Scott Franz
Reporter, InvestigativeEmail: scott.franz@kunc.org
Scott Franz is a government watchdog reporter and photographer from Steamboat Springs. He spent the last seven years covering politics and government for the Steamboat Pilot & Today, a daily newspaper in northwest Colorado.
His reporting in Steamboat stopped a police station from being built in a city park, saved a historic barn from being destroyed and helped a small town pastor quickly find a kidney donor. His favorite workday in Steamboat was Tuesday, when he could spend many of his mornings skiing untracked powder and his evenings covering city council meetings.
Scott received his journalism degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is an outdoorsman who spends at least 20 nights a year in a tent. He spoke his first word, 'outside', as a toddler in Edmonds, Washington. Scott visits the Great Sand Dunes, his favorite Colorado backpacking destination, twice a year.
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With 66% of the vote counted, Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo was narrowly leading Republican State Rep. Gabe Evans 50% to 48%. -
In the final story in our series, 鈥淭he Colorado Dream: Ending the Hate State,鈥� we ask Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a police chief and a long-time legislative aide: Where does Colorado stand today with the "Hate State" label? -
Gov. Jared Polis reflects on 鈥淭he Hate State鈥� label, while he himself is a symbol of the state鈥檚 progress around equality and the acceptance and LGBTQ+ rights. -
Communities around Colorado are concerned a national hiring freeze on seasonal Forest Service workers next year will stall trail work and cut services for thousands of hikers, campers and other visitors. -
Colorado is known as one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly states in the country. But it wasn't always that way. In 1992, voters passed an amendment to the state constitution that labeled Colorado "The Hate State" and sparked a landmark legal battle for gay rights. -
The patriarch of the West Slope鈥檚 Copper Creek Pack, the first formed since reintroduction, died last week just days after officers captured the animal with plans to move the family to prevent livestock attacks. Parks and Wildlife said Monday the wolf had a severe leg injury and was in poor health before he was captured. -
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. -
Gov. Jared Polis is holding a briefing on the Alexander Mountain, Stone Canyon, and Quarry fires at a fire station in Loveland. -
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. -
Conservationists are urging patience and warning that removing any of the 11 wolves in Colorado so early in the voter-mandated restoration could hurt the chances of success.
