Colorado Matters

The Boven family returns to their block in Louisville for the first time since the Marshall Fire. Then, a woman who twice lost homes to fire offers perspective. And, efforts to get more shots in the arms of Colorado’s Spanish-speakers. Also, a new book examines how COVID-19 fits into the state’s boom and busts.

Congressman Joe Neguse details how the federal government is offering aid to those affected by the Marshall Fire. Then, Avista Adventist’s CEO recounts his hospital’s massive evacuation effort. Plus, back-to-school amid the omicron surge. And, former Denver mayor and U.S. cabinet secretary Federico Peña talks about his new biography.

The Marshall Fire in Boulder County displaced scores of families. The Bovens were among them. Then, assistant state climatologist Becky Bolinger explains the weather and climate that led to the fires. Plus, Dr. Justin Ross offers some on-air counseling. And, physicians in the state talk us through the omicron variant, the newest chapter of the pandemic.

2021 was challenging and music helped us through. In our final show of the year, Alisha Sweeney, local music director at Indie 102.3, shares some of her favorite Colorado tracks from ’21. We remember a short-lived but influential music venue called The Family Dog. Plus, the team behind CPR’s new music appreciation podcast.

As 2021 comes to a close, we’re listening back to memorable interviews from the past year. Nhi Aronheim’s story of fleeing post-war Vietnam as a child is one we won’t forget. In “Soles of a Survivor,” she writes about her trek through the jungle, her traumatic stay in a refugee camp, and her life in the United States.

In August and September, the masked and vaccinated Colorado Matters team set out on a two-week road trip. Stops included Rocky Ford, Colorado Springs, Fort Morgan, Grand Junction, Durango, and Alamosa. It was a chance to ask Coloradans “how ya doin’?” As 2021 winds down, we listen back to highlights from our time on the road again.

In a favorite from 2021, we listen back to a conversation with Colorado journalist-turned-novelist Peter Heller. Earlier this year, we chose his thriller “The Guide” for our reading circle “Turn The Page with Colorado Matters.” The book is set at a posh mountain resort where something is clearly amiss.

Pinto beans are queens of the table in Southwest Colorado– even inspiring a fudge recipe. Our colleague from KRCC, Andrea Chalfin, tries her hand at the recipe. Then, cookie recipes from a town that no longer exists. Plus, flavors from the first Thai restaurant in the US. And barbecue history from the Soul Food Scholar.