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Progressives back Mike Johnston in Denver mayor's race | Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs slate of clean energy bills | $11B in federal funds allocated for rural clean energy projects | Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis commission meets in Flagstaff, AZ (WARNING: contains graphic descriptions of violence) | Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs nation's first Right-to-Repair law | Violent Femmes perform their self-titled debut in Denver, Austin and Houston this week.  Song playsIntro by hostWelcome to High Country - politics in the American West. My name is Sean Diller; regular listeners might know me from Heartland Pod's Talking Politics, every Monday.Support this show and all the work in the Heartland POD universe by going to heartlandpod.com and clicking the link for Patreon, or go to Patreon.com/HeartlandPod to sign up. Membership starts at $1/month, with even more extra shows and special access at the higher levels. No matter the level you choose, your membership helps us create these independent shows as we work together to change the conversation.Alright! Let's get into it: COLORADO NEWSLINE: Progressives back Mike Johnston in Denver mayor's raceBY: CHASE WOODRUFF - MAY 15, 2023 4:00 AMAs ballots begin to hit mailboxes for Denver's June 6th runoff election, Johnston and Kelly Brough, the other top-two finisher in April's first round of voting - have rolled out a veritable smorgasbord of endorsement announcements.Former mayoral candidates Ean Thomas Tafoya, Terrance Roberts, Jim Walsh, Al Gardner and Leslie Herod all endorsed Mike Johnston. Rep Herod (who was my preferred choice for mayor) said “Having shared countless debate and forum stages with Mike over the past months, I know that he has the passion, commitment, and vision to tackle Denver's toughest problems. Mike and I share the value of public service, hard work, and doing right by our communities, and I am excited to work with him to deliver on our progressive vision for Denver.”Meanwhile, Brough, the former Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce head who secured her spot in the runoff with just over 20% of the first-round vote, has picked up endorsements from Democratic state Sen. Chris Hansen as well as Thomas Wolf, an investment banker who campaigned on harsh anti-homelessness policies and received 1% of the vote for Mayor in April.Sen. Hansen said “Denver needs a proven executive — Kelly Brough is the leader we can trust to deliver results. It's going to take all of us to tackle Denver's biggest challenges, and I'm proud to join Kelly's team.”Brough also picked up endorsements from Democratic state Rep. Alex Valdez and former Tattered Cover CEO Kwame Spearman, both of whom entered the mayor's race but later withdrew. Brough and Johnston emerged from the crowded field of mayoral candidates after becoming by far the race's two best-funded candidates, each raising about $1MM in direct contributions and benefiting from millions more in outside super PAC expenditures from billionaires and real-estate interests.After a first round that featured a wide range of perspectives and ideologies, the runoff campaign has featured few stark disagreements on policy between the two candidates, both of whom are veteran figures in Colorado's centrist political establishment.Brough served as then-Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's chief of staff from 2006 to 2009, then led the conservative-leaning Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce for 12 years before stepping down ahead of her mayoral run. Some of her top endorsers include former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, both Democrats.On Friday, she touted the endorsement of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance, a coalition of clergy and civil rights leaders in the city's Black community. Pastor Paul Burleson, the Alliance's vice president of political affairs, said that Brough's experience is key to her appeal.Brough has also picked up endorsements from the Denver Police Protective Association and other unions representing law enforcement officers and firefighters. She was one of the only candidates in the mayor's race to endorse a return of “qualified immunity,” a legal doctrine that bars people from suing law enforcement officers in their individual capacity. Colorado lawmakers, led by Herod, passed a landmark police reform bill that abolished qualified immunity in the wake of George Floyd's murder in 2020. - Just one reason I love Leslie Herod.During his time in the state Senate, Mike Johnston became one of the state's leading champions of education reform, a movement that has galled teachers' unions and progressives who've accused him of undermining public education. From 2020 to 2022 he was the CEO of Gary Community Ventures, a Denver-based philanthropic organization founded by oil tycoon Sam Gary.Though hardly a progressive firebrand himself, Johnston spoke at Wednesday's event of the coalition he hopes to build as mayor. Along with former mayoral rivals, he received endorsements from Democratic state Sens. Julie Gonzales (another legislator I have tremendous respect for) and James Coleman (who is my state senator but someone whom I don't know much about), adding to a list of supporters that also includes former Mayor Federico Peña and former Colorado House Speaker Terrance Carroll.Rep. Leslie Herod said “Make no mistake: We are the progressives in this race, and we have chosen to back Mike. We are the candidates who have consistently spoken about putting people over structures, putting people over businesses — people always first.”So for my part I'll be following State Sen. Julie Gonzales and Rep. Leslie Herod, voting for Mike Johnston.Final thought: Johnston might not be seen as progressive, but if he wins this election assembling a progressive coalition to bear a developer/business-backed candidate in Kelly Brough, then progressives should absolutely have a strong voice in the Johnston administration if he wants to keep his job. But first he's got to win.COLORADO NEWSLINE: Gov. Jared Polis signs slate of clean energy measures, utility regulation billBY: CHASE WOODRUFF - MAY 11, 2023 5:36 PMGov. Jared Polis has signed into law a bill that commits Colorado for the first time to a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target, along with other measures to address spiking utility rates and the state's long-term energy future.Flanked by Democratic lawmakers and state energy officials, Polis signed Senate Bill 23-16 at an event at the Denver Botanic Gardens. The bill, a wide-ranging package of reforms aimed at boosting clean energy efforts in a variety of industries, was approved on party-line votes by Democratic majorities in the General Assembly just before its adjournment on May 8.SB-16 sets a statutory goal of a 100% reduction in Colorado's greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, revising that target upwards from a 90% goal set by the Legislature in 2019. It's the first time the state has formally established the net-zero goal that scientists with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have said is necessary to avert the most catastrophic impacts of global warming.To get there, the bill contains what sponsors called a “potpourri” of measures to accelerate the transition to clean energy, including sections that streamline the process for the installation of electric transmission lines and rooftop solar panels; stricter requirements on large insurance companies to assess climate risk; tax credits for the purchase of electric-powered lawn equipment; and more authority for the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to regulate carbon capture projects.COGCC chair Jeff Robbins applauded the bill's efforts to encourage carbon capture, which he called “critical as a tool in addressing climate change.”“The COGCC is well poised with its resources and regulatory understanding to now help carbon storage be deployed safely and responsibly in Colorado,” Robbins said in a press release.Gov. Polis also signed House Bill 23-1252, which establishes a new state grant program for geothermal energy projects and requires large natural-gas utilities to develop emissions-reducing “clean heat plans.”Senate Bill 23-291, a package of reforms to state utility regulations, and House Bill 23-1234, a bipartisan measure aimed at streamlining permitting and inspection processes for solar projects were also both signed into law. SB-291 emerged from hearings held earlier this year by the Joint Select Committee on Rising Utility Rates, a special panel of lawmakers convened by Democratic leaders following sharp increases in many Coloradans' utility bills in 2022.It directs the state's Public Utilities Commission to more closely scrutinize how privately-owned utilities manage volatility in natural-gas prices, the main culprit in rate increases that caused the average monthly payment for customers of Xcel Energy, Colorado's largest utility, to rise by more than 50% last year. Other provisions in the bill are aimed at assessing the long-term future of natural gas infrastructure as more homes and businesses transition to all-electric heating and cooking appliances.In a press release, Advanced Energy United, an industry group representing clean energy companies, said the legislation creates a “national model” for dealing with volatility in the natural gas market.“This bill will help make Colorado's energy system more affordable long-term, and should be seen as a model for states across the country on how to manage high gas prices and a transition to cost-saving alternatives to gas, like high-efficiency heat pumps, rooftop solar and battery storage,” said Emilie Olson, a senior principal at Advanced Energy United.House Bill 23-1272, creates or extends a variety of clean energy tax credits, including incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles, e-bikes, electric heat pumps, industrial decarbonization technologies and more.Gov. Polis said “These exciting money-saving changes for Coloradans mean reliable, lower energy costs and good-paying jobs, as we continue to fuel the innovation that makes Colorado a national leader in clean energy. We are cutting red tape, creating good paying jobs and improving air quality as we continue to make bold progress towards achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040.”ARIZONA MIRROR: Rural electric co-ops to get $10.7B in USDA funds for clean energy grants, loansBY: JACOB FISCHLER - MAY 16, 2023 7:11 AMThe U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin to administer two loan and grant programs worth nearly $11 billion to boost clean energy systems in rural areas, administration officials said Tuesday. The programs are the New ERA program for rural electric cooperatives, and the PACE program for other energy providers. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the funding “continues an ongoing effort to ensure that rural America is a full participant in this clean energy economy.”White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi said, “Rural areas can have more difficulty than more urban ones in attracting private sector investment. The programs are intended to allow those rural areas to take advantage of an industry-wide trend to invest in clean energy production.He said, “There's a favorable wind blowing here. This allows rural communities to put up a sail.”The programs are meant to put rural electric cooperatives on equal footing with larger privately owned companies that have already put major funding into clean energy deployment.The programs represent the largest single funding effort for rural electrification since President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act in 1936.The money is meant not only to address the climate impacts of fossil fuel energy and reduce home energy costs, but to act as an economic engine for rural areas.Rural electric cooperatives are eligible for the New ERA program, and up to 25% of the funding in that program can be in the form of direct grants. Utilities can use the money to build renewable energy systems, zero-emission systems and carbon capture facilities.The USDA will begin to accept initial applications for funding on July 31. Applicants are expected to write more detailed proposals for funding after the USDA accepts their initial applications.The PACE program provides loans to renewable energy developers and electric service providers “to help finance large-scale solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydropower projects and energy storage in support of renewable energy systems,” the release said. The program is targeted to “vulnerable, disadvantaged, Tribal and energy communities,” the release said. It's in line with a Biden administration goal to allocate at least 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal spending to disadvantaged communities.The USDA can forgive up to 40% of most of the loans in the program. Up to 60% of loans to applicants in some U.S. territories and tribal communities can be forgiven.Initial applications for that program will open June 30.ARIZONA MIRROR:National commission on the MMIP crisis meets in Arizona to hear testimony, recommendationsBY: SHONDIIN SILVERSMITH - MAY 15, 2023 1:50 PMFive empty chairs sat at the front of the Not Invisible Act Commission hearing, each wrapped in a shawl, blanket or quilt representing a different group of individuals impacted by human trafficking or with a loved one who is missing or murdered.“We want to allow space for representing our relatives,” commission member Grace Bulltail said, noting the traditions in many Indigenous families to always preserve a space for absent loved ones. “We're doing that to honor our loved ones,” Bulltail said, explaining that, by putting the chairs there, the commission hearing was holding space for them.The chair wrapped in a red shawl with white and yellow handprints honored the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The chair wrapped in a red, orange, bridge, and white Native design shawl with a black blazer draped over it was to honor the missing and murdered Indigenous men and boys. Another chair was wrapped in a light blue, white and purple quilt. Pinned to the quilt was a picture of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike, a Navajo girl who was abducted and killed on the Navajo Nation in 2016. This chair honored Indigenous children.The chair wrapped in a maroon shawl with floral designs honored the LGBTQI and two-spirit Indigenous community. The chair wrapped in a brown Pendleton honored Indigenous veterans.The Not Invisible Act Commission, organized by the U.S. Department of the Interior,  held a public hearing at the Twin Arrows Casino near Flagstaff to hear testimony and recommendations from victims and families impacted by human trafficking and the missing and murdered Indigenous peoples crisis. The commission also heard from local tribal leaders and advocates. The Not Invisible Act was passed into law in October 2020, establishing the commission as a cross-jurisdictional advisory committee of federal and non-federal members, including law enforcement, tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and survivors.The meeting at Twin Arrows was the commission's third public hearing. This summer, it has four more planned in Minnesota, northern California, New Mexico and Montana. The hearings are being held in communities impacted most by the MMIP crisis.Commissioners heard emotional testimony from Seraphine Warren and Pamela Foster as they shared their experiences of losing a loved one and advocated for change.Ms. Warren is the niece of Ella Mae Begay, a Navajo woman who went missing from her home in Sweetwater, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation on June 15, 2021. Warren continued to advocate for not only her aunt but all Indigenous people.Speaking through tears, she told her aunt's story. “I know it wasn't her legacy to be stolen or to be murdered,” Warren said. “Just because she isn't here doesn't mean she can't be part of change.”Begay is still missing, but there have been developments in her case. In March, Preston Henry Tolth, 23, of New Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Phoenix for assault and carjacking.The indictment alleges that, on June 15, 2021, Tolth assaulted Begay, resulting in serious bodily injury, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Tolth then took her Ford F-150 pickup truck and drove it from Arizona to New Mexico with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury to Begay.Warren said during Tolth's arraignment hearing on April 7 in Flagstaff that she heard details about the night her aunt went missing that she was not ready for.Warren, in tears, told the commission that Tolth told federal agents that he “snapped” and struck her in the face multiple times, causing her to bleed from the nose and mouth. Tolth told authorities that he wasn't sure if she was dead, Warren said, and when he drove away, he said he regretted hitting her, since all he wanted was the truck.Tolth is being held in custody and is expected to go to trial later in May.Pamela Foster is the mother of Ashlynne Mike, the 11-year-old Navajo girl abducted and killed on the Navajo Nation in 2016. Foster has been at the forefront of advocacy efforts for Indigenous children and people since she lost her daughter. On the afternoon of May 2, 2016, Ashlynne Mike and her 9-year-old brother, Ian Mike, didn't make it home from school. When they got off the school bus in Shiprock, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation, a predator tricked them into getting into his van by promising them a ride home.Hours later, passersby found Ian Mike wandering alone in the area. Police located Ashlynne Mike's body on May 3, 2016, and discovered she had been sexually assaulted, strangled, and bludgeoned repeatedly with a tire iron.She said, “I miss my daughter every single day. I became a voice for my daughter the moment I received word that her life was taken from her.”She talked about how the system failed when her children were missing in 2016. She said that May 1 to May 6 is a nightmare for her every year, because she relives what happened to her children.Foster talked about the hours from when her children disappeared to when they found her daughter's body; she ran into countless obstacles that left her without support.“It was very hard to sit there and know that there were no resources available for my children,” Foster said. “I absolutely had nothing.”She said local law enforcement was not adequately trained to handle child abductions. There was no clear communication between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Instead of searching for her children, Foster said they were trying to figure out exactly what protocols were needed to start looking.“Time was lost,” Foster said, and they did not send out an AMBER Alert until the following day. Foster recalled the alert went out at 2 a.m., and she said that helped no one because not many people were awake then. She remembers hearing officers from the neighboring jurisdictions tell her they couldn't go out to look for her daughter until they were given the clearance to do so by the Navajo Nation Police Department. Foster said it frustrated her how long it took for that to happen. She said the anger and hurt about what happened to Ashlynne led her to be a voice for her daughter.“I promised her I would do something for all of our other Indigenous children. To give them the protection that they need so they don't go through the same thing.”Foster has led many grassroots efforts to support Indigenous children, including advocating and petitioning for the AMBER Alert system to include Indian Country.Foster said she wanted to change, and she knew the justice system in Indian Country needed to be updated, so she focused her efforts on the AMBER Alert system. Her advocacy resulted in the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018, which makes tribes eligible for AMBER Alert grants to integrate into state and regional AMBER Alert communication plans.“I always say that I've never received justice for what happened to my daughter because nothing can bring her back,” Foster said. “There will never be justice, but we can learn how to move forward in changing laws to make things better for our people.”The goal of the hearing was for the federal commissioners to listen and hear recommendations on the best course of action for the MMIP crisis. Commissioners will use the suggestions to develop their final report for the Department of Interior.Foster's big recommendation was not only geared at the commissioners, but other attendees of the hearing. She encouraged them to tell their tribal leaders to receive the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act training. “It is free,” she said, adding that it is a vital program for Indigenous communities because it will train police officers and social workers from the tribe. Because tribes are sovereign nations, the Department of Justice has to receive a request in order to run the training on tribal land: “Have your tribal leaders request this training for your community because the children are our next generation,” Foster said. “There's still a lot of tribes that need to be trained.”When Seraphine Warren was finished sharing her aunt's story, she laid out her recommendations. “Transparency and swift action is key,” she said, “which means that when a person is missing, law enforcement should immediately inform all jurisdictions and issue press releases to media channels to inform the public.”“Family members need to be regularly and constantly updated with the progress of the investigation, and families should be prioritized if any remains are found in any jurisdiction.” Some of the other recommendations included allowing families to hire private investigators, providing them access to case files, supporting families in organizing their task force, providing families with constant and reliable access to grief counseling services, medical attention, financial and legal assistance, and safe housing for families of missing or murdered loved ones. ASSOCIATED PRESS: If you're not first, you're last. DENVER (AP) — Sitting in front of a hulking red tractor, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill Tuesday making Colorado the first state to ensure farmers can fix their own tractors and combines with a “right to repair” law — which compels manufacturers to provide the necessary manuals, tools, parts and software farmers would need.Colorado, home to high desert ranches and sweeping farms on the plains, took the lead on the issue following a nationwide outcry from farmers that manufacturers blocked them from making fixes and forced them to wait precious days or even weeks for an official servicer to arrive — delays that hurt profits.While farmers wait and their increasingly high-tech tractors or combines sit idle, a hailstorm could decimate an entire crop. Or, a farmer could miss the ideal planting window for their crops to grow.Lawmakers in at least 10 other states have introduced similar legislation, including in Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas and Vermont. But Colorado has taken the lead. At the signing ceremony Tuesday afternoon, under a light drizzle of rain, Gov. Polis said: “This bill will save farmers and ranchers time and money and support the free market in repair” before exclaiming, “first in the nation!”Behind the governor and arrayed farmers and lawmakers sat a red Steiger 370 tractor owned by a farmer named Danny Wood. Wood's tractor has flown an American flag reading “Farmers First,” and it has been one of two of his machines to break down, requiring long waits before servicers arrived to enter a few lines of computer code, or make a fix that Wood could have made himself.As the signing ceremony ended, Gov. Polis and Rep. Brianna Titone, who ran the bill in the state House, climbed inside the tractor for a photo as the ceremony ended.Great job, Rep. Titone! Huge win for this up-and-coming legislator. When I first saw her speak announcing her initial candidacy in 2017, I didn't know what to expect. Honestly, I didn't expect a lot, and I didn't particularly expect her to even win. And then, winning that seat was just the first of many instances where I've seen her demonstrate a level of depth, grit, and smarts that rival any of her peers. Great job Rep. Titone, you rock. CONCERT PICK OF THE WEEK: Violent Femmes - performing their self-titled album - Levitt Pavilion in Denver on Sunday May 21. The cult favorite folk punk band from Milwaukee is celebrating 40 years since the release of their first album in 1983. More info at vfemmes.comWelp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from Colorado Newsline, Arizona Mirror, Denver Post, Associated Press and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

Progressives back Mike Johnston in Denver mayor's race | Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs slate of clean energy bills | $11B in federal funds allocated for rural clean energy projects | Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis commission meets in Flagstaff, AZ (WARNING: contains graphic descriptions of violence) | Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs nation's first Right-to-Repair law | Violent Femmes perform their self-titled debut in Denver, Austin and Houston this week.  Song playsIntro by hostWelcome to High Country - politics in the American West. My name is Sean Diller; regular listeners might know me from Heartland Pod's Talking Politics, every Monday.Support this show and all the work in the Heartland POD universe by going to heartlandpod.com and clicking the link for Patreon, or go to Patreon.com/HeartlandPod to sign up. Membership starts at $1/month, with even more extra shows and special access at the higher levels. No matter the level you choose, your membership helps us create these independent shows as we work together to change the conversation.Alright! Let's get into it: COLORADO NEWSLINE: Progressives back Mike Johnston in Denver mayor's raceBY: CHASE WOODRUFF - MAY 15, 2023 4:00 AMAs ballots begin to hit mailboxes for Denver's June 6th runoff election, Johnston and Kelly Brough, the other top-two finisher in April's first round of voting - have rolled out a veritable smorgasbord of endorsement announcements.Former mayoral candidates Ean Thomas Tafoya, Terrance Roberts, Jim Walsh, Al Gardner and Leslie Herod all endorsed Mike Johnston. Rep Herod (who was my preferred choice for mayor) said “Having shared countless debate and forum stages with Mike over the past months, I know that he has the passion, commitment, and vision to tackle Denver's toughest problems. Mike and I share the value of public service, hard work, and doing right by our communities, and I am excited to work with him to deliver on our progressive vision for Denver.”Meanwhile, Brough, the former Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce head who secured her spot in the runoff with just over 20% of the first-round vote, has picked up endorsements from Democratic state Sen. Chris Hansen as well as Thomas Wolf, an investment banker who campaigned on harsh anti-homelessness policies and received 1% of the vote for Mayor in April.Sen. Hansen said “Denver needs a proven executive — Kelly Brough is the leader we can trust to deliver results. It's going to take all of us to tackle Denver's biggest challenges, and I'm proud to join Kelly's team.”Brough also picked up endorsements from Democratic state Rep. Alex Valdez and former Tattered Cover CEO Kwame Spearman, both of whom entered the mayor's race but later withdrew. Brough and Johnston emerged from the crowded field of mayoral candidates after becoming by far the race's two best-funded candidates, each raising about $1MM in direct contributions and benefiting from millions more in outside super PAC expenditures from billionaires and real-estate interests.After a first round that featured a wide range of perspectives and ideologies, the runoff campaign has featured few stark disagreements on policy between the two candidates, both of whom are veteran figures in Colorado's centrist political establishment.Brough served as then-Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's chief of staff from 2006 to 2009, then led the conservative-leaning Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce for 12 years before stepping down ahead of her mayoral run. Some of her top endorsers include former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, both Democrats.On Friday, she touted the endorsement of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance, a coalition of clergy and civil rights leaders in the city's Black community. Pastor Paul Burleson, the Alliance's vice president of political affairs, said that Brough's experience is key to her appeal.Brough has also picked up endorsements from the Denver Police Protective Association and other unions representing law enforcement officers and firefighters. She was one of the only candidates in the mayor's race to endorse a return of “qualified immunity,” a legal doctrine that bars people from suing law enforcement officers in their individual capacity. Colorado lawmakers, led by Herod, passed a landmark police reform bill that abolished qualified immunity in the wake of George Floyd's murder in 2020. - Just one reason I love Leslie Herod.During his time in the state Senate, Mike Johnston became one of the state's leading champions of education reform, a movement that has galled teachers' unions and progressives who've accused him of undermining public education. From 2020 to 2022 he was the CEO of Gary Community Ventures, a Denver-based philanthropic organization founded by oil tycoon Sam Gary.Though hardly a progressive firebrand himself, Johnston spoke at Wednesday's event of the coalition he hopes to build as mayor. Along with former mayoral rivals, he received endorsements from Democratic state Sens. Julie Gonzales (another legislator I have tremendous respect for) and James Coleman (who is my state senator but someone whom I don't know much about), adding to a list of supporters that also includes former Mayor Federico Peña and former Colorado House Speaker Terrance Carroll.Rep. Leslie Herod said “Make no mistake: We are the progressives in this race, and we have chosen to back Mike. We are the candidates who have consistently spoken about putting people over structures, putting people over businesses — people always first.”So for my part I'll be following State Sen. Julie Gonzales and Rep. Leslie Herod, voting for Mike Johnston.Final thought: Johnston might not be seen as progressive, but if he wins this election assembling a progressive coalition to bear a developer/business-backed candidate in Kelly Brough, then progressives should absolutely have a strong voice in the Johnston administration if he wants to keep his job. But first he's got to win.COLORADO NEWSLINE: Gov. Jared Polis signs slate of clean energy measures, utility regulation billBY: CHASE WOODRUFF - MAY 11, 2023 5:36 PMGov. Jared Polis has signed into law a bill that commits Colorado for the first time to a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target, along with other measures to address spiking utility rates and the state's long-term energy future.Flanked by Democratic lawmakers and state energy officials, Polis signed Senate Bill 23-16 at an event at the Denver Botanic Gardens. The bill, a wide-ranging package of reforms aimed at boosting clean energy efforts in a variety of industries, was approved on party-line votes by Democratic majorities in the General Assembly just before its adjournment on May 8.SB-16 sets a statutory goal of a 100% reduction in Colorado's greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, revising that target upwards from a 90% goal set by the Legislature in 2019. It's the first time the state has formally established the net-zero goal that scientists with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have said is necessary to avert the most catastrophic impacts of global warming.To get there, the bill contains what sponsors called a “potpourri” of measures to accelerate the transition to clean energy, including sections that streamline the process for the installation of electric transmission lines and rooftop solar panels; stricter requirements on large insurance companies to assess climate risk; tax credits for the purchase of electric-powered lawn equipment; and more authority for the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to regulate carbon capture projects.COGCC chair Jeff Robbins applauded the bill's efforts to encourage carbon capture, which he called “critical as a tool in addressing climate change.”“The COGCC is well poised with its resources and regulatory understanding to now help carbon storage be deployed safely and responsibly in Colorado,” Robbins said in a press release.Gov. Polis also signed House Bill 23-1252, which establishes a new state grant program for geothermal energy projects and requires large natural-gas utilities to develop emissions-reducing “clean heat plans.”Senate Bill 23-291, a package of reforms to state utility regulations, and House Bill 23-1234, a bipartisan measure aimed at streamlining permitting and inspection processes for solar projects were also both signed into law. SB-291 emerged from hearings held earlier this year by the Joint Select Committee on Rising Utility Rates, a special panel of lawmakers convened by Democratic leaders following sharp increases in many Coloradans' utility bills in 2022.It directs the state's Public Utilities Commission to more closely scrutinize how privately-owned utilities manage volatility in natural-gas prices, the main culprit in rate increases that caused the average monthly payment for customers of Xcel Energy, Colorado's largest utility, to rise by more than 50% last year. Other provisions in the bill are aimed at assessing the long-term future of natural gas infrastructure as more homes and businesses transition to all-electric heating and cooking appliances.In a press release, Advanced Energy United, an industry group representing clean energy companies, said the legislation creates a “national model” for dealing with volatility in the natural gas market.“This bill will help make Colorado's energy system more affordable long-term, and should be seen as a model for states across the country on how to manage high gas prices and a transition to cost-saving alternatives to gas, like high-efficiency heat pumps, rooftop solar and battery storage,” said Emilie Olson, a senior principal at Advanced Energy United.House Bill 23-1272, creates or extends a variety of clean energy tax credits, including incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles, e-bikes, electric heat pumps, industrial decarbonization technologies and more.Gov. Polis said “These exciting money-saving changes for Coloradans mean reliable, lower energy costs and good-paying jobs, as we continue to fuel the innovation that makes Colorado a national leader in clean energy. We are cutting red tape, creating good paying jobs and improving air quality as we continue to make bold progress towards achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040.”ARIZONA MIRROR: Rural electric co-ops to get $10.7B in USDA funds for clean energy grants, loansBY: JACOB FISCHLER - MAY 16, 2023 7:11 AMThe U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin to administer two loan and grant programs worth nearly $11 billion to boost clean energy systems in rural areas, administration officials said Tuesday. The programs are the New ERA program for rural electric cooperatives, and the PACE program for other energy providers. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the funding “continues an ongoing effort to ensure that rural America is a full participant in this clean energy economy.”White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi said, “Rural areas can have more difficulty than more urban ones in attracting private sector investment. The programs are intended to allow those rural areas to take advantage of an industry-wide trend to invest in clean energy production.He said, “There's a favorable wind blowing here. This allows rural communities to put up a sail.”The programs are meant to put rural electric cooperatives on equal footing with larger privately owned companies that have already put major funding into clean energy deployment.The programs represent the largest single funding effort for rural electrification since President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act in 1936.The money is meant not only to address the climate impacts of fossil fuel energy and reduce home energy costs, but to act as an economic engine for rural areas.Rural electric cooperatives are eligible for the New ERA program, and up to 25% of the funding in that program can be in the form of direct grants. Utilities can use the money to build renewable energy systems, zero-emission systems and carbon capture facilities.The USDA will begin to accept initial applications for funding on July 31. Applicants are expected to write more detailed proposals for funding after the USDA accepts their initial applications.The PACE program provides loans to renewable energy developers and electric service providers “to help finance large-scale solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydropower projects and energy storage in support of renewable energy systems,” the release said. The program is targeted to “vulnerable, disadvantaged, Tribal and energy communities,” the release said. It's in line with a Biden administration goal to allocate at least 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal spending to disadvantaged communities.The USDA can forgive up to 40% of most of the loans in the program. Up to 60% of loans to applicants in some U.S. territories and tribal communities can be forgiven.Initial applications for that program will open June 30.ARIZONA MIRROR:National commission on the MMIP crisis meets in Arizona to hear testimony, recommendationsBY: SHONDIIN SILVERSMITH - MAY 15, 2023 1:50 PMFive empty chairs sat at the front of the Not Invisible Act Commission hearing, each wrapped in a shawl, blanket or quilt representing a different group of individuals impacted by human trafficking or with a loved one who is missing or murdered.“We want to allow space for representing our relatives,” commission member Grace Bulltail said, noting the traditions in many Indigenous families to always preserve a space for absent loved ones. “We're doing that to honor our loved ones,” Bulltail said, explaining that, by putting the chairs there, the commission hearing was holding space for them.The chair wrapped in a red shawl with white and yellow handprints honored the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The chair wrapped in a red, orange, bridge, and white Native design shawl with a black blazer draped over it was to honor the missing and murdered Indigenous men and boys. Another chair was wrapped in a light blue, white and purple quilt. Pinned to the quilt was a picture of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike, a Navajo girl who was abducted and killed on the Navajo Nation in 2016. This chair honored Indigenous children.The chair wrapped in a maroon shawl with floral designs honored the LGBTQI and two-spirit Indigenous community. The chair wrapped in a brown Pendleton honored Indigenous veterans.The Not Invisible Act Commission, organized by the U.S. Department of the Interior,  held a public hearing at the Twin Arrows Casino near Flagstaff to hear testimony and recommendations from victims and families impacted by human trafficking and the missing and murdered Indigenous peoples crisis. The commission also heard from local tribal leaders and advocates. The Not Invisible Act was passed into law in October 2020, establishing the commission as a cross-jurisdictional advisory committee of federal and non-federal members, including law enforcement, tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and survivors.The meeting at Twin Arrows was the commission's third public hearing. This summer, it has four more planned in Minnesota, northern California, New Mexico and Montana. The hearings are being held in communities impacted most by the MMIP crisis.Commissioners heard emotional testimony from Seraphine Warren and Pamela Foster as they shared their experiences of losing a loved one and advocated for change.Ms. Warren is the niece of Ella Mae Begay, a Navajo woman who went missing from her home in Sweetwater, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation on June 15, 2021. Warren continued to advocate for not only her aunt but all Indigenous people.Speaking through tears, she told her aunt's story. “I know it wasn't her legacy to be stolen or to be murdered,” Warren said. “Just because she isn't here doesn't mean she can't be part of change.”Begay is still missing, but there have been developments in her case. In March, Preston Henry Tolth, 23, of New Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Phoenix for assault and carjacking.The indictment alleges that, on June 15, 2021, Tolth assaulted Begay, resulting in serious bodily injury, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Tolth then took her Ford F-150 pickup truck and drove it from Arizona to New Mexico with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury to Begay.Warren said during Tolth's arraignment hearing on April 7 in Flagstaff that she heard details about the night her aunt went missing that she was not ready for.Warren, in tears, told the commission that Tolth told federal agents that he “snapped” and struck her in the face multiple times, causing her to bleed from the nose and mouth. Tolth told authorities that he wasn't sure if she was dead, Warren said, and when he drove away, he said he regretted hitting her, since all he wanted was the truck.Tolth is being held in custody and is expected to go to trial later in May.Pamela Foster is the mother of Ashlynne Mike, the 11-year-old Navajo girl abducted and killed on the Navajo Nation in 2016. Foster has been at the forefront of advocacy efforts for Indigenous children and people since she lost her daughter. On the afternoon of May 2, 2016, Ashlynne Mike and her 9-year-old brother, Ian Mike, didn't make it home from school. When they got off the school bus in Shiprock, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation, a predator tricked them into getting into his van by promising them a ride home.Hours later, passersby found Ian Mike wandering alone in the area. Police located Ashlynne Mike's body on May 3, 2016, and discovered she had been sexually assaulted, strangled, and bludgeoned repeatedly with a tire iron.She said, “I miss my daughter every single day. I became a voice for my daughter the moment I received word that her life was taken from her.”She talked about how the system failed when her children were missing in 2016. She said that May 1 to May 6 is a nightmare for her every year, because she relives what happened to her children.Foster talked about the hours from when her children disappeared to when they found her daughter's body; she ran into countless obstacles that left her without support.“It was very hard to sit there and know that there were no resources available for my children,” Foster said. “I absolutely had nothing.”She said local law enforcement was not adequately trained to handle child abductions. There was no clear communication between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Instead of searching for her children, Foster said they were trying to figure out exactly what protocols were needed to start looking.“Time was lost,” Foster said, and they did not send out an AMBER Alert until the following day. Foster recalled the alert went out at 2 a.m., and she said that helped no one because not many people were awake then. She remembers hearing officers from the neighboring jurisdictions tell her they couldn't go out to look for her daughter until they were given the clearance to do so by the Navajo Nation Police Department. Foster said it frustrated her how long it took for that to happen. She said the anger and hurt about what happened to Ashlynne led her to be a voice for her daughter.“I promised her I would do something for all of our other Indigenous children. To give them the protection that they need so they don't go through the same thing.”Foster has led many grassroots efforts to support Indigenous children, including advocating and petitioning for the AMBER Alert system to include Indian Country.Foster said she wanted to change, and she knew the justice system in Indian Country needed to be updated, so she focused her efforts on the AMBER Alert system. Her advocacy resulted in the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018, which makes tribes eligible for AMBER Alert grants to integrate into state and regional AMBER Alert communication plans.“I always say that I've never received justice for what happened to my daughter because nothing can bring her back,” Foster said. “There will never be justice, but we can learn how to move forward in changing laws to make things better for our people.”The goal of the hearing was for the federal commissioners to listen and hear recommendations on the best course of action for the MMIP crisis. Commissioners will use the suggestions to develop their final report for the Department of Interior.Foster's big recommendation was not only geared at the commissioners, but other attendees of the hearing. She encouraged them to tell their tribal leaders to receive the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act training. “It is free,” she said, adding that it is a vital program for Indigenous communities because it will train police officers and social workers from the tribe. Because tribes are sovereign nations, the Department of Justice has to receive a request in order to run the training on tribal land: “Have your tribal leaders request this training for your community because the children are our next generation,” Foster said. “There's still a lot of tribes that need to be trained.”When Seraphine Warren was finished sharing her aunt's story, she laid out her recommendations. “Transparency and swift action is key,” she said, “which means that when a person is missing, law enforcement should immediately inform all jurisdictions and issue press releases to media channels to inform the public.”“Family members need to be regularly and constantly updated with the progress of the investigation, and families should be prioritized if any remains are found in any jurisdiction.” Some of the other recommendations included allowing families to hire private investigators, providing them access to case files, supporting families in organizing their task force, providing families with constant and reliable access to grief counseling services, medical attention, financial and legal assistance, and safe housing for families of missing or murdered loved ones. ASSOCIATED PRESS: If you're not first, you're last. DENVER (AP) — Sitting in front of a hulking red tractor, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill Tuesday making Colorado the first state to ensure farmers can fix their own tractors and combines with a “right to repair” law — which compels manufacturers to provide the necessary manuals, tools, parts and software farmers would need.Colorado, home to high desert ranches and sweeping farms on the plains, took the lead on the issue following a nationwide outcry from farmers that manufacturers blocked them from making fixes and forced them to wait precious days or even weeks for an official servicer to arrive — delays that hurt profits.While farmers wait and their increasingly high-tech tractors or combines sit idle, a hailstorm could decimate an entire crop. Or, a farmer could miss the ideal planting window for their crops to grow.Lawmakers in at least 10 other states have introduced similar legislation, including in Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas and Vermont. But Colorado has taken the lead. At the signing ceremony Tuesday afternoon, under a light drizzle of rain, Gov. Polis said: “This bill will save farmers and ranchers time and money and support the free market in repair” before exclaiming, “first in the nation!”Behind the governor and arrayed farmers and lawmakers sat a red Steiger 370 tractor owned by a farmer named Danny Wood. Wood's tractor has flown an American flag reading “Farmers First,” and it has been one of two of his machines to break down, requiring long waits before servicers arrived to enter a few lines of computer code, or make a fix that Wood could have made himself.As the signing ceremony ended, Gov. Polis and Rep. Brianna Titone, who ran the bill in the state House, climbed inside the tractor for a photo as the ceremony ended.Great job, Rep. Titone! Huge win for this up-and-coming legislator. When I first saw her speak announcing her initial candidacy in 2017, I didn't know what to expect. Honestly, I didn't expect a lot, and I didn't particularly expect her to even win. And then, winning that seat was just the first of many instances where I've seen her demonstrate a level of depth, grit, and smarts that rival any of her peers. Great job Rep. Titone, you rock. CONCERT PICK OF THE WEEK: Violent Femmes - performing their self-titled album - Levitt Pavilion in Denver on Sunday May 21. The cult favorite folk punk band from Milwaukee is celebrating 40 years since the release of their first album in 1983. More info at vfemmes.comWelp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from Colorado Newsline, Arizona Mirror, Denver Post, Associated Press and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

Recorded on April 20, 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_hc4vpCWo4 Episode 81 of the PetroNerds podcast is part one of an incredible double header with Daniel Seaver, VP of Midstream and Marketing, at Fundare Resources. Fundare is a private operator in Denver that is actively drilling in the DJ (Denver Julesburg) Basin in Colorado. Trisha Curtis sits down with Daniel for an in depth and frank dialogue on the state of the industry, the trajectory of oil prices, and regulations and business dynamics in Colorado and beyond. Trisha and Daniel discuss the current pressure on oil prices, Daniel's perspective as a private operator and the bullish investment thesis, and oil price dynamics and industry group think. They get into the energy transition and the negative sentiment around oil and gas and the pressure this is having on stocks and investments and share price performance and the lack of love for oil and gas. Trisha discusses her recent trip to DC and her conversation with folks in DC regarding energy security and the energy transition. She talks about the compounded effects that the movement against oil and gas is having with rising regulatory uncertainty in the business. Trisha also gets into the role this investor sentiment is playing in the outlook and analysis for US shale. Daniel asks Trisha about Tier 1 acreage and Trisha gives a detailed explanation about the role of private operators helping to expand acreage availability and debunking the Tier 1 to Tier 4 acreage argument. They discuss the deep seated regulatory issues in Colorado and the inability of operators to get permits in the core of the DJ Basin, pushing operators to step out, as Fundare is doing with their current asset, formerly Whiting's Red Tail asset. They talk about the large chunks of permits coming out of the COGCC (Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission), favoring the bigger operators. They get into emissions, air emission standards, Fundare going tankless, and the new ozone bill being proposed in Colorado, HB23-1294. They close part one of this awesome discussion with some backstory on the regulatory environment in Colorado, Proposition 112, and the DJ development story, and they get into midstream and downstream, the ability to raise money in 2020 and the current M&A outlook. Daniel Seaver says "we are active, we are looking, and our investors are happy." Listen on Itunes

HOUR 1Police have released the name of the man found dead and lying near the intersection of Benson Boulevard and A Street on Dec. 29, 2022. The man was identified as 63-year-old Roger Williams. / (ANS) https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2023/01/10/man-found-dead-benson-boulevard-identified-questions-still-remain/Gary in East Anchorage is disgusted at another homeless deathMajor U.S. border issues continue even with Biden visiting the border  / (FOX News) https://www.foxnews.com/video/6318453224112Less than a month after a Nome dog musher and Alaska Department of Public Safety employee was killed during a fatal encounter with a musk ox, a group of residents is asking the state to change how it manages the animals. / (ADN) https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/wildlife/2023/01/09/a-game-mismanagement-problem-after-fatal-goring-nome-group-demands-state-change-its-approach-to-musk-oxen/NASCAR in back on KVNTOzone Layer recovering / (MB) https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/ozone-layer-recovery-expected-UN-report?Joe in midtown on the musk ox issueKlawock chief of police dies / (ADN) https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/rural-alaska/2023/01/09/city-of-klawocks-police-chief-dies-unexpectedly/Brett Huber Sr., a former senior policy adviser and once-campaign manager to the governor, will serve as chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission starting on Monday, the governor's office announced / (ADN) https://www.adn.com/politics/2023/01/09/alaska-governor-names-former-senior-policy-advisor-to-head-oil-and-gas-regulatory-agency/HOUR 2House GOP assesses defunding the IRS / (FOX) https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republicans-vote-bill-abolishing-irs-eliminating-income-taxBiden declares emergency in California / (CNBC) https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/09/biden-declares-emergency-in-california-as-more-winter-storms-advance-.html?Superior Court Judge Herman Walker Jr. issued the ruling more than two weeks after hearing the case challenging Democrat Jennifer “Jennie” Armstrong's eligibility to serve in the Legislature, and just over a week before the new legislative session begins. / (ADN) https://www.adn.com/politics/2023/01/09/judge-says-anchorage-democrat-meets-residency-rules/Tom & Tom discuss social media and the right to block harassers Anchorage School District considering a change in start times / (ANS) https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2023/01/10/anchorage-school-board-considers-changing-school-start-times/A mall employee was stabbed on Saturday evening while trying to prevent a thief from leaving the 5th Avenue Mall / ( ANS) https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2023/01/09/5th-avenue-mall-employee-stabbed-while-trying-stop-shoplifter/Prince Harry's book releases today / (MB) https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/2023/01/09/the-most-controversial-royal-tell-all-since-princess-diana-s-hits-the-shelves?Dalton from Mat-Su on lawsuits 

Top 5 Most Read RNS's on Vox Markets for Wednesday 12th October 2022 5. Canadian O'Seas Petr #COPL - COPL Receives Gas Flaring Approval Announce the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission granted the application by Company's affiliate Southwestern Production to temporarily flare additional gas volumes at its operated 85% WI Barron Flats Shannon Unit. 4. Dukemount Capital #DKE - Issue of Equity Dukemount has issued 74,575,000 ordinary shares to settle a 9.5% extension fee of £74,575 to its existing Noteholders. 3. Evgen Pharma PLC #EVG - Clinical trial update Announce the start of recruitment for the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic trial in healthy volunteers (HV) and the decision to commence an Investigator Sponsored clinical study (ISS) for the glioblastoma programme. 2. Angus Energy PLC #ANGS - Revised Spud Date and Process Capacity Milestone Following a scheduled maintenance shutdown last week, hourly throughput rates through the process plant (i.e. sales gas) now exceeds our October target production rate of 6 million standard cubic feet per day with well pressures holding in the high forties. 1. Deepverge PLC #DVRG - Response to Market Speculation The Company and its Broker recently began the process of seeking to raise equity, not only to repay and retire the Convertible Loan Facility but also to fund sufficiently the Company's working capital requirements to enable the Company to reach profitability and cash generation during 2023. However, particularly given the impact of the above-mentioned speculation on the share price, and although the institutional equity roadshow is progressing well with positive feedback, there can be no guarantees that sufficient equity funds can be raised, nor the terms thereof.

Alaska workers are facing a crisis in housing; Southcentral Alaska expected to see warmer weather; A Whittier Slug-Out update; Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission ending monthly public meetings

Recorded on May 4, 2022 https://youtu.be/k8klTgu4wqo Episode 47 is a special treat for PetroNerds podcast listeners wanting to know more about Colorado, regulations on oil and gas, the need for politicians to actually act, and the Denver Julesburg Basin.  Trisha Curtis is joined by guest Heidi Gill, CEO of Denver based Urban Solutions.  Urban Solutions is primarily a soundwall and mitigation company for oil and gas activity, but as Heidi explains, it is also a compliance company and is working on software and nuisance impacts and mitigation in other businesses from renewables to crypto.  Trisha opens with commentary on the Federal Reserve's 50 basis point rate hike and the current 30 year fixed mortgage rate of 5.6 percent.  WTI is $107.68, Brent $110.07, Henry Hub $8.38, Dutch TTF $32.  Trisha and Heidi talk about the state of the Colorado oil and gas industry, regulations in Colorado oil and gas, the defeat of Proposition 112, the push of SB 181, changes in the COGCC (Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission), and oil and gas activity in the DJ Basin.  They talk about the need for clarity on regulations and the need for permit approvals for investors to get excited about the DJ.  They talk about Colorado Governor Jared Polis' positioning on oil and gas, how SB 181 was not put in place to foster oil and gas development, and how the COGCC make up was changed.  Heidi makes note of Occidental's wells in the town of Firestone being approved by Firestone but denied by the state of Colorado.  Heidi says that the "The state has not been processing permits consistently."   Trisha and Heidi discuss the need for clarity in Colorado on oil and gas permitting so that businesses like Heidi's have an incentive to stay in Colorado. They also talk about the stringent emission standards in Colorado for oil and gas production and touch on a number of other topics, including NIMBYism (Not in My Back Yard) and the inability to permit renewables as well as oil and gas.  This is a DJ focussed podcast with applications across the US and across businesses, including renewables.  

Priya Nanjappa didn't really have a career plan- she just followed her interests and was open to trying new things. That's what led her to her current position as a commissioner for the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, where she helps implement laws that govern oil and gas development. We talked to Priya about her early love for the outdoors and birdwatching, which gave her an idea about where her interests lay when figuring out what to major in in college. We also spoke about the different classes she took, and how she narrowed down her interests, and about keeping your options open in your career, because you never know what opportunities are available to you.This episode was produced by Shane M Hanlon and Nisha Mital, and mixed by Collin Warren. Artwork by Karen Romano Young. 

Good Morning, Colorado, you're listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It's Thursday September 23rd.   Today - The state's system that treats children with severe mental health issues is completely overwhelmed. Some kids are staying in county office buildings given the lack of safe housing. And on top of that, nearly 70 foster kids across the state are missing.   But before we begin, let's go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett's book “Colorado Day by Day”:   Today, we're going back to September 23rd, 1909 when President William H. Taft, standing on a stage in Montrose County, set a golden bell down on a silver plate. An electric current opened the gates holding back the Gunnison River and water flowed through a 6 mile tunnel to the Uncompahgre River valley. President Taft predicted that “this valley, with an unpronounceable name, is going to blossom like a rose”, and within a few years 470 miles of canals were built to encourage diverse agricultural products.   Now, our feature story.   Colorado's system that treats children with severe mental health issues is so stretched that kids are in jeopardy. That's the upshot of a fiery letter sent by county health directors to state officials, and the details are bracing. Children in crisis are staying in motels and county office buildings for a lack of safe housing. Child protective workers spend hours, even days, on the phone trying to help them. And nearly 70 foster kids across the state are missing. Jennifer Brown has the details.      To read more of Jennifer's reporting on children in state custody, go to coloradosun.com.    And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:   A Colorado State University Pueblo student who authorities say made threats towards staff and fellow students at the school has been arrested after police say they found “a large cache of loaded weapons” and nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition in his vehicle on campus. Robert James Killis, a 24-year-old who the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office says has military experience, is suspected of unlawful carrying/possessing a weapon on a university campus after the arrest Wednesday. The offense is a low-level felony.   Littleton police have named a suspect in a shooting that wounded one of their officers in the chest. Police are seeking 33-year-old Rigoberto Valles Dominguez, who remained at large Wednesday. The wounded officer, David Snook, was hit in his arm, leg and torso. He remains heavily sedated in an intensive care unit, Littleton Police Department Chief Doug Stephens said during a news conference, adding that the officer has ”a long road ahead of him.”   The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has issued its second-largest penalty ever -- imposing a $2 million fine against oil and gas operator KP Kauffman. The company was initially hit with a $1.8 million fine but the commission raised the tab after concluding that KP Kauffman had engaged in a “pattern of violations” for leaks and spills. The largest fine, $18.25 million, was issued in 2020 to Occidental Petroleum Corp., the state's largest operator, for a 2017 house explosion in Firestone that killed two people.     Jim Sheeler, beloved for remarkably evocative obituary writing during his years as a Colorado journalist, has died in Ohio at the age of 53. In 2006, when he worked for the Rocky Mountain News, Sheeler won the  Pulitzer Prize for Feature writing for Final Salute, a long-form story that chronicled the work of Major Steve Beck and how he helped the families of Marines who lost their lives in Iraq cope with the cost of war. Sheeler later taught at the University of Colorado and at the time of his death was a professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.      For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don't forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.   The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.   Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you'll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don't forget to tune in again tomorrow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, you're listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It's Tuesday August 24th.   Today - Homelessness has long been an issue in downtown Denver, but now there's a growing number of homeless living in the state's national forests.   But before we begin, let's go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett's book “Colorado Day by Day”:   Today, we're taking you back to August 24th, 1873 when Photographer William H. Jackson went out in hopes of capturing the Mount of Holy Cross - a natural cross of snow that lay high in the mountains. Lucky for him, and a brief break in the clouds allowed him to make eight negatives of the peak and its snow-formed icon. It's since been reproduced widely - offering religious inspiration to some and proof of the nation's manifest destiny to others.   Now, our feature story.   Homelessness has been a visible issue in downtown Denver, but during the pandemic, an increased number of homeless camps have been popping up in Colorado's national forests.    Sun reporter Jennifer Brown followed a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer recently as he went to clear out illegal campers. That gave her the chance to speak with people who have been living in Pike National Forest for weeks, or longer, and to learn how forest rangers try to help when people must move on.   The Sun's Daniel Ducassi talks with Brown about the growing number of homeless living in the state's national forests.   To read more of Jennifer Brown's reporting on homelessness in Colorado, go to coloradosun.com   And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:   A family-owned oil and gas company has been slapped with $1.6 million in fines for a string of violations ranging from improper storage of waste to failing to report and address spills. The fine against KP Kauffman is one of the largest ever handed down by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. The company faces another hearing in September to determine whether it will be allowed to continue doing business in Colorado, where it runs 1,200 low-producing oil and gas wells on the Front Range. Earlier this year K.P.K. was ordered to close 87 wells and clean up 29 sites.   The 2020 Paralympic Games open today in Tokyo with 32 Colorado athletes competing. They include Robert Tanaka, who has been working toward competing in judo in the Paralympic games since he was 5 years old. Now 21, the legally blind athlete who trains at dojos in Colorado Springs and Denver, will compete in the 60 kilogram bracket starting on Friday.   Two weeks into the school year in Grand Junction, thirty classrooms already have reports of exposure to COVID-positive students and three others were quarantined because at least three students in them tested positive. But masks are not universally required in schools. This has set off debate in Mesa County Valley School District 51 about masks and vaccination that is so fierce that school board members needed a police escort to their cars after their meeting last week.   For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don't forget to tune in again tomorrow.   The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.   Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you'll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don't forget to tune in again tomorrow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Colorado Edition: We learn how the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is taking action against a Weld County company accused of oil spills and gas leaks. Then, we shift our gaze towards the sky and learn about the annual Perseid meteor shower. Next, a climate reporter tells us what she's learned from two different journeys down a dam just upstream of the Grand Canyon, 30 years apart. Plus, we hear how hiking 14ers can sometimes harm the very trails we rely on — and what one group is doing to mitigate the damage.

Good Morning, Colorado, you're listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It's Thursday June 17th.   Today - Off-roading is a $24 billion-dollar industry in Colorado that surged during the pandemic. Now rural communities are struggling to balance the economic boom and the noise and other issues that come along with it.   But before we begin, let's go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett's book “Colorado Day by Day”:   Today, we take you back to June 17th, 1859 when George F Griffith found gold in a broad valley at Georgetown. Griffith had mined in California before joining his family on the Missouri River in Iowa. Then, with rumors of gold in the Rocky Mountains Griffith joined a party bound for Pikes Peak country. Years later Georgetown also became Colorado's first silver boomtown.   Now, our feature story.   Off-highway vehicles, or OHVs, have seen a surge in popularity in Colorado since the pandemic. Off-roading is a $24 billion-dollar economic driver for the state. Now rural, remote towns are struggling to balance the economic boom of welcoming off-road enthusiasts and the noise, pollution and traffic problems they can bring. Colorado Sun contributor Nancy Lofholm and Reporter Thy Vo talk about how towns are dealing with the growing popularity of OHVs.    To read Nancy's story on how Colorado towns are dealing with off-highway vehicles, visit coloradosun.com.   And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:   Thieves across Colorado are targeting catalytic converters, a key part of a vehicle's emissions system that can be easily stolen and sold to recycling companies or scrap yards for a quick profit, according to police. The converters are designed to convert environmentally hazardous carbon monoxide emitted by an engine into less harmful gases. They're attractive to thieves because of the rising cost of precious metals used to make them.    The Colorado Privacy Act passed by lawmakers earlier this year would give Coloradans the right to tell companies to stop collecting their data and delete any personal data collected. If signed into law by the governor, the measure would apply to companies that target Colorado residents, store or process personal data on more than 100,000 consumers a year, or which profit from the sale or processing of personal data for at least 25,000 consumers a year. The law doesn't apply to all data, such as employment records, personal data like health or financial information that is governed by existing state or federal laws, or data that is no longer linked to a specific consumer.    Colorado oil and gas regulators worried the state will be left on the hook for plugging and cleaning up wells abandoned by their operators want companies to post a financial guarantee to cover the cost. The rules would apply to all 50,000 wells in the state and would require operators to post a $78,000 guarantee for each well they own. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is especially worried about wells that produce only tiny amounts of oil. Operators of these low-producing wells say making them post large bonds may cause them to go out of business and create more orphan wells. Colorado currently has 535 orphan-well sites to remediate, with 239 wells to plug.   For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don't forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.   The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.   Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you'll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don't forget to tune in again tomorrow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the help of the BlueRibbon Coalition, Rally on the Rocks is demanding Grand County immediately approve their May ATV event and bring an end to the temporary moratorium on ATV related rental businesses and special events. The groups allege the moratorium and other local stipulations – like speed limits for OHVs – violate state and federal law. The BlueRibbon Coalition typically advocates for off-road and motorized access, and a representative says their Moab-related objections could be part of a broader fight. Plus, oil and gas operators in Colorado’s Piceance Basin file a ‘spill report’ with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission about twice a week. Our radio partners at KDNK report that nine times out of 10, the spilled substance is a form of hazardous waste byproduct called produced water. Show Notes: Rally on the Rocks 1/18/21 Appeal and Demand Letter https://www.kzmu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ROTR-Appeal-and-Demand.pdf Grand County 12/15/20 Denial Letter to Rally on the Rocks https://www.kzmu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/12-15-20-ROTR-Denial-Letter.pdf Grand County/Moab City 10-20-20 Moratorium on ATV Rental Businesses, Special Events and Speed Limits for Off-Highway Vehicles https://www.grandcountyutah.net/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10202020-1251 BlueRibbon Coalition: Help Us Fight Against Unlawful OHV Bans in Moab https://www.sharetrails.org/rotr/ KDNK: Oil & Gas Wastewater Spills in the Piceance Basin Top 700K Gallons in 2019 https://www.kdnk.org/post/oil-gas-wastewater-spills-piceance-basin-top-700k-gallons-2019

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission was tasked with overhauling oil and gas rules after SB-181 was passed in 2019. A central part was giving local communities more authority to regulate the industry. But two Front Range counties have different ideas of what local control means. KGNU's Maeve Conran reports.

Interview and notes by Content Correspondent Genneca Houser Recently, we got to have a conversation with Mark Watson, the Supervisor for the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. We discuss some projects from this past year including a look into the Orphan Well Program and the Energy Rebound Project. We [...]

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, or COGCC, voted unanimously Monday in favor of new oil and gas regulations across the state, fulfilling the mission of Senate Bill 181. KDNK's Amy Hadden Marsh spoke with Emily Hornback, director of the Western Colorado Alliance , a citizens group that has been involved with the rulemakings, about what this means.

Jimmy discusses the recent third auto crime against him in 2020 and what that says about skyrocketing crime in Aurora. Then, Jimmy addresses the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission's abominable email scandal and talks about his recent twitter exchange on the subject with Gov. Polis himself. Jimmy closes by offering some thoughts on the Trump election lawsuits.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jimmy discusses the recent third auto crime against him in 2020 and what that says about skyrocketing crime in Aurora. Then, Jimmy addresses the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission's abominable email scandal and talks about his recent twitter exchange on the subject with Gov. Polis himself. Jimmy closes by offering some thoughts on the Trump election lawsuits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Allison, Spokes Person for Energy in Depth, talks about an inappropriate email accidentally sent by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.  New COVID restrictions for Weld.

Will Allison, Spokes Person for Energy in Depth, talks about an inappropriate email accidentally sent by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.  New COVID restrictions for Weld.

Will Allison, Spokes Person for Energy in Depth, talks about an inappropriate email accidentally sent by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.  New COVID restrictions for Weld.

[addtoany]In the aftermath of Colorado Senate Bill 181, passed in 2019, the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission has undertaken a bounty of rulemakings. Among them is a reconsideration of setbacks from both buildings and wildlife areas. The post The Next Chapter in Oil and Gas Setbacks featuring Lynn Granger appeared first on Common Sense Institute.

On this Week's Energy and Agriculture segment, Aaron and Zach review the latest Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission's (WOGCC) monthly update, Pacificorp's continued investigation, the Moneta Field's water injection proposal and who is Levi Sap Nei Thang?

Hello everyone and welcome!  Episode Seventeen features my conversation with Priya Nanjappa (photo courtesy of Kevin Urbanek).  Among other things, Priya spent ten years with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), and served as the state agencies coordinator for Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC), and she currently serves as one of the commissioners on the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. During our conversation, we got into the nuts and bolts of wildlife conservation, and we also talked about the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, which should be of interest to anyone who enjoys herps (or any wildlife, for that matter). From Rep Dingell's press release: "RAWA is the most signification investment in wildlife and habitat conservation in a generation. The bill would dedicate roughly $1.4 billion to the Wildlife Conservation Restoration Program for proactive, voluntary efforts led by the states, territories and tribal nations to prevent vulnerable wildlife from becoming endangered."  That's 1.4 billion EVERY YEAR, folks. On another note, you all should know that So Much Pingle is not Priya's first podcast rodeo - we also talked about her guest appearance (as it were) on Alie Ward's Ologies podcast, where the subject was "Bufology". You can listen to the Ologies toad episode on your favorite podcast platform. You can also follow Priya on twitter (@toadallypriya) and on Instagram (wildbeautifulworld). Thanks for coming on the show, Priya, and hanging in there while we worked through some technical difficulties!  And thanks for listening, everyone!  Please keep the comments and suggestions coming!  The show email is somuchpingle@gmail.com, and there’s also a So Much Pingle group on Facebook, for discussion, comments, feedback, suggestions, herp confessions. toad therapy, tips for herping better, etc. Stay tuned for more episodes! And don’t forget to herp better! -Mike  

Rangely’s 40th annual Septemberfest begins Saturday, and kicks off with a Sea Plane Splash In at Kenney Reservoir beginning at 11 a.m., followed by all kinds of events at Elks Park. The celebration will continue over the weekend, and a Labor Day barbecue in the park begins at 1 p.m. Monday. More than 600 lbs of barbecue and a full pallet of watermelon will be served, along with sides donated by local businesses. Find a full schedule of Septemberfest events on PAGE 4A. A Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission report has been filed for a crude oil spill near Parkview Elementary School in Rangely. Cleanup operations involved removal of the top 6 to 12 inches of soil in a 200 square foot area. Find the rest of that story on page 2A. Uinta Mining has pulled an application for an open pit frac sand mine near Skull Creek in Moffat County. The HT first covered this story in the Aug. 6 edition. The withdrawal letter, submitted Aug. 19, states, “Uinta Mining LLC has no further need for progress on this project.” No additional explanation was given. White River Electric Association is gearing up for a virtual annual meeting this year. Members will be able to view a 20 minute video presentation at wrea.org beginning Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. Mail ballot election of two Town of Meeker directors will follow. On the ballot this year are incumbents Hal Pearce, Brett Dearman, and Bryce Ducey. The ‘worst-case scenario’ is not something we like to dwell on. When it happens to us, we’re forced to think about it, of course, but when it happens to someone else? Not so much. And when it happens to someone else and it’s concealed in the rougher folds of society’s fabric? We probably won’t think about it at all. One such issue? Human trafficking. Myths and misconceptions abound, but in reality nearly anyone can be a victim, from US citizens, immigrants, men and women, adults and children. That’s part of the reason the Colorado Human Trafficking Council seeks to educate not only community members, but government employees, health professionals, law enforcement and more. You can find the rest of the transcript for this episode at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zZ8nu2ZCDbUzq-FB7gskzPwXFr8ugT0hSJ-vaIvHHU0/edit?usp=sharing

Joe Dancy, energy expert and educator, gives an update from the Interstate Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in Oklahoma City, OK. Drones, UAS, pipelines, iPipe technology, Big Data, the Bakken and Permian were discussed in detail.

Joe Dancy, energy expert and educator, gives an update from the Interstate Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in Oklahoma City, OK. Drones, UAS, pipelines, iPipe technology, Big Data, the Bakken and Permian were discussed in detail. The interview went into pontification land as host Jason Spiess and Dancy fleshed out [...]

When Columbine survivor Heather Martin created the Rebels Project, she connected with dozens of other shooting survivors. Then, the new head of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission talks the state's changing laws. Next, how one company gets fresh seafood to landlocked Colorado. Finally, a Colorado author explores inequality in short stories.

Jeff was joined by former State Senator Hollis French. They discuss his recent termination from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission by Governor Michael J. Dunleavy. French was appointed to the Commission in 2016 by former Governor Bill Walker. Oddly enough, Mike Dunleavy voted to confirm French when he was in the Senate. French provides some very interesting background and context about how he was treated by his fellow Commissioners. This is a must listen. 

Emma Bray is a second-year student at CU and was a plaintiff in the recent Colorado Supreme Court case, Martinez v. Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. News Director Lucy Haggard spoke with Emma about what got her involved in environmental litigation, working with young activist Xiuhtzecatl Martinez, and what she's hoping to see in the future.

Colorado oil and gas regulators are considering enlarging the mandatory buffer zone between new wells and school property. A proposal released by the state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission late Wednesday afternoon would require new wells to be at least 1,000 feet (305 meters) from buildings as well as outdoor areas that schools use, like playgrounds and athletic fields. ---- Denver Public Schools is hosting a community meeting Tuesday at George Washington High School for the public, parents and students to ask questions of Susana Cordova, the sole finalist for the job of district superintendent. District staff will have a chance to quiz Cordova on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at a yet-to-be determined time. Virtual meetings with school leaders are also planned for the week of Dec. 10. https://www.denverpost.com/2018/12/05/denver-public-schools-community-meeting-superintendent-candidate/

In this Episode of Oil & Gas This Week: Chesapeake Energy Acquires WildHorse Resource Development Corporation for $3.9b, Eagle Ford oil and gas driller Penn Virginia Corp. bought for $1.7 billion, Endeavor Energy Eyes Potential $10 Billion-Plus Sale, Blackstone Energy Partners to acquire Ulterra Drilling Technologies, Prop. 112 Opponents, Supporters Pack Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission […] The post M&A Season Starts Early, Schlumberger’s Hexacom launches The Oilfield Marketplace – OGTW157 appeared first on Oil and Gas This Week Podcast.

I would like to thank Cathy Foerster, Commissioner with the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC) for visiting with us about the AOGCC. Cathy will be retiring from the AOGCC in February 2019. Below are hyperlinks to issues discuss in episode one: Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission http://doa.alaska.gov/ogc/ Cathy’s testimony to the US Energy and Natural Resources Committee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFAdjElVR6U Cleanup the BLM Travesty Wells https://charissemillett.com/?cat=10 State regulator pushes for stronger laws to deal with abandoned oil wells https://www.alaskapublic.org/2018/03/06/state-regulator-pushes-for-stronger-laws-to-deal-with-abandoned-oil-wells/ ConocoPhillips 6 for 6 on oil at NPR-A test wells http://www.ktva.com/story/37971223/conocophillips-alaska-has-best-exploration-year-in-more-than-a-decade BP Alaska boss shaves her head to celebrate steady oil production https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2018/01/25/bp-alaska-boss-shaves-her-head-to-celebrate-steady-oil-production/ I would like to thank our podcast partner Denali Real Estate www.denalirealestate.com Become a Partner https://shoutout.wix.com/so/7MB0T4uz?cid=0#/main Alaska Energy Dudes and Divas www.alaskaenergydd.com Twitter: @alaskaenergydd Instagram: alaskaenergydd Facebook.com: https://www.facebook.com/alaskaenergydd Contact Deborah Phone: 907-250-8387 Email: alaskaenergydd@gmail.com

In part one of H2O Radio's story about gas drilling in southern Colorado's Raton Basin we heard from a homeowner who has had much frustration after gas wells came to her rural area, both with the industry and the state agency in charge of regulating oil and gas activities, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, or COGCC. The COGCC wrote a report saying the contamination in her well was naturally occurring, even though she had baseline testing showing it wasn't there before. So was the report good science? H2O Radio put it to some experts.