- A severe drought is hitting farmers and ranchers in this state hard. But they’ve been here before. A similar drought, ten years ago, walloped agriculture. We’ll talk shortly with the head of a sale barn, who says the drought is forcing ranchers to sell cattle much earlier than they would otherwise.
- The view from I-25 in Colorado Springs. Photo: Ben Markus The Waldo Canyon Fire continues to rage west of Colorado Springs consuming more than 15-thousand acres. Containment stands at just 5-percent. There’s still no word on how many structures have burned, and hundreds of firefighters continue to battle the blaze.
- The economy is slowly getting better, but Colorado’s unemployment rate is still more than double what it was before the recession. That has put tremendous pressure on the state’s unemployment insurance system. Add to that an emphasis on reducing false payments, which has bogged things down further. Colorado Public Radio’s Ben Markus reports it is
- Nearly a quarter of all troops who’ve served in Afghanistan or Iraq struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder. Doctors and counselors also struggle to find good treatments. But there’s a drug that some vets swear by. It’s marijuana. And here in Colorado, a groups of vets have asked the State to allow medical marijuana as an
- Rents are at historic highs in parts of the Front Range, and it’s prompting renters to look at buying. The problem is, there aren’t a lot of affordable homes on the market these days. Ryan McMaken, an economist for the Colorado Division of Housing, speaks with Ryan Warner.
- On a warm Sunday, 30 years ago, news went out on the radio that Exxon was abandonning its oil shale operations on the Western Slope. Instantly, more than 2,000 people were out of work. Today is the 30th anniversary of what would become known as Black Sunday.
- CU-Boulder’s annual 4/20 marijuana smoke out is later today. The university is trying to crack down on the event this year, but Colorado Public Radio’s Ben Markus reports, activists and students are fighting back.
- This week Colorado Public Radio is reporting on the Niobrara oil formation — a strech of deep oil-rich rock spanning the Front Range. An oil company has set its sights on the last big undeveloped parcel in Colorado Springs, aiming to tap the Niobrara field.
- The State levied a massive penalty against the Suncor Refinery in Commerce City yesterday. $2.2 million for, in part, not properly maintaining filters that keep a toxic chemical — benzene — from going into the air.
- Firefighters are finally making progress on the wildfire burning southwest of Denver. Officials announced the fire is now 15% contained. More than 500 firefighters, from all over the country, are on the ground. And aircraft are dropping loads of water and retardant.
- Hundreds of people marched on the state capitol yesterday in honor of Trayvon Martin, the black Florida teen killed by a private citizen who said he was acting in self defense. But Colorado Public Radio’s Ben Markus reports organizers used the occasion to protest allegations of abuse by Denver Police officers.
- For about a century, entrepreneurs have tried to squeeze oil from rock on Colorado’s Western Slope. It’s often said that there’s enough oil shale out there to dwarf Saudi Arabia’s reserves. But no one’s ever been able to make any real money extracting it. That COULD be changing.
- Link to the BLM plan: Click Here With Colorado Public Radio, I’m Mike Lamp. The future of development on the Western Slope has pitted familiar foes against each other — environmentalists versus the oil and gas industry.
- Today’s the deadline for 23 medical marijuana dispensaries to close their doors or relocate. The order came from the Justice Department, targeting shops near schools. While school administrators have applauded the move, dispensary owners are crying foul. Colorado Public Radio’s Ben Markus reports. Reporter Ben Markus: Businessman Andy Telsey loved the dispensary business.
- Why do we chicken out? That’s a simple way of describing research that’s going on at CU Boulder. Think of a time in your life when you agreed to do something– maybe speak in front of a large crowd or ask someone out– only to renege later.
- Colorado’s Republican presidential caucuses are only a few days away, but the state hasn’t exactly been deluged by candidate visits or campaign advertising. Colorado Public Radio’s Ben Markus explains why this battleground state isn’t getting more attention.
