In The NOCO

KUNC
  • 4.7 (39)
  • DAILY NEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

KUNC's In The NOCO is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.

  1. 2D AGO

    Can’t install solar panels on your roof? Smaller ‘balcony’ solar devices may be coming to Colorado

    Colorado could soon see a new wave of home solar power — but not in the form of the large solar panels you may see on rooftops around your neighborhood. Instead: Imagine slim, portable panels that you can attach to a porch or balcony and then plug into your wall.    Small-scale solar units like these are already popular in Europe. But they’re almost unheard of in the U.S., partly because of regulatory restrictions by power utilities but also because there aren’t many of these plug-in solar products on the market.  Not yet, at least.   A bill at the Colorado statehouse could clear the way for renters, condo owners and people who can’t afford a full rooftop system to buy these plug-in panels.    State lawmakers hope to see these systems available by the end of this year.   Reporter Michael Booth covers the environment for The Colorado Sun. He spoke with Erin O’Toole about how these tiny solar power units work, and how this might look in Colorado.    * * * * * 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.

    9 min

  2. 3D AGO

    Why a proposed Colorado law may ban the practice of garnishing patients’ paychecks to repay medical debt

    In most states, if someone repeatedly hasn't paid a medical bill, collectors can eventually go to that person's employer and garnish their paycheck – which means that they withhold a portion of that person's earnings to pay off the debt.    Critics of wage garnishment say the practice disproportionately affects lower income patients.    Now a bill under consideration at the state capitol would effectively prevent debt collectors from doing this – and would make Colorado one of the few states in the U.S. to ban wage garnishment for medical debt.    But some opponents say that would ultimately drive up the cost of healthcare for everyone.   Rae Ellen Bichell is Colorado correspondent for KFF Health News, which covers healthcare policy. She spoke with Erin O'Toole about why the practice is controversial, and how this proposal might affect 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 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.

    9 min

  3. 4D AGO

    Why is the lesser prairie-chicken in decline – and why were its federal protections removed?

    A bit of regional science news may have slipped past you last week. You could be forgiven if you missed the Trump administration's announcement that it's removing federal protections from a bird species known as the lesser prairie-chicken.  It roams the southern Great Plains, including southeast Colorado. It makes a sound known as “booming” when it dances as part of its distinctive mating ritual.   The U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s decision to remove threatened and endangered species protections for the bird comes after farming and oil and gas trade groups complained about those restrictions.   Sometimes it can feel a little abstract when you hear about a threatened species having its protections downgraded. But today, we thought we'd offer a primer on what’s special about this unusual bird, and why its numbers have declined in recent decades.  David Pavlacky is a senior research scientist with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies who studies and works to preserve lesser prairie-chicken populations. He joined Erin O'Toole to talk about the bird, and why many find it fascinating.  This episode includes lesser prairie-chicken audio by Andrew Spencer, courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Macaulay Library.  * * * * * 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.

    9 min

  4. 5D AGO

    What pushback against an ambitious Greeley development project says about growth along the Front Range

    Greeley has been one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country in recent years, according to U.S. Census data. Since 2000, the city has grown from around 76,000 residents to nearly 114,000.    An ambitious, nearly billion-dollar plan to develop 800 acres on the west side of the city would have continued that growth streak.   The project, known as Catalyst, would include homes, a luxury hotel, an indoor water park, and a new arena for the Colorado Eagles hockey team.  City leaders pointed to new jobs and sales tax revenue the development would create  – and also promised it would not raise taxes.  But a group called Greeley Demands Better opposed the project and collected enough signatures to put it before voters. In a special election on Feb. 24, Greeley voters repealed the zoning for Catalyst. That stalled the project – and calls into question the city’s reputation for being friendly to developers.  Reporter Dan England has covered the ups and downs of the project for the Colorado Sun. He joined Erin O’Toole to talk about how Greeley got to this point – and what it might say about growth along the northern Front Range.   * * * * * 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.

    9 min

  5. FEB 27

    What ski companies in Colorado are saying, or not saying, about efforts to curb climate change

    Climate change is a threat to the state's ski industry. Warmer winters mean shorter seasons and less snow at resorts around Colorado – and presumably, less revenue for the companies that run them.  But those companies take different approaches to advocating for measures that could slow climate change, or offset it.   As Colorado’s ski industry limps through one of the driest winters in decades, today's guest recently reported on the different stances these companies have taken.   Elise Schmelzer of the Denver Post wrote about businesses like Aspen Skiing Company that openly lobby for climate change legislation – and several ski companies who simply wouldn't talk about climate change on the record. Erin O’Toole talked with Elise about her reporting, which was part of a Denver Post series on climate change and the ski industry.  Who should we interview next? We always like hearing suggestions and news tips from our listeners. If you have an idea for us, email noco@kunc.org.   * * * * * 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.

    9 min

  6. FEB 26

    'Fast fires' are more destructive than typical wildfires. Researchers say they’re becoming more common

    We often think of destructive wildfires in terms of their size and the damage they cause: the number of acres burned or buildings destroyed.   But emerging research says not all major wildfires belong in the same category.    Some wildfires ignite and spread explosively. They move so swiftly that firefighting crews simply can’t keep up. The 2021 Marshall Fire, which scorched about a thousand homes in Boulder County, is one recent example of what experts call a “fast fire.”  And this more destructive type of wildfire is becoming more common in a hotter, drier and more densely populated American West.  Virginia Iglesias is an environmental scientist and director of Earth Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder. She studies fast fires. She joined Erin O'Toole to talk about what makes fast fires especially dangerous – and how we might respond differently to them.  * * * * * 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.

    9 min

  7. FEB 25

    Hail damage is driving up the cost of insurance for homeowners across Colorado. Can lawmakers offer relief?

    If you're a homeowner in Colorado, there are a few types of natural disaster that might threaten your home. One is wildfire. Another is a severe hailstorm.  Hazards like these are the reason people buy homeowners insurance. But a new analysis released this month says that hailstorms and wildfires have very different impacts on what Coloradans pay for insurance. As you might expect, the threat of wildfires drives up premiums in areas prone to wildfire. The threat of hail, however, increases insurance costs just about everywhere in the state. And as real estate prices climb, the cost of insuring homes against hail damage is also soaring.  The report by the Colorado Division of Insurance, which is a state agency, looks at what shapes your monthly premiums if you own a home – and it raises questions about what might help lower those costs.   Rachel Cohen is KUNC’s Mountain West News Bureau correspondent. She joined Erin O’Toole to walk through the report, and some potential relief for homeowners that state lawmakers are working on.  Homeowners’ insurance is just one element of life in Colorado that’s seeing rising costs. For more, check out the KUNC News series The Price of Paradise.  * * * * * 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.

    9 min

  8. FEB 24

    Colorado’s craft breweries hit a rough patch in recent years. Here’s why a brighter future may lie ahead

    Listeners of a certain age: Do you remember how great Colorado’s craft beer scene used to be?  The late 1990s and early 2000s saw hundreds of small breweries and taprooms spring up in communities across the state. But in the last five years, around 140 breweries, taprooms and brewpubs have closed -- including 40 that shuttered in 2025 alone.   And while that still leaves more than 400 breweries across Colorado, the trend has many wondering if the market for craft beer is going flat.   Our guest today views this as a sign of an industry maturing and settling into its next phase. Jeff York is a professor of entrepreneurship at CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business, and he co-hosts a podcast about craft beer called Creative Distillation.   He joined Erin O'Toole to talk about how Colorado's local brewers can adapt to the changing landscape – and why it ultimately could be a good thing for beer lovers.   * * * * * 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.

    9 min
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4.7
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

KUNC's In The NOCO is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.

Information

  • Creator
    KUNC
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    859
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 KUNC
  • Show Website
    In The NOCO

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