Local Motion

Two Colorado organizations that provide resources and legal aid to immigrants weigh in on the humanitarian crisis on the border.  We hear from Tom Acker from the Hispanic Affairs Project – a grassroots organization serving western Colorado and Cristian Solano-Córdova from the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition – a statewide organization advocating for workable, fair and humane immigration policies.     

Delta County's Community and Economic Development Director, Elyse Ackerman-Casselberry is the guest on this episode. She joins Felix Belmont and Ali Lightfoot to talk about new projects and initiatives aimed at creating jobs as well as several new working groups focused on planning for oil and gas development and concentrated animal feeding operations.

The Grand Mesa Arts and Events Center is getting ready to open its doors this month.  This new venue, located in Cedaredge,  will host concerts, artist exhibits, classes and receptions. One of the founders, musician David Starr, shares information about this new community center and plays some songs from his latest CD, South and West.

Elsewhere Studios is an artist in residency program in Paonia, Colorado.  Here, Carolina Porras and Deirdre Morrison from Elsewhere talk about the Inspired Art At Work project, the residency program, upcoming events and the role artists can play building bridges and celebrating a community.

Anita Evans and Kat Fitzpatrick of The Nature Connection talk to Ali Lightfoot about the organization, a hub of environmental education for Delta County and Olathe.  They discuss what is being done with the 1.7 million dollar grant to provide outdoor education that enhances the school district's curriculum, as well as offering students the opportunity to extend that outdoor experience with their families and train for jobs in recreation.

Delta County officials spent over a year and a half and over $100,000 to rewrite and update its Master Plan. KVNF News spoke with Delta County Economic and Community Developer Elyse Ackerman-Casselberry as well as members of the Planning Commission to get the history of the Master Plan process and talked about what's next.

Ali Lightfoot takes to the streets of Montrose to talk to  residents about what makes their town special.

Political consultant Joel Dyar talks with Ali Lightfoot about trends in politics regionally and nationally, and discusses notable Colorado candidates and races in the 2018 election.

The borderlands are a long-misunderstood region of the country, wrapped up in rhetoric and myth. In this episode of West Obsessed, Tucson-based Associate Editor Maya Kapoor joins Editor-in-Chief Brian Calvert and Deputy Editor-Digital Kate Schimel to discuss the realities of the border, the communities along it and their intertwined ecologies and economies.

The town of Crawford, like many other rural areas,  has limited resources for law enforcement.  Crawford's mayor, Delta county sheriffs and residents share stories about how the lack of police presence affects them. 

Local farmers talk to KVNF's Kori Stanton about how they plan, sustain and grow their operations.   Vintner Alfred Eames,  farmer Scott Horner and orchardist Harrison Topp are featured.

Candidates from Colorado's 3rd Congressional district talk about where they stand on gun laws as well as school security and mental health funding.   We hear from Diane Mitsch Bush, Karl Hanlon, and Arn Menconi.

A local gun control activist,  gun enthusiast, school official, parents and a Columbine survivor weigh in on the issue of gun control, gun safety and school security. 

In this episode of West Obsessed, contributing editor Jonathan Thompson joins High Country News editor Kate Schimel to explore the struggle of Navajo Nation residents, and others, to prevent more oil and gas exploration in historically important lands. Chaco Canyon holds cultural significance to several tribal nations and is also at the center of one of the richest oil and gas fields in the country.

KVNF's Felix Belmont speaks with District 2 Commissioner Don Suppes about marijuana laws in the county.

From the earliest days of white settlement, fortunes have been made and dynasties built on land taken from Native Americans, this continent’s first victims of gentrification. In this episode of West Obsessed, the writers and editors of High Country News discuss the impacts of modern housing crises on Indigenous populations.  

The opioid epidemic impacts every level of life in America, from local to state to national. KVNF News spoke with three health care officials about possible solutions for the KVNF listening area.

In rural, conservative parts of Northern California, a separatist movement has found new life. In this episode of West Obsessed, the writers and editors of High Country News discuss why the State of Jefferson movement has renewed its push to become the newest state of the union, and how that relates to the election of Donald Trump and the California "resistance."

The past year has been one of huge changes for the West. The Trump administration has made huge strides in rolling back environmental regulations, while natural disasters across the region surged. In this episode of West Obsessed, the writers and editors of High Country News discuss what 2017 meant for the West.

About 40 stakeholders from the North Fork Valley and beyond were at the headquarters of the Bureau of Land Management in Montrose on December 15th to protest the BLM's approval of oil and gas development at Bull Mountain. KVNF News spoke with protestors and the BLM to get the story.

In September, Congress let federal funding expire for the the low cost insurance program CHIP, or CHP Plus as it's known in Colorado. Notices were sent out to more than 75,000 Colorado families letting them know that unless Congress acts soon they will lose their insurance at the end of January.  Dr. Christopher Stille from Children’s Hospital Colorado,  Erin Miller from the Colorado Children’s Campaign and Jeremy Carroll from the River Valley Family Health Center talk about the importance of this program that insures children and pregnant women in our state. 

Ali Lightfoot speaks with Heather Ripley, Director of Public Relations and Development for HomewardBound of the Grand Valley.  HomewardBound provides safe shelter and resources for homeless adults and families on their pathway home.

Native communities are an integral part of the nation’s history—and future. However, even today there aren’t enough publications that know how to accurately tell their stories. In this episode of West Obsessed, the writers and editors of High Country News discuss the magazine's efforts to tell better stories from Indian Country.

KVNF News interviews Kathy Steckel, executive director of the North Fork Ambulance Association, about the organization's history and the services the all-volunteer organization provides. Also interviewed is Katie Hedley, events and media coordinator for the NFAA and an EMT in-training, who talked about the Powerful Stories program.

The KVNF news team talked to female journalists, hosts and producers who have been mentors and a source of inspiration for them.  Sarah Koenig, Marty Durlin, Bente Birkland, Andrea Chalfin, Phoebe Judge and Susan Loubet are all featured.

In April 2014, Cliven Bundy, along with hundreds of supporters, faced down federal agents over the removal of his cattle from public lands. They'd been illegally grazing for years and a court had ordered their impoundment. Three years later, Cliven Bundy, along with two of his sons and a handful of supporters, is slated to go on trial. It's been a long and windy road to the courtroom; HCN associate editor Tay Wiles breaks it down.