In The NOCO

When Amoako Boafo was growing up in Accra, Ghana in the 1980s and 90s, art wasn’t a realistic or lucrative career path. But he didn’t put his paintbrush down. "I kept making my paintings, and from time to time I would get lucky. I would have someone buy one," Boafo said. In those days, he says it was a victory to sell a painting for a hundred dollars. Today, his works go for hundreds of thousands...

Next week we celebrate the birthday of pioneering physician Dr. Justina Ford. At the turn of the 20th century, she became the first Black woman to practice medicine in Colorado.  In an archival clip featured in Rocky Mountain PBS’s “Colorado Experience,” we hear Ford musing on her life’s work: "Babies. Babies are little miracles. That's why I love to deliver them and help these miracles thrive in...

More than 3 million Coloradans live in the Wildland-Urban Interface, positioning their homes at greater risk from the smoke and flames of wildfires. As more people live, work and play in these areas, preventing wildfires becomes increasingly important. Now, one Boulder resident is confronting the heat, but he’s not using the typical mitigation measures you might expect.    “We believe by using fun...

A new exhibit at the Museum of Boulder illuminates the stories of Black Coloradans, highlighting their influence on the region's history and their impact on the future. " Proclaiming Colorado's Black History " centers on places like the once-bustling farming community of Dearfield ; and notable people like businessman Barney Ford and philanthropist Julia Greeley .  It's about sharing the lives and...

This coming Monday, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death,” King said in his 1967 speech “Beyond Vietnam.”  King gave the speech at the height of the Vietnam War and it is a window into his fuller legacy — one that was not only...

Ten years ago on New Year's Day, the first recreational cannabis dispensaries opened their doors to long lines of excited people. Those first few years were known as "The Green Rush" – but now, with sales and revenue dipping from their highest point, some are wondering what the next decade will bring for the industry. Ricardo Baca is among those close observers. The former journalist spent three y...

It has been several decades since performers at Opera Colorado had the representation of a union. That changed recently after a hard-fought battle . Artistic workers had the help of the American Guild of Musical Artists, an organization that is increasingly meeting the moment and helping artists to unionize across the country. They say when the soaring arias are over and the intricate costumes com...

Colorado kids are missing a lot of school. This past academic year, nearly one in three was chronically absent – that is more than 250,000 students. “If you’re missing 10% or more of school days you are considered chronically absent,” Leigh Paterson told In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole. Both excused and unexcused absences count, and while the percentage of chronically absent students improved a bit las...

One of Cary Morin’s guitars is proudly displayed at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery . That black Fender electric speaks to his musical legacy here in Northern Colorado as an Americana artist — or "Native Americana," as some have dubbed his musical style. It is a style with deep Indigenous roots that Morin brought with him from Montana and replanted in Fort Collins four decades ago. "The peopl...

Temple Grandin sees the world through a different lens. The Colorado State University animal science professor is neurodivergent and her differences as an autistic person have been foundational to her work, especially when it comes to advocating for the humane treatment of animals. She is also an advocate for neurodivergent thinkers, both young and old. Her new book for children is “ Different Kin...

Many Americans are saddled with medical debt — and that’s true for both insured and uninsured people. Half of respondents to a recent survey by the Commonwealth Fund said it was "very" or "somewhat" difficult to afford their health care costs. The survey’s authors say this challenges the notion that simply having health insurance makes care affordable or accessible. These findings help us understa...

It’s a fitting day to think about the future — it's the second day of the new year. It is also National Science Fiction Day – a date commemorating the birth of the late Isaac Asimov, one of the genre's most celebrated authors. Like Asimov, a lot of us are fascinated with tales of the future. One of sci-fi’s living legends, author Connie Willis , says that’s a good thing. “We, I think, get to step...

Ghost stories have been on Heather Kelley’s mind for a long time. Kelley is an actor and educator at University of Colorado Boulder where her research focuses on dark tourism, ghosts as manifestations of trauma, and haunted attractions, to name a few. Since the early days of her acting career, Kelley has heard no shortage of haunting tales about the theaters and venues where she’s performed, begin...

Journalism wasn’t always in the cards for NPR’s Lori Lizarraga , until one day she found herself in the wrong classroom at Southern Methodist University. Lizarraga says she “stepped into Narnia” when she walked into the studio where journalism students were broadcasting the school’s daily newscast. The Latina journalist has been telling stories ever since – and a lot of that work is informed by he...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently announced Oscar shortlists in 10 categories – and Greta Gerwig's "Barbie " is dominating those lists. Moviegoers in Northern Colorado helped fuel the Barbie phenomenon , not only for big cinema chains, but also infusing mom-and-pop theaters, like The Lyric in Fort Collins, with massive revenue from ticket sales.. Colorado State University pr...

Much of what we understand about Elijah McClain — both his life, and his death in 2019 at the hands of Aurora police and paramedics — is thanks in large part to people like Candice Bailey. The Aurora activist led many of the protests that introduced people to the 23-year-old Black man, described by friends and family as gentle, creative and a free spirit. Her work helped people honor McClain’s lif...

For many, the holidays are all about gratitude, reflection, and family – but they can also be a major source for tension. If you’re among the 60 percent of Coloradans traveling for the holidays , you’re likely navigating congested roads or chaotic airports . If you’re hosting dinner, you’ve got a whole other set of concerns, like catering to an array of dietary needs, and getting a hundred differe...

A mysterious disease has been affecting some of our favorite — furry — friends. So, we had to learn what we could about canine respiratory illness because let’s face it — many of us love our dogs like people . (OK, some of us love them more than people.) In recent months, veterinarians in Colorado have seen a rise in this disease so we sat down with veterinarian Dr. Amanda Kavanugh . She gave us h...

Every Tuesday at Central Park in Boulder, Jen Livovich offered food and support to people experiencing homelessness through a nonprofit she founded called Feet Forward. Livovich knew a lot of the people she was helping at the time — and still does. That’s because she also struggled with homelessness for several years. Then in 2018, she received a state voucher that helped her secure a stable home....

Millions of people rely on water from the Colorado River, but there’s just not enough to quench everyone’s thirst. In other words, there's a big gap between the amount of water in the river, and the amount that people are using. It is a conundrum that policymakers across seven Western states continue to grapple with. Last week, more than 1,000 people with a stake in the river’s future met in Las V...

Colorado has a rich railroad history, from mining trains carved through the mountains to freight trains chugging across the city. A lot of us hear them — sometimes too often — but we rarely get the opportunity to actually ride the trains. But that might change soon. Last week, a plan to develop a passenger rail line using existing freight tracks along the Front Range was accepted into a federal gr...

It’s a Christmas tale as old as the Bible. During a cold snap in Denver last December, Pastor Eddy Hopkins responded to an urgent call from Larimer County leaders. They told him Denver was overwhelmed with migrants who’d recently arrived in the city from the U.S. southern border. They asked if he could help. The pastor sprang into action and Peak Community Church in Fort Collins became a shelter f...

People tend to trust local and state leaders more than federal lawmakers. A recent Gallup poll found that 59% of Americans have faith in state government yet only a third of respondents trust federal legislators. But, as we’ve learned time and again from our reporting at KUNC, transparency is a problem at all levels of government. For the last year, KUNC investigative reporter Scott Franz has been...

There’s a long history of Americans taking to the streets to make their voices heard. To march, and to protest has come to define one of the more powerful ways people participate in our democracy.  Recently a group of local immigration activists embarked on a long-distance march that mirrored the multi-day marches of the Civil Rights Movement. Members of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition wal...

Longmont-based author and journalist Stephen Robert Miller is fascinated by climate disaster stories. He says they’re often teachable moments. “There’s so much to be learned from looking in the past — environmental histories and instances of when people have tried to control nature and ultimately it's failed,” Miller says. In his new book, “Over the Seawall,” Miller examines the deeper impacts of...