Governor Ritter has signed a new law that expands health care coverage for people with mental illnesses such as depression and post traumatic stress disorder. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.
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This world-famous poster and toy designer recently moved to Manitou Springs, and will be showing work in Smokebrush June 1 - 23. The First Friday Art Walk Opening Reception, featuring food by Blue Star and music by KRCC DJ Vicky, will take place Friday, June 1, from 5-8pm.
KRCC’s Kate Dawson spoke to the artist.
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More information on Jermaine Rogers’ show can be found [HERE]
The man with a highly drug-resistant form of tuberculosis who American health authorities put under quarantine after he took two transatlantic flights is coming to Denver for treatment. Bente Birkeland has more.
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In Part 1 this week, Springs Culture Cast producer Craig Richardson visits the first ever Rubbish Midnight Cabaret, featuring the poetry and music of Chris Bullock. [SpringsCultureCast.com] for more info.
Photo: Wikipedia Controversial artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude spoke in Salida this weekend. The duo are propsing a large scale art installation in the Arkansas River Canyon east of Salida. It would involve hanging large panels of fabric over the river for seven miles. They hope to put the installation up in 2011. There’s already been plenty of local criticism of their plans. KRCC’s Kate Dawson reports on their latest visit to the area.
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“The Root of All Evil?” Part 1. It’s been 7 months since Pastor Ted Haggard was removed as the leader of New Life Church in Colorado Springs. This after he admitted to receiving massages and buying methamphetamine from a gay male prostitute in Denver over a period of years.
Prior to Haggard’s departure, New Life claimed a congregation of 14,000 members. A new email from the church to its members now says that attendance remains down 20 to 25 percent, or by 2,800 to 3,500 members. Giving, the church says, remains 8 to 10 percent below pre-scandal levels.
New Life has yet to replace Haggard, but church leaders say they now have four finalists for the job, including Ross Parsely, who is currently a pastor at the church. The candidates will be interviewed in June.
Click on “Read More” to read the latest message from New Life Leadership to its members.
Tonight, residents of Falcon vote on whether to incorporate as a town. Proponents of turning the fast-growing community, just east of Colorado Springs, into its own city say it will help current and future residents control their own destiny. They also say incorporation will protect Falcon from potential annexation by Colorado Springs.
Officials from the Springs say there are no plans to annex Falcon, but as its retail center grows, it could be an attractive source of sales tax revenue. Incorporation proponents are suggesting implementing a 1.6% sales tax on non-food items to help fund the new town. But, opponents say that won’t be enough to fund city responsibilities and say incorporation backers haven’t provided enough details on how exactly the city would function.
The polls for Falcon incorporation are open till 7pm.
This Saturday, June 2nd, KRCC and Independent Records and Video present “Blues Under The Bridge,” featuring local artist John Alex Mason and The Jake Loggins Band, and headliners The Soul of John Black and hill country bluesman Robert Belfour.
KRCC’s Jeff Bieri recently caught up with Belfour at his home in Tennessee, where he was watering his flower garden.
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More information on Blues Under the Bridge can be found [HERE]
Springs Culture Cast welcomes the work of cultural reporter Lance von Ende. In Part 2 this week, Lance travels to Beulah, Colorado and interviews Jim Bishop, the visionary builder of Bishop Castle. Please visit SpringsCultureCast.com for more information!
This weekend is, of course, Memorial Day. Area military bases and veterans groups are marking the holiday with remembrances of America’s war dead. But Memorial Day is also the traditional kickoff of summer tourist season. Tourism is a $320 million a year industry in Southern Colorado, and despite record breaking gas prices local businesses seem hopeful about the upcoming months. Kate Dawson talks with some tourist-reliant business owners in the KRCC listening area about this weekend and the summer to come.
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Photo: Daniel Zwerdling, NPRSix months ago, an NPR investigation found that leaders at Fort Carson, Colo., were punishing some soldiers who returned from war with serious mental health problems - and were preventing them from getting the treatment they needed. In some cases, officers kicked the soldiers out of the Army.
Those stories sparked ongoing investigations of the post, including one by a bipartisan group of U.S. senators and another by Pentagon officials.
Early this year, commanders at Fort Carson responded by launching what they described as an important new program: They required every leader, from sergeants up to generals, to attend a training course on how to spot and help soldiers who potentially have post-traumatic stress disorder. Officials say more than 2,200 leaders have taken the course so far, most of them early this year.
But during a recent return trip to Fort Carson to see whether conditions for troubled soldiers had improved, the most significant changes appeared to be rhetorical.
Coloradans will get rebates on their utility bills if they conserve energy under a new law. Governor Ritter signed the legislation earlier this week, it’s part of a package of new renewable energy measures. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.
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Boulder businessman Jared Polis has entered the race for Congress from Colorado’s 2nd district. That means the wealthy businessman will face off against state senate president Joan Fitzgerald in the Democratic primary for the seat. The two are vying for the seat that Congressman Mark Udall is leaving to run for U.S. senate. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.
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Last week we reported that a delegation of staffers from the U.S. House and Senate visited Ft. Carson to look into allegations that the Army is mistreating soldiers with mental health problems.
Today, members of Colorado’s congressional delegation who sent staffers on the visit sent a letter to the Army to follow up.
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Everyone in Colorado would have health care coverage within three years, under new proposals from the state’s blue ribbon healthcare commission. The commission will issue final recommendations to the legislature next year. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.
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