A Uranium exploration company is reporting good prospects in Teller County, and a property owners association in Fremont County is fighting to keep uranium prospectors off of their land. Interest in Uranium mining is a direct result of a huge price increase for the radioactive mineral, which now trades for about $90 a pound, that's a fourfold increase in the last two years. And part of what makes uranium mining attractive in southern Colorado is the proximity of the Cotter Corporation's uranium processing mill in Canon City. It's one of only two in the country with valid uranium processing permits. At least three companies are currently prospecting for uranium in Fremont and Teller Counties.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:14 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Business , Colorado , Environment , Health , Legal , Regional

November 8, 2007

Pueblo Artist Paints Portraits of Vets for Free
November 8, 2007 6:01 PM

Sunday is veterans day. There are a lot of ways to honor vets, and we bring you now the story of one artist's gesture. Sally Lincoln of Pueblo doesn't think that sitting for a portrait painted by an oil painter should be a privilege reserved for the rich and famous. Lately she's been going to the Veteran's Administration Nursing Home and Care Unit in Denver to paint portraits of the residents and patients there. No money is exchanged. Instead she just snaps a few photos of the painting and then gives it to the person who sat for it. The portraits have had a surprisingly emotional impact on the vets and the staff at the facility. Shanna Lewis reports.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 6:01 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Arts & Culture , Colorado , Denver , Military , Pueblo , Regional

Ft. Carson: Troops Return, Prepare to Leave, and Remember Fallen Comrades
November 8, 2007 5:35 PM

Ft. Carson is preparing for a lot of turnover in the next couple of months. By the end of December two different brigades of about 4,000 soldiers each are going to switch places. One will be coming home from Iraq, the other will leaving to go there. This story takes us to a "pre-deployment fair" held this week, and the memorial service for two Ft. Carson soldiers killed in Iraq in October.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:35 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Colorado Springs , Ft. Carson , Memorial , Military , Regional

November 6, 2007

Air Quality Task Force Wrapping Up Work
November 6, 2007 5:36 PM

Federal officials say that in the next decade, about 12 thousand new natural gas wells will be drilled in the San Juan Basin of southwestern Colorado. A two-state task force is developing strategies to keep all the new energy development, plus a growing population, from making air quality in the area worse. The task force's final meeting is Wednesday. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:36 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Capitol Coverage , Colorado , Environment , Indoor/Outdoor Recreation , Regional

Ritter Announces Climate Change Action Plan
November 6, 2007 5:11 PM

Colorado must reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by the year 2020 under the state's first ever plan to curb global warming. The Governor's plan also calls for cleaner cars and carbon offsets for farmers, but says Colorado will not set regional benchmarks with other western states. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:11 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Business , Capitol Coverage , Colorado , Environment , Indoor/Outdoor Recreation , Regional

November 2, 2007

Capitol Coverage: Severance Tax Reform and the State Budget
November 2, 2007 12:11 PM

Severance Tax Reform

The amount of tax money Colorado has collected from the energy industry has grown by 600 percent in the last five years according to state figures. But some communities seeing the biggest impacts from energy development say they're not getting their fair share of that revenue stream. They say they need help with overcrowded schools and roads torn up by industry trucks. From Denver, Bente Birkeland reports on efforts to more fairly distribute the state severance tax.
[LISTEN]

Ritter Submits Budget Request

Healthcare, higher education and human services top Governor Ritter's list of priorities for next year's budget. On Thursday Governor Ritter submitted his budget request to a bi-partisan committee of lawmakers. But a Republican leader says the request doesn't mean that much. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 12:11 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Business , Capitol Coverage , Colorado , Energy , Environment , Politics , Regional

November 1, 2007

Preble's Mouse Still On Endangered Species List in Colorado
November 1, 2007 6:10 PM

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reversed its controversial assessment of the Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse, and now says it deserves protection under the federal endangered species act. That's bad news for developers, who say federal protection of Prebles habitat along the Front Range is costing them billions of dollars in lost opportunities. Two years ago, Fish and Wildlife said new research proved that the mouse was so genetically similar to other, more common mice, that it could be removed from the endangered species list. That decision brought criticism from some rodent scientists, and now the agency is reversing its decision.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 6:10 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Animal Rights/Wellfare , Colorado , Indoor/Outdoor Recreation , Legal , Regional

October 31, 2007

Local News Roundup Wed., Oct. 31, 2007
October 31, 2007 5:18 PM

UPDATE: Feds Say: Protect Preble's Mouse in Colorado, But Not Wyoming
Read more about the decision HERE

Two Homicides in Pueblo This Week

Gas Leases Suspended for Environmental Concerns

Denver High School Clinics Ponder Offering Contraceptives

Report: Immigration Raids Traumatize Legal Residents

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:18 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Animal Rights/Wellfare , Business , Colorado , Crime , Education , Environment , Health , Immigration , Pueblo , Regional , Utilities

October 30, 2007

Colorado Lures Snow Sports Convention Away from Vegas
October 30, 2007 5:23 PM

Colorado has landed the largest convention contract in the state's history, the ski and snowboard industry's annual trade show. Governor Ritter says it's expected to bring in more than $350 million to the state and a boost to downtown Denver and ski resorts across Colorado. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:23 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Business , Colorado , Denver , Entertainment , Indoor/Outdoor Recreation , Regional , Sports

Local News Roundup, Tue., Oct. 30, 2007
October 30, 2007 5:00 PM

State GOP Lawmakers Unveil Illegal Immigration Bills

Audit: Emergency Radio Network Remains Useless

State's Democratic Superdelegates Split

Springs Funeral Director Offered Plea Deal

Ritter: "New Energy Economy" Taking Root

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:00 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Colorado , Colorado Springs , Environment , Immigration , Latino/a , Legal , Politics , Regional

October 29, 2007

On the Scene With Springs-based Firefighting Air Tankers in California
October 29, 2007 10:33 AM

On Friday, Oct. 26, the Air Force Reserve unit based at Peterson Field flew members of the local media to California to see their air and ground crews in action fighting fires.

[LISTEN]

[SLIDESHOW]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 10:33 AM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Colorado , Colorado Springs , Environment , Media , Military , Regional , Slideshow , Wildfires

October 23, 2007

Colorado Springs Military Response to California Wildfires
October 23, 2007 5:21 PM

Air Force General Gene Renuart Jr. at a press conference at Northern Command, Tuesday.
Photo by: Jaimie Stevenson




Lt. Col. Dave Condit is on the flight crew of a Peterson Field-based C-130 fighting fires in California.
Photo courtesy: US Air Force




A C-130 leaves for California.
Photo courtesy: US Air Force

The nationwide military response to the California wildfires is being coordinated out of U.S. Northern Command at Peterson Air Force Base. We hear from the top general there, Gene Renuart. Part of the response is sending half-a-dozen Air Force C-130 cargo planes specially outfitted to drop fire retardant. Two of those planes are from the Colorado Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing based at Peterson. We talk to a navigator from the 302nd, Lt. Col. Dave Condit.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:21 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Military , Regional , Wildfires

October 19, 2007

Bi-Partisan, Multi-State Plea for Federal Fire Danger Money
October 19, 2007 5:06 PM

Photo by: Don Goede

Despite a couple of local grassfires this week, and small flare-up in Manitou in September, Colorado has been relatively wildfire-free this year. The 14,000 total acres that burned here is about four times fewer acres than burned in New Mexico, and far smaller than the 615,000 acres that torched in Utah. But one good year doesn't mean fire danger has gone away. On Friday, Oct. 19, a bi-partisan group of Congressional reps and Senators sent a letter to the U.S. Forest Service urging full funding of hazardous fuels reduction projects in the Rocky Mountain Region. Colorado's delegation was joined by counterparts in Wyoming and South Dakota. Colorado College Student Jaimie Stevenson reports that locally, the Pike San Isabel National Forest is looking at a 12% cut in its fuels reduction budget from last year, and that fuels reduction projects probably didn't have much impact on the mild fire season this year.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:06 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Colorado , Environment , Forest Plans , Politics , Regional , Wildfires

October 18, 2007

New Air Pollution Standards Working?
October 18, 2007 6:37 PM

A new report from the state says it's too soon to tell if air pollution controls for the oil and gas industry are improving air quality. Last year Colorado created statewide emission standards for the industry for the first time. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 6:37 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Business , Capitol Coverage , Colorado , Denver , Energy , Environment , History , Regional

October 17, 2007

Local News Roundup for Wed., Oct. 17, 2007
October 17, 2007 6:06 PM

Photo courtesy of Colorado Environmental Coalition

Industry Says Roan Platau Gas Worth $1 Billion

Ranchers: Army Hardly Uses Pinon Canyon

2nd Bear Attack in Aspen

Teacher at Christian High School Arrested on Sex Charges

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 6:06 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Agriculture/Ranching , Animal Rights/Wellfare , Business , Children & Youth , Colorado , Crime , Education , Energy , Environment , Ft. Carson , Military , Politics , Regional

October 15, 2007

Doctors Fighting Weld County Uranium Mine
October 15, 2007 6:23 PM

Opponents of a proposed uranium mine north of Ft. Collins rallied at the state capitol Sunday. Four state lawmakers at the rally said they'll introduce a new bill to tighten regulations for uranium mines. Three are Democrats, one is a Republican, and Republican Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave who represents the area has also expressed her opposition to the mine. In this story, KUNC's Kirk Siegler reports on efforts by doctors in the area to keep the mine from happening.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 6:23 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Business , Colorado , Energy , Environment , Health , Native American , Politics , Regional , Science

October 12, 2007

Local News Roundup for Fri, October 12, 2007
October 12, 2007 5:43 PM

Foster Mother Jailed in Death of Two-Year-Old

222nd Ft. Carson Soldier Killed in Iraq

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:43 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Colorado Springs , Crime , Ft. Carson , Military , Regional

October 11, 2007

Lamborn Appointed to House Armed Services Committee
October 11, 2007 6:21 PM

Congressman Doug Lamborn was given a coveted seat on the House Armed Services Committee. We reached him on his cell phone in Washington.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 6:21 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Colorado , Military , Politics , Regional

October 9, 2007

Is There A Future For Wilderness?
October 9, 2007 5:11 PM

There's a new effort underway to monitor and improve management of federal wilderness areas.

Peter Landres, a Ph.D. ecologist with the federally-supported Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute in Missoula, Montana says we need to define wilderness "character" so land managers have a better idea what it is they're supposed to protect.

Landres speaks tonight at Colorado College, opening a discussion with the question, "Is There a Future for Wilderness?"

More information click here.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:11 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Environment , Regional , Science , Visiting CC

Autumn Is Hay Harvest Time in the Wet Mountain Valley
October 9, 2007 8:00 AM

In the Wet Mountain Valley, about an hour west of Pueblo, haying season is winding down and ranchers are hauling in the last bales from the fields. Like other high altitude mountain valleys, the area around Westcliffe is known for producing excellent grass hay that is popular with horse owners along the Front Range. Hay is a crucial crop because it feeds the ranchers own livestock and brings in much needed income when they sell the surplus. But even during a year with good moisture like this one, farmers are in a constant struggle to get the best crop they can. KRCC's Shanna Lewis has the story.
[LISTEN]

[SLIDESHOW (photos by Shanna Lewis, Wet Moutain Tribune)]

Posted by Delaney Utterback at 8:00 AM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Agriculture/Ranching , Business , Regional , Slideshow

October 8, 2007

Local News Round-Up for October 8, 2007
October 8, 2007 5:08 PM

Affordable Housing Scarce in Colorado Springs, Pueblo
(For more details, click HERE)

Salazar Talks Expansion at Pinon Canyon, Buckley

Search Scaled Back for Calhan Man at Lake Powell

Pilot Killed in Air Ambulance Crash Was Experienced, Safe

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:08 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Colorado Springs , Environment , Politics , Pueblo , Regional , Utilities

October 5, 2007

Pilot of Crashed Air Ambulance Had Clean Record
October 5, 2007 2:10 PM

ALAMOSA, Colo. (AP) _ The pilot of a medical plane that slammed into a southern Colorado mountainside had a clean record in 22 years of flying, according to his employer.

Eagle Air Med Incorporated says 46-year-old pilot Ric Miller of Wenatchee, Washington, died in the crash along with 25-year-old flight nurse Ronnie Helton, of Birmingham, Alabama, and 32-year-old flight paramedic Dana Dedman, of Chinle (CHIN-lee), Arizona.

The wreckage was found Friday. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

The crew left Chinle late Thursday in the twin-engine plane to pick up a patient in Alamosa but never arrived.

Eagle Air Med says Miller had made no distress calls to the company's communications center.

It says this was the company's first fatal accident.

Eagle Air Med says Miller held helicopter and fixed wing pilot certificates and was airline transport pilot rated, with more than 12,000 hours of logged flight time, including 2,400 hours with the U.S. Marine Corps reserve.

Eagle Air Med says it's possible some air medical services could resume as early as today.

a Beechcraft King Air C 90 like the one that crashed near Alamosa, photo courtesy University of St. Francis

Posted by Eric Whitney at 2:10 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Colorado Springs , Health , Regional , Transportation

October 4, 2007

Native Americans Will Try to Stop Denver's Columbus Day Parade
October 4, 2007 6:25 PM

Protestors say they will try to stop Denver's annual Columbus Day Parade on Saturday. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Columbus day holiday. Colorado was the first state to begin celebrating it. Celebrations have been controversial in the past and even erupted in violence. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 6:25 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Capitol Coverage , Colorado , Denver , Holiday , Immigration , Native American , Regional

October 3, 2007

Counties Ask Governor to Oppose Desert Rock Power Plant
October 3, 2007 4:53 PM

Photo courtesy of democracyfornewmexico.com

Sixteen counties in western Colorado are urging Governor Ritter to oppose a proposed coal fired power plant on the Navajo Indian Reservation. They want him to do so before the October 9th deadline for comments on the project's environmental impact statement. The counties say emissions from the plant would make air quality in the four corners region worse than it already is. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 4:53 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Capitol Coverage , Energy , Environment , Health , Native American , Regional , Utilities

October 2, 2007

Five Xcel Workers Die in Underground Accident
October 2, 2007 5:48 PM

photo courtesy Xcel Energy

GEORGETOWN, Colo. (AP) _ Several state agencies started their own investigations today into Tuesday's fire at a hydroelectric plant near Georgetown, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Division of Mine Safety, the state water engineer, the Division of Emergency Management and the Public Utilities Commission. Five people died after the fire at an Xcel Energy plant. It's unclear whether they were burned, suffocated, or were overcome by fumes from a burning chemical. Governor Ritter's spokesman, Evan Dreyer, says the agencies involved are either responsible for emergency response, investigation of incidents involving the industry, or regulation of the industry. Dreyer says such inquiries are routine. The men were employees of the private contractor RPI Coating in Santa Fe Springs, California. Their names have not been released. Dreyer says ``Governor Ritter is extremely saddened by the tragic turn of events. He expresses his deepest sympathies to the families of the five workers who were killed. ``He will ensure that the appropriate state agencies are fully involved so that we gain a quick and thorough understanding of what happened and we can prevent something like this from ever happening again.'' Nine workers survived the fire, and four who were working below the blaze were able to scramble out of the bottom of the 4,000-foot-long tunnel. The other five, working on the other side of the blaze, rushed uphill to get to an area further away from the flames. About eight hours after the fire erupted, authorities said last night that the men had been found dead by crews sent in to fight the fire. The men were more than 1,500 feet below ground when the blaze broke out.

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:48 PM| Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Business/Labor , Energy , Regional

Sen. Salazar Will Talk Military and Water Storage in Springs On Saturday
October 2, 2007 5:48 PM

EVENT 1: Meeting on Military Issues Affecting the Pikes Peak Region, 11:00 AM MST, Saturday, October 6, 2007 at the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, 2 North Cascade Avenue, Chamber Conference Room, Colorado Springs, CO

EVENT 2: Meeting on Water Storage Issues, 12:30 PM MST, at the Worner Campus Center, room 213, Colorado College, Colorado Springs (NW corner of Cache La Poudre and Cascade)

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:48 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Agriculture/Ranching , Environment , Ft. Carson , Military , Politics , Regional , Visiting CC

September 28, 2007

Kidnapping Suspect Arrested, Victim Safe
September 28, 2007 4:12 PM

Jerry Gilley

Nancy Gilley

MEDIA RELEASE September 29, 2007 [1:25 p.m.]

KIDNAPPING SUSPECT ARRESTED AND VICTIM SAFE

El Paso County Sheriff's investigators worked through the night on Friday to find information on the kidnapping victim, Nancy Gilley and her alleged kidnapper. Their diligence paid off and the two were located late Friday night.

Investigators followed leads which indicated Jerry Gilley and Nancy Gilley may have been at a hotel in Trinidad, Colorado. With assistance from the Trinidad Police Department, investigators confirmed their location. At approximately 11:35 p.m. on Friday, September 28, 2007, Sheriff's investigators worked in collaboration with the Trinidad Police and the Trinidd SWAT team to contact and subsequently arrest Jerry Gilley. Nancy Gilley was with him and was taken to safety.

Currently Jerry Gilley is in the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center facing charges of Domestic Violence-First Degree Kidnapping, First Degree Burglary, and Felony Menacing. He is being held without bond at this time.

Nancy Gilley is safe with family and friends today.

This investigation is ongoing and more details may be available at a later time.

Posted by Eric Whitney at 4:12 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Colorado Springs , Crime , El Paso County , Regional

Western Govs Want More Renewable Energy Access
September 28, 2007 9:39 AM

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter has been a champion of renewable energy since taking office. He recently put solar panels on the Governor's mansion and just got back from Washington DC where he asked congress to adopted national renewable energy standards for utilities. This week he's hosting the Western Governor's Association. The topic is getting more renewable energy on the electric grid across the region. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 9:39 AM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Business , Capitol Coverage , Energy , Environment , Regional , Utilities

September 26, 2007

Fair Trade: Expanded Golf Course in Return for Trout Habitat?
September 26, 2007 5:08 PM

A proposed land swap in southwestern Colorado is generating controversy. Outside Durango, a company wants to expand a golf course and development onto neighboring land now owned by the Forest Service. In exchange, they're offering property that the government says could provide important habitat for rare native trout. Bente Birkeland reports.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:08 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Animal Rights/Wellfare , Business , Capitol Coverage , Environment , Forest Plans , Indoor/Outdoor Recreation , Regional

Local News Roundup, Wed., Sept. 26, 2007
September 26, 2007 4:55 PM

Paccione Drops Out of 4th CD Race

Private Developer to Build Housing on Petersen, Schreiver

Murder-Suicide in Fremont County

Cotopaxi Man Missing

Arapahoe, Douglas Counties Plan $20 Billion for Water by 2020

Boulder to Hire Urban Wildlife Coordinator

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 4:55 PM| Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Posted to Animal Rights/Wellfare , Colorado , Colorado Springs , Crime , Environment , Military , Politics , Regional , Utilities

September 20, 2007

Court Rules Against Village at Wolf Creek
September 20, 2007 5:47 PM

The Texas Billionaire who wants to build a village for 10,000 people on Wolf Creek Pass has been dealt a setback by the courts. On Thursday the Colorado Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that threw out initial approval of the village by Mineral County, KSUTs Victor Locke reports.

[LISTEN]

Posted by Eric Whitney at 5:47 PM|