We know watching the news can be tough when it feels like it's all doom and gloom. This week is definitely feels like one of those moments.
Thankfully, there are feel-good stories all around us, and CPR News, KRCC and Denverite reporters are great at finding them and bringing them to you.
So in an effort to throw some joy into your news digest, we've gathered some of our favorite stories. Enjoy!
Trumpet, flute and cello, oh my! These Denver preschoolers heard classical music for the first time
Imagine hearing a sound for the first time. Imagine someone with a black case with a trumpet, a flute or a cello walked into your classroom one day and made music. Imagine how that might make you want to move your feet, and maybe swing your arms a little.
For the students in the Head Start program with Clayton Early Learning in Denver, that’s exactly what they experienced in this story.
Sumac, chickpeas and olive oil: How one food truck brings the taste of Lebanon to Colorado
As a child in Lebanon, food prep was a chance for Siham Halime to deepen the bonds with her mother and grandmother. But it wasn’t until she came to Colorado that it became an occupation. The Aurora resident now owns and operates the Laziz Ya Lebanese food truck that makes regular appearances around the Denver metro area.
Read about her journey to bring Lebanese food to Colorado here.
Move over Great British Baking Show, this is how you judge blue ribbon winners at the Colorado State Fair
The Colorado State Fair in Pueblo holds competitions for all sorts of things every summer. One of them includes the pantry competition, where home cooks from around the state vie to prove their kitchen prowess.
Here's a taste of what it's like to compete.
Hospital dogs provide calm and comfort for health care providers and patients in need
Outside Denver’s HCA HealthONE Rose, the snow is flying. Inside, on the third floor, in Labor and Delivery, there’s a flurry of activity. A pair of dogs, tails wagging, had arrived at a nursing station, causing about a dozen medical professionals to melt into a collective puddle of affection. The dogs aren’t visitors. They work here too, specifically for the benefit of the staff.
Read about their important work here.
Notice more rabbits around town this year? A rough winter last year changed the urban food chain … for now
In just about any environment, rabbits have a knack for multiplying and then, well, multiplying some more. But some in the Denver metro area have observed more rabbits than usual. Turns out the lack of Denver foxes may be why.
Here's what our reporter found out.
Crested Butte celebrates permanent protections for its ‘Red Lady,’ a victory 47 years in the making
For decades, many protested, fundraised, lobbied, filed lawsuits and negotiated with government leaders and industry executives to permanently protect Mt. Emmons, which, at about 12,400 feet, towers over the town from the west and often glows red at dawn and dusk. The town’s namesake, Mt. Crested Butte, stands sentinel to the east. Their work, along with some good luck over the years, paid off last summer when a complex deal was signed that forever ended the possibility of mining on the mountain.
We went to the lowest point in Colorado
While Colorado is most often celebrated for its breathless heights, part of the Arikaree River near the Kansas-Colorado border is the lowest elevation in the state, at 3,315 feet.
Here's what we learned about the Yuma County spot and the people who reside in it.
Music to their fuzzy ears: shelter animals soothed by the sound of strings
At Denver's main animal shelter, roughly 300 animals hang out, hoping to get adopted. A program called Wild Tunes, founded in 2023 by a 10-year-old animal lover, organizes volunteers to play music to these animals in shelters.
At Denver's main animal shelter, roughly 300 animals hang out, hoping to get adopted. A program called Wild Tunes, founded in 2023 by a 10-year-old animal lover, organizes volunteers to play music to these animals in shelters. The creatures have been treated to a virtual symphony of sound, from musicians playing harp, violin, guitar, piano, steel drums, crystal sound bowls, cello and the flute. Some volunteers have even sung to the animals.
How do you remove a mite from a honey bee’s back? Ask these 5th graders
A dozen fifth-graders peer at a blown-up microscope image of a Varroa mite. “It’s not a pretty thing,” master beekeeper Carmen Weiland tells them. The mite has a bulbous body, eight segmented legs that look like claws capped by a sucker, and a hairy, bristly back. There’s no “ewws” or “gross.” These fifth graders are all business. They’re on a mission.
Find out about their spring project here.
Meet the orchid obsessives putting on a big plant sale this weekend
The Denver Orchid Society holds a twice-yearly plant sale in Aurora. It's billed as “Orchids With Altitude,” with about 600 plants for sale, sourced from 10 wholesalers across the nation. It supports a community united by their orchid obsessions.
Read about the obsessives here.
If you need help, dial 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also reach the Colorado Crisis Services hotline at 1-844-493-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255 to speak with a trained counselor or professional. Counselors are also available at walk-in locations or online to chat.
