Weekend catch-up: Restarting life after prison, and more stories you may have missed

Decades in prison, then a shocking re-entry to the world

Audio: CPR’s Andrea Dukakis tells one parolee’s story
Kevin Monteiro close-up
Kevin Monteiro was released from Colorado's Sterling Correctional Facility in June after decades in prison.

For the first time in decades, parolee Kevin Monteiro was a free man on June 10, 2014. As CPR News' Andrea Dukakis reported this week in a four-part series, Monteiro has faced steep odds in rebuilding his life -- but he's succeeding so far. Read the first part here, and find the rest of the series here.

Was it the 'City of Monkey Gods?' Doesn't matter

Audio: CSU archeologist Christopher Fisher speaks with Ryan Warner
Photo: Lost City 2
A stream winds through part of an unexplored valley in Mosquitia in eastern Honduras, a region long rumored to contain a legendary "White City," also called the "City of the Monkey God."

More here.

Dental problems plague Colorado's poor kids

Audio: CPR’s John Daley reports on dental care and poverty
Photo: Poverty dental problems - Analiya Aguilar
Analiya Aguilar, 5, shows her teeth shortly before dental surgery at Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora, on Thursday, March 5, 2015.

Analiya Aguilar, a skinny five-year old with straight black hair, had four teeth pulled last week. And she's not alone. At Children's Hospital Colorado alone, more than 3,000 children visited the operating room for dental surgery last year. Many of the children are low-income. More here.

Denver novel filled with local nods

Audio: Ryan Warner sits down with author Cynthia Swanson at the Tattered Cover
Photo: CM at Tattered - 'The Bookseller' - 01
Author Cynthia Swanson discusses her new novel "The Bookseller" with Ryan Warner.

More here.

What's my TABOR refund?

Photo: TABOR outlook 3.12.15
If state legislators pass all active tax credit bills, your refund would be at least $10.10 less than originally projected.

You've probably heard you might get a TABOR refund. If you're like us, you're wondering how much that could be. We set out to answer that very question -- find out more here.

Colorado instrument drive helps kids stay in school

Gateway School Instrument Drive
Zach Miracle and his students at Gateway School near Grand Junction holding instruments they received from the 2011 Instrument Drive.

Last year, an instrument drive launched by CPR went on hiatus as the station transitioned management of the program. Bringing Music to Life founder and executive director Steve Blatt hopes that this year, under his direction, the program will collect 600 to 700 instruments to give to schools. More here.

Northern Colorado arts advocates hope voters will support them with a tax

Photo: Fort Collins Symphony
The Fort Collins Symphony performs.

Fort Collins arts advocate Bruce Freestone says that many non-profit arts organizations are struggling. A new tax modeled after one in the Denver-metro area could help. But Larimer County Commissioner Steve Johnson says that any new tax will have a tough time passing in the county. More here.

Stories not to miss from NPR

'Dirty Old London': A History Of The Victorians' Infamous Filth

In the 1800s, the Thames River was thick with human sewage and the streets were covered with horse dung, the removal of which, according to Lee Jackson, presented an "impossible challenge."

Does Being Vegan Really Help Animals?

More people are moving toward a plant-based diet, for a variety of reasons. Anthropologist Barbara J. King asks three animal activists what this might mean for animals — and the world.

A King Speech You've Never Heard — Plus, Your Chance To Do Archive Sleuthing

For 50 years, this little-known archive of civil rights activities has gone pretty much untouched and untapped.

Tea Tuesdays: The Scottish Spy Who Stole China's Tea Empire

In the mid-1800s, Britain was a global superpower with a big weakness for tea, all of which came from China. But a botanist with a talent for espionage helped Britain swipe the secrets of tea.

The Accidental Hunter: For One Outdoorsman, Roadkill Is His Only Red Meat

When a car hits and kills a deer or other creature, Jeff Potter swoops in and recovers the meat, then feeds it to friends and family. No one has ever gotten sick, he says.