In The NOCO

An innovative cancer therapy inspired by the gripping power of geckos might be on the horizon.   

Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder recently studied the microscopic structures on gecko toes that allow the tiny reptiles to climb walls and cling to slippery surfaces like windows.  

That work inspired the development of a new material that could help chemotherapy drugs cling onto tumors, enabling less frequent and more effective treatment – potentially with less discomfort and fewer side effects for patients. The researchers described the technology in the journal Advanced Materials. 

The...

A drive through the mountains of Colorado comes with breathtaking views, occasional glimpses of wildlife and plenty of steep, winding roads. Sometimes that becomes deadly, especially for truck drivers. 

Even in good weather, mountain highways like Interstate 70 can be uniquely challenging for professional truck drivers. And there’s no specialized training required for them to drive in the mountains.   

That didn’t sit well with professional drivers Joe Trussell and Scott Maurer. A few years ago, they founded CDL 303, a trucking school based in Commerce City. They’re the only commercial driver’s license s...

A half-century ago, a mile-long stretch of Federal Boulevard in Denver underwent a quiet transformation.  More than 10,000 Vietnamese refugees settled in that corner of southwest Denver after fleeing their home country in 1975.  

Over the years, these newcomers turned the area into a vibrant hub for Asian culture. Today, it’s known as Little Saigon. The area is home to many local Vietnamese-owned businesses – with the distinctive architecture of the Far East Center as the neighborhood’s focal point. 

History Colorado is highlighting some of the stories that bubbled up in that neighborhood over the...

Since Colorado began its wolf reintroduction program two years ago, wildlife officials have worked to stop wolves from attacking livestock. Wherever possible, they’ve tried to use nonlethal methods, from hazing wolves with drones to having “range riders” patrol on horseback. 

One promising strategy is the use of very large dogs as livestock guardians.  

Enter: the Turkish Boz Shepherd. 

It's a massive dog that can weigh up to 180 pounds. It's formidable enough that ranchers in Montana use Boz to protect their livestock from grizzly bears. Yet, the dog is surprisin...

Science is about to make it rain a little bit more over Weld County – and provide farmers with some extra moisture for their crops. 

That's the goal behind a plan announced last week to allow a new type of cloud seeding in Colorado on a limited basis. Cloud seeding refers to techniques developed by scientists to make rainfall happen. The plans for this upcoming pilot project rely on using electricity to produce more rain. 

This marks the first time this technology is being used in Colorado. And if it’s a success for fa...

Witches are having a moment – and not only because Halloween is almost here.  

A recent Pew Research survey of Americans’ religious beliefs found a growing number of people identify as spiritual but not religious. Crystals, tarot cards, and astrology apps are part of many people’s lives in 2025. And in Colorado, about 1 percent of people in that survey checked the box for “Pagan, Wiccan, or other ‘New Age’” belief when asked about their religious views.  

Today's guest has a unique perspective on these trends. Ann Little is a professor of history at Colorado State University. Some...

On today's episode we’re talking about measles – in the sewer.  

But we promise – you won’t need to hold your nose. This is actually a remarkable public health success story. 

Back in August, health officials in Mesa County, on Colorado's Western Slope, fielded a report of a measles outbreak involving seven people. Measles outbreaks have been flaring up around the country this year, so health officials were on alert.   

But the health officials in Mesa County basically detected these cases before they were actually reported through typical channels. They did tha...

How does a community heal from the shock and grief of a mass shooting? And how can people who have lost loved ones find a way to move forward?  

That’s the subject of a new podcast called Senseless. In it, journalist Erika Mahoney explores the aftermath of the mass shooting at a Boulder King Soopers grocery store in 2021. And it’s a deeply personal show, because Erika's father, Kevin Mahoney, was one of the ten people killed in that shooting. 

Over the course of the eight-part series, Erika speaks with others who lo...

For almost 30 years, a little-known program inside a Colorado prison quietly helped wild mustangs find new homes – and helped incarcerated men find new purpose.  

The wild horse program at a Cañon City correctional facility paired horses rounded up from Western rangelands with incarcerated people who learned to care for, train, and prepare the horses for adoption.  

The project helped the Bureau of Land Management protect the wild horses it oversees. In a news release, the Colorado Department of Corrections says it gave inmates “unique vocational and rehabilitative skills.” 

But now, t...

Victorian Death Experiences is a Halloween attraction with a historic twist.  

The program takes place in the historic home which houses the Center for Colorado Women’s History in Denver. Visitors see rooms decorated for mourning. They hear stories of death in the Old West. And they see fascinating artifacts, like hair jewelry made partly from the hair of a deceased loved one.  

Above all, the program highlights the central role that women have traditionally played when a loved one died – preparing bodies for burial, hosting wakes, and other acts that a...

Denver composer Nathan Hall’s new album of percussion music focuses on some unique instruments: They’re hand-carved from stone and date back several millennia.  

Lithophones are polished, resonant rocks shaped like baguettes. Archaeologists say that Indigenous people used the stones somewhere between 2,000 and 6,000 years ago near what’s now Great Sand Dunes National Park.  

Nathan wrote a series of pieces to be performed on the stones and recorded the music with a Colorado group called Perc Ens. The resulting album, called Gentle Worship, is out now. 

Nathan talked with In The NoCo's Er...

When school leaders in Colorado work to prevent shootings and other violent incidents – like the one last month at Evergreen High – they have a tool that officials in many states don’t have.  

Under Colorado’s so-called “red flag” law, teachers and other educators are among those who can request that someone’s access to firearms be suspended if they appear to be a threat to themselves or others.   

But as Chalkbeat reported recently, there’s little evidence that educators have used this tool in the two years since Colorado lawmakers gave it to them. And that lack of us...

A week ago on the show, we talked about how to stay safe during fall hikes – and more specifically, what to do if you encounter a grumpy, pre-hibernation bear out on the trail. 

But plenty of other animals in Colorado can dazzle us with their beauty while keeping us on guard as they fatten up for winter or look for a mate. So today, the In The NoCo team brings you a sequel of sorts: We're talking about how to stay safe if you encounter an elk, moose or bighorn sheep while camping or hiking.  

Taylor Swift seems to be everywhere these days. Her new album drops Friday. Her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce is all over the news. And if that weren’t enough, she helps teach students at Colorado State University. Sort of.  

Spanish for Swiftie Purposes is a course available to students at CSU. It’s been offered once, and the curriculum asks students to hone their skills at translating English into Spanish. They also analyze other people’s translations like a Spanish-language version of Taylor’s song “Fortnight,” performed by the duo Kevin and Karla.   

In The...

Fear. Anxiety. Shame. And a horde of colorful, crocheted monsters. 

They’re all part of an exhibit at the Denver Art Museum that asks visitors to confront some uncomfortable emotions. 

Denver artist Sadie Young created cuddly and soft monsters with vivid colors and big eyes. And they’re all crocheted out of thousands of yards of yarn. Some are large enough for visitors to step inside.  

The exhibit, called The Tangled Self, draws on both Young’s artistic experience and her educational background in psychology, particularly the concept of the shado...

Many farmers on Colorado's Eastern Plains face uncertain futures.  

They grapple with unpredictable crop prices, extreme weather that spoils harvests, and siblings with different levels of commitment to maintaining the family farm. 

In the new fifth season of the award-winning KUNC podcast The Colorado Dream, the show offers a glimpse into the inner workings of a family farm. 

The first new episode is in podcast feeds now. Stephanie, who also hosts the show, gave Erin O’Toole a preview of the new season.  

* * * * *

Sign up for...

Fall is here, and the cool, crisp weather can make hiking especially appealing this time of year.  But fall is also a time to be especially cautious around Colorado's wildlife – including bears.  

Black bears are extra-active as they hunt for food ahead of their winter hibernation. And encounters with them are not uncommon. State wildlife officials say Coloradans report about 4,000 bear sightings and encounters in a typical year.   

So, before heading out to savor the fall weather, what do we need to know about bear behavior this time of year?  

Brid...

The Colorado Rockies are wrapping up their worst season in franchise history – and the second-worst season on record for any baseball team in the modern era.   

So today, we’re talking about an idea that might hold potential to change the team’s fortunes in future seasons. 

A big part of the Rockies’ misfortunes is the fact that Coors Field sits a mile above sea level. Baseballs fly further here, which means more home runs. Playing at 5,280 feet also means pitches like curveballs have less curve to them, which make life harder for Rockies pit...

Every fall in southeast Colorado, hordes of hairy, eight-legged creatures leave their burrows and roam the landscape in search of a mate.  

The tarantula migration draws hundreds of curious spider-lovers to La Junta around this time each year. The town’s annual Tarantula Fest offers tarantula tours, a parade, and other events to celebrate these oversized arachnids. 

Erin O'Toole talked with Colorado State University horticulture specialist Karim Gharbi to learn more about why people find tarantulas so fascinating. Karim just got back from his own visit to the La Junta area – and shared...

Just outside Leadville, there’s a tiny ski hill that just might help keep the ski industry vital in the decades ahead.  

Students at Colorado Mountain College manage the Dutch Henry ski area as part of courses that train aspiring ski resort workers. And soon, those trainees will include future lift mechanics and operators. The students will practice their maintenance skills on a newly donated lift, which administrators hope to have installed there by summer 2026. 

That’s a breakthrough for the ski industry – which is a big part of Colorado’s economy – because many of the...

Students at Evergreen High haven’t returned to school yet after last week's shooting there. The incident ended with two students hospitalized after the 16-year-old gunman fatally shot himself. 

About 900 students attend Evergreen High School. A powerful story in The Colorado Sun this week hints at the feelings those students will carry with them going forward. The story included text messages and videos from the students as they heard gunshots, fled the school or hid in classrooms.  

Today we're going to share some of those texts and stories, and hear from Erica...

Experts at History Colorado have been thinking of different ways to help commemorate Colorado’s 150th birthday next year. One idea they pursued was to track down the earliest known photograph of Colorado.  

And what they uncovered is striking: It’s a daguerreotype from 1853, taken during an expedition across the West – more than 20 years before Colorado became a state in 1876. 

The image depicts a Cheyenne village with two people facing the camera, near what is now Lamar, Colorado. 

For the curators at History Colorado, the photo also revealed the fascinati...

Jeff Kagan and Paige Doughty have been wearing rainbow-colored socks while performing songs about nature and science in front of kids in Boulder for more than 20 years.  

Their performances get kids rolling, crawling, and acting out animal moves while they sing fun, catchy lyrics about concepts like decomposition and photosynthesis.   

The duo, which performs under the name Jeff and Paige, recently announced that they are adapting their live performances for a TV show called Rainbow Socks. The show is aimed for PBS distribution later this year.  

Jeff and Paige join...

Somewhere in the vast reaches of the universe, there may be an Earth-like planet that could be a second home for humanity.  

Although that may sound like science fiction, astronomers at the University of Colorado Boulder are part of a new project designed to help find that planet. And their efforts will soon get a major boost, as researchers from CU Boulder, in collaboration with NASA, prepare for a new space telescope to come online.  

The telescope, called the Habitable Worlds Observatory, is expected to launch in the 2030s.   

Kevi...

In 1978, three men from Boulder set out a journey to make the first-ever crossing of Colorado on skis.   

The three amateur skiers – Alex Drummond, John King, and Peter Vanderwall – carved a continuous line across the state, covering 490 miles of rugged, snowy backcountry from Durango to northeast of Fort Collins.   

A new documentary, Moving Line, tells the story of their remarkable trek. Ahead of an appearance at the Breckenridge Film Festival next week, director Cameron Wyatt joined Erin O’Toole to talk about their journey, and the lasting impact it had on Colorado's outdoor re...

It's a painful moment for the team at KUNC and The Colorado Sound.  

In recent months we've talked about how federal cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting could hurt local member stations like KUNC. 

In July, that became a reality when Congress clawed back more than a billion dollars in money from the public broadcasting system. And this week, station leaders announced 10 staff members had been laid off from KUNC and The Colorado Sound due to a budget shortfall. That’s about a quarter of the total staff.  

Today...

Colorado's Rocky Mountains have always drawn tourists. But for Black Americans in the 1920s and 30s, segregation and discrimination severely restricted where they could travel and take a vacation.  

Which is why, in 1922, Lincoln Hills emerged as a mountain resort created by and for African Americans. It sits near Rollinsville, northwest of Denver, and was the largest resort of its kind west of the Mississippi River. It drew visitors from all over the country until the 1960s. 

And it offered a rare opportunity for Black Americans to feel safe and welcome in th...

Visitors from around the globe head to Breckenridge for hiking in the summer, and skiing and snowboarding in the winter.
 
And soon, they might also visit to take in the town’s crystal-clear views of the night sky.
 
Breckenridge recently became the first ski resort town in Colorado to become a certified dark sky community. The designation comes from DarkSky International, which pushes to limit light pollution. Small towns like Paonia and Westcliffe, and remote national parks like Great Sand Dunes, already have the DarkSky seal of approval.

But how does a busy reso...

In the depths of the ocean, miles beneath the surface, unusual new technology developed by Colorado researchers could soon help scientists make discoveries.  

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder are harnessing the unique abilities of jellyfish to act as underwater explorers in places humans can't easily go – like the Mariana Trench, 7 miles below sea level. 

Nicole Xu is an assistant professor in CU Boulder’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. She implants tiny devices into live jellyfish that allow scientists to steer them toward remote areas of the ocean.  

She spo...

When the Colorado River makes headlines these days, it's usually in reference to drought. And what lower water levels mean for the 40 million people in the Southwest U.S. who depend on the river. 

A new documentary screening in theaters around Colorado looks at those issues from a different perspective. It's a portrait of the plants and animals that rely on the river’s water as it winds its way across the region.  

Ben Masters directed the documentary, “The American Southwest,” which opens today at several theaters around Colorado. Ben collaborated on the film...

More people in Colorado are turning their backyards into coops and runs for chickens. According to The Denver Post, people are finding satisfaction in raising their own broods – especially as egg prices remain high. 

Paul Fleischer leads an introductory class to backyard chicken keeping at Fleischer Family Farm in Lakewood. The class addresses everything from how to build your own coops to how to keep your birds healthy. Paul says fall is a great time to start planning for your spring brood. 

He joined Erin O’Toole to talk through some of the ba...

Gardening in Colorado takes work.  

You prepare the soil, choose what you want to plant, and lay out a design. Then once things start to grow, there’s all that weeding, pruning and manicuring – most of which is trickier given the Front Range’s tough soil and fickle climate.  

Or – you could just grab a few random seed packets, sprinkle them over a patch of bare ground, and sit back and wait for those wildflowers to explode in a riot of color. 

That's the idea behind a new trend that's taki...

Kindergarten teacher Ellen Javernick has published over twenty illustrated children’s books. The Loveland resident’s first book, What If Everybody Did That? has sold more than a million copies.  

She just published her newest book titled Awesome of the Day. It tells the story of a boy named Andrew who has one bad day after the next – until he learns to change his outlook. 

Ellen teaches at Garfield Elementary School in Loveland. She says she wants her books to inspire positive behavior in kids without getting overly sappy. 

She joine...

A small herd of bison roams the Soapstone Prairie north of Fort Collins. The herd offers a glimpse of what Colorado’s high plains looked like 200 years ago. 

These bison are unique for a few reasons. First, they’re descendants of the herd at Yellowstone National Park. Second, while most bison today carry some cattle DNA, this herd has nearly pure bison genes. That has spiritual significance for many Indigenous tribes.  

The breeding project is based at Colorado State University. It's raised hundreds of bison over the last decade and transferred them to tribes...

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 cannab...

If you had a dog or cat in the house when you were growing up, your body may be better equipped to respond to stress.  

That’s according to a new study from the University of Colorado Boulder in collaboration with researchers at the University of Ulm in Germany. Stress initiates an inflammation response in our bodies. In small doses, it’s a normal part of our immune systems. However, chronic inflammation can lead to illnesses like, cardiovascular disease, and even depression and anxiety.  

Here’s where your cat or dog comes in: Rese...

If you had a dog or cat in the house when you were growing up, your body may be better equipped to respond to stress.  

That’s according to a new study from the University of Colorado Boulder in collaboration with researchers at the University of Ulm in Germany. Stress initiates an inflammation response in our bodies. In small doses, it’s a normal part of our immune systems. However, chronic inflammation can lead to illnesses like, cardiovascular disease, and even depression and anxiety.  

Here’s where your cat or dog comes in: Rese...

For many of us, fireflies are synonymous with childhood wonder. We chase them on summer evenings, catch them and gently put them in a jar – with plenty of holes poked in the lid, of course. 

But if you grew up in Colorado, you may have never experienced that particular wonder. You may not realize that Colorado even has native fireflies. Because of development and pesticide use destroying their habitat, it’s difficult to spot these tiny beetles glowing along the Front Range. 

Scientists with the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster hope to cha...

Every year, in an historic mining town in the mountains, runners lace up their running shoes and approach the starting line with their most loyal burro by their side.  

The annual pack burro race in Victor, southwest of Colorado Springs, sees athletes and burros run side-by-side over mountain trails and roads. 

Pack burro racing is the official summer heritage sport of Colorado. Burros, also known as donkeys, are outfitted with a saddle carrying a pickax, a shovel, and a gold pan. Carrying these objects honors Colorado’s history of gold mining.  

Duration: 00:09:13

If you look at your calendar – or your weather app – you’ll notice that we are still firmly in the dog days of summer. You should be spending weekends at the pool or sitting in the shade with a cold beverage. 

But if you look at your local aspen trees, you might be fooled into thinking it’s time for jack-o’-lanterns and pumpkin spice lattes. And it’s not even Labor Day. 

Colorado’s aspens are starting to show their fall colors alarmingly early — despite the summer heat. But why? Turns out, it’s a combin...

An unusual art show held each year in Cañon City displays – and sells – pieces by some of the most dangerous convicted criminals in the country.   

Fremont Center for the Arts sits about 20 minutes from the highest security prison in the nation: the USP Florence ADMAX, better known as Supermax.  Each year, an art show at the gallery displays work created by Supermax inmates – like Terry Nichols, who helped plan the Oklahoma City bombing.  

The public can purchase any of the art, which is created through a unique program at Supermax.  

Journa...

Denver relationship therapist, Lindsay Hayes, has an uncommon specialty.  

She’s part of a growing group of professionals who work with people who practice polyamory. These are folks who openly have more than one romantic partner. Lindsay also researches and publishes about polyamorous communities.  
 

In her therapy practice, Lindsay promotes open communication and flexibility as the foundation for healthy relationships. She says those fundamentals also apply to monogamous couples and can strengthen any relationship.  

Erin O’Toole got a few tips from Lindsay for building and keeping healthy relationships.

Sign u...

Colorado lawmakers head back to the state capitol on Thursday for a special session to fix a $750 million hole in the state budget.   

If this feels like deja vu – it is, in a way. Earlier this year, state legislators addressed a $1.2 billion shortfall during the regular session -- and balanced the state budget.   

But President Trump recently signed into law the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” passed by Republicans in Congress. That bill’s rewriting of the federal tax code punched a hole in Colorado’s budget, creating an instant, $750 million-dollar shortfall for...

A small menace is invading the river that supplies water to 40 million people in southwestern states. 

Zebra mussels are tiny freshwater shellfish. They’re about the size of your thumbnail, with a striped shell. Since the late 1980s, they’ve spread to 30 states across the country, including Colorado.  

Now, Colorado Parks and Wildlife says they’ve been found in the Colorado River near towns like Grand Junction and Glenwood Springs. 

Zebra mussels wreak havoc on water infrastructure and devastate ecosystems. And they are difficult – if not impossible – to eradicate from rivers...

After several years of record-setting numbers, Colorado's mountain towns are experiencing an unexpected summer slowdown in tourism.  

A drop in international visitors is a significant factor. This year, European visitors to mountain towns in Colorado and six other Western states are down 39 percent compared to 2024. Canadian visitors dropped 58 percent from last year.  

The trend has state and local officials concerned about the challenges this creates for mountain communities where visitor spending drives the economy.   

Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins recently wrote about the summer tourism sag. He spoke with Erin O’Toole about...

Demon rabbits. Frankenstein bunnies.  Zombie cottontails. 

Phrases like those went viral this week after photos were published of rabbits near Fort Collins that appeared to have horns or tentacles on or around their heads.  

 Wildlife officials say the unusual-looking rabbits aren't a cause for concern. The rabbits suffer from a relatively common virus that's harmless to humans, called rabbit or shope papillomavirus. And although the growths caused by the virus can look gruesome, they often clear up on their own. 

All the attention got us wondering how these cottontails caugh...

The goo and gunk you find in your dishwasher, or in the drip tray underneath your refrigerator, could hold secrets to fighting climate change or reducing pollution. 

That’s according to James Henrickson, a research scientist from Colorado State University. He says your hot water heater, washing machine, and shower are similar to hot springs or volcanic vents on the ocean floor. James studies creatures that can survive in these harsh environments.  

James has traveled the world in search of these organisms, which scientists call extremophiles. Extremophiles can survive by consuming carbon diox...

An innovative cancer therapy inspired by the gripping power of geckos might be on the horizon.   

Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder studied the microscopic structures on gecko toes that allow the tiny reptiles to climb walls and cling to slippery surfaces like windows.  

That work inspired the development of a new material that could help chemotherapy drugs cling onto tumors, enabling less frequent and more effective treatment – potentially with less discomfort and fewer side effects for patients. The technology is described in the journal Advanced Materials. 

The resear...

The world’s largest wildlife overpass will soon be open for use in Colorado.  

Wildlife overpasses allow animals to safely cross over highways. And Western states are building more of them to cut down on the number of crashes between vehicles and animals.   

This new overpass is being constructed over a section of I-25 between Denver and Colorado Springs, just north of Monument. Some 80,000 drivers pass through this area daily. But elk, mule deer, and pronghorn also use that area to move between the mountains and the plains. And this stretch of highw...

Colorado teachers say their students are missing something that helps determine their academic success. They call it grit.  

If a student who struggles with math studies hard and performs well on their math test, that’s grit. If they complete a homework assignment that was tough to finish, that's also grit.   

Erica Breunlin covers education for The Colorado Sun. Since the pandemic, she says teachers have told her they’re seeing less of this core life skill in the classroom – and that’s leading to lower test scores for K-12 students.  

Erica...

After the death of President Jimmy Carter last December, many of the tributes mentioned his environmental legacy and push for energy-efficient development. And one unusual part of his plan was focused here in Colorado.  

Carter’s administration had backed the design of some experimental homes along the Front Range. They were warmed by the sun and fueled by renewable sources – an exciting idea in the late 1970s.  

John Avenson was paying attention back then, and wanted to live in one of those homes. He got the plans, hired a contractor and built his ve...

Colorado is known as a very dog-friendly state. A recent study by Colorado State University noted that if you’re a pet owner in this state, there’s an 80 percent chance that pet is a dog.    

Colorado is also known for being one of first states to legalize cannabis.  

But the high number of dog lovers plus the state’s long history of legal weed appear to have created a growing trend that worries veterinarians. As cannabis has become more widespread – and more potent – there's been a significant uptick in veterinary emergency calls for dogs...

For many people, being stopped by police can produce a wave of anxiety. But that sense of stress and uncertainty is even worse for people with conditions like autism spectrum disorder, hearing loss, Tourette’s syndrome, or dementia.  

Earlier this year, Boulder’s police department rolled out a new initiative called the Blue Envelope Program to help people with disabilities communicate when they encounter an officer.  

It allows a person to get an official blue envelope and fill it out with information that an officer might need to know to communicate with them...

Scientists say they’ve identified a sort of massive dance floor that some dinosaurs used as part of their mating rituals millions of years ago. 

The area is at Dinosaur Ridge, an active paleontology site in Morrison that’s also open to the public. Researchers there found dozens of places where a dinosaur species called Magnoavipes would scrape patterns into the rock – a telltale sign of the creatures’ unique mating rituals.  

So, what does this discovery tell us about how dinosaurs lived 100 million years ago in what’s now Colorado? And what does it reve...

Immigration arrests in Colorado have quadrupled since President Trump returned to office in January. Under Trump, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say they’re focused on deporting violent criminals who are in the U.S. illegally – what the President calls “the worst of the worst.” 

But in Colorado, that promise doesn't line up with who is actually being detained by immigration enforcement.  

A new analysis by the Colorado Sun and the Wyoming news organization WyoFile found that during the first five months of this year, about 60 percent of people arrested by ICE in Colorad...

Colorado has an abundance of mountains named after famous men – think Long’s Peak, Mount Wilson, or Pikes Peak. 

Since childhood, Sarah Hahn Campbell has been fascinated by the people behind place names. But she discovered little to no information on peaks, lakes or trails named after women.  

So, in 2017, the Denver-based author and high school teacher set out to research the mysterious women behind the names of some of Colorado’s landmarks. 

That culminated in Sarah's new book, Her Place on the Map: 18 Women and the Colorado Wonders Named for...

A drive through the mountains of Colorado comes with breathtaking views, occasional glimpses of wildlife – and plenty of steep, winding roads. Sometimes that becomes deadly, especially for truck drivers. 

Even in good weather, mountain highways like I-70 can be uniquely challenging for professional truck drivers. And there’s no specialized training required for them to drive in the mountains.   

That didn’t sit well with professional drivers Joe Trussell and Scott Maurer. A few years ago, they founded CDL 303, a trucking school based in Commerce City. They’re the only commercial driver’s license sch...

A new kind of commentator made its debut during the snowboarding competition at this year’s Winter X Games in Aspen. It's called The Owl AI – and it’s powered by artificial intelligence.  
 

The Owl AI demonstrated its ability by predicting the snowboarding half-pipe podium lineup, announcing in a cool male voice: “Third place Ayumu Hirano. Second Yuto Totsuka. And for the top spot Scotty James.”  

The prediction turned out to be exactly right.  

This new technology is being promoted by Boulder resident and X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom. In addition to predicting...

New research suggests planting aspen groves could slow the spread of wildfires in Colorado’s forests. 

It’s an idea that could help some mountain communities seeing increasing threats from wildfires.  

A recent study looked at data from more than 300 wildfires in Western states. It found that large aspen groves often slowed the spread of forest fires. That’s partly because aspen contain more moisture than other trees in mountain forests.  

So, should mountain communities across Colorado plant aspens on the outskirts of town?  

To find out, Erin...

The Colorado Rockies have some of the most loyal fans in all of baseball. And that might be part of their problem. 

The Rockies, as you may have heard, are having one of the worst seasons in Major League Baseball’s modern history. And yet the fans still show up – on average, about 30,000 of them attended each home game so far this season.  

It's been the story of the Rockies for years: The team struggles. The fans keep coming. And the steady ticket sales mean ownership has little incentive to build a better...

Colorado recently hit a milestone: The first licensed psychedelic therapy clinic opened in June after voters here said magic mushrooms should be legal. So lots of reporters have written about the licensing process, interviewed therapists, and written about whether psychedelic mushrooms have real value in helping people recover from trauma, PTSD or other issues.  

Our guest today is one of those reporters, but he took things a bit further.  

Robert Sanchez is a longtime writer for 5280 in Denver. He decided to try out psychedelic mushrooms and see if what the experts said ab...

Trails on several of Colorado’s fourteeners are getting a facelift this summer.  

Mount Democrat, Mount Bierstadt, Mount Blue Sky, and Mount Shavano are some of Colorado’s most popular mountains for hikers, but some of the trails on them are in rough shape.  

A nonprofit called the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) is working this summer to update trail routes on those and other mountains to eliminate erosion and generally protect the surrounding tundra. Crews move boulders, install steps, and even restore plant life. Workers grapple with smashed fingers, dehydration, and altitude sickne...

If you decided to plant a vegetable garden earlier this spring, you’re probably already enjoying some of those home-grown tomatoes, zucchini, or peppers.   

On the other hand, you may have decided that the potential benefits of growing your own food just aren’t worth the effort.  Colorado’s intense climate, elevation and scarce rainfall make vegetable gardening a challenge. But there’s hope. 

Cassey Anderson is a horticulture specialist with Colorado State University Extension whose mission is to help new gardeners succeed. She joined Erin O’Toole to discuss how to help vegetables thrive.  

Dozens of aspiring educators in Colorado are taking an unusual path to earn their teacher certificates.  

They’re doing apprenticeships in public schools as part of a state program that offers an alternative path to gaining a teacher’s license and bachelor’s degree. Proponents see the program as a partial solution to Colorado’s teacher shortage, which resulted in thousands of unfilled classroom positions last school year. 

Teachers’ apprentices spend about four years getting experience in the classroom while taking courses on the side through Colorado Mountain College. It’s a different model from mor...

When we shop for food, the labels on our groceries give us guideposts, such as how much fiber, protein or fat is in that loaf of bread or jar of peanut butter.   

But more than a decade after Colorado legalized recreational cannabis, the potency labeling on products at your local marijuana dispensary may be far less helpful – and less reliable. 

A new study from the University of Colorado Boulder found that almost half of cannabis flower products sold at dispensaries across the state are inaccurately labeled. Researchers found that flower products often conta...

The red admiral. The black swallowtail. And the beautiful, bright orange monarch.  

Each year a network of volunteers fans out across Colorado to see how many of these, and other butterfly species, they can find. Those observations help scientists understand the health of the state’s butterfly population.  

Our guest today says that work is vital because butterflies are sensitive to changes in climate and habitat. And butterflies across the U.S. appear to be declining. That’s according to a recent study in the journal Science that incorporated some alarming data from t...

 
Since 1960, the National Repertory Orchestra has brought talented college-aged musicians to Colorado to practice the art of playing in an ensemble.  

Each season, about 80 young musicians are selected to join the NRO in Breckenridge. They spend eight weeks rehearsing and performing in Summit County. Many of them go on to pursue careers in professional orchestras across the country.  

 
To get a glimpse behind the scenes at this unusual – and influential – summer orchestra, Erin O’Toole spoke with Michael Stern, their music director and conductor. He shared what makes a summer in the Nation...

A few weeks back, a pair of hikers found themselves stranded on a cliff atop Quandary Peak – 14,000 feet in elevation – in cold temperatures. A rescue crew had to respond by helicopter and lift them off the mountain.    

It was one of 10 helicopter hoists that Colorado search and rescue crews performed this year through the end of June. That’s a record number. These dangerous maneuvers require helicopters to get close enough to rocky peaks to lower a rope and harness to people in trouble.  

And the rescue on Quandary Peak wasn’t even the mos...

The U.S. Senate this week will likely vote on whether to rescind about $1.1 billion earmarked to support the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the next two years. That money ultimately funds local stations like KUNC and The Colorado Sound, along with NPR and PBS.  

The GOP-controlled House of Representatives has already voted to kill the funding. President Trump has backed the cuts and threatened to pull his support from any Republicans who oppose them. Republicans occupy 53 out of 100 seats in the Senate.  
 
Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, spoke with Erin O’Toole...

In October 2009, Colorado and the nation held its breath as we waited to learn the fate of a 6-year-old who was thought to be stuck inside a silver balloon floating across Northern Colorado.  

The Heene family was living in Fort Collins in 2009 when they made a giant helium filled balloon shaped like a saucer. They called police one afternoon to say they’d lost control of the balloon and that it had floated thousands of feet into the sky with their youngest son, Falcon, inside. Police and reporters scrambled to respond.  

But the...

For a lot of people, July and early August in Steamboat Springs is all about tubing on the Yampa River.  

People rent a tube in downtown Steamboat, hop into the river just a few steps away and float past wildlife and hot springs. Some days, tourists in brightly colored tubes stretch from one side of the river to the other. 

But it’s very likely commercial tubing season on the Yampa will be alarmingly short this year. The Steamboat Pilot reports that city officials may close the river to tubing as soon as n...

A warmer, drier future for Colorado has many people wondering about their lawns. Drought and heat turn lawns brown or kills them altogether. 

How can we sustain a lawn with less water and less mowing? And should we keep them at all? 

Tony Koski is a professor of horticulture and landscape architecture at Colorado State University. He teaches a class on growing a lawn that's resilient in the face of climate change.  

Tony talked with Erin O’Toole about how to create a lawn that will thrive in a hotte...

In 2025, chatbots are part of our everyday life. They pop up on your screen while you’re checking your bank account or making an online purchase.  

But a few years from now, it may be just as easy to have a conversation with a chatbot who recreates a dead loved one.  That’s the idea behind a kind of technology called a generative ghost. 

Jed Brubaker is an associate professor in the Department of Information Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, and one of the people leading the development of generative ghosts...

A tiny, green insect that bores under the bark of ash trees is spreading in Colorado.  

The emerald ash borer has been making its way around the Front Range for the last decade. It damages ash trees and often kills them. And this year it’s been spotted in Denver.  

Ash trees make up about one in every six trees in the urban forests along the Front Range. So what can we do to protect ash trees and even fight back against this pest? 

Karim Gharbi is a horticulture speci...

How does a community heal from the shock and grief of a mass shooting? And how can people who have lost loved ones find a way to move forward?  

That’s the subject of a new podcast called Senseless. In it, journalist Erika Mahoney explores the aftermath of the mass shooting at a Boulder King Soopers grocery store in 2021. And it’s a deeply personal show, because Erika's father, Kevin Mahoney, was one of the ten people killed in that shooting. 

Over the course of the eight-part series, Erika speaks with others who lo...

In the months ahead, leaders across the West will wrestle with a proposal to use federal land as a remedy for housing shortages. 

You may remember that a few weeks ago, Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah wanted to sell off thousands of government-owned acres in Western states, including some parts of Colorado. That plan died when some key Republican senators refused to support it. 

But a similar, and more focused, proposal may still move forward under the Trump administration. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has offered a plan to sell or leas...

A solar panel that collects energy from the sun – while also helping farmers grow bigger, tastier tomatoes and other crops. 

A team of scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden (NREL) say that’s exactly what they’ve developed. And this new type of solar panel could lead to better produce and more widespread solar power generation.  

Some farmers already place solar panels on their land and grow crops alongside them. It’s a practice called agrivoltaics.  

But the new panels designed by NREL are translucent – meaning they allow ce...

For a lot of veterans, Independence Day can be a hard day.   

Celebrating America’s birthday typically comes with loud, colorful blasts of fireworks. We don’t talk about it a lot, but for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, that can be a struggle. It can remind veterans of combat or other traumatic experiences from their time in the military.  

Helping veterans cope with PTSD is the specialty of Dr. Mandy Rabenhorst-Bell. She is the PTSD program manager with the VA healthcare system serving Eastern Colorado.  

Mandy spoke with Erin O’Toole ahead of Indepe...

Travelers making their way through Denver International Airport this summer may notice a colorful, distinctive new art exhibit.  

The project, called “It’s Not What You Take, It’s What You Bring Back,” was created from 183 pieces of used luggage, suspended over a walkway in Concourse B. They’re painted in the vibrant colors of the Colorado sky – turquoise, baby blue, ruby red – and they form a shape resembling the infinity symbol.  

That painted baggage is part of a new installation by Colorado artist Thomas Evans, better known as Detour. He’s well known around...

Like a lot of people nowadays, Colorado artist Rick Dallago is very invested in selfies. But Rick, who’s a painter, thinks about selfies differently than someone who just snaps a quick self-portrait with their phone.  

Rick paints key moments in history and then paints a cell phone into the image. In one painting, a man takes a selfie in front of the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001. In another, a man uses a selfie stick to capture the moment when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. And other paintings show iconic images, like Michelangelo’s sculpture David...

A few weeks back, Colorado saw three moose attacks on people in just three days. The incidents were reported in the Coloradoan.  

The attacks left three people injured. One of the incidents led to a cow moose being shot in self-defense, and her calf being euthanized.  

So, as more people head out to hike in the state’s moose territory this summer, we wondered: What are you supposed to do if you encounter an aggressive moose? And how do you avoid a moose attack in the first place?  

Bridget O’Rou...

Back in April, a commercial flight carrying 159 people had a major scare as it took off from Denver International Airport: The United Airlines flight struck an animal, which crippled one of the plane’s engines and forced the crew to make an emergency landing. 

As it turns out, the threat to aircraft from birds, rabbits and other animals is something DIA officials work hard to manage. Scott Franz, who’s an investigative reporter here at KUNC, recently got his hands on documents that show just how widespread the problem is.  

Scott found that l...

The vast space around earth is getting a little crowded. 

There are nearly 10,000 satellites in Earth’s low orbit, the space just outside our planet’s atmosphere. And space companies plan to launch tens of thousands more in coming years.  

That could led to problems like interruptions to communications from satellites that monitor the weather. Or we could see satellites crashing into one another. 

So how do we make rules to prevent those kinds of accidents? And how much regulation of space is too much?  

A unique g...

Last year, Colorado lawmakers passed an unusual law.  

It directed every county in the state to set up in-person voting for incarcerated people in jails, many of whom are awaiting trial and haven’t been convicted of a crime.   

The new law is the first of its kind in the nation. It's an effort to support voting rights for a population that is often considered out of sight, out of mind.  

Alex Burness writes for Bolts, a publication that covers issues of criminal justice and elections. He said that while...

In 1895, Leadville city leaders faced a dilemma. The silver mining industry had made the town quite wealthy. But then the silver market crashed, and the city's fortunes cratered right along with it. Residents were leaving in droves to seek better opportunities. 

So, city leaders came up with an unusual idea to draw tourists to Leadville, entice people to live there, and give the remaining residents a sense of pride: 

They decided to build a giant palace of ice.  

What followed is a remarkable story of innovative engineering that drew vis...

Many students in Colorado schools don’t have much of a chance to act onstage, play an instrument or hone their craft at painting. 

Arts programs in most public schools have been cut severely due to tight budgets and to make room for classes that help schools get higher scores on standardized tests. 

So a team of KUNC reporters recently wondered: What does this look like in Colorado schools? And where are kids learning about the arts? In this special episode of In The NoCo, we’re sharing stories from Loveland, Brighton and St...

More than three decades ago Colorado was known as the Hate State. 

In 1992 Colorado voters passed Amendment 2, which banned anti-discrimination laws meant to protect gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. But the Amendment never went into effect because there was immediate backlash. It was challenged again and again for being unconstitutional, bringing it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
 
Season 4 of KUNC’s Colorado Dream podcast retraces Colorado’s tumultuous history and evolving relationship with its queer and transgender population.  

Stephanie Daniel is the executive producer and host for The Col...

Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Oscar. The actor won for her role as Mammy in the film “Gone with the Wind.”  

And McDaniel spent much of her childhood in Colorado: A plaque marks her family’s former home in Fort Collins. Growing up, she attended public schools in Denver.  

McDaniel was in her 40s when she won the best supporting actress Oscar. And she used her platform to become a champion for civil rights. Today, in honor of Juneteenth, we’re exploring Hattie McDaniel’s story. 

Reshond...

A vaccine against weight gain may be a reality soon, thanks to new research from the University of Colorado Boulder. The study focuses on a strain of bacteria that prevents obesity by reducing inflammation.  

Chris Lowry is a professor of integrative physiology and CU and led the research. His study found that he could prevent mice from becoming overweight, even when raised on the equivalent of an all-McDonald’s diet.  

When his team injected mice with that particular strain of bacteria, the junk- food mice gained no more weight than mice with heal...

Summer heat in Colorado has many people dreaming about escaping to the cool air of the mountains. But for Black Americans in the 1920s and 30s, segregation and discrimination severely restricted where they could travel and take a vacation.  

Which is why, in 1922, Lincoln Hills emerged as a mountain resort created by and for African Americans. It sits near Rollinsville, northwest of Denver, and was the largest resort of its kind west of the Mississippi River. It drew visitors from all over the country until the 1960s. 

And it offered a rare op...

If you've ever walked near a landfill, or driven by one on a warm summer day with your windows down, you know there's a certain smell it puts out.  

But Colorado's landfills also produce massive amounts of methane, emitting as much dirty air as driving a million cars for a year. Landfills are the third-largest source of methane emissions in Colorado, after agriculture and fossil fuel extraction. 

And that concerns health officials more than any smell – because methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and has some negative heal...

Colorado has 13 sites that are part of the National Park System. And visitors may notice some striking new signs posted in the parks when they visit this summer.  

The U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, is requiring the posting of signs that ask visitors to identify and report “any signs or other information that are negative about either past or living Americans.”  

The order caught the attention of many national park supporters, who fear it could lead to censoring less flattering parts of American history – especial...

Imagine being able to control exactly when the plants in your vegetable garden will ripen. 

New research out of Colorado State University could make that concept a reality. Researchers there have been working to create what they call “genetic toggle switches” embedded in the DNA of plants.  

The researchers plug synthetic DNA into a plant’s genetic material and use it as a switch that tells the plant to ripen, or flower, or grow. 

Professors June Medford and  Ashok Prasad led this research into plant biology and recently published their find...

More than 82 million people passed through Denver International Airport last year – and almost none of them noticed the very complicated cleanup project happening right under their noses. 

Airport officials spent $3 million dollars cleaning up toxic chemicals left over from the firefighting foam the airport used on its runways in the past. The foam is full of PFAS – otherwise known as “forever” chemicals – which have been linked to harmful effects in humans.  

DIA recently completed the cleanup project as part of a program created by the state of Colorado to remove forever chemicals from DIA and...

Fifty years ago, two men came to the Boulder County courthouse, seeking a license to get married.  

Marriage equality was not the law of the land in 1975. But Clela Rorex, the newly elected Boulder County clerk, could find nothing in Colorado state law that would prevent her from issuing a marriage license to a same-sex couple. So, she did. And she issued five more in the next few weeks before she was ordered to stop.  

It was a historic moment in the movement for LGBTQ rights, and her actions made her a he...

Colorado has ambitious goals around renewable energy. Gov. Jared Polis is aiming for 100 percent of the energy in the state to come from renewable sources by the year 2040.   

But there’s an obstacle: Colorado doesn’t have enough power lines to deliver all that renewable energy from where it’s produced – often in rural parts of the state – to where it’s needed. A recent study from the state’s Electric Transmission Authority found that Colorado needs at least $4.5 billion in transmission investment over the next decade or two, just to keep up with demand.  

Which is...

The Stanley Hotel is a cultural landmark of Estes Park. It was built in the early 1900s, and soon became a popular Colorado getaway for wealthy vacationers.  

But it's perhaps most well-known as the inspiration for Stephen King's The Shining. 

Today, the hotel caters to horror fans with ghost tours, while visitors who prefer a calmer vacation enjoy watching herds of elk on the lawn and the perfect view of Longs Peak.  

All of this has made the Stanley Hotel a huge part of Estes Park – and Colorado – culture. And an unusual team of...

Colorado has been impacted severely by wildfires in recent years. And, as climate change continues to intensify, the threat  is growing. 

Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, recently co-sponsored a sweeping new bill to expand, and speed up, wildfire prevention efforts across the country. It’s called the Fix Our Forests Act.  

It calls for more funding for research to prevent wildfires, the creation of a central wildfire response center for the whole country, and the removal of more dead and diseased trees on federal land.  

It also calls for th...

A small herd of bison roams the Soapstone Prairie north of Fort Collins. The herd offers a glimpse of what Colorado’s high plains looked like 200 years ago. 

These bison are unique for a few reasons. First, they’re descendants of the herd at Yellowstone National Park. Second, while most bison today carry some cattle DNA, this herd has nearly pure bison genes. That has spiritual significance for many Indigenous tribes.  

The breeding project is based at Colorado State University. It's raised hundreds of bison over the last decade and transferred them to tri...

A unique legal argument caught our attention recently here at In The NoCo. It’s about rules banning people experiencing homelessness from sleeping in public places in Boulder. 

The recent court filing by the ACLU of Colorado argues that camping is so fundamental to the culture and history of Colorado that cities should not be allowed to punish people who camp in public. 
 
The ACLU of Colorado filed that brief to fight a recent ruling that said the city of Boulder can ticket or arrest people for sleeping outdoors. So-called “camping bans” li...