Kunc's Colorado Edition

Witches are having a moment – and not only because Halloween is almost here.  A recent Pew Research survey of Americans’ religious beliefs found a growing number of people identify as spiritual but not religious. Crystals, tarot cards, and astrology apps are part of many people’s lives in 2025. And in Colorado, about 1 percent of people in that survey checked the box for “Pagan, Wiccan, or other ‘New Age’” belief when asked about their religious views.  Today's guest has a unique perspective on these trends. Ann Little is a professor of history at Colorado State University. Some of her American history courses explore witchcraft in early North America.   Ann talked with In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole about what we can learn from the days of witch trials and why she was initially reluctant to teach a course about it. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the

On today's episode we’re talking about measles – in the sewer.  But we promise – you won’t need to hold your nose. This is actually a remarkable public health success story. Back in August, health officials in Mesa County, on Colorado's Western Slope, fielded a report of a measles outbreak involving seven people. Measles outbreaks have been flaring up around the country this year, so health officials were on alert.   But the health officials in Mesa County basically detected these cases before they were actually reported through typical channels. They did that by monitoring the county's wastewater system.  John Ingold is the Colorado Sun's health reporter. He looked into how the early detection system works, and how widespread this type of disease monitoring is in Colorado.   He joined In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole to explain how wastewater tracking gives public health officials an extra tool to fight disease outbreaks. For more coverage of measles prevention in Colorado, check out our conversation from earlier

How does a community heal from the shock and grief of a mass shooting? And how can people who have lost loved ones find a way to move forward?  That’s the subject of a new podcast called Senseless. In it, journalist Erika Mahoney explores the aftermath of the mass shooting at a Boulder King Soopers grocery store in 2021. And it’s a deeply personal show, because Erika's father, Kevin Mahoney, was one of the ten people killed in that shooting. Over the course of the eight-part series, Erika speaks with others who lost loved ones that day, as well as police, prosecutors, and members of the community.  Erika has been a guest on In The NoCo before to talk about the trial – which ended in guilty verdicts and ten consecutive life sentences for the gunman.  She spoke with Erin O’Toole earlier this year about why she felt driven to make this podcast, and about the impacts of gun violence that linger after the news coverage has faded away. We’re listening back to that conversation today. * * * * *Sign up for the In The

For almost 30 years, a little-known program inside a Colorado prison quietly helped wild mustangs find new homes – and helped incarcerated men find new purpose.  The wild horse program at a Cañon City correctional facility paired horses rounded up from Western rangelands with incarcerated people who learned to care for, train, and prepare the horses for adoption.  The project helped the Bureau of Land Management protect the wild horses it oversees. In a news release, the Colorado Department of Corrections says it gave inmates “unique vocational and rehabilitative skills.” But now, the federal government has announced that it will end the program, citing rising costs.  Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown recently wrote about this unusual collaboration. She joined Erin O'Toole to talk about what the program accomplished, and what’s next for Colorado’s wild horses.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing?

Victorian Death Experiences is a Halloween attraction with a historic twist.  The program takes place in the historic home which houses the Center for Colorado Women’s History in Denver. Visitors see rooms decorated for mourning. They hear stories of death in the Old West. And they see fascinating artifacts, like hair jewelry made partly from the hair of a deceased loved one.  Above all, the program highlights the central role that women have traditionally played when a loved one died – preparing bodies for burial, hosting wakes, and other acts that allowed people to mourn at the end of life. “Death, for Victorian women, was a deep and sacred act. Women, regardless of race or class, have long been the arbiters of life and death,” said Cat Jensen, education coordinator for the center. Cat spoke with In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole last October about the program, which is now in its third year. We’re listening back to that conversation today. Victorian Death Experiences takes place on selected Thursday and Friday ev

Denver composer Nathan Hall’s new album of percussion music focuses on some unique instruments: They’re hand-carved from stone and date back several millennia.  Lithophones are polished, resonant rocks shaped like baguettes. Archaeologists say that Indigenous people used the stones somewhere between 2,000 and 6,000 years ago near what’s now Great Sand Dunes National Park.  Nathan wrote a series of pieces to be performed on the stones and recorded the music with a Colorado group called Perc Ens. The resulting album, called Gentle Worship, is out now. Nathan talked with In The NoCo's Erin O’Toole about collaborating with Marilyn Martorano, the Colorado archaeologist who studied the lithophones. The music he wrote combines the ancient stone instruments’ sounds with modern instruments like woodblocks and timpani. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the sho

When school leaders in Colorado work to prevent shootings and other violent incidents – like the one last month at Evergreen High – they have a tool that officials in many states don’t have.  Under Colorado’s so-called “red flag” law, teachers and other educators are among those who can request that someone’s access to firearms be suspended if they appear to be a threat to themselves or others.   But as Chalkbeat reported recently, there’s little evidence that educators have used this tool in the two years since Colorado lawmakers gave it to them. And that lack of use is striking, given that police say that the shooter at Evergreen High showed warning signs months before he shot two other students, and then died by suicide, using a gun he got from home.   Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser thinks part of the problem is that teachers don’t know about this tool – or how to use it. So he is launching new training courses for teachers to help them better understand how and when to use what are called Extreme R

A week ago on the show, we talked about how to stay safe during fall hikes – and more specifically, what to do if you encounter a grumpy, pre-hibernation bear out on the trail. But plenty of other animals in Colorado can dazzle us with their beauty while keeping us on guard as they fatten up for winter or look for a mate. So today, the In The NoCo team brings you a sequel of sorts: We're talking about how to stay safe if you encounter an elk, moose or bighorn sheep while camping or hiking.  Bridget O’Rourke with Colorado Parks and Wildlife joined Erin O’Toole to explain why the stakes are a bit higher when we venture into a forest or national park this time of year. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional

Taylor Swift seems to be everywhere these days. Her new album drops Friday. Her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce is all over the news. And if that weren’t enough, she helps teach students at Colorado State University. Sort of.  Spanish for Swiftie Purposes is a course available to students at CSU. It’s been offered once, and the curriculum asks students to hone their skills at translating English into Spanish. They also analyze other people’s translations like a Spanish-language version of Taylor’s song “Fortnight,” performed by the duo Kevin and Karla.   In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole spoke with the professor who created the course, Alyssia Miller de Rutte. Alyssia says she hopes to teach the class again this spring. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: B

Fear. Anxiety. Shame. And a horde of colorful, crocheted monsters. They’re all part of an exhibit at the Denver Art Museum that asks visitors to confront some uncomfortable emotions. Denver artist Sadie Young created cuddly and soft monsters with vivid colors and big eyes. And they’re all crocheted out of thousands of yards of yarn. Some are large enough for visitors to step inside.  The exhibit, called The Tangled Self, draws on both Young’s artistic experience and her educational background in psychology, particularly the concept of the shadow self.  Sadie is also the founder and creative director of Spectra Art Space, which specializes in immersive installations. She joined Erin O’Toole in May to talk about her exhibit at the DAM, the inspiration behind the creatures, and how she got started with crocheting. We’re listening back to that conversation today. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help

Many farmers on Colorado's Eastern Plains face uncertain futures.  They grapple with unpredictable crop prices, extreme weather that spoils harvests, and siblings with different levels of commitment to maintaining the family farm. In the new fifth season of the award-winning KUNC podcast The Colorado Dream, the show offers a glimpse into the inner workings of a family farm. The first new episode is in podcast feeds now. Stephanie, who also hosts the show, gave Erin O’Toole a preview of the new season.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Executive Producer: Brad Turner  Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

Fall is here, and the cool, crisp weather can make hiking especially appealing this time of year.  But fall is also a time to be especially cautious around Colorado's wildlife – including bears.  Black bears are extra-active as they hunt for food ahead of their winter hibernation. And encounters with them are not uncommon. State wildlife officials say Coloradans report about 4,000 bear sightings and encounters in a typical year.   So, before heading out to savor the fall weather, what do we need to know about bear behavior this time of year?  Bridget O'Rourke is a public information officer with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. She joined Erin O’Toole to talk about how to avoid run-ins with bears, and how to handle it if you do encounter a bear in the wild.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Produc

The Colorado Rockies are wrapping up their worst season in franchise history – and the second-worst season on record for any baseball team in the modern era.   So today, we’re talking about an idea that might hold potential to change the team’s fortunes in future seasons. A big part of the Rockies’ misfortunes is the fact that Coors Field sits a mile above sea level. Baseballs fly further here, which means more home runs. Playing at 5,280 feet also means pitches like curveballs have less curve to them, which make life harder for Rockies pitchers. Colorado Sun reporter John Ingold recently wrote an in-depth look a possible solution. It examined whether using baseballs with raised seams could make playing at Coors Field similar to what players experience at other ballparks.  John joined In The NoCo’s Brad Turner to talk about how it might work, and the science of playing baseball a mile above sea level.* * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOC

Every fall in southeast Colorado, hordes of hairy, eight-legged creatures leave their burrows and roam the landscape in search of a mate.  The tarantula migration draws hundreds of curious spider-lovers to La Junta around this time each year. The town’s annual Tarantula Fest offers tarantula tours, a parade, and other events to celebrate these oversized arachnids. Erin O'Toole talked with Colorado State University horticulture specialist Karim Gharbi to learn more about why people find tarantulas so fascinating. Karim just got back from his own visit to the La Junta area – and shared some tips on how to spot tarantulas if you go. For more on Colorado insects, check out a recent conversation with Karim Gharbi about how to protect your trees amid the spread of the emerald ash borer. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast ap

Just outside Leadville, there’s a tiny ski hill that just might help keep the ski industry vital in the decades ahead.  Students at Colorado Mountain College manage the Dutch Henry ski area as part of courses that train aspiring ski resort workers. And soon, those trainees will include future lift mechanics and operators. The students will practice their maintenance skills on a newly donated lift, which administrators hope to have installed there by summer 2026. That’s a breakthrough for the ski industry – which is a big part of Colorado’s economy – because many of the current employees who keep the lifts running at big resorts are starting to retire.  Ben Cairns is Vice President and campus dean of Colorado Mountain College’s Leadville and Salida campuses. He joined Erin O’Toole to talk about training the next generation of lift mechanics and operators.   * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help mo

Students at Evergreen High haven’t returned to school yet after last week's shooting there. The incident ended with two students hospitalized after the 16-year-old gunman fatally shot himself.  About 900 students attend Evergreen High School. A powerful story in The Colorado Sun this week hints at the feelings those students will carry with them going forward. The story included text messages and videos from the students as they heard gunshots, fled the school or hid in classrooms.   Today we're going to share some of those texts and stories, and hear from Erica Breunlin and Taylor Dolven, two of the Colorado Sun reporters who wrote the article.  This episode mentions suicide and details of a school shooting. If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available 24/7. You can call or text 988 to reach Colorado's crisis lifeline. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In T

Experts at History Colorado have been thinking of different ways to help commemorate Colorado’s 150th birthday next year. One idea they pursued was to track down the earliest known photograph of Colorado.  And what they uncovered is striking: It’s a daguerreotype from 1853, taken during an expedition across the West – more than 20 years before Colorado became a state in 1876. The image depicts a Cheyenne village with two people facing the camera, near what is now Lamar, Colorado. For the curators at History Colorado, the photo also revealed the fascinating story of the photographer – a man named Solomon Nunes Carvalho, who traveled the West with a bulky camera and captured some of the earliest photos of the region.  Erin O’Toole spoke with Sam Bock, History Colorado’s director of Interpretations and Publications, to learn more about the search for the oldest photo and what it tells us about Colorado’s early history. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ide

Jeff Kagan and Paige Doughty have been wearing rainbow-colored socks while performing songs about nature and science in front of kids in Boulder for more than 20 years.  Their performances get kids rolling, crawling, and acting out animal moves while they sing fun, catchy lyrics about concepts like decomposition and photosynthesis.   The duo, which performs under the name Jeff and Paige, recently announced that they are adapting their live performances for a TV show called Rainbow Socks. The show is aimed for PBS distribution later this year.  Jeff and Paige joined Erin O'Toole to talk about what they hope to bring to their upcoming TV show, and how they became children’s entertainers in the first place.  * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Producer: Ariel Lavery Executive

Somewhere in the vast reaches of the universe, there may be an Earth-like planet that could be a second home for humanity.  Although that may sound like science fiction, astronomers at the University of Colorado Boulder are part of a new project designed to help find that planet. And their efforts will soon get a major boost, as researchers from CU Boulder, in collaboration with NASA, prepare for a new space telescope to come online.  The telescope, called the Habitable Worlds Observatory, is expected to launch in the 2030s.   Kevin France is a professor of Astrophysics and Planetary Sciences at CU, and was recently appointed to the project. He spoke with Erin O’Toole about how this new observatory could help us reimagine our place in the universe. Also: Check out our recent conversation about Breckenridge becoming Colorado’s latest dark sky community. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more p

In 1978, three men from Boulder set out a journey to make the first-ever crossing of Colorado on skis.   The three amateur skiers – Alex Drummond, John King, and Peter Vanderwall – carved a continuous line across the state, covering 490 miles of rugged, snowy backcountry from Durango to northeast of Fort Collins.   A new documentary, Moving Line, tells the story of their remarkable trek. Ahead of an appearance at the Breckenridge Film Festival next week, director Cameron Wyatt joined Erin O’Toole to talk about their journey, and the lasting impact it had on Colorado's outdoor recreation community.  Moving Line will also be shown in Salida on Sept. 13. Find screenings at the film’s website. * * * * *Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!  Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Producer: Ariel Lavery Executive Producer: Brad T