Happy Friday from KUNC News! Here are a few of the most interesting stories from the week of July 28 - August 1:
Back to school: Find out when classes start in Northern Colorado
The new school year is just around the corner.
From clothing sales to end-of-summer celebrations, many parents and students are marking their calendars for the start of classes.
We have a list of 2025-2026 start dates for school districts in Northern Colorado here.
Weld County gives public commenters more time to weigh in on districting changes
Weld County has extended its public comment period for two proposed redistricting maps. After finishing a third scheduled public meeting earlier this month, the county decided to add two more.
The next meeting is Monday, Aug. 4, at 5:00 P.M. at the county's administration building. Originally, commissioners were scheduled to vote on a final redistricting map this week. That vote has been moved to Wednesday, Aug. 6.
Weld County is under an order by the Colorado Supreme Court to redraw its districts after the court ruled it violated state law.
Timnath police name new leader
Timnath has a new police chief. Laurie Scott started the position in July.
Scott formerly served as Loveland’s Assistant Chief of Police. She also worked for the Omaha Police Department for nearly three decades as a Captain, overseeing Patrol Operations.
Timnath Mayor Robert Axmacher says Scott is a seasoned leader who puts the community at the center of her policing.
Arizona's first Turquoise Alert shows criteria expanded beyond Indigenous peoples
The first-ever Turquoise Alert issued in Arizona this week highlighted how lawmakers expanded criteria beyond the framers' intent.
The system was initially touted as a way to swiftly disseminate information about Indigenous peoples who've gone missing across the Grand Canyon State.
The state Department of Public Safety issued an alert on July 23 and found the missing child within 24 hours.
CSU flouts local rules with electronic billboards
Colorado State University is installing 12 large electronic billboards around its Fort Collins campus, despite local ordinances that prohibit them.
The city restricts billboards to preserve character. But CSU is on state land, and doesn’t have to obey that rule.
Fort Collins officials did advise the university against the signs, citing long-standing city standards.
CBS Colorado reports the billboards will be used primarily for advertising, but also for some campus announcements. CSU says it will try to limit light pollution from the signs at night.
‘Can’t afford to do it for free forever:’ Local ranchers face cuts to grassland conservation program
Like many other agricultural programs recently, the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program is experiencing fallout from significant cuts in Colorado.
The program was started soon after the 2018 Farm Bill was passed as a way for ranchers to get paid by the Farm Service Agency to protect a variety of grasslands. This allows farmers to protect the grasslands while continuing to maintain the land for grazing.
This year, program rates dropped in all but three counties across the state. Those in Weld County, for example, will now get $5 per acre. Boulder and Routt counties went down to $3. Moffat County had an even steeper decline.
Most Colorado producers got around $13 per acre last year.
Guanella Pass institutes “no leaf-peeper parking” zone
Clear Creek County is trying to get an early jump on roadway congestion caused by leaf peepers in the fall. The Sheriff’s Office has installed “No Parking” signs on County Road 381 along Guanella Pass, a popular place for viewing fall colors.
Officials want peepers to park in designated areas only. Emergency vehicles had trouble last year getting through on the road to access people needing help.
Illegally parking in the area can now get you fined or towed.
