Solar panels are expensive and increasingly in demand, and many communities are learning of their solar array’s value the hard way. In one Colorado town, thousands of dollars in panels recently disappeared from the roof of the Carbondale community rec center. KDNK’s Conrad Wilson reports for Rocky Mountain Community Radio on this new type of crime.

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Colorado’s budget woes, and the state capitol’s deteriorating dome.

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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is a 787 billion dollar stimulus bill that combines tax credits with new federal spending. KRCC’s Andrea Chalfin recently sat down with Colorado College economics professor Dan Johnson to try and lend perspective to the bill and the status of the recovery effort. Their conversation begins with the two of them talking about the timetable for financial disbursement, which will take place over the course of several years.

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Here’s their full conversation, which took place at the end of May (41 minutes):

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Additional Resources:

Colorado’s Headquarters for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Recovery.gov: the website from the federal government

Today we hear from Blake Williams about his struggle to fit in. It’s a struggle that led him to step up when others like him were threatened.

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(The “Citizen Report” is a collaboration between the Colorado Springs Gazette and KRCC. More information is available at the YourHub link at ColoradoSprings.com.)

Colorado holds the highest growth rate for children living in poverty…Gov. Bill Ritter attends the Western Governors’ Association meetings…a subcommittee approves extending a spending ban on the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site…and, Representative Betsy Markey testifies for wildfire mitigation.

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Colorado is poised to receive about 7 billion dollars from the federal stimulus package over the next three years. And for government officials the process of tracking how and where the money is spent is a tremendous administrative task. Bente Birkeland examines what the state is doing to prevent waste, fraud and abuse.

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Dams along waterways in Colorado alter the eco-systems and migratory patters of many native, and now endangered fish. But as KDNK’s Conrad Wilson explains for Rocky Mountain Community Radio, because of a robust snow pack this winter, the Bureau of Reclamation sent more water out of their reservoirs down stream in an effort to help fix the very problems the barriers create.

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A new report released yesterday outlines how Colorado is spending money from the federal stimulus package. The state is expected to receive 7 billion dollars over the next three years and several projects are already underway. Bente Birkeland has more from Denver.

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Colorado is ground zero for a new program that trains veterans across the country to work in green jobs. Earlier this month, 15 veterans completed training on how to audit homes for energy efficiency. As Bente Birkeland reports, for some vets the program marks a new beginning.

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Colorado Springs native Barbara Samuel O’Neal is an award-winning author, dipping her ink into the world of women’s fiction and romance. Recently she discovered the world of Joan Didion, and was surprised to find out that the two have more in common than just their profession.

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(The “Citizen Report” is a collaboration between the Colorado Springs Gazette and KRCC. More information is available at the YourHub link at ColoradoSprings.com.)