Why is Gilpin testing its residents blood for lead?

Music of the Mountains: Dango Rose

In this week's episode of Music of the Mountains, we bring on Dango Rose to talk about his musical endeavors, celebrating his opening at Ned General for Redd and the Paper Flowers on May 30, 2026. From a new documentary focusing on his songwriting and mental health journey to performing with Elephant Revival, we catch up with Dango on his current musical direction. Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here. [https://open.spotify.com/album/2bGdISOly1MQhe77P3vJUm] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1583656/support] Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below. If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chief, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, multimedia producer, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website [https://www.themtnear.com] for all of the latest news. Subscribe [https://mountainear.creativecirclemedia.com/subscribe/?] to The Mountain-Ear in print and online. Submit local events [http://themtneareventlink.creativecirclemedia.com/] to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear [https://www.facebook.com/mtnear/] and Instagram @mtn.ear [https://www.instagram.com/mtn.ear/] Listen [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMDbqntDX-L9JPHB9V5OPr5XE9fr_l0kQ] and watch [https://www.youtube.com/@themtnear] on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout [https://themtnearpodcast.buzzsprout.com]. Thank you for listening!

Nederland skateboarders teach us a lesson

The general public tends to write off skaters as grungy, lazy, troublemakers. But that's far from the truth. In reporting a story for the May issue of Caribou Current, I asked Nederland skateboarders about the lessons skating can teach us. There's a lot more to learn than just how to do a kickflip - skating can teach us how to persevere, how to fail and succeed, and how to be a good person. This episode is a compilation of some of those conversations. Check out the original story about Ned's skate culture here: How Nederland's skate culture got its wheels on the ground [https://www.cariboucurrent.com/stories/nederland-skate-culture-nathan-lazarus-skatepark,91888?] Special thanks to Dave Kingsbury, who shared this video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ONqvrv43vE&t=2s] wof him and his then 4-year-old son Quinn skating together. Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here. [https://open.spotify.com/album/2bGdISOly1MQhe77P3vJUm] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1583656/support] Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below. If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chief, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, multimedia producer, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website [https://www.themtnear.com] for all of the latest news. Subscribe [https://mountainear.creativecirclemedia.com/subscribe/?] to The Mountain-Ear in print and online. Submit local events [http://themtneareventlink.creativecirclemedia.com/] to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear [https://www.facebook.com/mtnear/] and Instagram @mtn.ear [https://www.instagram.com/mtn.ear/] Listen [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMDbqntDX-L9JPHB9V5OPr5XE9fr_l0kQ] and watch [https://www.youtube.com/@themtnear] on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout [https://themtnearpodcast.buzzsprout.com]. Thank you for listening!

Music of the Mountains: Tony Crank

Guitarist Tony Crank recently performed with friends as Tony Crank Music at The Old Gallery in Allenspark. On this episode of Music of the Mountains, we talk with Tony about his time as a guitarist in Colorado and the reasons he continues playing and learning today. Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here. [https://open.spotify.com/album/2bGdISOly1MQhe77P3vJUm] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1583656/support] Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below. If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chief, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, multimedia producer, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website [https://www.themtnear.com] for all of the latest news. Subscribe [https://mountainear.creativecirclemedia.com/subscribe/?] to The Mountain-Ear in print and online. Submit local events [http://themtneareventlink.creativecirclemedia.com/] to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear [https://www.facebook.com/mtnear/] and Instagram @mtn.ear [https://www.instagram.com/mtn.ear/] Listen [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMDbqntDX-L9JPHB9V5OPr5XE9fr_l0kQ] and watch [https://www.youtube.com/@themtnear] on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout [https://themtnearpodcast.buzzsprout.com]. Thank you for listening!

Ward's Hotel Columbia is open for business

Today, we’re featuring an episode from our sister podcast, Shay Castle’s Boulder Valley Frequency, about a pair of mountain women breathing life into Ward’s Hotel Columbia, which just opened its doors after a year and a half of renovations.  A few months ago, Shay paid a visit to Hotel Columbia and its new owners, Masyn Moyer and Gurjeet Gill, to find out what possessed them to renovate the  old building. It’s a story of perseverance and preservation — two things that the town of Ward is certainly known for.  Also * Black Hawk bans cannabis businesses * Gilpin fourth graders lobby Central City for playground improvements * Billy Giblin, Topher Donahue appointed to Nederland Board of Trustees * The Vault opens in Nederland Read Shay's full story about Hotel Columbia here. [https://www.cariboucurrent.com/stories/hotel-columbia-finds-new-life-in-ward,92875] Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here. [https://open.spotify.com/album/2bGdISOly1MQhe77P3vJUm] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1583656/support] Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below. If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chief, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, multimedia producer, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website [https://www.themtnear.com] for all of the latest news. Subscribe [https://mountainear.creativecirclemedia.com/subscribe/?] to The Mountain-Ear in print and online. Submit local events [http://themtneareventlink.creativecirclemedia.com/] to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear [https://www.facebook.com/mtnear/] and Instagram @mtn.ear [https://www.instagram.com/mtn.ear/] Listen [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMDbqntDX-L9JPHB9V5OPr5XE9fr_l0kQ] and watch [https://www.youtube.com/@themtnear] on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout [https://themtnearpodcast.buzzsprout.com]. Thank you for listening!

Music of the Mountains: Satellite Friend

Brian and Lacey Loeper are core members of a close group of musicians who arrived in Colorado from different places. This connection of new community members inspired the name Satellite Friend, who now work together to write new songs on a regular basis. Learn more about the band by tuning in to this episode of The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring Brian and Lacey! Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here. [https://open.spotify.com/album/2bGdISOly1MQhe77P3vJUm] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1583656/support] Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below. If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact: Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chief, at info@themountainear.com Tyler Hickman, multimedia producer, at tyler@themountainear.com Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at media@themountainear.com General inquiries: frontdesk@themountainear.com Head to our website [https://www.themtnear.com] for all of the latest news. Subscribe [https://mountainear.creativecirclemedia.com/subscribe/?] to The Mountain-Ear in print and online. Submit local events [http://themtneareventlink.creativecirclemedia.com/] to promote them in the paper and on our website. Find us on Facebook @mtnear [https://www.facebook.com/mtnear/] and Instagram @mtn.ear [https://www.instagram.com/mtn.ear/] Listen [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMDbqntDX-L9JPHB9V5OPr5XE9fr_l0kQ] and watch [https://www.youtube.com/@themtnear] on YouTube today. Share this podcast by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page or by heading to our main hub on Buzzsprout [https://themtnearpodcast.buzzsprout.com]. Thank you for listening!