Colorado Matters

A couple who fled the war in Ukraine and found a home in Boulder is hoping their adaptive efforts with the bike shop they own will help them continue building a life for their family in Colorado. Then, the return of "Sun Day" amid a call for increased solar energy efforts with author Bill McKibben. Also, Colorado's mission to collect stardust. Plus the Local 303 celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, and a chance to "Circle Round Live" with WBUR in Parker on Oct. 5.

After a spinal cord injury from a skiing accident left him paralyzed, Bob Meserve of Fort Collins didn’t abandon the sport he’d fallen in love with as a young kid -- he instead chose to help transform it! The award-winning sit-skier turned adaptive sports industry leader, will be inducted into the Colorado Snowsport Museum Hall of Fame this weekend. We also remember a Vail icon, John Dakin, the longtime “face” of the U.S. Ski Team who became a pioneering ski race caller. Plus, this season is the last run for Powderhorn's West End ski lift built in 1972. 

Seed vaults preserve genetic material for crops in case of natural or man-made disaster-- even warfare. The nation's largest repository is in Fort Collins. We speak with an architect of the concept, World Food Prize laureate Geoffrey Hawtin. Then, Denver7 Chief Meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo on the recent rain and studies that link climate change to lightning and faster snowmelt. Plus, encouraging lifelong learning, what it takes to come to the U.S. legally, and the legacy of Babi Yar. 

The Trump administration continues to question long-standing science with unproven ties between vaccines, autism, and a popular painkiller. Meantime, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has outlined new recommendations for vaccines. We'll sort it out with CPR's health reporter John Daley. Then, new research looks at if activities, like the way we drive, could be an early indicator Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. 

In a small town between Denver and Colorado Springs, a lesson in civics and civility. What's going on in Palmer Lake is about more than a proposed Buc-ee's travel plaza. Purplish explores the debate. Then, CPR's Stina Sieg joins us from Italy where descendants from Colorado are retracing the steps of loved ones who fought with the 10th Mountain Division during World War II. Later, does music soothe animals' souls? 

 He says he took over a “beleaguered” department. The new head of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is Armando Saldate. The CBI has had some highly public missteps; Saldate says he’s eager to get to work and to rectify mistakes. Then, moms reflect on their anxiety and how they cope after the school shooting in Evergreen. Later, Colorado Elvis Festival starts Thursday; we re-share some of Elvis' Colorado history. And Sunday's Jillith Fair honors Denver-born singer Jill Sobule's life and music. 

Matthew Silverstone was critically injured in the shooting at Evergreen High School. His family wants the community to know who he is as he fights to recover; we share his uncle's message. Then, the Denver Public Library wants to get more people reading by sharing one book to encourage conversation. It's also inspired a photo exhibit. Plus, Sunday is the "21st Night of September," and this year it takes on special meaning for Denver's Philip Bailey and the legendary Earth, Wind and Fire. 

Two decades ago, radio journalist Ryan Warner fled churning hurricanes in Florida for higher, drier ground in Colorado. Warner, Senior Host of Colorado Matters, reflected on his career and on the state of public media recently at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at DU. The moderator is journalism ethicist Bob Steele. 

When it comes to planning for Colorado's fastest growing population, people 65 and older, the state's Senior Specialist on Aging says it needs to be a group effort. "The government can't do all this work, nonprofits can't do all this work, we need the business community involved, we need healthcare involved, we need philanthropy involved," said Kristine Burrows in a discussion with Chandra Thomas Whitfield in front of an audience at CPR News in May. They talk about the state's ongoing efforts to address everything from healthcare and housing to ageism. 

School shootings reverberate beyond any single classroom or campus or community. We've invited back a family therapist to discuss the violence we've seen here and elsewhere lately. Then, do Democrats take Colorado for granted? It's a question we have for Gov. Jared Polis in the final installment of our special from Grand Junction. Plus, what it takes to convert a vacant office building into homes in the Denver Tech Center. And a pet project takes sixth graders from the classroom to Fountain Creek.