Happy Friday from KUNC News! Here are a few of the most interesting stories from the week of July 14-18:
Teens pitch policy priorities to state lawmakers focused on education equity, substance abuse
Despite budget cuts this year that nearly ended the program, members of Colorado’s Youth Advisory Council met with lawmakers this week to present more than a dozen policy proposals to legislators at the Capitol.
The group, known as COYAC, advises state lawmakers each year on issues and policies important to young people with the goal of having their ideas considered during the next legislative session.
This year's proposals included expanding access to vocational programs for students with intellectual disabilities, developing a statewide life-skills curriculum for high schoolers, and launching a telehealth pilot to address health care gaps in rural schools.
Environmental policy was also a major focus, with recommendations to update how businesses are fined for pollution violations and reduce plastic waste in restaurants.
Three of the Council’s proposals covered youth substance abuse, including a push for more statewide data on oral nicotine use among youth and the creation of an oral nicotine guidance report for school districts.
While COYAC no longer has the power to draft bills for the legislature's consideration due to those budget cuts, some of the council’s proposals will still be sent to the General Assembly for consideration.
Loveland council member resigns amid recall effort
A Loveland City Council member resigned Monday. The resignation comes a day before the city planned to schedule a recall election against her.
Erin Black faced calls to step down from the public and other council members after she was filmed having a verbal argument at a park in March. Residents gathered enough signatures to spark a recall election.
A city spokesperson says the special election won’t go forward. Black will be replaced during the November election. The Loveland Reporter Herald says Black cited an increasingly hostile political environment in the city as a reason for her resignation.
'The proof is in the pupping': 3 new wolf packs have formed in northwestern Colorado
A state document suggests three new wolf packs have formed in northwestern Colorado. They are listed as the One Ear Pack in Jackson County, the King Mountain Pack in Routt County and the Three Creeks Pack in Rio Blanco County.
The newly named packs were mentioned in a presentation that Parks and Wildlife biologists gave to a state board on Thursday.
A CPW spokesperson says new packs form when a pair of wolves have a litter of pups. The agency said last spring it had identified as many as four den sites around the state.
Neguse leads opposition to proposed NOAA cuts that would shut down Colorado lab
Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse is leading the opposition to a Trump administration proposal to cut funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Neguse says the cuts would hurt Colorado communities.
The cuts would shut down NOAA facilities across the country that conduct climate research, including several laboratories in Boulder. Other long-standing research institutes at the University of Colorado would shutter, too.
Neguse says closing them would make it harder for authorities to forecast weather and prepare for natural disasters. There are also jobs on the line.
The cuts are part of the Trump administration’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year. Neguse is among two dozen lawmakers who signed a letter this week urging the Department of Commerce and House Appropriations Committee to reject them.
'We're very proud of what we do': CSU students help test dam safety on Halligan Reservoir model
Student engineers at Colorado State University are using a giant model to test the design of a new Northern Colorado dam. The 24:1 scale model is a simulation of the maximum amount of water that could possibly spill over the dam at Halligan Reservoir.
The engineers are making sure it can handle a one-in-ten-million year rainfall event. Work on the real dam, about 25 miles northwest of Fort Collins, is expected to start in 2027 and take about three years to finish.
The expansion of Halligan Reservoir will help the city make sure it has a reliable water supply in the future.
Yampa River closes because of hot water temps
The City of Steamboat Springs has closed the Yampa River to recreation. Officials are asking tubers, swimmers, and anglers to stay out of the water due to high temperatures.
The closure is designed to protect local fish. They get stressed out when the river is hot and low.
It’s a voluntary closure for the public but mandatory for commercial outfitters. That could deal a big blow to their summer business.
The city says it keeps a close eye on flows and water temperatures. If the Yampa cools off and gets below 75°, the river could open back up.
Colorado’s Poet Laureate has died
Colorado poet Andrea Gibson died of ovarian cancer this week after living with it since 2021. The 49-year-old had written several books and was known for their live spoken word performances.
A longtime Boulder resident, Gibson had been the state’s poet laureate since 2023. They died early Monday morning at home, surrounded by family, friends and three dogs.
In a statement, Governor Polis acknowledged Gibson’s unique ability to connect with the vast and diverse poetry lovers of Colorado.
Falcon rescued from the Summit County landfill expected to make full recovery
A falcon rescued last week from a Dillon junkyard is on the mend.
Responders named the bird “Scrappy” after finding him trapped in some netting at Summit County Resource Allocation Park.
Summit Daily reports Scrappy is now at a Front Range wildlife rehabilitation facility with an injured wing. He’s expected to make a full recovery and eventually be released.
About The Catch-Up: Each week, KUNC collects and curates some of the more important stories of the week that have aired on our daily newscast. We know how busy life can be, and that it's not always possible to get your news on our airwaves (or from streaming us right here on our website). Fill in the gaps and catch up right here. No one enjoys the feeling of missing out!
