Health
Pine Gulch Fire poised to crack state’s top 10 largest wildfires
Two major wildfires burning on the Western Slope have forced evacuations, shut down Colorado’s main east-west interstate and are poised to blanket the Front Range in a thick layer of haze. Dramatic images captured Monday showed the early stages of a fire burning along Interstate 70 near Glenwood Springs. Named the Grizzly Creek Fire — […]
Colorado’s COVID-19 transmission is plateauing, Gov. Polis says
After a July that saw a spike in reported cases of COVID-19 rivaling April’s, the state’s three-day average of new reported cases appears to be plateauing or declining, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. From Aug. 1 through 3, the daily average of cases reported to CDPHE was 315 […]
Mismanagement in oil and gas drilling exposed in Extraction bankruptcy
By Lizzie Lario The Extraction Broomfield project, which we have been told produces natural gas and oil primarily for export outside of the United States, has left a permanent scar on me, my family and my community. The company and its lobbyists demanded we allow this high-risk drilling process near my home then, weeks later, […]
Medicaid funding increase sought by Colorado advocates as enrollment surges
Even before the coronavirus pandemic hit, it was hard enough for Joaquín Garcia, a student and father of two who lives in Alamosa, to find steady work to fit around his class schedule. With the economy suffering and his children home from school, it’s become harder than ever. “I basically have to stay (home), and […]
Gov. Jared Polis calls recent clearing of a large homeless encampment around the Capitol ‘a relief’
Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday called the recent removal of a large homeless encampment near the state Capitol “a relief.” “I was deeply troubled by the dangerous health situation in that area,” Polis said during a news conference, noting a recent shooting within the encampment, and the presence of loose needles at the park. “… I […]
Drug overdoses claimed 1,062 Colorado residents last year, new data shows
More Colorado residents died of drug overdoses in 2019 than in any other year over at least the previous two decades, according to new data released by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. CDPHE recently updated its drug overdose data dashboard with numbers for 2019. Last year, 1,062 people died from a drug […]
Move to diversify yoga to heal racialized trauma part of Denver co-op’s mission
DENVER — Beverly Grant spent years juggling many roles before yoga helped her restore her balance. When not doting over her three children, she hosted her public affairs talk radio show, attended community meetings or handed out cups of juice at her roving Mo’ Betta Green MarketPlace farmers market, which has brought local, fresh foods and produce […]
Advocates ‘fought like heck’ to fund substance use treatment amid COVID-19
Despite extensive budget cuts necessitated by COVID-19, Colorado legislators managed to avoid what one lawmaker said would have been a major setback for the state’s opioid response. “What we were looking at initially was going back 10 years on this issue and completely decimating any progress that we’ve made,” says Sen. Brittany Pettersen (D-Lakewood). “Honestly, […]
Gov. Polis: Colorado must ramp up COVID-19 testing efforts
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct a quote in which Gov. Jared Polis said the state lab averaged 3,000 tests a day. As cases of COVID-19 continue to climb in Colorado, the state plans to look at testing with a renewed focus, Gov. Jared Polis said at a news briefing July 23. […]
Racism and health care inequity demand a federal response
We are at a cultural flashpoint when it comes to recognizing and dealing with racism here in the United States. Across the country, people are taking to the streets to protest police brutality and push for real change. Unfortunately, for people of color, racism is not something that we only face when it comes to […]
10 p.m. last call for alcohol ordered to slow COVID-19 spread among young people
As Colorado’s COVID-19 case counts continue to rebound, especially among young people, Gov. Jared Polis has ordered alcohol sales at bars and restaurants across the state to end by 10 p.m. for at least the next 30 days. “Your best (intentions) around social distancing just fall by the wayside if you’re in a group of […]
Mental health of young people worries experts as COVID-19 continues to grip Colorado
It’s been a “roller-coaster” couple of months for Dulce Trujillo as she’s tried her best to adjust to the reality of the coronavirus pandemic. For years, the 18-year-old from Salida has navigated depression and struggled with suicidal thoughts. When the pandemic hit, she already felt isolated from her friends after spending the first semester of […]