Colorado Matters

University of Colorado running back Rashaan Salaam was at the top of his game when he won the Heisman Trophy in 1994, but the Boulder County coroner has ruled his recent death a suicide. A close friend reflects on Salaam’s life, and what role football may have played in his death. Then, a man who carved into Colorado trees to pass his time while herding sheep. Art critics call him a master. And, more of our favorite stories from 2016, with a visit to Victor, Colorado, where we got to see a historic spot before it became off-limits forever. Plus, a tribute to singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen, who died this year.

As the year winds down, we’re listening to captivating conversations from 2016 — like the one with the swearing, tattooed pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber, founder of the House For All Sinners and Saints in Denver. Her latest book is about finding God in all the wrong people. Then, the Lumineers discuss sudden fame and the creative process.

As Denver takes steps to eradicate AIDS by the year 2030, women who have been affected by AIDS and HIV tell their stories as part of a new project from StoryCenter. According to the state’s Department of Public Safety, Blacks in Colorado are arrested at much higher rates than whites; earlier this year, we brought you the anatomy of a police stop involving an Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Deputy, who’s white, and an African-American civilian. Then, another conversation from earlier this year — Juan Thompson talks about what it was like being the son of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. And, remembering former Eagles founder Glenn Frey.

The first-ever “Colorado Matters Holiday Music Special” broadcast live Wednesday morning from the CPR Performance Studio. Hosted by Ryan Warner, the show featured Colorado musicians and their holiday stories, including Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves, rising country star Clare Dunn, Christmas carols recorded in an old water tank on the Western Slope and a Denver trio who got their start as singing caterers.

By many measures, Colorado has recovered from the great recession but a smaller proportion of people here have jobs. We’ll talk about that and other trends in the state’s economy. Then, feeding antibiotics to livestock is controversial and 2017 brings new restrictions on everyone from the kid in 4-H raising a cow to the largest feedlots. An infectious disease expert at CSU discusses what these new restrictions could mean for animal and human health. Also, an art exhibit asks Denver’s mayor: “What are you going to do about homelessness?” Plus, we’ll learn about Colorado’s strange prohibition history and we remember a former host of this program, Dan Meyers.

Some scientists believe a 6th mass extinction is underway. We hear from New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert who’s the author of “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History.” We also found a high school class in Jefferson County that’s reading the book. Then, a state tax you didn’t know you had to pay: The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a Colorado law that requires online retailers like Amazon to tell customers how much they owe in state sales tax. Plus, Colorado bands that had a good year and are poised to break out in 2017.

Colorado’s governor says the state needs more money for transportation, so he’s looking for options that would be acceptable to Republican lawmakers. One possibility is a sales tax; another is a device in your car that keeps track of your driving and charges you accordingly. Also, we ask the governor what he would say if he got some time with President-elect Donald Trump. Then, we hear from Boulder’s Yonder Mountain String Band which is hard at work on a new album. And, it’s time to curl up with a good book or give one as a gift. Two Colorado booksellers offer their holiday picks.

A Boulder judge’s decision to sentence a convicted sex offender to probation highlights a controversy over a sentencing law. A Fort Collins journalist and a firefighter rescued hundreds of refugees from rickety boats and rafts during a two-week trip to the Mediterranean Sea. The University of Colorado Boulder library has been tapped to preserve government documents dating from the Sand Creek Massacre to 9/11.. CPR Classical offers its picks for best Colorado recordings of 2016.