/northern-colorado-center-for-investigative-reporting KUNC’s Northern Colorado Center for Investigative Reporting (NCCIR) is dedicated to investigating topics, issues and stories of concern to the people of Northern Colorado. We are an ethical, experienced, audience-focused team of journalists empowered by the First Amendment and driven by a commitment to public service and the pursuit of the truth. NCCIR is nonprofit and nonpartisan. We produce fact-based and fact-checked journalism that is accessible and valuable to the communities we serve. en-US Copyright KUNC/Community Radio for Northern Colorado 2020 Wed, 07 Aug 2024 12:00:00 GMT /news/2024-08-07/colorado-lawmakers-are-rejecting-wildfire-cameras-and-trusting-satellites-the-reviews-are-mixed Colorado lawmakers have repeatedly turned down some popular forms of early detection, instead spending millions of dollars on helicopters and other gadgets to fight fires. Legislators also point to a little-known military program run by the National Guard that they say is doing a better job at defending the state. Wed, 07 Aug 2024 12:00:00 GMT /news/2024-08-07/colorado-lawmakers-are-rejecting-wildfire-cameras-and-trusting-satellites-the-reviews-are-mixed Scott Franz /news/2024-07-05/group-abandons-ballot-initiative-to-restore-colorado-legislature-transparency-rules Libertarian activist Jon Caldara has withdrawn a ballot initiative to repeal Senate Bill 157, which the legislature passed in March to exempt state lawmakers from parts of the Open Meetings Law. Fri, 05 Jul 2024 12:28:00 GMT /news/2024-07-05/group-abandons-ballot-initiative-to-restore-colorado-legislature-transparency-rules Scott Franz /news/2024-05-03/rocky-mountain-metropolitan-airports-noise-roundtable-grounded-over-lack-of-progress-trust Five of the eight cities and counties serving on the so-called community noise roundtable have hit eject, citing a lack of progress and trust in the airport's owner, Jefferson County. The turbulence had been building for months. Fri, 03 May 2024 17:05:21 GMT /news/2024-05-03/rocky-mountain-metropolitan-airports-noise-roundtable-grounded-over-lack-of-progress-trust Scott Franz /news/2024-04-17/airport-noise-group-on-verge-of-cancellation-after-louisville-ejects-over-lack-of-trust-and-progress Citing frustrations with airport-owner Jefferson County over a lack of progress in reducing or addressing airport noise, the Louisville City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to join a growing effort to dissolve the roundtable. Wed, 17 Apr 2024 23:33:24 GMT /news/2024-04-17/airport-noise-group-on-verge-of-cancellation-after-louisville-ejects-over-lack-of-trust-and-progress Scott Franz /news/2024-04-10/colorado-democrats-eliminate-secrecy-from-bill-ranking-survey-and-reveal-spending-priorities Democratic state lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled the results of a survey they use to help decide the fate of dozens of bills competing against each other for state funding. Thanks to a recent lawsuit, there's something different about it this year. For the first time since the survey was introduced to the Capitol in 2019, lawmakers’ votes aren’t being kept secret. Wed, 10 Apr 2024 15:44:09 GMT /news/2024-04-10/colorado-democrats-eliminate-secrecy-from-bill-ranking-survey-and-reveal-spending-priorities Scott Franz /news/2024-04-08/ballot-measure-filed-to-repeal-colorado-lawmakers-open-meetings-exemptions Libertarian activist and businessman Jon Caldara has filed a ballot initiative to repeal Senate Bill 157, which allows lawmakers to have more conversations in private. Mon, 08 Apr 2024 19:25:55 GMT /news/2024-04-08/ballot-measure-filed-to-repeal-colorado-lawmakers-open-meetings-exemptions Scott Franz /news/2024-04-03/will-wolf-watchers-flock-to-colorado-tourism-leaders-have-mixed-opinions At the dawn of Colorado’s wolf reintroduction project, tourism leaders in mountain towns are offering mixed views on the animals. Some are fearful or indifferent, while others are cautiously optimistic they could become an attraction. Wed, 03 Apr 2024 11:55:00 GMT /news/2024-04-03/will-wolf-watchers-flock-to-colorado-tourism-leaders-have-mixed-opinions Scott Franz /news/2024-04-02/colorado-democrats-are-eliminating-secrecy-from-a-survey-they-use-to-help-decide-the-fate-of-bills The change to make a secret survey used at the state Capitol public comes months after a judge ordered lawmakers to stop using their previous secret ballot system to prioritize legislation because it violated Colorado’s open meetings law. Tue, 02 Apr 2024 20:22:47 GMT /news/2024-04-02/colorado-democrats-are-eliminating-secrecy-from-a-survey-they-use-to-help-decide-the-fate-of-bills Scott Franz /news/2024-03-27/broomfield-leaves-airport-noise-group-and-blasts-jefferson-county-for-lack-of-progress-and-trust City leaders and some of its residents are blasting the so-called community noise roundtable as a waste of time and money. The airport is owned by Jefferson County and residents in neighboring communities have been raising concerns for years about the impacts of airport noise on their health and wellbeing. Wed, 27 Mar 2024 22:57:11 GMT /news/2024-03-27/broomfield-leaves-airport-noise-group-and-blasts-jefferson-county-for-lack-of-progress-and-trust Scott Franz /news/2024-03-13/colorado-lawmakers-broke-a-transparency-law-then-they-exempted-themselves-from-parts-of-it The new measure will let lawmakers have more private conversations. It will do that by narrowing the definition of public business, let lawmakers discuss bills and other public business electronically without the communications constituting a public meeting, and meet one on one with fewer restrictions. Wed, 13 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT /news/2024-03-13/colorado-lawmakers-broke-a-transparency-law-then-they-exempted-themselves-from-parts-of-it Scott Franz