Laura Palmisano

Spanning hundreds of miles, the Colorado Trail runs from Denver to Durango. The tiny mountain town of Lake City is one of the last resupply stops in southwest Colorado. In town, there is a community effort to welcome hikers which includes a free shuttle, snacks, and even a hiker dinner.

In recent years, WIC Colorado has seen steady growth in enrollment. WIC is a special federal supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children. For KVNF, Laura Palmisano interviews WIC Colorado outreach and partnership coordinator Erin Kendrick for an in-depth look at the program. They discuss changes to the program such as expanded organic options for participants at grocery stores and return to in-person appointments at WIC clinics.

Mary Nettleton is the best listener in tiny Lake City, Colorado. After her 25th year as a reading tutor she says being blind isn't a handicap, it actually helps kids open up to her.

Octogenarian Mary Nettleton has helped generations of Lake City students learn to read. Nettleton who's blind, has volunteered at the local school for more than two decades. KVNF’s Laura Palmisano takes us to the school to read with Ms. Mary.

In the United States, less than one percent of midwives are male, according to national data. That figure holds true in Colorado. State data, from February of this year, shows there are four men certified as nurse-midwives here. For KVNF, Laura Palmisano speaks to one of those midwives: Adrian Medina. He's the only male nurse-midwife on staff at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction.

Remote Hinsdale County is not a ski destination like Aspen or Telluride. Lake City, the county’s only incorporated town, touts its ski hill as what skiing was like before the rise of mega ski resorts. For KVNF, Laura Palmisano reports from opening day.

Imagine traveling and needing a guide book to tell you what places would offer you lodging or services based on the color of your skin. This was the reality for Black travelers in the United States prior to the end of segregation. History Colorado, the state's historic division, plans a statewide survey of these locations, also known as Green Book sites. A recent federal grant of nearly $75,000 will help make this possible. To learn more, KVNF's Laura Palmisano brings us an interview with History Colorado Chief Preservation Officer Patrick Eidman and Deputy State Preservation Officer Poppie Gullet.

Over the summer, the invasive Japanese Beetle was detected in Grand Junction. The adult beetle feeds on more than 300 species of plants including those that are a major part of Western Slope's agricultural economy such as sweet corn, peaches, and grapes. The invasive insect already plagues some communities on the Front Range. For KVNF, Laura Palmisano interviews Rich Guggenheim, manager at the Plant Health Certification Program for the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

Demand for services at the Food Bank of the Rockies Western Slope Distribution Center in Palisade is up 28 percent since March 2020. KVNF's Laura Palmisano speaks with the organization's Western Slope Director Sue Ellen Rodwick about how the agency is meeting the increased need in the 13 counties it serves.

In his new book titled "Tracing Time: Seasons of Rock Art on the Colorado Plateau" local author Craig Childs takes readers on a journey that deeply examines certain rock art panels in the region. For KVNF, Laura Palmisano interviews Childs from his home, based in Norwood.