As part of a series talking to lawmakers to preview the upcoming legislative session, Statehouse reporter Bente Birkeland talked to a Republican House member about what he hopes to accomplish during the session.

War touches many corners of the world. And while many Colorado Springs residents aren’t immune to the effects of war, two residents have come together to share their stories of time spent in countries torn apart by conflict.

Leslie Wirpsa traveled to the South American country of Colombia while a student, and ended up returning in 1984, spending the next ten years as a freelance journalist.

David LeCompte travels as a Christian missionary, and between 1997 and 2006, he lived and worked in Chechnya.

Drawn to foreign lands for different reasons and at different times, David and Leslie’s stories are similar despite the very different places in which they found themselves.

Here’s part of their conversation, which begins with why Leslie returned to Colombia, and why David traveled to Chechnya.

Here’s the complete conversation between David and Leslie (36 minutes):

Leslie Wirpsa submitted this personal essay, which is accompanied by photographs from her experiences in Colombia and its surrounding region.

David LeCompte submitted this personal essay, which is accompanied by photographs from his experiences in Chechnya.

Here’s another glimpse into the realities both David and Leslie experienced in their respective times abroad. In this conversation, both expand on their respective callings, share similarities between their experiences in countries separated by thousands of miles, and reflect on how their encounters with different cultures caught in the throes of war deeply affected their own lives. (74 minutes)

For more on David’s book, visit his website, No Escape from Grozny. http://www.noescapefromgrozny.com/

KRCC’s Andrea Chalfin sat down for a Q&A with Colorado’s 5th Congressional District challenger Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack.

KRCC’s Andrea Chalfin sat down for a Q&A with Colorado’s 5th Congressional District incumbent Doug Lamborn.

Award-winning Colorado writer Kent Nelson has published nine books and has taught at Colorado College for a decade. He read October 9th, as part of the College’s Visiting Writers Series. KRCC’s Michelle Mercer sat down with him to talk about odd jobs, birdwatching, and what it takes to make it as a writer.

Author Timothy Egan is a Dust Bowl scholar visiting as part of this year’s All Pikes Peak Reads events. He’s the author of the National Book Award-winning The Worst Hard Time, a companion selection to John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. Egan’s book recounts the stories of those who stayed behind during the Dust Bowl. His account deals with real people in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and eastern Colorado who dealt with failing crops, years-long drought, dying livestock and ubiquitous dust. KRCC’s Aaron Retka spoke with Egan about his book, the Dust Bowl and the lessons we can learn from it. He began by asking Egan about the causes.

As Washington politicians sit down with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to try and hammer out a solution to the current situation on Wall Street, KRCC’s Andrea Chalfin sat down with Colorado College Professor of Economics Doctor Libby Ritternberg to try and make sense of the sound bytes. Rittenberg has taught at CC for around 20 years. She’s currently revising an introductory textbook on economics.

Here’s part of their conversation.

Their entire conversation (edited) is also available here (36 minutes). It took place Thursday, September 25. [DOWNLOAD]

Nathan Newbrough,
the Colorado Springs
Philharmonic’s new
34-year-old
Executive Director.The Colorado Springs Philharmonic kicked off its 2008-2009 season this past weekend with a performance of the popular Carmina Burana. The Philharmonic also introduced a new executive director, Nathan Newbrough. KRCC’s Michelle Mercer reports.

At the DNC, KRFC’s Michele Scalva attended the National Stonewall Democrats’ Tea Party. She submitted these interviews, including a chat with the National Party Lead.

Party leaders say Colorado’s 72 member delegation attending this week’s Democratic National Convention are unified in their support of Barack Obama - despite a drawn out and bitter primary fight between Obama and Hillary Clinton. KUNC’s Kirk Siegler found out as much last night while mingling with delegates on the floor of the Pepsi Center.

We’re continuing our look at some of the proposed Health Care reforms that could be enacted in the upcoming legislative session. This time, we’ll hear about the so-called “individual mandate,” that’s where everyone in Colorado would be required to have health insurance, or face some kind of penalty, probably on their taxes. Ryan Warner of Colorado Public Radio talks the concept over with Len Nichols, Health policy director at the Washington, D.C. - based New America foundation, and Kelly Shanahan, policy director at the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative.

[LISTEN]

Homeless veterans in Colorado Springs were able to get a hot meal, a hot shower, free clothes and help getting other services Thursday, Oct. 18th, at the ninth annual El Paso County Homeless Veterans Coalition Stand Down. We stopped by the event at the City Auditorium and talked to Debbie Fowler with the Colorado Springs office of the Veterans Administration, she helped coordinate the event.

[LISTEN]

Recently, KRCC News had the chance to talk to a couple of Colorado Springs residents serving in the military in Iraq. We asked them for their assessments of how the Iraqi military and police are progressing towards being able to operate without U.S. help, and for their impressions of life in the combat zone in general. We’ll have an interview with a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve later this week.

[LISTEN]

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In our monthly conversation with Gov. Bill Ritter, Ritter talks about the energy savings and symbolism he hopes to reap from putting solar panels on the roof of the governor’s residence.

Our conversations with the governor are produced at KCFR in Denver, and conducted by Ryan Warner, who hosts the KCFR program “Colorado Matters.”

[LISTEN]

Two of the most influential men in American politics offered competing visions of the country in Colorado over the weekend. Presidential Advisor Karl Rove says America and President Bush aren’t getting enough credit for the good they do in the world. Bill Clinton says America has an identity crisis and needs to bring troops home from Iraq.

And, Colorado doesn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for Rove….

[LISTEN]