Governor Polis signed a bill yesterday that’s meant to protect educators when parents and activists call for pulling books out of school libraries. As the Colorado Capitol News Alliance's Chas Sisk reports, the measure is designed to give school districts flexibility in how they respond.
The City of Cortez is renewing its Urban Forestry program, starting with a kid-focused Arbor Day ceremony on May 7. This year’s theme is “strong as trees,” and every student will be offered a tree for their yard. Meanwhile, the city has hired Legacy Tree Solutions to address urgent tree hazards—like the dying willow near the library, which will be removed and replaced. A farewell event for the willow is set for Monday, May 5 at 11 a.m. Longer-term, the city plans to launch a proactive pruning program across public spaces.
Historic Preservation Days are underway in Cortez throughout May, with events like a photo scavenger hunt and a special presentation on the Civilian Conservation Corps Camp that once stood near the Carpenter Natural Area. To join the fun or learn more, visit the City of Cortez website.
As snow melts and spring blooms across the West, land managers are preparing for wildfire season. That means doing fire mitigation projects, to reduce the severity of wildfires before they happen. One way of doing that is through a prescribed burn, where land managers ignite the landscape themselves, targeting specific areas for regeneration .But these projects are labor-intensive, and job and funding cuts at the federal level create uncertainty. Rocky Mountain Community Radio’s Caroline Llanes accompanied the U.S. Forest Service on a prescribed burn near Aspen to find out more.
The lack of quality child care for infants and toddlers costs Colorado nearly three billion dollars each year in lost earnings, productivity and revenue. Eric Galatas has more.
Two top health officials in Arizona have resigned, citing political interference. Jennie Cunico of the Department of Health Services and Carmen Heredia of the state’s Medicaid agency, AHCCCS, stepped down amid a contentious confirmation process led by the Republican-controlled Senate. Governor Katie Hobbs says the resignations reflect increasing politicization, while Senate leaders accuse both officials of mismanagement. These resignations mark the latest chapter in an ongoing power struggle over agency appointments in Arizona.
Starting Monday, May 5, a sidewalk improvement project will begin in downtown Mancos. Crews will install over 1,000 feet of new sidewalk and 64 ADA-compliant ramps along Grand Avenue and Main Street. Work will continue through September, with lane shifts and sidewalk closures expected. CDOT urges drivers and pedestrians to follow posted signs and detours during construction.
The Navajo Nation’s Health, Education, and Human Services Committee has advanced a bill to delay the start of a new tobacco tax until October 1, 2025. Lawmakers say the extra time is needed to train staff, finalize regulations, and better educate the public on how the tax will work. The legislation now heads to the Law and Order Committee.
Also, check out this edition of Awe, Nice! we featured this morning. For decades, Chuck Haraway worked as a Colorado lineman, mostly in the area west of Denver. The country there is mountainous and rugged. Ten thousand foot peaks abound. Much of the line work for him was in the backcountry, where lines were maintained by hiking to and then climbing up the 40-foot utility poles to service them.
