Today on Colorado Edition: We explore tensions in the world of public health officials. We also hear about restaurants offering street dining options, and take a look at how the pandemic is impacting law students. Plus, we hear from a librarian working to diversify book collections.
Tension Among Public Health Officials
Last week, Douglas County’s commissioners announced the county would leave the Tri-County Health Department, a department that has overseen Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas County for the past 50 years. The announcement came after Tri-County issued a mask mandate. Commissioners of Douglas County disagreed with the move, and in addition to leaving the health department, will also opt out of the mandate. This example highlights the tension some counties are facing between local public health officials and politicians who may disagree with certain public health recommendations. Theresa Anselmo, the executive director of the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials, joined us to discuss this tension and the future of local public health in Colorado.
Dining In The Street
It’s been a tough year for many local businesses in Colorado. That’s especially true for restaurants. Many are marking their first month since being able to open for limited in-person dining during the pandemic. And as KUNC’s Matt Bloom reports, some are finding success serving customers outside, on the street.
Law Students Face Uncertainty In Testing And Jobs
This week, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that if recent law school graduates want to wait to take the bar exam until February due to concerns over COVID-19, they can still practice as lawyers in the interim, in a limited capacity. Dan Mika has been reporting on the challenges that law graduates are facing during this pandemic and joined us to discuss the impact of the recent ruling.
Diversifying Library Collections
As a result of the recent protests against police brutality and subsequent discussions about race, racism and diversity, the High Plains Library District, which serves most of Weld County and surrounding towns, is re-evaluating the diversity of its collections, a process that began a few years ago. Lori Johnson, a collection development librarian for the district, joined us to talk about why the library is doing this work and what it means in practice.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1) and Henry Zimmerman (@HWZimmerman), and produced by Lily Tyson. The web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. Managing editor Brian Larson contributed to this episode. We get production help from Rae Solomon.
KUNC's Colorado Edition is a news magazine taking an in-depth look at the issues and culture of Northern Colorado. It's available on our website, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can hear the show on KUNC's air, Monday through Thursday at 6:30 p.m.