Colorado News & Current Events | Public News Service

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)

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

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.…

A new training program developed by the High Plains Research Network Community Advisory Council is helping community members intervene and prevent suicides in rural areas across Colorado. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado's Rural Communities Mobilizing to Prevent Suicide

Community advisory committees across rural Colorado are working to better understand the mental-health needs for community members including farmers…

Colorado school districts creating a local food advisory council will be eligible for funding to purchase food for school meals directly from local farmers and ranchers. (Adobe Stock)

State on Track to Roll Out School Meal Program

Colorado is one step closer to ensuring all kids can access healthy food at school regardless of their ability to pay, after Gov. Jared Polis signed …

Americans currently pay twice as much for medicines than people in other developed nations. (Adobe Stock)

Law Aiming to Lower Drug Prices Headed to Governor Polis' Desk

A law passed two years ago aiming to reign in skyrocketing prescription drug prices is set to get a booster shot with the passage of House Bill 1225 b…

The fossil fuel industry successfully lobbied Congress to add billions of dollars for carbon capture technologies in the recently passed Infrastructure and Jobs Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Unproven Tech Could Stall Action on Climate Change

Some 45 environmental groups across Colorado are sounding the alarm about a host of emerging technologies that have been attached to legislation aimin…

Some 21,134 existing housing units in Denver are currently unoccupied, more than enough to house all the estimated 10,000 people experiencing homelessness across the state. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Colorado's Housing Affordability Crisis Calls for Strategic Investments

Housing affordability has become a top priority for Colorado lawmakers and voters, and a new report from an organization with nearly four decades of …

The scholarship initiative was created with the Colorado Department of Higher Education to increase the attainment of postsecondary credentials and degrees for underserved students in Colorado. (Adobe Stock)

CO Scholarship Initiative Invests in Students Experiencing Homelessness

More than 15,000 students in Colorado have experienced homelessness, and a new grant from the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative will help …

Between July 2022 and February 2023 Xcel Energy spent $296,000 lobbying Colorado lawmakers, the state's top spender. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Lawmakers Take on High Utility Bills

Colorado lawmakers have advanced legislation aimed at addressing a growing chorus of concerns about spikes in utility bills by reducing the state's de…

Last year Xcel Energy posted more than $8.3 billion in gross profits. (Adobe Stock)

Public Comments Sought for Xcel Energy’s Most Recent Rate Hikes

Coloradans can now submit comments on Xcel Energy's proposal to increase base rates for electricity. Bill Levis, an AARP Colorado volunteer and …

Recognizing urgent maternal warning signs, providing timely treatment, and delivering respectful, quality care can prevent many pregnancy-related deaths. (Adobe Stock)

Drilling Down Into Social Factors Linked to Unequal Health Outcomes

Black women are three times more likely to die during pregnancy than white women, even though more than eight in 10 pregnancy-related deaths are …

For a typical Xcel customer, between November 2022 and January 2023, 80% of the increase in their utility bills can be attributed to gas. (Galatas)

'Rate Payer Revolt' in CO Calls for Ending Dependence on Gas-Fired Energy

Consumer advocates held a "Rate Payer Revolt" at the Colorado State Capitol yesterday, urging lawmakers to address what they see as the root cause of …

Single adults in Colorado can earn up to $19,392 and a family of four can earn up to $39,900 per year, and still qualify for Medicaid health insurance. (Adobe Stock)

Options for 325,000 Coloradans Losing Health Insurance

After Congress rolled back a pandemic-era policy that prohibited states from dropping Medicaid recipients from their rolls, 15 million people in …

A new conservation roadmap emphasizes the need to protect lands that carry Colorado's most valuable natural asset, water. (Adobe Stock)

New Roadmap Aims to Double Acreage of Conserved Colorado Lands

As Colorado faces mounting challenges associated with a changing climate - record-breaking wildfires, extreme drought and dwindling water supplies…

A recent survey found that 65% of parents think their school has done an

New Survey Spotlights Parents’ Mindsets in 2022-2023 School Year

More than half of parents in Colorado and across the nation continue to be concerned about children's mental health, according to the latest survey …

In the spring of 2022, the May family ranch five miles east of Lamar faced a devastating wildfire that threatened livestock and wildlife on lands preserved through conservation easement with Colorado Cattlemen�s Agricultural Land Trust in 2015. (Dallas and Brenda May)

Sustainable Land Management Boosts Wildfire Restoration Efforts

A recent wildfire that swept across ten thousand acres of farm and ranchlands in southeastern Colorado suggests that sustainable land management and b…

More than 200 million people in the United States are estimated to currently have unhealthy levels of PFAS in their water. (Adobe Stock)

New EPA Drinking Water Standards Take Aim at PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

At least 20 Colorado municipalities will have to improve their water treatment systems to remove so-called forever chemicals called PFAS from drinking…

Since the onset of COVID 19, the average American now spends 13 hours each day looking at some kind of blue light-emitting screen. (Adobe Stock)

Tips for Limiting Exposure to Blue Light from Screens

The pandemic forced many Americans to work and learn from home, and health experts are increasingly concerned about the potentially harmful impact of …

Wildfire experts plan to use unmanned drones to help improve early detection, battle fires more effectively, and to reseed and restore scarred forests. (Windsong/Adobe Stock)

Report Charts a Course for Mitigating Wildfire Risk

As wildfire seasons in Colorado and across the American West become longer, less predictable and increasingly destructive, a new report aims to …

In 2020 alone, U.S. Bureau of Land Management field offices purchased nearly 1.5 million pounds of seed to use in areas affected by wildfires. (Julia/Adobe Stock)

Report: National Native Seed Supply Not Up to Climate Challenges

Researchers with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine spent two years studying the nation's supply of native seeds, and …

Signature Bank's collapse was the third largest in U.S. history. (Rokas/Adobe Stock)

Credit Unions in Conversation After Banks' Collapse

The collapse of two banks has put the U.S. financial sector into focus this week. Some are considering the alternative structures of institutions …

More than 65 million people in Colorado and across the United States depend on Medicare coverage, but the fund's trustees warn that cuts to benefits will be necessary by 2028 without increased revenues. (Adobe Stock)

Millionaires: Medicare Tax Proposal Just What the Doctor Ordered

President Joe Biden's proposal to increase taxes on Americans earning more than $400,000 a year from 3.8% to 5% in order to shore up Medicare is being…

It costs taxpayers $13,400 to provide supportive housing per person each year, compared with between $21,000 and $40,000 for medical care, incarceration, detox treatment and shelter services. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Denver Mayoral Candidates Off the Mark on Homeless Crisis

Advocates for people experiencing homelessness are pushing back against proposals by several Denver mayoral candidates who are including forced mental…

Colorado's SNAP Outreach program helped bring $47 million in federal funding to Colorado's grocery stores, generating more than $71 million in overall economic activity.<br />(InputUX Adobe Stock)

SNAP Benefits Drop as Food Prices Soar

As the cost of groceries continues to soar, SNAP benefits boosted to help families during the pandemic are back to pre-COVID levels. Even with …

From 2016 to 2021, the number of Colorado children seeking mental-health or potential self-harm care at emergency departments increased by 158%. (Adobe Stock)

Emergency Rooms Seen as Best Access Point for Mental-Health Care

A host of barriers that make it harder for people suffering from poor mental health to access preventive care has led to an increase in care delivered…

It is estimated that some 89,000 Colorado children will grieve the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. (Adobe Stock)

Pandemic Funds Brought Grief Care to More Colorado Students

A groundbreaking bereavement service is expanding efforts to reach kids where they are: in schools, churches and other community sites. Emily Napier…

In 2021, Colorado Community Health Centers directly employed 6,081 full-time employees, and supported an additional 5,094 jobs in other businesses in their communities through the purchasing of goods and services. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Community Health Centers Add $1.7 Billion in Economic Activity

Colorado's federally qualified community health centers play a major role in the state's economy, according to new analysis. Health centers serving …

Congress negotiates new Farm Bills every five years. (Jesse/Adobe Stock)

Biodiversity, Climate Change Critical Topics for 2023 Farm Bill, Group Says

As hearings on the 2023 Farm Bill begin, a push is on to ensure biodiversity is part of the conversation. A Senate hearing on the bill's …

Since 2017, AARP has awarded more than $12.7 million to more than 1,060 projects, including 22 in Colorado, through the Community Challenge to nonprofit organizations and government entities. (Adobe Stock)

AARP Colorado Seeking Projects to Help Improve Communities

AARP Colorado is putting out the call for creative projects to help improve communities, by creating new public transportation and housing options…

Poll: Strong Support for Conservation Among CO Communities of Color

Communities of color in Colorado and across the West strongly support conservation policies, including protecting water supplies and transitioning to …

Xcel Energy's gross profits in 2022 were $8.351 billion, an increase of more than 10% from the previous year. (Adobe Stock)

Help Available for Higher-than-Usual Utility Bills

As Coloradans continue to experience sticker shock each time they open their utility bill, the volume of calls to Energy Outreach Colorado's helpline …

The 163 billion cubic feet of lost methane on public lands represents enough wasted natural gas to meet the needs of 2.2 million households; nearly as many households as New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming combined. (Adobe Stock)

Half Billion Dollars Worth of Natural Gas Lost Each Year on Public Lands

Oil and gas operators waste more than $500 million worth of natural gas on public lands every year, according to a new report. Chad Franke, …

A new conservation easement overlooking the Animas River protects natural habitat for wildlife ranging from swift fox, bear and mountain lion to elk and deer. (Linda Lidov)

Conservation as a Tool for Strengthening Business

A few miles south of Durango on a parcel of Florida Mesa land overlooking the Animas River, a landowner is using an increasingly popular land …

Technical Institutes, including Pickens Technical College in Aurora, offer debt-free options for students seeking professional certificates or degrees. (Pickens Technical College)<br />

Colorado Bests National Education Attainment Goal

Colorado is one of just four states where more than 60% of adults aged 25-64 have achieved a professional certificate or degree beyond high school…

In Colorado, outdoor recreation is considered to be a legally beneficial use of Colorado water. (Adobe Stock)

Revised Colorado Water Plan Prioritizes Conservation

A coalition of conservation groups is giving Colorado's revised state water plan a thumbs-up for its increased focus on protecting Colorado's rivers…

While the USDA recommends a diet of 50% fruits and vegetables, only 4% of farm subsidies support their production. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Farmers Headed to Washington in Advance of Farm Bill

Farmers and ranchers from Colorado and across the U.S. are headed to Washington, D.C., this week in hopes of transforming the 2023 Farm Bill…

While mortality rates for pregnant women have decreased globally, they continue to rise in the United States, with Black women three times more likely to die during pregnancy than white women. (Inez/Adobe Stock)<br />

Report: Women’s Rights a Canary in Coal Mine for Democracy

By Jennifer Weiss-Wolf for Ms. Magazine.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Ms. Magazine-Public News …

Nearly half of all Hispanic-Americans live in counties that frequently violate ground-level ozone standards. (Adobe Stock)

Public Health Benefits of Limiting Oil, Gas Methane Pollution

The public has until February 13th to weigh in on new rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce methane pollution at oil and gas…

Stigma continues to be one of the biggest barriers for addressing mental health, and telehealth provides a confidential option. (Adobe Stock)

Post-Pandemic Telehealth Visits Remain High for Mental Health

The use of telehealth has dropped since its peak during the height of the COVID-19 public health emergency, but more Coloradans continue to opt for …

Green buildings are designed to reduce carbon footprints, and operational and maintenance costs, which boosts bottom lines for building owners and occupants. (Adobe Stock)

Building Construction in Colorado 7th Greenest in U.S.

Colorado ranks seventh nationally when it comes to addressing climate change in its building practices, according to the latest U.S. Green Building …

Under Colorado's clean air law, major polluters including coal mines are required to obtain and comply with air pollution operating permits. (WildEarth Guardians)

Deadline for State to Act on Coal Mine Air Pollution Permit Back in Court

Environmental groups are headed back to court this Friday in hopes of setting a clear deadline for Gov. Jared Polis' administration to start reining …

In fall 2020, among four-year universities and community colleges nationwide, male freshmen enrollment declined 1.3%, while female freshmen enrollment fell 3.2%. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Ahead of National Curve on Women Seeking Degrees, Certificates

Nationally, female students have been opting out of college at more than twice the rate of males since 2020, according to a new National Student …

Soaring utility bills have been linked to an increase in natural-gas prices, costs which are passed along directly to consumers. (Adobe Stock)

Rising Utility Bills Unsustainable for Many Colorado Households

Experts are warning Colorado households utility bills currently making their way to mailboxes are likely to be even higher than the supersized bills p…

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