KBUT

This show was originally broadcast live on KBUT, Monday Nov. 19. It was co-hosted by Christopher Biddle and Chris Rourke. The guests were Scott Morrill, Gunnison County Emergency Manager; and Kevin Blecha, a biologist and mountain lion expert with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

With snow on the ground and more in the forecast, we're headed into the backcountry for this episode. Our guest is Ian Havlick, a forecaster and outreach coordinator for the Crested Butte Avalanche Center. We also get an update on COVID19 in Gunnison County and talk to County Commissioner Roland Mason about the new winter trailhead at Kebler Pass.

Community Matters for Monday, Oct. 19: 2020 Elections - Issues, Candidates, and Money by KBUT

The 2020 Crested Butte News Forum by KBUT

A discussion with local leaders and health officials. This live discussion was originally broadcast on KBUT Monday, July 28th. It was hosted by KBUT's Christopher Biddle and Chris Rourke, Editor for the Gunnison Country Times. Our guests included...

This panel discussion was originally broadcast on Monday, June 8th. It was hosted by Christopher Biddle and co-hosted by Chris Rourke of the Gunnison Country Times. Our guests were Joni Reynolds, Gunnison County Public Health Director; and Keith Robinson, Gunnison City Police Chief.

This show was originally broadcast on KBUT on Monday, May 25, 2020. KBUT's Christopher Biddle was joined by co-host Chris Rourke of the Gunnison Country Times.

This program was originally broadcast on Monday, May 11 on KBUT. It was hosted by KBUT’s Christopher Biddle. He was joined by Gunnison Country Times Editor Chris Rourke. The panel included: Joni Reynolds, Gunnison County Public Health Director Roland Mason, Gunnison Board of County Commissioners John Norton, Director of the Tourism and Prosperity Project Andrew Reynolds, Public Information Officer for Gunnison County.

This program was pre-recorded on Monday, May 4th and broadcast that evening on KBUT. It features an interview with Gunnison County Public Information Officer Andrew Sandstrom. He and I went back through questions submitted for previous live Q&As which we weren't able to answer yet.

COVID19 in the Gunnison Valley:Reopening April 27th by KBUT

KBUT hosted crucial members of the local COVID19 Response Team on Monday, April 13 for a Virtual Town Hall on video conference and broadcast on KBUT.

This Q & A session was originally broadcast on Monday, April 3rd. It was hosted by Christopher Biddle and panelists joined via video conference. The panel included John Messner, Board of County Commissioners; Ashley Upchurch, director of the CB/Mt. CB Chamber of Commerce; and Darcie Perkins, Assistant Director to the ICElab at Western.

Listen to a recording of KBUT’s Live Q & A with Local Officials from Monday, March 23. The show was hosted by Christopher Biddle and all guests joined the conversation via teleconference. The panel for this session included:

KBUT Broadcast a live Question and Answer Session with local health officials on Monday, March 16. The event was broadcast from the ICE Lab in Gunnison.

The 2019 Crested Butte Candidates Forum, presented by the Crested Butte News was broadcast live at the Center for the Arts Crested butte on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. Six candidates vied for five open seats on the Crested Butte Town Council.

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The Colorado Senate has approved a budget and a controversial "red flag" bill that would allow police in Colorado to temporarily seize weapons from people deemed a risk.

Jared Polis on Saturday made his first visit to the Gunnison Valley since assuming governorship earlier this year. He appeared alongside democratic Reps. Barbara McLachlan and Julie McCluskie at Western Colorado University. They answered questions from the audience and rallied for support of upcoming legislation. Among the most talked about bills was one aimed at providing free full-day kindergarten to Coloradans, something Polis has called his primary goal for this legislative session. The Governor’s own economic forecast, released on Friday, show’s enough money for the plan, but another, more cautious report from the legislature casts doubt. McLachlan, a democrat from Durango, is expected to introduce the bill with co-sponsor Jim Wilson, a republican of Salida in the coming weeks. Photo: Governor Jared Polis speaks to an audience in Gunnison on Saturday, joined by Rep. Barab McLachlan and Julie McCluskie. Credit: Christopher Biddle

Lake City officials declared a 'local emergency' after two avalanches damaged homes in two days.  Colorado attorney general Phil Weiser and Governor Jared Polis are suing the Trump administration. Despite a strong snowpack, water managers say Blue Mesa likely won't refill any time soon.

The Silver Queen Chairlift at Crested Butte Mountain Resort remains closed. Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper kicked off his campaign for the presidency at a lively rally in downtown Denver Wednesday. A growing number of Colorado counties have declared themselves as 2nd Amendment Sanctuaries in response to a red-flag bill in front of the state legislature. Photo courtesy of Peter Landsman / Liftblog.com

There are few plays in American literature that had quite the impact that Angels in America had in both the world of theatre and the mainstream.  For as much as its remembered for its brilliance, the two-part, seven-hour surrealist epic is also known for the controversy that surrounds it. With its honest depiction of the lives of gay men in during the 1980s, to this day the play is regarded as one of the most significant culture war battlefields of its era. In 1996, the same year a dispute over the play's production drew national attention in Charlotte, NC, Western Colorado University, then just a small state college in Gunnison, CO, became the first school to stage both parts. Heather Nicholson Hughes was in that production, that drew both protests and praise from the community. Now she’s back at Western as a co-producer of a staged reading of the play.

Candace Bradley was sworn in as the newest member the Crested Butte Town Council on Monday. Water leaks and drought dog the Town of Paonia. Colorado Democrats are proposing new regulations on the oil and gas industry, including giving local governments more control over the location of wells.

Suicide prevention advocates converged on the Colorado State Capital this week. State and national organizations, as well as volunteers, met with lawmakers to ask for three actions from the General Assembly, including a funding request designed to alleviate Colorado’s high rates of suicide, especially among youth. KBUT spoke with former Colorado Senator Moe Keller, who now works as Mental Health Colorado’s Advocacy Director. Photo courtesy of Mental Health Colorado

It’s already illegal to smoke traditional cigarettes in restaurants and most public spaces in Colorado. Now a group of state lawmakers wants to add electronic cigarettes to that ban. KUNC’s Scott Franz has more. The City of Gunnison has kicked off its public input phase for an update to the city’s comprehensive plan, a document that will guide development and growth for through 2030. Colorado lawmakers will consider whether to let cannabis businesses be publicly traded. CPR’S business reporter Ben Markus REPORTS.

The mayor of Monument is teaming up with a county commissioner on the Western Slope to try and stop the popular vote bill going through the legislature. Scott Franz has the story. Democrats at the state legislature are advancing a bill to allow courts to take firearms from people deemed to be a risk to themselves or others. CPR's Bente Birkeland reports. The Group ‘Protect our Winters’ is calling for the resignation of the Director of International Ski Federation Gian Franco Kasper following remarks he made in a Swiss Newspaper where he seemed to deny the science of climate change. KBUT News’ Christopher Biddle reports.

State lawmakers are working on potential changes to a bill aimed at reducing youth suicides. Bente Birkeland reports. The Colorado House of Representatives is debating a bill that could change how the state votes for future presidents. Scott Franz has more. Congressman Jason Crow is raising concerns about the health needs of detainees at the immigration detention facility in Aurora. Michael de Yoanna reports that hundreds of beds have been added to the site in recent months.

As part of the Crested Butte Avalanche Center’s Fireside Chat series, local historian and Western Colorado Professor Dr. Duane Vandenbusche presented on historical avalanches in and around the Gunnison Country at the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum on Wednesday, February 13. No stranger to KBUT listeners, Vandenbusche is the host of KBUT’s feature series “Tales of the Gunnison Country.” He’s also the author of 11 books, including "The Gunnison Country."

Local bluegrass quintuplet Floodgate Operators from Crested Butte performed this week on The Orange Blossom Special Show to help us get pledges for 2019 Winter Pledge Drive! They played five songs, including a few originals.  KBUT supports local music, but we can't do it with your support.Call now! 970-349-7444 or click here.  Photo: Floodgate Operators warming up in the KBUT studios. Credit: Christopher Biddle

A bill to require more disclosure around campaign advertisements is moving ahead at the state Capitol. CPR's Sam Brasch has more.  Lawmakers are once again considering a bill to ban so-called conversion therapy for youth in Colorado. The practice seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation.

States that rely on the Colorado River for their water supplies are currently unable to finish a series of agreements that would keep its biggest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, from dropping to levels not seen since they were filled decades ago.  Five states — Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming and Nevada — are done. The country of Mexico has also completed its portion. But California and Arizona failed to meet a Jan. 31 federal government deadline to wrap up negotiations and sign a final agreement. (Read the full story) Photo: The fate of Lake Powell on the Utah-Arizona stateline is one consideration in crafting Drought Contingency Plans for the Colorado River. (Luke Runyon/KUNC/LightHawk)​ Listen to the story:

The Lazy K developer selection committee has narrowed the field to three companies, Fading West Development, High Mountain Concepts, and Gatesco Inc. Former Colorado state representative Andrew Romanoff is entering the race to unseat Republican Senator Cory Gardner.  91.5 KRCC’s Andrea Chalfin has more. Scott Franz reports Colorado lawmakers are one step closer to adding autism to the list of conditions that can be treated with medical marijuana.

Scott Franz reports Colorado Democrats are advancing a bill they think will improve the sexual education curriculum at public schools. An avalanche on Mount Baldy partially buried one skier on Thursday. No injuries occurred. Another Colorado Democrat is launching a bid to unseat U.S. Senator Cory Gardner. The latest candidate has more name recognition than the other Democrats in the race. From Scott Franz.

Chalkbeat Colorado reports that Denver Teachers and their bosses will return to the negotiating table on Thursday while Gov. Jared Polis considers whether to intervene in the pay dispute. Colorado Democrats are a step closer to changing the way the state’s nine electoral votes are awarded in presidential elections. Scott Franz has the story. Avalanche danger is “moderate” according to the Crested Butte Avalanche Center who says there’s still potential for danger on slopes that have collected wind-drifted snow.

There’s a new facilities plan making its way through the Gunnison RE1J School District’s Review Process. It includes a $34 million renovation of the Crested Butte Community School. The Fat Bike Worlds Competition was held this past weekend in Crested Butte. The Event drew around three hundred competitors. Will Shoemaker of the Gunnison Country Times warns that some of the most dire consequences of the government shutdown have yet to be realized.

Will Shoemaker of the Gunnison Country Times spoke with KBUT’s Christopher Biddle about covering the local impacts and reactions to the partial government shutdown. Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet uncharacteristically raised his voice in criticism of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas on Thursday. As Danielle Rayzell reports, Sen. Corey Gardener also surprised many this week as he vowed to break ranks with the Republican leadership. Aaron Blunck took home 6th place at the Winter X Games in Aspen on Thursday. Alex Ferriera, Blunck’s Olympic teammate and a native to Aspen, won the gold.

An in-bounds avalanche at Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico has now claimed the lives of two skiers. Sheriff John Gallowich says he’s trying to find a way to solidify an agreement with the Mt. Crested Butte Police Department while his office determines whether to assume patrol duties in the North Valley. Comments on the State House Floor are causing a backlash for one state lawmaker who said that black and white Americans were lynched in “near equal numbers.”