Colorado News & Current Events | Public News Service

Starting January 1, 2024, a pregnancy opens a special enrollment period for health insurance, after Colorado lawmakers passed House Bill 22-1289. Coverage is retroactive to the month a pregnancy was certified by a health provider. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Health Exchange Open for Coloradans Dropped from Medicaid Rolls

Coloradans who were dropped from the state's Medicaid health insurance plan, Health First Colorado, can sign up for new coverage before open …

Food to Power, a group in Colorado Springs, has redistributed more than $6 million of healthy groceries to struggling families since 2013. (Adobe Stock)

Harvest Celebration Marks Decades-Long Quest to Address Food Insecurity

This year's Food to Power Harvest Festival marks 10 years since Colorado Springs residents launched a food rescue project to get fruits and vegetables…

At least 5,934,000 Medicaid enrollees nationwide have been dis-enrolled from health coverage as of September 8, 2023. (Adobe Stock)

Thousands of Coloradans Eligible for Medicaid Losing Health Insurance

Colorado ranks 15th in the nation for the highest rate of people losing Medicaid health insurance after pandemic-era protections ended on March 31…

Data show people in rural communities are more likely to live in poverty, have higher mortality rates, and have higher rates of incarceration. (Adobe Stock)

Rural America Organizes to Create More Opportunities

Overall, Colorado has been on the rebound since COVID-19 affected supply chains and shook economies across the globe. But many of the state's rural …

Regulation 28 is a result of a Colorado law aiming to reduce climate pollution from buildings by seven percent by 2026, and to reduce energy use by 20% by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

CO Targets Apartment, Commercial, Industrial Building Climate Pollution

Colorado wants to reduce climate pollution from apartments and commercial buildings 50,000 square feet and larger, but there is growing concern …

A CBS Poll from August finds more than half of those surveyed feel former President Donald Trump attempted to remain in office through

Lawsuit Seeks Removal of Donald Trump from CO Primary Ballot

A Colorado lawsuit getting lots of national attention aims to remove former President Donald Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot…

Most signage throughout Eagle Valley, on roadways and at trailheads, is English-only. (Iniciativa EVOM)

Eagle Valley Works to Make Outdoor Recreation More Accessible

Eagle County is one of Colorado's most prized outdoor recreation destinations, drawing visitors from across the globe. But 20% of the county's …

Intimate-partner violence includes violence, abuse and controlling behavior committed by a partner or former partner. It can result in long-lasting adverse mental-health outcomes, and is a leading cause of homelessness and housing instability. (Adobe Stock)

Housing First Model Helps Domestic-Violence Survivors

Victims of domestic violence who are able to access housing -- at their own pace, and with support for as long as the survivor needs help -- …

Nationally, nearly 70 million Americans live in areas without enough dental providers. (Adobe Stock)

One Million Coloradans Lack Access to Dental Care

Just 49% of Coloradans are able to access the dental care they need, and health advocates say increasing the number of licensed dental therapists -- …

A 2023 AARP survey found 64% of workers 40 and older reported seeing or experiencing some form of age discrimination in the workplace, and 65% agreed that Americans should not be required to provide age-related information during the hiring process. (Adobe Stock)

New CO Age-Discrimination Law Could Help Fill In-Demand Jobs

Colorado employers will soon be barred from asking questions that could reveal someone's age on a job application. Colorado lawmakers passed the …

So far, 283 projects in Colorado have been identified as priorities under the Inflation Reduction Act. (Adobe Stock)

IRA Funding Set to Boost Colorado's Clean Energy Economy

This month marks one year since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the nation's first significant investment in addressing climate change…

Symptoms of asthma are similar to the more common condition of bronchiolitis, and taking medicines designed for asthma alone can be risky. (Adobe Stock)

Low Value Care Costs Patients and Payers $134 Million Per Year

Coloradans received nearly 2 million potentially unnecessary health care services in 2021, at a cost of some $134 million for patients and health …

Queer Bike Brigade participants are among approximately 3 million LGBTQ+ people estimated to live in rural America. (Ilana Newman)

Breaking Barriers for LGBTQ+ in the Outdoors

By Ilana Newman for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collabora…

U.S. oil producers are projected to hit an all-time high output, rising by 850,000 barrels per day, reaching 12.8 million barrels a day in 2023. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Rule Challenged by Oil Allies in Congress

Two bills making their way through Congress could throw out more than 216,000 public comments on the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's new Public …

Greenhouse gas emissions from homes and buildings are responsible for an estimated 20 percent of the nation's total energy-related climate pollution, and are the third-largest contributor of emissions in Colorado. (Adobe Stock)

Xcel Plan to Reduce Emissions Includes Untested Technologies

In 2021, Colorado lawmakers required utilities supplying natural gas for heating homes and businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4% by 2025…

Colorado has been a leader nationally on protecting wildlife migration corridors, including vast tracts of grasslands key for wildlife connectivity. (Adobe Stock)

Impact of Lost Grasslands on Rural Economies and Carbon Sinks

More than 300 ranchers, tribal members, conservationists, researchers, federal and state agency officials gathered in Cheyenne last week to find ways …

Fossil fuel pollution needs to be cut by 45 percent by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050, to avoid catastrophic impacts of a warming planet. (Adobe Stock)

Methane Rule Sets Colorado on Course to Cash in on New Detection Tech

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission has adopted a new rule requiring direct measurement of methane emissions at oil and gas sites, a move …

Credit unions are lending to households and small businesses to install solar and other improvements, which are costly up front, loans frequently considered too small by bigger banks. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Credit Union Helping Decarbonize Homes

July was the hottest month in recorded history, and a Colorado credit union is finding creative ways for low-income and other vulnerable residents to …

A new senior center in Highlands Ranch will offer a ten-week evidence-based

First Highlands Ranch Senior Center on Track to Open in 2024

Residents age 55 and older can now sign up for inaugural memberships with the first-ever senior center to open in Highlands Ranch, just south of …

Each year, there are 4,000 job openings for registered nurses, and 3,700 unfilled elementary and secondary educator positions, according to state data. (Adobe Stock)

Free Tuition at Colorado Colleges for High-Demand Jobs

Colorado will give students pursuing degrees or credentials in high-demand fields free tuition at the state's 19 community and technical colleges star…

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics help patients navigate the intersections between behavioral health care, physical health care, social services and other programs. (Adobe Stock)

Clinics Improving Mental and Behavioral Health Standards

A state-federal partnership is helping safety-net mental health centers in Colorado deepen the services they provide, which is improving access and …

RTD may raise the top income to qualify for 50 percent discounted tickets. Under a new plan, a family of four could make a household income of $75,000 or less and qualify for the discount. (Galatas)

Transportation Board to Decide New Fares

The Regional Transportation District is holding a public meeting tomorrow - to decide whether or not to adopt a new fare structure, change existing …

Post-pandemic SNAP benefit cuts, $90 per person on average, have reduced benefits to $6.10 per person, per day on average. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado's Pandemic SNAP Success Offers Model for Farm Bill

Colorado is the eighth most-improved state at ensuring SNAP food assistance reaches its most vulnerable residents, according to new rankings from the …

In 2015, 1,230,000 visits to areas within the ECRMP planning area for non-motorized recreation resulted in $54.3 million in spending to the local economy and supported 693 jobs. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Plan for Public Lands Along Arkansas River Heads to Gov. Polis

The Bureau of Land Management's plan for managing 658,000 acres of public lands in central Colorado includes new protections called for by community m…

Last summer, more than 2 million free meals and snacks were served to kids across Colorado. (Adobe Stock)

Summer Free Meals for Kids Program in Full Swing

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has proclaimed July "Summer Meals for Kids and Teens Awareness Month," and some 645 sites are serving free meals across the …

Some crops beneath solar panels only need watering every couple of days, compared with every few hours for those grown in direct sunlight. (Adobe Stock)

Solar-Farming Combos Reducing Water Usage

By Jane Palmer for Ensia.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Ser…

Among adults in Colorado who reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder, 28.7% reported needing counseling or therapy but not receiving it in the past four weeks. (Adobe Stock)

Telehealth Expands Access to Mental Health Services in CO

The COVID public health emergency created a spike in the adoption of a wide range of telehealth services, and Coloradans are continuing to access …

In no state, metropolitan area, or county in the U.S. can a worker earning the federal or prevailing state or local minimum wage afford a modest two-bedroom rental home at fair market rent by working a standard 40-hour work week. (Adobe Stock)

GOP Budget Cuts Could Push a Million People Into Homelessness

Colorado's minimum wage workers would have to work 94 hours per week to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment, according to a new report. Even after …

Rising temperatures as summer takes hold could stretch budgets for many Coloradans still struggling to pay off winter's price spikes. (Adobe Stock)

Summer Heat Brings Little Relief for High Utility Bills

The same families who had to apply for emergency assistance when heating bills skyrocketed this past winter could face similar challenges this summer…

Between 1999 and 2019, 841,000 people Americans died from a drug overdose.

Engagement Improves Mental Health Outcomes in Aurora

Nearly one in five people in the U.S. live with a mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health - but a new program underway …

Between 2005 and 2023, the New Markets Tax Credit has been used to help build 33 projects in Colorado. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates Want New Markets Tax Credit to Be Permanent

Advocates want to extend the New Markets Tax Credit, which has aided several Colorado developments. This tax credit incentivizes community …

Despite global promises to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, oil and gas production is nearing record levels in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Health Costs of Oil, Gas Production $77B Annually

Air pollution from oil and gas production contributes to thousands of premature deaths and childhood asthma cases each year, according to new …

As of May, more than 5,500 vouchers toward purchasing electric-powered bicycles had been redeemed. (Adobe Stock)

Denver’s E-Bike Rebates So Hot They're Gone Within Minutes

By Whitney Bauck for Bloomberg News.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publ…

Grant opportunities continue to be open to all food pantries in the state, with a focus on purchasing meat, dairy, and fresh produce from local farmers, ranchers, and producers. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Food Pantries Get Emergency Relief

Some 245 food pantries across Colorado are getting emergency funding to help meet a surge in demand after double-digit inflation and the end of pandem…

BLM investments will be used to restore 323,000 acres of public lands in the San Luis Valley and 170,000 acres in North Park, home to important big-game migration corridors. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Makes Big Investment in Colorado Public Lands

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is investing $161 million to restore public lands in Colorado and 10 other western states. Liz Rose, Colorado …

Young people are learning how to get their peers to open up about mental health and substance use challenges, and how to connect them with trusted adults and mental health professionals. (Adobe Stock)

Tapping Teens to Connect Youth in Mental Distress with Support

One in five teens in the U.S. will experience a mental health challenge before they turn 18, but 64% of them won't seek help. A new training program …

A new Colorado law calls on insurance carriers to reduce premiums for the Colorado Option plan by 15% for the 2025 plan year. (Adobe Stock)

Public-Option Hearings May Move Insurance, Health Providers to Lower Costs

Rocky Mountain Health Plans and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, health insurance companies that offer lower-cost public option plans, have failed to …

It costs single parents in Colorado $16,333 per year for center-based child care, which is 41% of the state's median income. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Colorado Ranks 15th for Child Well-Being

Colorado moved up one spot overall, from 16 to 15, in this year's Kids Count Data Book published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which ranks states …

Parcels of land downstream of Ruybal Fox Creek Ranch have been subdivided into 35- to 50-acre large-lot tracts. (Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust)

Preserving Cultural, Environmental Legacy in Southern Colorado

Ruybal Fox Creek Ranch sits in a dramatic canyon in the foothills of southern Colorado's San Juan Mountains, right next to the Rio Grande National …

Building Solutions for 'Range Anxiety' Can Boost Electric Vehicle Transition

By Whitney Bauck for Reasons to be Cheerful and Nexus Media News.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solu…

One in three Coloradans age 65 and older face significant housing cost burdens, according to a new report. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Ranks 3rd Nationally for Senior Health Outcomes

Colorado ranks third nationally when it comes to caring for its most vulnerable adults, according to a new UnitedHealthcare report. The strong …

Last year Xcel Energy posted over $8.3 billion dollars in gross profits, with Colorado contributing more to Xcel's earnings than its other subsidiaries. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday Hearing on Xcel Energy Rate Increase Request Open to Public

On Wednesday, Xcel Energy customers will have a chance to tell the Colorado Public Utilities Commission what they think about the company's request - …

Oil and gas leasing are currently allowed on 90% of publicly-owned lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Seeks Coloradans' Input on New Public-Lands Rule Aiming for Balance

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is holding a public hearing today in Denver on its new rule, which aims to put conservation, protection of …

Hundreds of wildlife crossing structures are still needed across Colorado to restore historic migration corridors. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Set to Tap Federal Infrastructure Funds for Wildlife Crossings

New funding recently added to the Colorado Wildlife Safe Passages Fund could provide relief for mule deer and elk populations, which are on the …

According to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, there are currently more than 1,500 approved drilling permits that have not started production. (Adobe Stock)

Coalition Turns to CO Voters to Phase Out Fracking Permits

A coalition of grassroots groups is turning to Colorado voters in an effort to phase out all new oil and gas leases by 2030. Kate Christensen - an …

If left unchecked, and without access to medications, chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure can turn into complications such as diabetic neuropathy and coronary vascular disease. (Adobe Stock)

Critical Medicines Closer to West Denver Metro Residents

After 18 months of planning and renovations, STRIDE community health center has opened its second pharmacy inside the Wheat Ridge clinic at 29th St…

NIMAA was founded by two leading Federally Qualified Health Centers, Salud Family Health and Community Health Center, Inc., to make post-secondary education and health careers accessible to students from medically underserved communities. (Adobe Stock)

New Partnerships to Expand Health Career Pathways for Medical Assistants

A national training program with deep roots in Colorado is partnering with colleges and universities in an effort to bring more people into healthcare…

Signs someone could be having a stroke and needs immediate emergency care include loss of speech, vision or the inability to move their arms or legs or maintain balance. (Adobe Stock)

National Stroke Awareness Month Spotlights Environmental Factors

Cardiovascular diseases are the world's leading cause of disability and death, and are responsible for nearly a million deaths each year in the U.S.…

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