about study and why it’s hard to get reliable data on the effectiv

An innovative new prosthetic foot dreamed up by students at Colorado State University could offer new options to amputees and other people with limb differences.  The team behind it calls it the “Goldilocks foot” because it serves as a middle option. It’s more comfortable than cheaper prosthetics but costs less than prosthetics built for running and other competitive sports. The design team says the Goldilocks foot is especially useful for walks and light exercise.  CSU senior, Garrison Hays, worked with a team of engineering undergrads to create the design. And he drew on his personal experience: His leg was partially amputated to remove cancer when he was a kid.  He spoke with Brad Turner about how he realized he wanted  to make a prosthetic that was affordable, but also durable and comfortable. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podc

Writer Cassondra Windwalker’s new horror novel uses fiction to highlight a real-life crisis that often goes ignored.  Ghost Girls and Rabbits touches on the thousands of unsolved cases of Indigenous American and Alaska Native women who were missing or murdered. More than 4,000 cases fit that description, according to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. The novel tells the story of two Indigenous American women: one who has lost her daughter, and the other who has herself been kidnapped. Windwalker is originally from Oklahoma, spent time in Alaska and now lives in Berthoud.  Ghost Girls and Rabbits comes out May 5, which is also a day of awareness to call attention to the issue. Windwalker spoke with Erin O'Toole about the horror writer who inspired her, and how she hopes the book raises awareness about an urgent problem. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by r

In 2025, artificial intelligence gives us personalized shopping recommendations. It writes emails for us. And all those quick tasks require lightning-fast computing and huge amounts of data. Which is why tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon are building massive data centers around the country. Some state lawmakers have proposed incentives for companies that want to build data centers in Colorado. They say the facilities will create jobs and tax revenue – and that Colorado is competing with other states for that economic boost.  But skeptics point out that data centers use enormous amounts of electricity and water, which strains power grids and water supplies.    To sort through the economic benefits and the environmental costs, we reached out to Vijay Gadepally. He's a senior scientist at MIT who researches high performance computing and artificial intelligence. He’s also the chief technology officer of an AI cloud computing company that hopes to build a data center in Colorado.  He talked with Erin O'To

Some of Colorado’s state laws share an unusual origin story.     One set aside money to help foster kids attend college. Another provides free menstrual products in schools. A third law funded an awareness program to prevent eating disorders.  All of these are laws that were designed and proposed by high school students, who actually drafted the language of each bill before legislators ultimately approved them.  The Colorado Youth Advisory Council, or COYAC, has allowed high school students in the program to meet with lawmakers to discuss issues that affect young people. And those students managed to write seven bills that ultimately were written into law.  State lawmakers in recent months considered defunding COYAC amid a statewide budget crunch of about $1.2 billion. They ultimately opted to set aside $50,000 in funding so the students can continue to work with lawmakers – although they’ll no longer have the power to draft bills. Erin O’Toole spoke with Brenda Morrison, who oversees COYAC, about the program

A clinic in Boulder that was one of only a handful in the country to provide abortions in later pregnancy has closed.  Dr. Warren Hern, who operated Boulder Abortion Clinic for 50 years, announced earlier this month that he was retiring and that the clinic would stop scheduling patients.  The closure means one less clinic in Colorado at a time when more women are traveling here from states where abortion care is restricted.    The doctor didn’t mince words when he spoke with Erin O’Toole on Tuesday. Hern has seen death threats, had bullets fired at his clinic and seen other abortion providers murdered. He spoke at length about running the clinic for a half-century and his thoughts on groups that oppose his work.   * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org 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 E

Casey Fiesler had an intriguing idea for a research project.   Casey teaches information science and technology at the University of Colorado. And she wanted to create social media content that would help young people understand how artificial intelligence works. The National Science Foundation, or NSF, liked Casey's proposal too — so much that they approved a grant of about $268,000 to fund the project. The money would help Casey and a small team of researchers create the educational materials.  But that plan ground to a halt two weeks ago when Casey learned the NSF – which is managed by the federal government -- had abruptly canceled the funding.  It happened at a moment when the Trump administration is killing grants for projects that involved subjects like misinformation and disinformation. The New York Times reported that Casey's grant was one of more than 400 were defunded with little or no explanation.  Casey talked with Erin O’Toole about how she learned that project was defunded, and why it could h

Fatal traffic accidents involving pedestrians are on the rise in Colorado. In 2023, the most recent year for which data is available,135 pedestrians died in Colorado traffic accidents. That’s more than twice as many pedestrians as died in traffic crashes a decade earlier, according to a story from the Colorado Sun.  But the number of pedestrian deaths has actually decreased in one city. Officials in Boulder reported zero pedestrian deaths in 7 of the past 11 years.   So what did Boulder do to limit and prevent pedestrian fatalities? And what can other Colorado cities learn from Boulder?  Erin O’Toole spoke with Wes Marshall, a civil engineering professor with the University of Colorado-Denver and previous In The NoCo guest. Wes wrote a book called Killed By a Traffic Engineer, which explores how traffic designs often fail to keep pedestrians safe. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more peopl

If you've tried a slew of dieting routines with minimal success – think the Keto Diet, Caveman Diet, or South Beach Diet – a new study says you might have better luck fasting a few days per week.  University of Colorado researchers recently found that participants who fasted three days each week were more successful at losing weight than participants who followed a reduced-calorie diet every day. The fasting group saw 60 percent more weight loss than the group that reduced its calorie intake every day. Victoria Catenacci led the study. She’s an associate professor of endocrinology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She spoke with Erin O’Toole about why the three-days-per-week fasting model was helpful for many participants – and why it was an easier plan to stick with. (She also noted that if you have a health condition, it’s important to check with your doctor before adopting a diet like this.) Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NO

Recycled wooden barrels. Used steel beams. Reclaimed railroad ties. These are the kinds of things you can find at repurposedMATERIALS in Lafayette. The company acquires discarded industrial materials and products and resells them instead of sending them to a landfill.  Damon Carson founded the business in 2011 after running two trash companies. The Lafeyette location is one of six across the country where he stores his unusual inventory and then ships it off once he finds the right buyer.  It’s Earth Week, so we’re listening back to a conversation between Damon and In the NoCo’s Brad Turner, recorded in January. Damon explained how he built the company, which he says diverted 15 million pounds of waste from landfills last year. Check out a recent profile of the business in The Denver Post. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.orgLike what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app.

A growing number of home gardeners are turning to drought-tolerant plantings – think native plants like yucca, milkweed, or yarrow. For years, many homeowners’ associations in Colorado didn’t make it easy to install xeric landscaping or water-saving tools like rain barrels.   But homeowners, state law is on your side.   In recent years, Colorado legislators passed a handful of laws that make it easier for homeowners to incorporate water-efficient landscaping  without running afoul of their HOA bylaws.  Deryn Davidson is the statewide sustainable landscape specialist with Colorado State University Extension. She consulted with legislators as some of these policies were being crafted over the past decade.   Deryn spoke with Erin O’Toole about what the laws cover and why they were needed. Read some of CSU Extension’s recommendations for native perennials, shrubs, grasses, and trees. And you can read more about rain barrels here. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedbac

Mountain Plovers are a celebrated bird species in parts of Colorado. But if you’ve never seen one, you’re in the majority.  Mountain Plovers nest on Colorado’s eastern plains and are sometimes referred to as the “prairie ghost” because their sandy-colored plumage makes them hard to spot.  The annual Mountain Plover Festival in Karval – which begins this Friday – celebrates this bird.   The festival draws hundreds of visitors each year and owes much of its success to support from local ranchers, who have gotten involved in preserving Mountain Plover habitat. Angela Dwyer is a manager for the stewardship program of the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. She joined Erin O’Toole to talk about the ranchers, the festival and the plovers — including why this prairie loving bird has “mountain” in its name. The sound of Mountain Plovers used in this episode can be found in the Cornel Lab of Ornithology Macaulay Library.  Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NO

Colorado health officials are watching with concern as measles cases increase around the country.  Outbreaks of the highly contagious disease are on the rise in two dozen states. Most of the country’s 800 cases so far are in Texas.  But the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has confirmed three cases in our state so far – and officials there are warning about the potential for measles to spread quickly.So how do we prevent what’s happening in Texas from happening in Colorado?  Dr. David Higgins is a pediatrician and preventive medicine specialist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. He told Erin O’Toole that healthcare workers in the state should push to get more people vaccinated against measles right now. Curious about the MMR vaccination rate in your school district? Find a map here. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by

Housing costs in Colorado’s mountain resort towns are so high that many workers can’t afford an apartment or room in the towns where they do their jobs.  In Summit County, dozens of workers opt for an unusual solution. They pay $75 a month for a pass that lets them sleep in their car in a parking lot in Frisco.   The nonprofit Unsheltered In Summit runs the Summit Safe Parking Program. The program manages the parking lot and provides a portable toilet and trash disposal. Tenants in the lot must show a pay stub that proves they work in the area. The New York Times has reported it’s the only program of its kind in the country. Paul Minjares lives in one of these lots and helps manage it as a paid employee. He screens applicants and keeps an eye on what’s happening from day to day. He first heard about the program after he’d lost his apartment and started sleeping in his car. Paul joined Erin O'Toole to talk about what makes this program work – and what it’s like to call the parking lot home. Sign up for the In

Leaders in Colorado are grappling with how to respond to the Trump administration's immigration policies that might affect students.  State lawmakers last week gave initial approval to a bill that would limit cooperation between federal immigration officials and public schools. And for months now, education leaders have been gathering advice on how to respond if immigration raids affect students in their schools.  One person they got advice from was Steve Joel. He was the superintendent of schools in Grand Island, Nebraska, when immigration officers raided a meat packing plant there in 2006, detaining about 250 workers without legal status.  Those arrests in Grand Island rattled the community. And the experience taught the now-retired administrator many lessons, which he recently shared with education leaders at a conference of the Colorado Association of School Boards. Steve spoke with Erin O’Toole in January about his advice for Colorado educators in the months ahead. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo n

Friendships are an essential part of our well-being. Mental health experts say that loneliness is an epidemic that harms mental health and even physical health.   So, if you want to build better friendships – and strengthen the ones you already have – you might be wondering how to go about it. Fortunately, there’s a bona fide “friendship expert” at Colorado State University.  Natalie Pennington is an assistant professor of communication studies, and she co-leads the American Friendship Project – an ongoing research study of the state of connection in the U.S.  Natalie spoke with Erin O’Toole in January and offered practical tips on how to build friendships – or reconnect with friends we haven’t seen for a while.  * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org 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 E

A lot of young skiers and snowboarders nowadays want to break into an especially daring form of competition called freeskiing. It’s all about performing jumps and other stunts on camera, often in the backcountry. Freeskiers build huge followings on social media and win endorsement deals.   But breaking into this sport is dangerous. Last week marked one year since the death of 21-year-old Colorado skier Dallas LeBaue. He died while attempting to jump across U.S. Highway 40 on Berthoud Pass near Winter Park. Dallas had dreamed up the stunt to win a contest that would have netted him $30,000 and greater exposure on social media.  After that accident, his friend and mentor Bob Holme decided freeskiers like Dallas need a new kind of training. Bob is a retired Olympic ski jumper who’s now maintenance director for Winter Park Resort. And he recently launched a class to teach young skiers and snowboarders how to attempt these tricks more safely. He called it Dallas’ Class.  Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Vis