Aspen Public Radio Newscast

On today's newscast: Aspen's 30 parks will get less water this summer under the city's stage 3 water restrictions; a coalition of Colorado communities is preparing to advocate for climate-minded data center regulations; and GEO Group, the corporation that operates immigrant detention facilities nationwide and in Colorado, has sued the state over a new law requiring health and safety inspections. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Garfield, Pitkin and Eagle Counties are now under Stage 1 fire restrictions; the Aspen Fringe Festival's 18th annual Junefest returns tomorrow; and hundreds of people rallied at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City recently to protest a proposed data center in Box Elder County that would be one of the largest facilities of its kind in the world. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: About 30 firefighters are working on the Paradise Creek Fire as of Wednesday morning; Colorado is expanding access to abortion medication on college campuses; and some of the Colorado River's top officials made a rare public speaking appearance last week but still seemed far apart on a deal to share water going forward. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Holy Cross Energy hit a milestone in March — it sourced enough renewable power to match its members' demand — but that doesn't actually mean the utility provided clean energy for every hour of every day; Colorado now has stronger penalties for child exploitation and human trafficking; and 68% of Americans think extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The historic Armory Hall served as Aspen City Hall for half a century, but crews will start to redevelop the space after it's fully vacated at the end of this month; Gov. Jared Polis vetoed a bill that would have reduced how much retailers have to pay for credit-card swipe fees; and the federal government expects to have a short-term agreement for the Colorado River later this summer. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Pitkin County can once again advertise in the Aspen Times, reversing a 2022 ban directed by the Board of County Commissioners; an on-demand ride service in Parachute expanded into Rifle and Battlement Mesa this week; and a new leader is likely coming for the top federal agency on the Colorado River. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: A new statewide poll reveals economic inequality is a top issue for Colorado women and nonbinary people; Colorado voters will have more time to vote from home this November under a new law designed to push back against the Trump administration; and some communities in our region are moving full-force ahead with new data centers, while others are hitting the brakes. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Residents in Aspen's West End neighborhood filed a lawsuit against the city in May; the Snowmass Town Council is considering a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers; and Scientists are working to build more accurate forecasts about the amount of water in the Colorado River with satellites. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The two candidates for Garfield County Sheriff will be facing off in a debate in Rifle tomorrow night; Colorado high schoolers are graduating at higher rates, but a growing number are leaving the state for college; and a new interactive map reveals the hidden health risks of living near oil refineries. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The two candidates for Garfield County Sheriff are weighing in on a controversial email sent to department staff in January; former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters is set to be released from prison today; and the Trump administration continues its push to open more public lands for hunting and fishing. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Two Republican candidates are running for Garfield County Sheriff in the June primary; even though ski season wrapped up last month, construction work is just beginning on Aspen Mountain's new Nell Bell chair lift; and a bipartisan caucus wants to help put an end to the gerrymandering wars. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Aspen's parks and open space department will begin emergency restoration at the Maroon Creek Wetlands; six local performers shared stories of womanhood at the biennial Women's VOICES theater show last weekend; and Denver International Airport plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to solve one of its most vexing problems. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: A state grant helped fund a new position focused on fire mitigation in the Colorado River Valley; Denver's mayor is celebrating a historic drop in unsheltered homelessness; and the federal government has released recommendations to improve military veterans' access to public lands and outdoor recreation. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Communities throughout the Roaring Fork Valley are facing water restrictions this summer after a near record-breaking low snowpack; a tribe from the Four Corners region has inked a deal with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum advancing the Trump administration's domestic energy agenda; and a new bipartisan group is betting big on the geothermal energy that's abundant across the Intermountain West and Great Basin. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The Aspen-Pitkin County Housing Authority will ease up on its work hour requirements for residents while the airport is closed next year; after a two-year dry spell, Carbondale again has an outdoor pool; and reproductive health advocates in Idaho are working to get an abortion vote on the November ballot. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Six months after voters approved a childcare tax, leaders are balancing urgency with getting it right; the new Carbondale Aquatics Center will open this weekend; and Gov. Jared Polis' decision to shorten the prison sentence of Tina Peters troubled many people, but it's not the only commutation that raised eyebrows. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Public lands advocates are concerned about the Forest Service giving up management of the Maroon Bells, Basalt is considering a new sales tax to fund a new building for the police department and other town facilities, Garfield County is leasing at least half of its water right in Ruedi Reservoir, Independence Pass opens for the season Thursday, and more.

On today's newscast: The June primary will decide who becomes Garfield County's next sheriff, Aspen officials want to review greenhouse gas emissions in the upper valley, Carbondale is not planning to install license plate tracking cameras, Silt's new $28 million-dollar water plant comes online this month, and more.

On today's newscast: El Niño could bring needed precipitation to the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys, households and businesses from Glenwood Springs to Silt spent hours without electricity Saturday, the French singer and actress who was also known for shooting Olympic skier "Spider" Sabich in 1976 died last week, and more.

On today's newscast: Local wildlife officials say Colorado's dry winter and early spring could lead to more bear encounters; Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill Thursday changing Colorado rules for how AI is used in major life decisions; and a recent report shows wildlife crossings can improve safety for both drivers and animals. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The U.S. Forest Service is asking Pitkin County to manage the Maroon Bells recreation area amid federal funding cuts, carbon-reducing upgrades are coming to the public library and human services buildings in Aspen, a loaded ammunition magazine was discovered onboard a Frontier Airlines plane at the Denver airport, and more.

On today's newscast: The town of Silt is turning off its license plate tracking cameras, while Aspen is moving forward its plans to install the cameras, state lawmakers look to finalize bills on the final day of the legislative session, and more.

On today's newscast: Silt Town Council votes to end its contract with the camera surveillance company Flock Safety, a midwife is part of a class action lawsuit against the state, water projections for the Colorado River are worsening, Bonfire Coffee plans a grand opening, and more.

On today's newscast: As water managers plan for how to deal with a historically low snowpack year, pulling water from Ruedi Reservoir has been floated as a possible solution; Colorado Parks and Wildlife released its annual report on gray wolves last week; and this season will be the first for the new U.S. Wildland Fire Service. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Garfield County's County Road 108 bridge will close for emergency repairs on Monday; a new initiative is trying to make mental-health therapy more accessible in the Roaring Fork Valley; and Colorado lawmakers rejected a bill yesterday that would have created incentives for building data centers. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The Colorado State House officially passed a bill to fund and support wildlife crossings, which could mean good news for Roaring Fork Safe Passages; ticks are emerging early across Colorado after a mild winter; and new photos show major damage to an archeological site that is hundreds of years old in Southern Arizona. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Pitkin County agreed yesterday to help residents at Cavern Springs Mobile Home Park in Glenwood buy the land under their homes; a new healing center in Aspen blends licensed mental health services with regulated psychedelic experiences; and some lawmakers are warning that legal foreign workers in the U.S. may face multiple hurdles renewing their work permits. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The recent precipitation that's fallen on the Western Slope helps reduce this summer's fire risk but doesn't make up for the record-low snow winter; Carbondale Middle School got a new student-created mural yesterday; and airports across our region are showing up on a new list of the most turbulent. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Community members in Rifle got hands-on practice preventing and escaping house fires last week; thousands of May Day protests took place throughout the U.S. on Friday, including in the Roaring Fork Valley; and the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to roll back rules for cleaning up toxic coal ash. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Carbondale's Board of Trustees has decided to stay in a regional law enforcement task force — for now; Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law this week that supporters say will put an end to puppy mills in Colorado; and Colorado is one step closer to getting passenger rail on the Front Range. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Aspen is ramping up enforcement for water use violations; some members of Congress say selling public lands is an answer to the affordable housing crisis; and a new report from the American Lung Association shows about half of U.S. children are living in areas with unhealthy air quality. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The ICE holding facility in west Glenwood Springs could be forced to close; Carbondale-based nonprofit Youthentity is hosting its first civics bee tomorrow; and boaters in Mesa County recently removed 5,400 pounds of trash from the Colorado River. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Carbondale has streamlined the permitting process to build additional housing on existing properties; Vail Resorts Rocky Mountain properties — which includes those in Colorado — took a 25% hit to visitor numbers this winter due to the lack of snow; and a group of states that use the Colorado River are trying to break a standstill in negotiations about its future. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The Glenwood Springs Planning and Zoning Commission will consider tomorrow whether to revoke a decades-old permit for an ICE holding facility; a novel that explores hope, love and survival in times of encroaching darkness won the 2026 Aspen Words Literary Prize; and Colorado Republicans are asking a federal judge to block unaffiliated voters from casting ballots in this year's primary election. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Aspen's teachers' union hopes to reach an agreement with the school district over salary negotiations; a Carbondale startup is bringing floor tiles made from tulip buds to the Roaring Fork Valley; and with the rise of AI, Indigenous people around the world are growing more concerned about data sovereignty. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: A Western Slope sheriff's office used an AI-generated photo to try to find a missing person this week; a proposed ban on a popular type of sports wager in Colorado is dead; and in a hearing before the House appropriations committee on Monday, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the department's policy of secretary-level reviews for solar and wind projects on public land. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Aspen City Council approved a controversial housing proposal for Aspen Meadows on Monday; a Colorado case about religious rights and state-funded preschools is heading to the Supreme Court; and the U.S. House has unanimously advanced three measures that seek to improve rural broadband. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Glenwood Springs city council withdrew its police department from Garfield County's special crimes task force last week; a bill working its way through the Colorado legislature would require college and university medical centers to provide abortion medication; and the Interior Department is planning to release a massive amount of water into a Colorado River Reservoir in order to prevent a potential power and water crisis. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The Aspen School District will receive $5 million in state grant money to tap into underground energy; farm workers could lose some overtime wage protections under a bipartisan proposal that is headed to the Governor's desk; and a first-of-its-kind facility to test nuclear microreactors is ready for business. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: The Aspen-Pitkin County Housing Authority board tabled a vote on whether to ban registered sex offenders from the housing program; after a longtime director's departure shuttered a beloved folklórico program, former students and a local nonprofit revive it for a new chapter; and a lawsuit that looked to overturn a national monument south of the Grand Canyon has been dismissed. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Some Aspen residents and city councilors have suggested opening some of the bus-only lanes on Highway 82 to general traffic; a proposal to crack down on Coloradans who accidentally attract bears with food or trash passed its first hearing at the State Capitol this week; and the psychedelic mushroom industry is growing in Colorado. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Garfield County and Glenwood Springs are at odds over the South Bridge project; the 41st Space Symposium is taking place this week in Colorado Springs; and the latest wildfire season forecast confirms the worries of many — this could be a big one for much of the West. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Aspen has a new art gallery in town; much of the water used by data centers is not being reported publicly; and ski resorts that operate on public lands may soon have more flexibility to adapt to a changing climate under a new federal rule. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Colorado Parks and Wildlife has a new plan focused on supporting beaver populations; in discussing the gender gap in art, one Aspen gallery is challenging a system where women remain underrepresented and undervalued; and a massive amount of water will likely have to be sent downstream this spring from reservoirs in the upper Colorado River basin to help save Lake Powell from drying up. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Fewer students are missing class at the Aspen School District this year; a global artist collective has an exhibit at Colorado Mountain College until next month; and Colorado has reached a tentative agreement for the long-promised passenger train from Denver to Northern Colorado. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Construction began last week on Aspen's Lumberyard affordable housing project; Xcel Energy is setting new rates for data centers in Colorado; and a wolf abuse case that sparked international headlines is one step closer to coming to an end. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Unofficial election results are in for Basalt, Carbondale and Parachute; more than 200 Colorado Army National Guard soldiers are heading to the Middle East; and a class-action lawsuit filed in late March says the two biggest ski companies in the U.S. have unlawfully inflated pass prices. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Mobile home park residents in Glenwood Springs asked Garfield County yesterday for help buying their land, but to no avail; Aspen Film's 35th Shortsfest kicks off today; and a coalition in Utah and Nevada is appealing federal approval of a groundwater pipeline project in southern Utah. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Aspen Public Art chose five local artists for its first Art in Motion program; a federal judge says the Trump administration cannot force Denver and Colorado to participate in federal mass deportation efforts; and ranchers and conservationists are reacting to a Trump administration's push that could allow more cattle grazing on public lands. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: Snowmass Ski Area will close on Sunday due to current snow conditions; a Colorado appeals court has re-ordered the sentencing of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters; and the U.S. Forest Service will move its headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, Utah. Tune in for these stories and more.

On today's newscast: An unusually warm winter cut ski season short in Aspen-Snowmass, leaving at least one patroller questioning her future on the mountain; a federal judge ruled yesterday that President Trump violated free speech with an executive order he issued last May to defund NPR and PBS; and earlier this year, Wyoming became the first state in the nation to launch its own stablecoin. Tune in for these stories and more.