Studio 809 Community Podcast Network

What does it take to create, protect and maintain the trails we love? Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates (MedWheel) talk about their history, the story behind their name, and more than three decades of trail building, maintenance, advocacy and stewardship throughout the Pikes Peak Region. From Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Lake Moraine and Pikes Peak to Blodgett Open Space, Forest Lakes and Pikeview Qua...

Explore the unique ways the senior center of today celebrates the moments, connections and opportunities that help older adults age well. The focus on purpose and community resonates in different ways for senior center attendees and consequently senior centers are always reinventing themselves to better serve their communities. Fountain Valley Senior Center recently brought in a new Executive Dire...

Civility looks different at the local level than it does in Washington. City council members don't get to fly home and put distance between themselves and the people they disagree with; they run into constituents at the grocery store and at community events. There's no green room, no press office softening the edges, just the same handful of people who have to keep working together, meeting after...

Dominique Knowles is passionate about empowering women and families to overcome barriers, build self-sufficiency, and create lasting stability for future generations. She is Program Director of Mary’s Home at Dream Centers and a woman with lived experience of homelessness, incarceration, and sustained long-term recovery. Dominique holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and is curre...

While the proposed Project Taurus data center awaits its city council hearing, we learn about another project being fast-tracked in southern Colorado Springs that will have data center equipment and needs, but we are told is not a data center. Project Primestone will begin with a facility requiring twice the electrical power of Project Taurus and may ultimately use four times Taurus’ 50 megawatt a...

We’re continuing to feature the unique contributions of Coloradans aging well in, and for, their community. We are asking a few questions, that we encourage listeners to ask people in their life too. We ask: Describe your childhood home, using all five senses. Describe a difficult time you had in your life, who and what helped? If money were no object describe something you would do! Bob Brocker,...

What if every bike ride became a game—and the goal wasn’t just speed or distance, but exploring somewhere new? Longtime friend and local cyclist Michael Watry introduces us to Wandrer, a worldwide exploration game where every new mile earns a point, and taking the road less traveled can lead to unexpected scenery, hidden neighborhoods, trails and adventures. Michael shares how Wandrer has changed...

Efforts in our community are helping individuals and their children achieve safety and wellbeing while challenging us to end sexual and family violence. TESSA CEO Anne Markley fills us in on all the local nonprofit agency is doing, including a confidential Safehouse, Victim Advocacy, Counseling and Children’s Programs, a 24/7 Safe Line, and Community Outreach and Education. We learn that teens and...

Shonie Rowe , founder and owner of ALL N ONE Dance Company , discusses the transformative impact of dance in our community with host Teiona Dantzler. They explore the organization's journey, its commitment to youth development, and how dance creates opportunities for confidence, belonging, mentorship, and personal growth. Shonie shares the inspiration behind ALL N ONE Dance Company, stories of liv...

Promoting confidence, independence, as well as mental and physical health by teaching kids how to safely ride a bike. Local non-profit Kids on Bikes, introduces kids to cycling through summer camps and earn-a-bike programs in the Pikes Peak region. Daniel and Aspen from Kids on Bikes discuss the positive impact of cycling for children, families, and the Colorado Springs community. They celebrate 1...

We’re featuring the unique contributions of Coloradans aging well in – and for – their community. Ask yourself, and the people in their life, the questions we ask Don: Describe your childhood home, using all five senses. Describe a difficult time you had in your life, who and what helped? If money were no object, describe something you would do! Don Kovaleski serves on the Pikes Peak Area Agency o...

Venetucci Farm is a community treasure celebrating its 90th anniversary. Get the scoop on annual pumpkin giveaways, a flower farm, and much more making community happen in the aftermath of the PFAS water contamination disaster. Sam Clark, Executive Director of the Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation, and Nikki McComsey, owner of Gather Mountain Blooms share the history and legacy, current happenings...

What do cycling and community change have in common? According to Beth Roalstad, they both bring people together, build trust, and create opportunities to change lives. A Co-Branded Episode with Pedal The Springs, Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort Co-Hosts: Torie Giffin, Owner, Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort & Beth Roalstad, CEO & Social Worker, Homeward Pikes Peak As a longtime social worker, Be...

Women’s Cycling & Homeward Pikes Peak What do cycling and community change have in common? According to Beth Roalstad, they both bring people together, build trust, and create opportunities to change lives. My longtime friend Beth Roalstad, CEO of Homeward Pikes Peak, talks about two of her greatest passions: cycling and building stronger communities. We discuss how Beth discovered cycling, wh...

Our city banned graywater at a time when water is our limiting factor, and this year it’s impossible to ignore. What is graywater? It is the gently used water from laundry, bathroom sinks, and showers that can be reused to nourish landscapes instead of being sent straight to the sewer. Host Ally Richardson and Joe Petsche explore what it means to live in step with nature’s boundaries and why Color...

Passenger rail service is coming to Colorado’s front range in 2029, Colorado Springs by 2032. Get details in this conversation with Sal Pace, General Manager of the Front Range Passenger Rail District. The district has secured funding to provide initial service between Fort Collins and Denver. Phase 2 will extend service to Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Pace shares the history of the district and a...

Bicycling improves our physical and mental health, and helps us be more connected. Conversations recorded live on Bike to Work Day during the final hour of our live stream from the Studio 809 Podcasts breakfast station at The Next Us on June 24, 2026. Included: an excellent conversation with PikeRide CEO Tara McCarthy about how bicycling is “human scale.” “ Today's world is so fast and so overwhel...

Greg Cobble, owner of Manitou E-Bikes, talks with host Torie Giffin about helping people get back on bikes through the power of e-bikes. They discuss how to choose the right e-bike, battery care, e-bike classes, where you can ride, beginner lessons, test rides, rentals, and available rebates of up to $225. Also hear about Manitou E-Bikes’ support of the Pikes Peak Cycling Hill Climb, including the...

Learn about some of the other Studio 809 podcasts, and discover what both Manitou and Colorado Springs are doing to aid mobility – in this continuation of a conversation recorded live on Bike to Work Day. This is from the second hour of our live stream from the Studio 809 Podcasts breakfast station at The Next Us on June 24, 2026. We hear from several guests (see chapters) LINKS: Video Replay of S...

July is a Disaster Preparedness Month and sadly we see fires around our state and nation. Fortunately, our local fire department is proactively seeking out a multitude of pre-existing conditions for residents and planning for how to better address unique needs during a disaster. “Disasters exacerbate our pre-existing conditions,” says Daiko Abe, Senior Fire and Life Safety Educator with the Colora...

Bicycling fans share their reasons for riding, we explore “complete streets,” and we discuss safety and infrastructure issues for bicyclists and pedestrians – in this conversation recorded live on Bike to Work Day. This is from the first hour of our live stream from the Studio 809 Podcasts breakfast station at The Next Us on June 24, 2026. See the video live stream replay here We'll share hours 2...

A crucial conversation about navigating the complex challenges of homelessness, building community trust, and changing perceptions in the Pikes Peak region. Two prominent leaders driving local, grassroots solutions in Colorado Springs take this deep dive: Kristy Milligan , CEO of Westside CARES Beth Roalstad , CEO of Homeward Pikes Peak They share frontline insights on serving at-risk and unhoused...

Project Taurus is a proposed data center near Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. Multiple community groups have filed appeals to the city’s administrative approval of the project. Where to from here? Ciara and Riss from 350 Colorado Springs discuss. In a time of alternative facts as well as the ability to buy credibility and manipulate human behavior, how do we go about fighting extractive, e...

Our state of Colorado is recognized for many things, mountains, plains, thunder, snow, floods, fires, restoration. This year, 2026, we are celebrating our 150th anniversary as a state along with America’s 250th anniversary. One of the unique stories is knowing just how resilient, and also giving, our residents are. Erin Hannan with the El Pomar Foundation shares about their collaboration with othe...

In 2020, amid nationwide protests over police violence and the lingering shadow of the De'Von Bailey case, a 19-year-old shot in the back by Colorado Springs police in 2018, the city created the Law Enforcement Transparency and Advisory Commission, known as LETAC. It was supposed to give residents a meaningful voice in how their police department operated. Six years later, the commission voted to...