Adam Rayes
Reporter, Rural and Small CommunitiesEmail: adam.rayes@kunc.org
As KUNC鈥檚 rural and small communities reporter, I help further the newsroom鈥檚 efforts to ensure that all of Northern Colorado鈥檚 communities are heard. These communities have so much to tell us about themselves and Colorado as a whole. They鈥檙e all unique and simultaneously a crucial part of a bigger picture. Many of these communities exist in a news desert; their stories aren鈥檛 being told and they鈥檙e disconnected from each other and the rest of the region. I hope to bring more stories and voices from these places to elevate the conversation.
Before coming to KUNC, I worked at Michigan Radio where I was a production assistant for the statewide newsmagazine, Stateside. I graduated after just three years at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, which is where I fell in love with journalism.
I love cooking my dad鈥檚 traditional Syrian recipes, even though my attempts are never up to his standards. I enjoy gaming, running, tasting new beers, watching anything Sam Esmail makes and I hope to gain new hobbies here in Colorado, like skiing.
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Health experts and officials told KUNC that people need to be aware and vigilant about monkeypox to prevent further spread. However, there鈥檚 no need to panic, they said. -
The pandemic forced Colorado industries to shut down storefronts and put up with supply chain issues and inflation. Despite the financial squeeze, the state鈥檚 new business filings have skyrocketed during the last three years, nearing a 10-year peak last quarter. And the economic development is happening in urban and rural communities alike. -
In April, the Republican River Water Conservation District Board put out notice of possible changes to water use fees for irrigating crops. At the board鈥檚 quarterly meeting Tuesday, however, members did not decide on whether a fee-structure change process will occur. Board members also voted on how to handle formerly inactive wells coming back on in the basin. -
Many officials proudly talk up the unique decision-making powers Colorado gives the smallest levels of government. Some bills this session would shift more county and municipal powers to the state, leading to concerns about Colorado鈥檚 emphasis on 鈥渓ocal control鈥� going away. -
Health officials detected H5N1 influenza 鈥� known as avian flu 鈥� in the nose of a 40-year-old man who was culling the chickens in Montrose County as part of a prison pre-release work program. -
Colorado lawmakers voted to advance a bill Wednesday that would shift emergency medical service licensing power away from counties to the state, starting in July 2024. -
Pregnant mothers in many rural areas struggle to access adequate care. A lack of specialized doctors and maternity wards can increase the risk of labor complications and force patients to drive long distances. A new telehealth pilot program aims to connect rural physicians in Northeast Colorado with OB-GYN hospitalists at North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley. -
Rural Northeast Colorado has fewer employed artists than any other region in the state, according to a 2020 report. While musicians, dancers and fashion designers may sell a lot less out there, they are still creating. KUNC asked two musicians, one very young and one much older, to meet and discuss their craft. -
Water feeds Northeast Colorado鈥檚 corn and wheat fields, creating a booming agricultural economy. But that water is disappearing from the tributaries that feed the Republican River, flowing 450 miles from the cropland of Yuma County through Kansas and Nebraska. In this special episode of Colorado Edition from KUNC, we explore the water crisis in Colorado鈥檚 Republican River basin. -
Colorado's new driver's license design was revealed today by Gov. Jared Polis and the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
