//podcastplus.net/feed/kuncs-colorado-edition~0e686bb0 KUNC's In The NOCO is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 06:19:33 +0000 https://media.transistor.fm/31454782/b86d0561.mp3 The sugar beet industry began in Colorado right around 1900. Today it's only a small part of the state's economy, but through the early part of the 20th century , beets were the most significant agricultural product grown here. They were so important to the economy that people  referred to sugar beets as 'white gold.' During this time, thousands of Hispanic and Mexican people came to Northern Colorado to work in the beet fields . Many of them eventually settled in Fort Collins - predominantly in what would come to be called the Tres Colonias – three neighborhoods that surrounded the Great Western Sugar Company. Betty Aragon-Mitotes is something of an expert on the legacy of the families who settled in this area. She has been a longtime community leader, advocating for Hispanic and Latino communities. She co-founded a cultural center spotlighting the Tres Colonias neighborhoods, and is the founder and president of the nonprofit Mujeres de Colores , which educates and provides support to wor... Fri, 31 May 2024 11:30:00 +0000 https://media.transistor.fm/31454782/b86d0561.mp3 https://media.transistor.fm/8091274e/c23f697e.mp3 It was a shocking crime. In January, thieves in Wichita, Kansas allegedly stole and destroyed a bronze statue of Jackie Robinson , the trailblazing baseball player and civil rights hero. Only the statue's bronze shoes were left behind. The statue had stood near ballfields used by League 42 – a youth baseball league named after the number on Robinson’s uniform.  News of the crime generated an outpouring of support, including more than half a million dollars in donations to replace the statue. And the work to create the new statue is happening in Loveland.  Art Castings of Colorado , which was started in 1972, specializes in bronze sculptures. The company worked on the original Jackie Robinson statue. Now, the staff at the foundry is creating the replacement, which League 42 plans to dedicate later this year..   Art Castings owner Tony Workman joined host Erin O'Toole to share what makes the statue so special. Thu, 30 May 2024 11:30:00 +0000 https://media.transistor.fm/8091274e/c23f697e.mp3 https://media.transistor.fm/3d788e99/c3aa3e0a.mp3 A tiny parasite is an emerging threat to honeybees globally. And a scientist at the University of Colorado is sounding the alarm.  Dr. Samuel Ramsey is an entomologist, someone who studies insects. Dr. Sammy , as he is also known, is assistant professor of entomology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado Boulder and talks about science on his YouTube channel . The tropilaelops mite -- or as Ramsey likes to call them, tropi-mites -- have devastated bees in Asia and are spreading to Europe. Ramsey is studying how we might prevent this species from spreading to North America and becoming a honeybee pandemic.  Ramsey is a gay, Christian, Black scientist who attributes much of his research success to his unique perspective. We talked with him about what tropilaelops could mean for honeybees, as well as how a diversity of viewpoints makes for better scientific research.   Wed, 29 May 2024 11:30:00 +0000 https://media.transistor.fm/3d788e99/c3aa3e0a.mp3 https://media.transistor.fm/28cc878b/27b94e50.mp3 Each spring, the Front Range endures miller moth season. Even in relatively mild years like this one, the tiny winged visitors enter our homes, annoy us and even frighten us.  But they’re also fascinating. So we asked Karim Gharbi – an insect expert and horticulture specialist with Colorado State University Extension – to help us unpack the mysteries of the miller moths.  Where do they come from? Where do they go when they leave? Are they dangerous? And why does Erin’s dog seem to love the taste of them?  The answers may surprise you – just like a miller moth darting out of your medicine cabinet first thing in the morning. Tue, 28 May 2024 11:30:00 +0000 https://media.transistor.fm/28cc878b/27b94e50.mp3 https://media.transistor.fm/fbd5e7e4/6f9a5a19.mp3 For the last several decades, a small but growing number of states have begun observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a holiday to honor Native Americans and celebrate their histories and cultures. In some communities, like Boulder , it's celebrated in lieu of Columbus Day. In other places, both are observed on the second Monday of October. It is not currently a federally recognized holiday, though in 2021, President Biden signed the first presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples Day.  To learn more about its significance, we reached out to Susan Faircloth. The former professor led Colorado State University’s School of Education and now runs a consulting company in Fort Collins focused on American Indian education. She's an enrolled member of the Coharie Tribe of North Carolina. Our conversation began with a land acknowledgment that included a deeply personal connection to her family. Fri, 06 Oct 2023 11:45:00 +0000 https://media.transistor.fm/fbd5e7e4/6f9a5a19.mp3 https://media.transistor.fm/c8c97a02/58abfb91.mp3 Thousands of Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers in Colorado and other states have walked off the job for three days. They say they are stretched thin amid a serious employee shortage and want better pay. Meanwhile, the Fort Collins Symphony celebrates a century of music that began with a group of volunteer musicians back in 1923. Host Erin O'Toole talks with the organization's longtime music director, Wes Kenney , in today's episode. Thu, 05 Oct 2023 11:45:00 +0000 https://media.transistor.fm/c8c97a02/58abfb91.mp3 https://media.transistor.fm/18dc24f7/66ba3897.mp3 KUNC’s The Colorado Dream podcast captures the struggles and successes of residents determined to make a life in Colorado. They are striving for the so-called American Dream – and overcoming huge hurdles in the process. Their stories also reflect host and creator Stephanie Daniel’s longtime focus in the KUNC newsroom. Her work often unravels the barriers to thriving in America. "I grew up in Denver and Colorado is my home," Daniel says. "I’ve been working at KUNC for nearly six years and during that time I’ve gravitated toward covering issues that really impact people’s quality of life — alcohol addiction and treatment, higher education and jobs, access to health care, social justice, immigration, the list goes on." The Colorado Dream podcast releases its third season this week, which unpacks how Colorado’s housing crisis is affecting our mountain communities. Ahead of the launch, Daniel sat down with host Erin O'Toole to preview some of these stories and how they reflect the gri... Wed, 04 Oct 2023 11:45:00 +0000 https://media.transistor.fm/18dc24f7/66ba3897.mp3 https://media.transistor.fm/5b62d898/d881a658.mp3 A lot of Coloradans love the idea of recycling. But our recycling habits are in the dumps. In 2020, the rate of recycling statewide was just 15 percent — less than half the rate nationwide. That’s according to a report from the Colorado Public Interest Research Group and Eco-Cycle . Perhaps that's because the actual practice of it can be confusing. It seems like the rules are often changing – and let’s not forget that recycling is expensive, both for residents and municipalities. To help sort through the confusion, host Erin O'Toole sat down with Mark Snedecor, who's the director of recycling services for Waste Management (WM) of Colorado. He shares some of the big recycling blunders we're making, and why you don't have to worry too much about those little numbers in the 'chasing arrows' recycling symbol. Tue, 03 Oct 2023 11:45:00 +0000 https://media.transistor.fm/5b62d898/d881a658.mp3 https://media.transistor.fm/1d9a2427/18d6fdda.mp3 We're celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with conversations featuring Hispanic and Latino changemakers, innovators and creators. Today's episode is about music - specifically, mariachi . The style is rooted in Mexico's history, dating back to colonial times, and started to grow in the United States around the 1930s, when people began hearing it on radio stations and in films.  These days, it's showing up more often in Colorado schools' music programs, alongside the usual  jazz, orchestra, or symphonic band options for students. That provides the opportunity for more culturally relevant programming to serve increasingly diverse student populations, says Ben San Martin Kellogg.  Kellogg isn't from Mexico himself – he's of European and Peruvian ancestry – and he didn't grow up listening to or playing mariachi. But he fell in love with the style when he was brought in to play trumpet in a mariachi ensemble while a student at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He's now a music educator ... Fri, 29 Sep 2023 11:45:00 +0000 https://media.transistor.fm/1d9a2427/18d6fdda.mp3 https://media.transistor.fm/e3797e0e/5de94beb.mp3 A new exhibit opening this weekend at the Museum of Boulder promises to illuminate the stories of Black Coloradans, highlighting their influence on the region's history and their impact on the future. " Proclaiming Colorado's Black History " centers on places like the once-bustling farming community of Dearfield ; and notable people like businessman Barney Ford and philanthropist Julia Greeley .  It's about sharing the lives and stories of people who aren't necessarily in Colorado's history books, said Adrian Miller , co-Project Director and lead curator for the exhibit. The project was several years in the making, and was shaped with a lot of community input and collaboration, Miller said. It includes a variety of installations, collections of oral histories, and an art display that delves into Afrofuturism . Miller joined host Erin O'Toole to discuss the origins of the project, how it came together, and why now is the right time to launch. Proclaiming Colorado's Black History opens Frid... Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:45:00 +0000 https://media.transistor.fm/e3797e0e/5de94beb.mp3