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Colorado Edition: Trials And Tribulations

Courtesy UCHealth

Today on Colorado Edition: we’ll learn about a COVID-19 vaccine trial taking place in our area. Plus, we’ll learn about research at universities, hear the story of the Colorado Cannibal, and get some tips for maintaining your mental health during a stressful season.

COVID-19 Vaccine Trial In Northern Colorado

Across the country, over 30,000 volunteers will take place in a Phase 3 clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. And around 1,500 of those participants will be based right here in northern Colorado during a vaccine trial based at UCHealth.

We’re going to learn more about how this trial will work with Dr. Gary Luckasen. He is medical director of UCHealth’s clinical research program in Northern Colorado.

Research at Universities

Congress passed the first coronavirus relief bill in March. Since then, it has given billions of dollars to federal agencies to study COVID-19. Some of the funds have gone to colleges like Colorado State University. But other non-COVID research at CSU and elsewhere has not fared as well. KUNC’s Stephanie Daniel has more on the impacts.

And, a note to our listeners, CSU is an underwriter of KUNC.

The Colorado Cannibal

Ahead of Halloween, we’re going to look back at a frightening piece of Colorado history…

In winter of 1874, six people attempted to cross the San Juan mountains in southern Colorado, and only one survived.

The survivor’s name was Alferd Packer, and he is known as “The Colorado Cannibal,” because he's said to have eaten his companions along the way.

Erin Baxter is a lecturer in the Classics Department of the University of Colorado Boulder and an archeologist with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. She joined us to tell us about what happened and what Alferd’s legacy is in Colorado today.

Surviving Stress

Rising COVID-19 cases, wildfires, an upcoming election — it’s safe to say many of us are experiencing stress right now.

Earlier this week, we heard from KUNC’s Leigh Paterson, who is embarking on a new reporting project focused on mental health in northern Colorado. She talked to several community leaders in our area about what they’ve been struggling with recently and what advice they have for others. Today, we’re going to hear some more of that advice.

You can find even more advice here.

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.

Colorado Edition is hosted by Matt Bloom and Henry Zimmerman, and produced by Lily Tyson. The web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. KUNC news director Brian Larson is our executive producer. 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., with a rebroadcast of the previous evening's show Tuesday through Friday at 8:30 a.m.

Related Content
  • Today on Colorado Edition: We talk with a public health official about recent coronavirus case numbers and additional public health measures. We also get a look at the state of Colorado’s travel industry and we check in on the mental health outlook for northern Colorado.
  • Today on Colorado Edition: we’ll hear from a local business owner about the impact of the recent wildfires on her restaurant. Plus, we’ll get a look at how COVID-19 spreads in schools, talk with the state forester about forest management and the wildfires, and hear a KUNC reporter’s experience curing his ballot.
  • Today on Colorado Edition: We get a glimpse at how recent wildfires are impacting local school districts, and we’ll hear about a new podcast focused on the sage grouse, a bird that lives in the sage brush. And ahead of Día de Muertos, we’ll speak to an artist about a community ofrenda they created in Denver. We’ll also learn about a local theater in northern Colorado that may or may not be known for ghosts.