It has truly been a momentous year for our community as well as for all of us at KUNC. In 2023, we launched hit podcasts about Western water issues and the mountain rural housing crisis, sent out our first newsletter, and debuted our daily podcast, In The NoCo. Needless to say, it's been a busy year at the station. We asked our reporters and editors to select their favorite stories from 2023 and compiled them here. We hope you enjoy this look back on the year that was.
Child Mental Health
This year, KUNC reporter Leigh Paterson collaborated with The Carter Center to report on the mental health crisis Colorado youth are grappling with. Out of this collaboration, KUNC reported on everything from access to mental health services to how families and municipalities are addressing the crisis.
Young people in Colorado are in crisis, dealing with high levels of depression, stress and thoughts of self-harm. The rates of mental health struggles are even higher for LGBTQ+ kids.
"I loved interviewing the therapists with the Rainbow Circles for this story. This growing practice, based in Fort Collins, primarily serves LGBTQ+ kids. Much of their office looks like the playroom I have set up for my own young kids: bins of toys, low couches and dress up stuff strewn around. It seemed like a place where young people with various identities could feel comfortable and cared for."Leigh Paterson
Other Series Work From 2023
The Air We Need
A three-part look at the obstacles Northern Colorado residents are facing as they pursue cleaner air in their communities.
In Crisis: Colorado's youth continue to struggle with stress, anxiety and depression
A four-part look at why Colorado children are suffering from serious anxiety, depression and thoughts of self-harm and what communities are doing to help.
Who Watches the Watchdog?
This story is part of an occasional KUNC investigative series this year exploring the power of Colorado sheriffs. Robyn Vincent is a reporter with KUNC’s Northern Colorado Center for Investigative Reporting.
Ten Years Later: The flood that changed the Front Range
Saturday, September 9, 2023, will mark 10 years since destructive floods devastated Northern Colorado. The vast majority of the rain fell on that September 11 and 12. Over the course of a week, nine people died, 20,000 residents evacuated and thousands of homes, roads and businesses were destroyed. The cost of the damage came to nearly $4 billion dollars.This series of four in depth stories will focus on specific communities and examine a couple central questions: what has changed since that devastating flood? What have we learned?
Safety Plan: How Northern Colorado schools are protecting students, with and without police
Following recent threats and shooting incidents in Northern Colorado schools, this series examines school safety in two districts: one that voted to get rid of police in schools three years ago and another that has done the opposite.
Podcasts Launched in 2023
Since its launch in September, "In The NoCo" — KUNC's daily news show and podcast — has been helping us to make sense of life in Northern Colorado. It features conversations with all manner of folks, from change-makers to rule-breakers. Here are some of the voices that have stuck in our heads so far:
In The NoCo Episodes
Courtesy of Betty Aragon-Mitotes
The sugar beet industry was integral to the prosperity Northern Colorado enjoys today - but it was the workers toiling in the beet fields who made it all possible. We hear from longtime community advocate Betty Aragon-Mitotes about the enduring legacy of the immigrant families who shaped our region, on today's In The NoCo.
Luke Runyon/Harvest Public Media
In the newest season of The Colorado Dream, we focus on affordable housing in mountain communities where land and inventory are scarce.
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Scott Franz/KUNCSteamboat Springs created three different zones to regulate short-term rentals, including a red zone where no new permits for those rentals can be issued. Three people living within that zone share their experiences with how the regulations have shaped their lives. -
Stephaniel Daniel/KUNCBreckenridge is a little over five square miles. Despite its size, preserving the past is a priority for Breckenridge—the town has 249 Historic District structures and seven historical exhibits and museums. Preservation also is an important part of the town’s plan to curb the housing crisis, now and in the future. One initiative is called Housing Helps, which helped locals Anne and John Lowe buy their dream home. But the town's housing initiatives might not work for everyone.
"Each season of The Colorado Dream podcast from KUNC News is unique. This year “Housing Wanted” was our biggest reporting project yet. Two KUNC colleagues - Scott Franz and Rae Solomon – and I reported on the housing crisis in three of Colorado’s mountain resort communities. While each area has a similar problem, we were able to uncover unique, local solutions that really catered to the needs of their residents."Stephanie Daniel
Thirst Gap is a six-part podcast series about how the Southwest is adapting to water shortages as climate change causes the region to warm up and dry out. The series zooms in on people and places grappling with limited water supplies in the Colorado River watershed, and examines the trade-offs that come with learning to live with less water.
Thirst Gap
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Luke RunyonThe Colorado River’s current crisis traces its roots back to 1922. That’s when leaders from the rapidly-growing southwestern states that rely on the river traveled to a swanky Santa Fe mountain retreat to divvy up the river’s water. Growing populations in some of the West’s burgeoning cities and sprawling farmlands, and the anxieties tied to that growth, pushed leaders to the negotiating table. -
Luke Runyon/KUNCLas Vegas is known as a city of excess. But not when it comes to water. The desert metropolis relies on the Colorado River to keep its iconic casinos bustling. The short supply has caused city leaders to enforce some of the tightest water conservation measures in the West. Green lawns are enemy number one.
The Colorado River
Alex Hager
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KUNC
The nation's second-largest reservoir has been shrinking as drought and steady demand strain the Colorado River. Lake Powell water levels are low, but canyons and ecosystems are emerging.
Photos From 2023
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Glen Canyon Dam started holding back water in 1963. Water policy analysts say its architects never expected reservoir levels to drop this low. Now, the dam could be rendered practically dysfunctional, part of the Southwest's forced reckoning with aridity.
Alex Hager / KUNC
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Steve Komito repairs a pair of hiking boots on March 13, 2023. Komito has owned Komito Boots, a small shop in Estes Park, for nearly 40 years. He feels strongly that the Loop will ease congestion for tourists and locals alike.
Leigh Paterson / KUNC
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Emma VandenEinde / KUNC
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Mark Easter's custom cover crop seed mix includes two types of peas, hairy vetch, yellow mustard, tillage radish, buckwheat oats and rye. He plans cover crops in the fall and early spring. They keep the soil covered, provide extra plant diversity and living roots in the ground. He also harvests them as produce.
Rae Solomon / KUNC
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Hanmei Hoffman and her husband Derrick Hoffman farm in Greeley, Colorado, where most of their produce is sold to schools. Here she's moving boxes of cucumbers from a refrigerated container and loading them onto a waiting truck to deliver them to schools along Colorado’s Front Range on August 18, 2023.
Rae Solomon / KUNC
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Danny Hogan (right) and Eli Schwat (second from right) lead a trek towards a snow research site. They gather data on snow from nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, helping to add more detail to forecasts of Colorado River water supply.
Alex Hager / KUNC
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Sen. Tom Sullivan, who lost his son in the 2012 mass shooting at an Aurora movie theater, speaks to East High School students gathered in the Senate chamber on Friday, Mar. 3, 2023.
Lucas Brady Woods / KUNC
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Ryan Dougherty, of Basalt, Colorado, came with his kids and another family to the Three Lakes Ice Fishing Contest on Lake Granby
Rae Solomon / KUNC
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The open road on I-76 in Northeastern Colorado. Cold weather can significantly reduce electric vehicle ranges
Rae Solomon / KUNC
A Smile On The Airwaves
Earlier this year, KUNC News began producing short vignettes called Sonic IDs, which capture the stories and sounds of Northern Colorado. We believe it’s important for local public radio stations to reflect the communities they serve, and these 30-second pieces do that. They pop up on the radio when you least expect it, and hopefully they make you look at your speaker and smile. Executive News Director Sean Corcoran has shared three of his favorites.
The first one is about a boy catching his first fish, and it was recorded by KUNC’s Scott Franz. I just love the pure joy in the boy’s voice.
This Sonic ID, produced by KUNC’s Leigh Paterson, is a perfect example of the pride people feel living amidst the natural beauty of Northern Colorado. Estes Park Mayor Wendy Koenig describes the mountains that surround her community, and shares a story about her daughter, who wept when she returned home and saw the mountains again.
Sometimes the best sonic IDs come from people just doing their everyday thing. In this case, it is a woman panning for gold in Clear Creek. Many of have no idea that panning for gold is still something people regularly do. But what makes this little vignette truly standout is the story within the story -- the Canadian goose that comes by, curious about what this human is up to.
Sonic IDs
Robyn Vincent
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KUNC
Residents with disabilities who live at an apartment complex in Greeley are on edge. They may soon have to move out, but "there's nowhere to go."
Emma VandenEinde
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KUNC
The land and its waterways have long been sacred to Indigenous people, and they know how to care for it well. Now, some conservation groups are recruiting Indigenous youth to restore and protect these areas.
"I am grateful that our grant from the Water Desk allowed me to travel all the way out to New Mexico to tell this story. The sad thing is that the Indigenous youth were working on so many other amazing projects -- cutting down brush with chainsaws, lopping and scattering forests, agricultural work and more -- but due to some scheduling conflicts, those projects got moved to the week after I was there. It was fun to meet these bright, kind youth. What the audience didn't get to see is them singing karaoke on the way to the projects, or finding wild frogs and putting them on each other's backs, or spraying one another with a watering hose. They knew how to make work fun."Emma VandenEinde
Rae Solomon
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KUNC
Policymakers in Colorado envision a future with close to a million electric cars on the road by 2030. But before all those electric cars can hit the roadways, we’ll need a way to charge them. That includes in rural areas, not typically electric vehicle hotbeds.
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Rae Solomon/KUNCAnimal agriculture produces more methane – a powerful greenhouse gas – than any other human activity in the U.S. Climate experts say we need to cut greenhouse gas emissions dramatically before 2030. But when it comes to emissions from the livestock sector, the science is still emerging, and it’s not yet clear if the cuts will come in time—or how. -
Rae Solomon/KUNCIn February, the repressive Nicaraguan government expelled 222 political prisoners and sent them to America. Four of those ex-prisoners are living in Summit County. Now they’re settling into life in the Colorado mountains with help from their fellow countrymen.
"My favorite stories to report hit at the intersection of climate and agriculture, like this one, about research into reducing emissions of the climate warming gas methane from the livestock industry. When I set out to report this story, I imagined a beautiful scene brought to life with lots of cow noises. Unfortunately, cows are pretty quiet unless they're upset about something. The animals at the AgNext research pens are very happy animals. Instead of cow sounds, you get machinery. Such is life."Rae Solomon
Emma VandenEinde
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KUNC
For kids who use wheelchairs, finding a park they can access can be challenging. One Berthoud mom is fundraising to create an inclusive park where everyone can play side by side.
"It was an honor to meet with Lauren Bowling’s now six-year-old son, Miles, who faces challenges to play like everyone else. Through reporting, I learned that while something may be called “inclusive” or “ADA compliant,” it does not always mean that it is accessible. For instance, many parks have a swing that the child can use if lifted out of their wheelchair, but they cannot access it on their own."Emma VandenEinde
David Zalubowski
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AP
Colorado's Climate Extremes Committee is considering whether a hailstone that fell in Yuma County last week is the biggest in state history. The decision might come down to a storm chaser's photo.
Jennifer Coombes
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KUNC
An archival collection at the Denver Public Library documents the life and legacy of Gudy Gaskill, who was often called the 'Mother of the Colorado Trail.'
"This was my first feature for KUNC! I loved visiting a remote trailhead and wandering through rows of archives for this story. Plus, it inspired me to add the Colorado Trail to my hiking bucket list."Natalie Skowlund
Legislative Coverage
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Lucas Brady Woods/KUNCThe Colorado State Forest Service seedling nursery hasn’t been properly maintained in decades. That has hampered its capacity and undermines the quality of its plants. Now, the facility is getting a new influx of money from state lawmakers who consider it to be a crucial part of preparation for future natural disasters. -
Lucas Brady Woods/KUNCColorado is now the first in the nation to pass a right-to-repair law. The law makes it easier for farmers and ranchers to access the tools they need to maintain and repair their own equipment. Farmers support the measure, but manufacturing trade groups aren’t happy.
"I’ve done a lot of K-12 education reporting and every time I go into a school, kids are doing familiar things: laughing with friends, dashing to class, and hanging in the hallways. So, reporting on a high school for kids in recovery for substance use disorders posed an interesting juxtaposition. Teens being teens while also grappling with very adult issues like maintaining their sobriety and attending recovery programs."Stephanie Daniel
Young people struggled with isolation, stress and anxiety during the pandemic and many of these issues continue today. When kids are in crises a lot of them turn to alcohol or drugs to cope. One Denver high school has been uniquely positioned to handle these challenges. Its mission is to help kids stay sober.
Stories from Morning Edition
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sandrasonik.com/sandrasonik.comIra Glass, the creator and host of 'This American Life,' is coming to Boulder. He’s bringing his show, “Seven Things I’ve Learned” to Chautauqua Auditorium on Saturday, July 29. The public radio legend himself sat down with KUNC host Nikole Robinson Carroll for a chat ahead of the show. -
Luke Perkins/History ColoradoColorado's State Historian, Dr. Claire Oberon Garcia, joined KUNC's Nikole Robinson Carroll to discuss the unique perspective she brings to her new role.
"This was a major "bucket list" interview for me. Ira was so kind and gracious and fascinating. I couldn't bring myself to completely let go of all the material that didn't make the on-air cut, so I got the editorial team's approval to post a longer version to the website."Nikole Robinson-Carroll
KUNC’s Northern Colorado Center for Investigative Reporting (NCCIR) is dedicated to investigating topics, issues and stories of concern to the people of Northern Colorado. We are an ethical, experienced, audience-focused team of journalists empowered by the First Amendment and driven by a commitment to public service and the pursuit of the truth. NCCIR is nonprofit and nonpartisan. We produce fact-based and fact-checked journalism that is accessible and valuable to the communities we serve.
Scott Franz
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KUNC
Residents in Superior say an airport in Jefferson County where hundreds of planes still use leaded gasoline is the source of lead they are finding on their homes. The airport director is skeptical of the claims.
"In March, for a series called "The Air We Need" we took people to neighborhoods in northern Colorado where residents were concerned about lead pollution from a nearby airport. At the time, the airport director told us nothing could be done. We stuck with the story, reporting on conversations about leaded fuel on the federal level as well as how the Superior town council called on the airport to address the health impacts.In October, the airport director changed tune completely. Saying he could do something about it. Months later, following that scrutiny, the office started spending money on community violence prevention programs, and we gave listeners a firsthand look at how those efforts were going."Scott Franz
Scott Franz
'Extremely disappointed:' CO lawmakers vent about lack of progress at gun violence prevention office
“Somehow it's a bottleneck. And you have, what, $3 million? And none of it has been allocated to the people who are trying to keep our community safe,” State Sen. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, told the office’s leaders.