Rural & Small Communities

A Colorado coal town’s big geothermal dreams say a lot about the region's shifting job market. 

An apprenticeship program in Colorado and the Mountain West teaches agriculture students to farm and ranch for more extreme weather.

Higher education is teaming up with skilled trade industries in Colorado’s High Country to grow the rural climate workforce of tomorrow.

A new report highlights the risks of extreme heat specific to rural areas.

Support for rural entrepreneurs is growing – and could be the key to thriving small-town economies.

With the election less than two months away, political rifts in Grand County mirror those across Colorado and the rest of the country. Changing demographics are exacerbating political differences and making it hard to focus on the issues that matter, even when Republicans and Democrats agree on them.

Help may be on the way. State lawmakers recently formed a committee to work on legislative solutions to the lack of cell service in parts of the state. Committee members hope to introduce three proposals during next year’s legislative session.

Rural Northwest Colorado will soon lose its coal-fired power plant. It could be disastrous for Craig and Moffat County, but a $70 million deal between the community and the utility company could reduce the impact on the local economy -- and help Craig prepare for the future. In The NoCo asks how a groundbreaking agreement came together.

Reliable, high-speed internet access has long been a challenge in rural parts of the West. Recently the Western Governor’s Association sent letters to Congress to encourage efforts to improve the situation.

NPR has a long and winding history, beginning in the early 20th century with scattered rural stations that featured 'educational' programming like cooking lessons or music performances. CU Boulder professor Josh Shepperd has a new book out, which chronicles NPR's early years. Today on In The NoCo he discusses the book, and how Western states like Colorado helped create the NPR name.