Today on Colorado Edition: we'll discuss a local recall election in Estes Park, meet the dogs of Yosemite that are helping keep aquatic invasive species out of the park, and get some updates on Colorado's efforts to import prescription drugs from Canada. We'll also learn about one man's mission to revive the lost practice of horse dentistry. Finally, we'll hear sounds of the Fort Collins Peach Festival.
News of the day:
- Air Quality Standards - The Northern Front Range has missed a deadline to improve air quality standards, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The Coloradoan reports the EPA is expected to mark the nine-county region in serious non-compliance with a federal standard. That's because the region has high concentrations of ground-level ozone and smog that could lead to respiratory health issues.
- Electric Vehicles - The state's Air Quality Control Commisison just passed a zero-emission vehicle standard. It requires automakers to make five percent of vehicles for sale to be electric or hybrid by 2023.
- Hail Research - Researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research think they have a better way to predict the hailstorms that dent cars and damage roofs every summer in the Mountain West. They trained a neural network by showing it about 100,000 different storms — some that resulted in big hail, others little hail, some none at all. The network could then pick up on subtle differences in storm shape and qualities to predict hail output. A similar method is used for facial recognition. The scientists say they hope the technique will result in fewer false alarms.
- Leadville Trail 100 Results - The Leadville Trail 100 took place this weekend and the winner was Ryan Smith from Boulder, who finished in 16 hours, 33 minutes and 25 seconds. The women's winner was Magdalena Boulet who came in at 20 hours, 18 minutes and 7 seconds. For more on the race, listen to Thursday's episode of Colorado Edition, when we spoke to its founder, Ken Chlouber.
Estes Park Recall Election
On Tuesday, Aug. 20, a recall election will be held in the town of Estes Park for Mayor Pro Tem Cody Walker. We spoke with Zach Clemens and Tyler Pialet from The Estes Park Trail-Gazetteabout the recall.
Conservation Dogs In Yellowstone
Zebra and quagga mussels can devastate an ecosystem and Yellowstone National Park is doing everything it can to keep them out. As Maggie Mullen reports, that includes harnessing the power of man's best friend.
Colorado's Efforts To Import Prescription Drugs
Colorado lawmakers passed legislation this year that would allow the state to import prescription drugs form Canada, something that could mean more affordable prescritptions for Coloradans.
The law needed federal approval to move forward, and after the Trump administration recently got on board, it seemed like the coast was clear. Until Canada piped up.
John Ingold, a reporter for the Colorado Sun, joined us to discuss what's going on.
Visiting A Horse Dentist
For many of us, a trip to the dentist can be costly and sometimes a bit painful, but it's important for our overall health. The same is true for horses, who also need yearly dental care. KUNC's Esther Honig introduces us to one Colorado veterinarian who's reviving the forgotten practice of horse dentistry.
Fort Collins Peach Festival
On Saturday, the Colorado Edition team atteneded Fort Collins' annual peach festival. We spoke with locals about their favorite peach dish to eat.
Colorado Edition is made possible with supports from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music this week by Blue Dot Sessions:
- "Lamplist" by Darby
- "Great Great Lengths" by The Balloonist
- "Molly Molly" by Barstool
Colorado Edition is hosted by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1) and Henry Zimmerman (@HWZimmerman), and produced by Lily Tyson. The web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. News director Catherine Welch and managing editor Brian Larson contributed to this episode.
KUNC's Colorado Edition is a daily news magazine taking an in-depth look at the issues and culture of Northern Colorado. It's available on our website, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can hear the show on KUNC's air, beginning Sept. 2, Monday through Thursday at 6:30 p.m.