Community

On a sunny morning under the shade of a big tree just north of the Regis University campus in Denver, a small group of people gathered around 102-year-old Edward Flaherty on Friday to honor him for what he did when he was young. They came to give him the medals he earned in World War II, but never received.

Erie is a town of 27,003 people, according to 2019 Census estimates, that sits partially in both Boulder and Weld Counties. Their town board issued their first proclamation recognizing Juneteenth last year. The town — with a population that is 87% non-Hispanic white and 0.2% Black — will hold its inaugural Juneteenth celebration on Saturday.

Many communities across the Mountain West were once known as “sundown towns.” Those are places that once had policies to force people of color to leave town by nightfall. If they didn’t, they could be arrested or worse. One town in Nevada is grappling with its racist legacy.

In his My Colorado essay, Curt Lyons reflects on the many changes he has witnessed in the Fort Collins housing market, through the price changes of one home over 15 years.

The flowers have all wilted and dried at the fence along Table Mesa Drive, where a temporary memorial stands for the 10 victims of the South Boulder King Soopers shooting. Last week, Kroger announced their decision to reopen the store by the fall, after a complete remodel. The company has pledged to listen to community input on what that redesign and reopening will look like.

KUNC's Alana Schreiber spent an evening on the sparkling field of District Six Stadium, where teachers and administrators transformed a football pitch into a venue for a COVID-safe prom.

The grocery store at the center of a shooting that left 10 people dead in Boulder remains closed. More than a month later, a memorial around the perimeter of the site still attracts mourners who leave behind flowers and heartfelt notes. What lies ahead for that building is very much an open question. But there is a playbook, of sorts, for communities finding a way to move forward with physical infrastructure that has become synonymous with mass tragedy.

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan will end next week, on May 12. This is the second time Muslims have observed this month during the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Last time, many mosques closed their doors to ensure the safety of their community. KUNC spoke to mosque leaders to find out more about how their congregations are handling the unique observance of Ramadan this year.

In Colorado Springs, The Place is a shelter for young people experiencing homelessness. The pandemic has only increased the number of individuals who are unhoused, but in the early days of lockdowns, The Place’s outreach team had trouble finding youth.

Samantha Frias met her husband, Alonso, back in 2003. It was at a Halloween party. Alonso wasn't dressed up, but Samantha wore a Morticia Addams costume. She said they were inseparable from the very start.