Fort Collins

Today on Colorado Edition, we listen back to our favorite stories about two Fort Collins homes with important historical legacies. One is the home of Virgil Thomas, the first known African American to graduate from a Fort Collins high school. The other is an adobe-style home that belongs to the Cordova family, who have lived in Fort Collins for 100 years.

The former home of Fort Collins’ first known African American high school graduate is now the city's first historic landmark associated with Black history.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we hear about a ballot measure meant to weaken the power of the state's executive branch. We also learn how the newest historic landmark in Fort Collins is groundbreaking in its preservation of the city’s Black history.

In the early 20th century, thousands moved to the Front Range to work in the massive sugar beet industry. In Alta Vista, a sugar beet neighborhood northeast of Fort Collins, many settlers from Mexico and the American Southwest made their homes from adobe. One adobe home still standing today belongs to the Cordova family, who have lived in the area for more than 100 years.

This week, vaccine providers in Northern Colorado started giving out third Pfizer shots to those who qualify. Many are accepting walk-up appointments.

The daily number of tests being administered in Colorado has jumped more than 30% since mid-August, according to state data. The rush has made it difficult for some residents to find appointments near them.

When Hickory Village Mobile Home Park in Fort Collins went up for sale in May, the residents wanted to buy it. But after submitting and then resubmitting an offer, negotiations ultimately fell through. Colorado Edition spoke to Andy Kadlec, the program director for Thistle ROC, about what happened.

A new draft of Colorado’s congressional district map was released late Friday. Unlike the previous preliminary map, this one uses official population data from the 2020 census count instead of estimates. That, along with public comments from 36 meetings in July and August, has led to some major changes in the map’s proposed districts, particularly the new eighth district Colorado gained due to a population increase counted in the 2020 census.

Fort Collins and Colorado State University will roll out hundreds of new e-scooters and e-bikes across town this month as a part of a new mobility program aimed at getting more people out of their cars.

During these two months of public comment hearings, KUNC will detail some of the preliminary districts and the general redistricting process to help meeting attendees know what they're talking about. Check out the district breakdown and FAQ in this story for more information.