BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE MESA VERDE MUSEUM
A story about how the Civilian Conservation Corps worked to establish the Mesa Verde visitor experience that’s lasted generations. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
MESA VERDE’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY AS A NATIONAL PARK
June 29th was the 100th anniversary of Mesa Verde National Park. KSU’’s Joan Zwisler reports on how the event is being celebrated in southwest Colorado. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
FIREFIGHTERS GET BIG THANKS FROM SMALL TOWN
The 14,000 acre Mato Vega fire near La Veta that’s been burning for a week and a half now is all but contained. It was a big deal for the little town of Ft. Garland, where more than 500 firefighters were based. The people of the area turned out to show the people who came to help their gratitude. Miles Eddy reports. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
PRIVATE PRISON CELLS TO DOUBLE IN COLORADO
Colorado has awarded private prison contracts to three companies the same week it fined one of the companies for understaffing problems. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
ANALYSIS: COLO. REPUBLICANS LOSE CONTROL OF IMMIGRATION ISSUE
For perspective on the motives behind the special session, and what’s likely to happen, we talk to Bob Loevy, professor of political science at Colorado College and keen observer of state politics for 38 years. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
GOV. OWENS CALLS LEGISLATURE BACK TO TACKLE IMMIGRATION
On Tuesday Governor Bill Owens formally called the state legislature to come back for a special session starting next week. Bente Birkeland reports. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
WARD CHURCHILL INTERVIEW
On Monday the University of Colorado gave Professor Ward Churchill notice that it intends to fire him. Interim Chancellor Phil Distefano said the ethnic studies professor is being let go because of shoddy research and plagiarism. He is specifically not being fired for writing an essay that landed Churchill in the national spotlight in 2005 - In that essay, Churchill compared victims of the 9-11 attacks in New York City to Nazis. In this interview recorded one week earlier, Churchill talks with KGNU’s David Barsamian about how he’s being treated.
[LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
ENDANGERED SPECIES PART 2: PREBLE’S MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE
For years now, a tiny mouse that weighs as much as a couple of plastic sandwich bags has held up huge, multimillion dollar urban development projects in Colorado. That’s how developers portray the inconvenience of the Endangered Species Act, which protects the mouse. Others say the rodent is getting a bad rap. It may lose ESA protection in August. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
ENDANGERED SPECIES PART ONE: BLACK FOOTED FERRET
In the first of two stories, Aspen Public Radio’s Kirk Siegler looks at a new threat to one of North America’s most endangered species, the Black Footed Ferret. Natural gas development threatens a reintroduction area in Colorado. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
FIGHTING AIDS AMONG COLORADO’S LATINOS
A week from today, Thursday, June 27th, is National HIV testing day. AIDS/HIV outreach programs are encouraging people to get tested and know their HIV status. This year is the 25th anniversary of the discovery of the HIV virus, which causes AIDS. Since that time, the face of the disease has changed considerably. Nowadays people of color, youths in their teens and twenties and women are at increasing risk of infection. Maeve Conran reports on efforts to discover and prevent the disease among one of the state’s most marginalized populations, Latino farm workers.
[LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
FIRE UPDATE
We have an update on the Mato Vega, Wrights, Lion Creek, Bear Creek and Jolly Mesa Fires, plus, Governor Owens and Senator Salazar worry this fire season could develop into a “Katrina-like situation” in Colorado this summer. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
COLORADO’S GOVERNOR, LEGISLATORS SPAR OVER SPECIAL SESSION
A special legislative session looks more likely, after Democratic leaders today formally called for one. Their action follows Governor Owens stating his intent to call a special session last week. Both Democrats and the Republican governor say the session is necessary to deal with immigration issues. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
HOLTZMAN DROPS OUT OF GOVERNOR’S RACE
It’s official: Marc Holtzman will accept the state Supreme Court’s decision and end his quest for the Republican nomination for Governor. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
CORKY GONZALES BIRTHDAY OBSERVANCE
MUSIC INTO: In 1969 the Crusade for Justice, a Chicano/Mexicano civil rights organization began a summer freedom school for disempowered Chicano youth in Denver, for whom regular school seemed irrelevant. Heavily involved was Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales, an activist who hoped spur pride in Chicano students, and get them more interested in education through the study of Chicano literature and history. Last Saturday Latino activists in Denver celebrated Corky Gonzales’ birthday, Claudia Crag has this story. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]
UTILITIES PAY HOMEOWNERS TO GO SOLAR
As we reported recently on Western Skies, utility companies in Colorado are starting to pay homeowners to install solar panels on their houses. Here are more details. [LISTEN] [TRANSCRIPT]