Alexander Heilner
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The Water Desk with aerial support from LightHawk
Experts weigh in on what we learned during the region’s worst drought on record, and how those lessons might help us this year
Lucas Brady Woods
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KUNC
Kenny Holston
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The New York Times via AP
Kent Nishimura
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AFP via Getty Images
KUNC’s In The NoCo is a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
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Courtesy of Jeff Gipe / Half-Life of MemoryWorkers at the Rocky Flats plant northwest of Denver helped build nuclear weapons during the Cold War. The plant is gone, and the land is now a wildlife refuge. A documentary and a new art exhibit explore the controversial history of Rocky Flats, and the memories of its employees.
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Hugh Carey/The Colorado SunA bill being discussed at the state capitol could help make it easier for artists in Colorado to do business. The bill would create a new type of company structure called an Artist Corporation. And one of its main goals is to help an artist maintain control of their own creative work. Hear more about what the bill would do – and its Taylor Swift connection.
Colorado News
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When Colorado lawmakers passed a law in 2015 allowing school districts to be held liable for school shootings, they intended to give both staff and students the opportunity to sue. -
The U.S. Justice Department ordered the immediate placement of medical marijuana into a lower, less restrictive tier of regulated drugs — a historic change in federal marijuana policy. -
Widespread drought and fears of a power crisis is forcing the Interior Department to start sending billions of gallons of water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir downstream to prop up Lake Powell. -
Boosting lawmaker pay during budget cuts isn’t a great look, but it’s exactly what’s set to happen next year. -
The 2026 Fort Collins Music Experiment festival, or FoCoMX, is Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25. Colorado Sound host Ben Freid joined KUNC for a preview of some standout acts this year. -
The order does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use under federal law. But it does change the way it’s regulated.
Mountain West News
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The declines were felt across the Mountain West. In Idaho, SNAP participation fell nearly 8%. Nevada saw a drop of more than 14%. In Arizona, participation fell by nearly 34%. New Mexico saw a decrease of about 6%, while Wyoming dropped by more than 11%. -
A coalition of environmental groups is suing the Environmental Protection Agency, alleging the agency missed a key deadline tied to a stricter national standard for soot pollution. The case could affect air quality protections across the Mountain West. -
The Arizona Department of Water Resources is gearing up for a legal fight over Colorado River negotiations and has hired a law firm to represent the state. -
Traffic deaths declined overall in 2025, but several Mountain West states saw increases. The new initiative focuses on risky driving behaviors. -
When wildland firefighters are on prescribed fires, they’re breathing the same smoke and facing many of the same hazards found on wildfires, but they don’t get the same hazard pay. That could soon change. -
National Alcohol Awareness Month highlights progress and challenges in battle against alcohol misuse in the Mountain West
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