In The NOCO KUNC

Of all the insects that could turn up in your yard, the Japanese beetle is one of the nastiest. 
Its larvae chew up the roots of your grass, while the mature version of the beetle eats just about every plant in your yard. And worst of all, it’s tough to eradicate.  
Japanese beetles are an invasive species that turned up across Colorado’s Front Range in the early 2000s.  Recently, a new infestation appeared in the Grand Valley, which has peach growers in Palisade worried. 
Host Erin O’Toole talks with Whitney Cranshaw, a retired insect expert with Colorado State University Extension, about how to contain outbreaks like this one. 
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Host and Producer: Erin O'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science recently made an exciting announcement: A new species of cave-dwelling pseudoscorpion had been discovered in the foothills outside Boulder. Researchers named it Larca boulderica – a nod to the city of Boulder – and say the only place on the planet where you’ll find it is in just two caves near the Boulder Flatirons.    
We reached out to David Steinmann, the research associate with the Museum of Nature and Science who found the new species. We thought he’d want to talk about his once-in-a- lifetime discovery. Instead, he told us that for him, it wasn’t a once-in-a-lifetime event at all. In fact, he kind of specializes in hunting for new species, and thinks he’s found at least fifty of them. He attributes that to his family's lifelong love of exploring caves to search for tiny creatures. 
Steinmann joined host Erin O’Toole to talk about his unusual work... what exactly a pseudoscorpion is... and whether we should have nightmares about them.
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Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

You might be getting lots of push notifications this summer – from ozone action day alerts and air quality alerts, to heat and wildfire smoke advisories. 
 So far this summer, we've seen more than 25 days with highs over 90 degrees. And federal air quality regulators say Front Range cities have racked up multiple ozone violations this year, according to the Colorado Sun. 
But how do you know which alerts to pay attention to, and what to do when you get them? 
In today’s episode host Erin O’Toole talks with Kaiser Permanente Community Health Consultant Lisa Romero about whether you should change your plans, and how to stay healthy this time of year. 

A new Colorado law that took effect on July 1st ensures that pregnant people on Medicaid will have access to doula services. Doulas can offer support and advice before, during, and after birth that complements a doctor’s guidance.  
Joy Twesigye is a trained women’s health nurse practitioner and says this new law could make a huge difference for people on Medicaid. Lower-income patients who rely on Medicaid coverage often have the most to gain by working with a doula.  
Joy Twesigye is vice president of health systems integration at Colorado Access, a nonprofit that works for better healthcare for marginalized populations. 

Two years ago, Jordan Sarazen lived a comfortable, perhaps even mundane life, working in an office as a financial planner.  
 
Then one day, he decided to make a change. He set out to fulfill a dream of managing a goat herd and renting their services to landowners. Today, Jordan and his wife Toni own 300 goats, and a company called Goat Bros. 
 
They travel around the Front Range and let the herd graze on vegetation for cities like Longmont, Northglenn, and Superior. And the goats provide a form of wildfire prevention by clearing out weeds and dense brush growth from open space land. 
 
Using goats to clear out dry vegetation isn’t a new idea in Colorado, but its popularity has picked up in recent years, including after the 2021 Marshall Fire burned through neighborhoods in Boulder County. 
 
The Sarazens live in a fifth-wheel camper that they park near where the herd is grazing. Jordan spoke with ITN host Erin O’Toole from a grazing spot near Superior. 
* * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? 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'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.
  

$70 million is the amount a utility company will pay to a community in Northwestern Colorado when it shuts down a coal plant that drives a large part of the local economy. 
Tri-State Energy plans to close its coal-fired power station, and all three coal mines, in Craig by 2028. The closure comes as Colorado moves to do away with coal-fired power and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.  
The $70 million payment to Craig and Moffat County sets a precedent. It’s the first time a utility company that closes a coal plant will pay money to address the hole that’s left behind in the local economy.   
Host Erin O’Toole talked with Eli Pace, editor of the Steamboat Pilot & Today and the Craig Press, about how the settlement come together. He’s been covering the settlement and talked about how it creates a blueprint for Colorado communities facing similar shutdowns.