Michael de Yoanna
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Secrets that shouldn't be secret. Story-driven narratives backed up by data. Investigations. Military. Veterans. Public and environmental health. Things that shock the conscience.
Mountain West News Bureau managing editor. Nat honors: @duPontAwards, Murrow (2x), SPJ, AP / Bikes / Guitars / Dogs 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇮🇹
Articles by Michael de Yoanna
Rescues and evacuations grip Four Corners region as ongoing storms bring flash floods Original
Doused by ongoing storms, the Four Corners region has been beset by severe flooding, triggering evacuations, some rooftop rescues and interventions from public officials. Communities along rivers in the region where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah share a border were continuing evacuations and bracing for flooding on Friday. The National Weather Service placed large swaths of the region on flood warnings or flood watches.
Rescue task force deploys from Nevada to help with anticipated New Mexico, Arizona flooding
Officials in New Mexico, Arizona and other western states are preparing for the aftermath of Hurricane Polo, which pummeled Mexico on Tuesday and kept barreling toward the U.S. border. Projections from the National Weather Service predicted 75 mph winds could reach the two U.S. states this afternoon. The Category 5 hurricane made landfall as a less-strong Category 2 on Monday.
Rescue task force deploys from Nevada to help with anticipated New Mexico, Arizona flooding
Officials in New Mexico, Arizona and other western states are preparing for the aftermath of Hurricane Polo, which pummeled Mexico on Tuesday and kept barreling toward the U.S. border. Projections from the National Weather Service predicted 75 mph winds could reach the two U.S. states this afternoon. The Category 5 hurricane made landfall as a less-strong Category 2 on Monday.
In New Mexico, massive Project Jupiter data center faces criticism over water allocation Original
The Project Jupiter data center is again drawing opposition, this time from Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury. Citing state documents, the New Mexico Democrat said the site could consume up to 2,400 acre‑feet of water a year. That’s roughly 782 million gallons, enough water to supply about 30,000 homes or to irrigate as much as 3,000 pounds of green chiles, Stansbury said.
CASW co-launches Climate News Task Force - CASW
Michael de Yoanna Editor of Mountain West News Bureau | Investigative Journalist 11h Report this post I'm proud to announce that the Mountain West News Bureau is joining forces with 10 other newsrooms across the country to increase collaboration and support for stories about ongoing environmental concerns. The Climate News Task Force will develop new relationships, tools, and platforms for sharing content, measuring impacts and increasing capacity.
How our newsroom will use Voter Voices results
Colorado Community Media’s newsroom has already used the results of the Voter Voices surveys we have received so far. (Read the results here.) During the primaries, we incorporated readers’ concerns about democracy and good government and the economy into questions we asked Republican and Democratic candidates for Congress in our primary forums for Colorado’s 4th District. The forums were co-sponsored with the League of Women Voters Colorado and KUNC public radio.
How our reporters are covering the primaries around the metro area
Our two dozen newspapers are preparing for Colorado’s June 25 primaries – and keeping an eye on the Nov. 5 general election. Our papers cover the cities, towns and suburbs that surround Denver – from Fort Lupton to Castle Rock. We cover two dozen communities across the metro area in Adams, Arapahoe, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Jefferson and Weld counties. Find your local community newspaper here.
Your Douglas County voter’s guide for the June 25 primary elections
Republican and Democratic candidates for Congress, the state legislature and the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners have knocked on doors, spoken up in forums and answered our Q&As. From the economy to taxes to the environment to abortion, candidates have outlined their positions. Now it’s time for you to decide. Douglas County’s chief election clerk sent citizens ballots in the mail earlier this month for the primaries that conclude Tuesday night, June 25, 2024.
In their own words, candidates for Congressional District 4 state their case
Candidates for the primary election race to represent Colorado’s District 4 in Congress were sent requests from Colorado Community Media and the League of Women Voters Colorado. Q&A responses were fact-checked and edited for grammar.
How Colorado’s medication collection boxes aim to increase safety Original
A couple times a year, drivers might see a sign on the side of the road with bold letters that state, “Prescription Drug Take-Back” and take part by bringing unused or expired medications to their local police department. What they might not know is that there is a free and convenient way to properly dispose of medications year-round.
What Columbine taught our newsroom
Several of the journalists in our newsroom worked to understand, and in some cases, unravel, the narratives woven into the fabric of our community since the Columbine High School shooting 25 years ago. Along with the stories, our journalists came away with a tapestry of lessons that embrace the transformation and resilience those closest to Columbine embody. Reporters Nina Joss and Elisabeth Slay approached their reporting with a philosophy that placed the community at the helm.
Cómo nos cambió Columbine
🌟Read this article in English Han pasado veinticinco años desde aquel día de abril que grabó la tristeza en los corazones de la Escuela Secundaria Columbine. Dos estudiantes armados se llevaron la vida de 12 de sus compañeros y de un profesor querido, para luego quitarse la vida ellos mismos. Las repercusiones de ese día trágico han resonado a lo largo de los años, dejando una narrativa triste de asesinos y víctimas a menudo repetida en los medios de comunicación convencionales.
How Columbine changed us
đLee esta artĂculo en español Twenty-five years have passed since that April day that etched sorrow into the hearts of Columbine High School. Two armed students took the lives of 12 of their peers and a cherished teacher and then their own lives. The reverberations of that tragic day have rippled through the years, leaving a sad narrative of killers and victims often repeated in the mainstream media. But what that narrative misses is Columbineâs story of recovery, resilience and triumph.
Erin Kane: Raises at Douglas County schools are courtesy of voters
In January, Douglas County School District’s educators and staff received their much anticipated and well-deserved pay increases. This was made possible by you — the citizens of our community who voted yes on 5A (mill levy override) this past November. Pay raises from the MLO were paid retroactively back to the start of the school year. We were so happy to see this come to fruition and our employees have shared with us some incredible stories about what this additional pay has meant to them.
Michael Norton: A guide to making better choices
Last week I shared thoughts on what happens when we postpone decisions. Many of you asked how to make good and better decisions. So here are some ideas I hope that you will find useful. Decisions permeate every aspect of our lives; from the mundane choices we make at home to the high-stakes decisions we face in the workplace. The quality of these decisions directly impacts our personal satisfaction, professional success, and overall well-being.
Your handy 2023 election guide for cities, towns and suburbs around Denver
Candidates for city councils and school boards across the metro area have spoken. They’ve outlined their positions on issues from housing affordability to school funding in a variety of forums and in Q&As returned to our newsroom. Clerks mailed ballots to registered voters on Oct. 16. Now, it’s time for you to decide. Going through that ballot full of candidates and issues is a lot of work, but Colorado Community Media has you covered.
Your handy 2023 election guide for cities, towns and suburbs around Denver
Candidates for city councils and school boards across the metro area have spoken. They’ve outlined their positions on issues from housing affordability to school funding in a variety of forums and in Q&As returned to our newsroom. Clerks mailed ballots to registered voters on Oct. 16. Now, it’s time for you to decide. Going through that ballot full of candidates and issues is a lot of work, but Colorado Community Media has you covered.
‘Olds:’ As the Clear Creek Courant turns 50, dive into the archives with us
Michael de Yoanna michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com Posted 8/9/23 In August of 1973, the residents of Clear Creek County got to hold the first edition of this newspaper in their hands. This item is available in full to subscribers. Please log in to continue Username Password Don't have an ID? Print subscribers If you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one. Non-subscribers Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber.
Colorado Community Media examines the impacts of the housing crisis
Michael de Yoanna Deborah Grigsby Lisa Schlichtman Thelma Grimes Kristen Fiore Scott Taylor Christine Steadman Scott Gilbert Ellis Arnold Deb Hurley Brobst Rylee Dunn Andrew Fraieli McKenna Harford Nina Joss Haley Lena Olivia Love Leah Neu Tayler Shaw Robert Tann Belen Ward Ellliott Wenzler Corinne Westeman Ben Wiebesiek Luke Zarzecki People across the metro area are struggling to afford a place to live. Minimum wage earners might spend upwards of 60% of their paychecks on rent.
As troops face mounting demands to serve in crises, civilian employers are firing them
Michael de Yoanna The War Horse When Navy reservist and hospital corpsman Linda Jones didn’t get the promotion she hoped for at her civilian health care job, she turned to her manager to ask what she could have done better. She was surprised when he told her she was a great candidate. Then the conversation turned. “He lowered his voice and said, ‘It’s not you at all,’” Jones says.
Military employment discrimination persists, despite laws against it
Members of the military are a protected class under labor laws, which means they’re supposed to be shielded from workplace discrimination. But a new investigation finds some service members are returning from deployments to find their jobs are no longer there. Here & Now‘s Celeste Headlee speaks with Michael de Yoanna, an investigative reporter for The War Horse, a nonprofit newsroom covering the military. This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
As troops face mounting demands to serve in crises, civilian employers are firing them
When Navy reservist and hospital corpsman Linda Jones didn’t get the promotion she hoped for at her civilian health care job, she turned to her manager to ask what she could have done better. She was surprised when he told her she was a great candidate. Then the conversation turned. “He lowered his voice and said, ‘It’s not you at all,’” Jones says.
As Troops Face Mounting Demands to Serve in Crises, Civilian Employers Are Firing Them
When Navy reservist and hospital corpsman Linda Jones didn’t get the promotion she hoped for at her civilian health care job, she turned to her manager to ask what she could have done better. She was surprised when he told her she was a great candidate. Then the conversation turned. “He lowered his voice and said, ‘It’s not you at all,’” Jones says.
Michael de Yoanna
Michael is an investigative reporter for The War Horse covering military and veterans’ healthcare, the future of warfare, and human rights. He came to The War Horse after eight years as a news director, editor, and investigative reporter at NPR-affiliate radio stations in Colorado. Before that, he was a local TV news producer and newspaper reporter. His work has also appeared on NPR's "All Things Considered" and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting.
They are the good guys with guns. After another mass shooting, veterans want change. Original
Editors Note: This article first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter. When Kyle Bibby reported in to the Naval Academy, he had never fired a gun. But he learned to shoot a pistol. Then a rifle. He learned safety measures and effective training. Eventually, he taught pistol to other midshipmen.
Wrongful deaths to false arrests: Northern Colorado cities pay cash to end allegations against police
In the past decade, Northern Colorado’s largest cities settled 205 allegations against police. The cost of those settlements was $50 million, roughly enough to fund a police department the size of Boulder’s for a year. That’s according to a KUNC investigation that found a recurring pattern where victims and their families dropped their allegations in exchange for a cash payout.
In Colorado, mask mandates become recommendations amid optimism that latest COVID surge is subsiding
Published February 4, 2022 at 11:53 AM MST David Zalubowski / AP A sign advises patrons of mask requirements at a restaurant in Denver on Feb. 2, 2022. The double spike of coronavirus cases that caused several Colorado counties to enact mask orders late last year is finally in retreat. This has led officials to abandon mandates in Denver, Arapahoe, Adams, and Summit counties this week and, by mid-month, Jefferson and Larimer counties will join them.
Colorado's omicron wave may be subsiding, but COVID-19 cases remain very high
Published January 20, 2022 at 3:44 PM MST David Zalubowski / AP A medical technician performs a nasal swab test on a motorist at a COVID-19 testing site in Denver on Dec. 30, 2021. Colorado’s top public health investigator believes that the latest coronavirus wave may be ending. “We have multiple ways of looking at the data to try and estimate if the decrease we're seeing is a real decrease,” state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy told reporters Thursday.
Static detonation chambers likely to be used to destroy Colorado’s final chemical weapons
Published January 18, 2022 at 12:55 PM MST Courtesy Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant / U.S. Army A worker in protective gear handles shells containing mustard gas that are being destroyed at a plant located on the Army's Pueblo Chemical Depot. A final push to rid the United States of the last of its chemical weapons is underway at an Army depot in Pueblo.
Army sides with Colorado National Guard officer reprimanded for attending Black Lives Matter protests
Published January 5, 2022 at 4:00 PM MST Courtesy Alan Kennedy Alan Kennedy, a captain in the Colorado Army National Guard, was off duty and wearing civilian clothing when he joined Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. The Army has reversed a reprimand a Colorado National Guard officer received after attending a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020. Capt. Alan Kennedy, a “white ally” to the movement, wore civilian clothing as he filmed police tear gassing crowds in Denver.
NORAD: Omicron variant won't stop Santa Claus' mission to spread joy in 2021
Cpl. Rob Ouellette, for NORAD / NORAD Canadian 22 Wing Forces based in Ontario, Canada, work to help track Santa in unison with NORAD, the U.S.-Canadian combatant command headquartered in Colorado and tasked with tracking aerial phenomena in North America. While the coronavirus pandemic has brought with it disappointments that have left some children worried or sad, Santa Claus expects to bring joy and merriment to them on his annual Christmas Eve globetrot.
Coronavirus cases in Colorado are down slightly, but doctors warn people to stay cautious over the holidays
David Zalubowski / AP State epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy speaks during a news conference on Colorado's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dec. 7, 2021, in Denver. The lines on statewide COVID-19 case graphs look a little more hopeful compared to a few weeks ago. Hospitalizations, a key metric for Colorado health officials, are hovering just above 1,200, down from a high of around 1,500 last month, a situation that had stretched ICU bed capacity to the limit.
Doctors recommend paramedics no longer use excited delirium as justification for ketamine sedations
Published December 1, 2021 at 6:22 PM MST Teresa Crawford / AP File photo of a vial of ketamine. Colorado's health department says emergency workers should not use a condition involving erratic behavior by people as a reason to inject them with the sedative. Most states and ambulance agencies can use ketamine when people exhibit the condition called excited delirium. A panel of Colorado medical experts has determined a condition called excited delirium is linked to implicit bias and racism.
As police reform takes shape in Aurora, a large financial settlement looms in Elijah McClain case
Published November 19, 2021 at 12:51 PM MST David Zalubowski / AP In this March 3, 2021 photograph, Sheneen McClain, the mother of Elijah McClain, is shown in the office of her attorney, Qusair Mohamedbhai, in Denver. In the same week that officials in Aurora agreed to independent monitoring of police, lawyers representing members of Elijah McClain’s family were working on a financial settlement that could resolve the wrongful death lawsuit.
As Colorado’s hospital beds fill up with COVID-19 patients, health officials sound alarms
Published November 5, 2021 at 4:19 PM MDT David Zalubowski / AP File photo from April 20, 2021, of Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, speaking as Gov. Jared Polis looks on during a news conference. Herlihy told reporters this week that a worsening spread of the coronavirus could "significantly hamper" the state's hospitals' ability to care for critically ill patients. On Dec.
Afghan who evacuated to Poland has allies in Colorado who hope to bring him to Fort Collins
Courtesy Mahmod Shamsi / Mahmod Shamsi and his family were evacuated from Afghanistan in August, amid the U.S. withdrawal. Now in Poland, friends and colleagues are working to bring him to Colorado. In August, as the U.S. was withdrawing from Afghanistan, Mahmod Shamsi and his family went into hiding. Because he had worked for the Afghan government, the Taliban was looking for him. He feared for his life. His phone was his lifeline to friends like Kelsey Baun in Fort Collins.
COVID-19 hospitalizations and infections among kids worry Colorado health officials
Published October 19, 2021 at 5:48 PM MDT David Zalubowski / AP Students in masks queue up to enter the building for the first day of in-class learning since the start of the pandemic at Garden Place Elementary School Monday, Aug. 23, 2021, in north Denver. All students, visitors and staff are required to wear face coverings while in Denver Public Schools regardless of vaccination status with the start of the school year.
Janitors at Denver International Airport stage one-day strike to send message to employer
Published October 1, 2021 at 5:09 PM MDT Michael de Yoanna / KUNC Dozens of Denver International Airport janitors walked off their jobs to join a picket for better pay and conditions on Friday. Janitor Luis Gonzalez smiled a little on Friday when asked how it felt to go on strike. “It feels great,” he said, as his fellow janitors at Denver International Airport rallied around him. In his decade as an airport janitor, Gonzalez, who lives in Aurora, said he had little reason to join a picket line.
Dangerous air due to wildfires has risen across Colorado in the last five years
Seré Williams / KUNC The sun sets through haze from the Cameron Peak Fire on Aug. 13, 2020, as seen from northwest Greeley. 2020 was one of the worst years for PM 2.5, as three record-breaking fires raged in the state and air quality alerts for the particulate matter were triggered on more than 110 days in Denver, Boulder and Weld counties. “There's no question our patients notice it,” said Dr. Anthony Gerber, a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health in Denver.
Investigation Finds Aurora Police And Paramedics Consistently Violate People's Rights. Here's What Happens Next
An Indian-American doctor was sitting in his car outside the building he owned in Aurora. He honked at a police cruiser blocking his way. An Aurora police officer responded by drawing a gun on the doctor, questioning him as if he was a criminal suspect. An Aurora officer investigating a trespassing call used his gun to repeatedly strike a man in the head, choked him for nearly a minute, and threatened to shoot him. Another officer who witnessed the incident did not intervene.
Reports Of Active COVID-19 Outbreaks Rise Three-Fold In Colorado Schools
Published September 9, 2021 at 4:01 PM MDT Billy Hathorn / CC BY-SA 3.0 Douglas County High School has 34 COVID-19 cases among staff and students. The outbreak there was first reported to state officials on Sept. 1. Reports of active coronavirus outbreaks at Colorado K-12 schools have accelerated in September compared to cases through all of August. Raw public health data released by the state this week and analyzed by KUNC shows outbreaks at 80 schools.
From Fort Collins, Friends Worked To Help A Family Fleeing The Taliban In Afghanistan
Courtesy Mohmad Shamsi Mahmod Shamsi and his family fled the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan with a little help from friends, including some in Fort Collins, Colorado. From half a world away in Fort Collins, Kelsey Baun watched the headlines unfold in Afghanistan. Her job as an independent consultant in education reform and workforce strategy gives no hint that she’d be tracking events on the ground, day-by-day, ahead of the U.S. withdrawal on Aug. 30.
Decrying Trump's Remarks On Space Command Location, Colorado Lawmakers Look To Investigations
Published August 23, 2021 at 4:23 PM MDT Courtesy White House / Former President Donald Trump announces the creation of U.S. Space Command at the White House on Aug. 29, 2019. For months, Colorado politicians have alleged that just before former president Donald Trump left the White House, he wrongly meddled in a process that named Alabama as the future home of U.S. Space Command. As Sen.
Congressman Crow’s Office Fields 400 Calls From Americans And Afghans Fleeing Taliban
Published August 18, 2021 at 1:49 PM MDT Courtesy Department of Defense / U.S. Gen. Frank McKenzie addresses American troops and Afghan civilians on board a C-17 Globemaster at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan on Aug. 17, 2021. In the two days since the Taliban has taken control of Kabul, Congressman Jason Crow’s office has been inundated with pleas for assistance. “I'm non-stop at this point, receiving texts, phone calls, emails of people with friends in Afghanistan,” Rep.
Tens Of Thousands Of Afghan Allies Could Be Left Behind Or Saved, Rep. Crow, Others Say
Lisa Ferdinando / U.S. Department of Defense A chinook helicopter supporting the visit of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III flies over Kabul, Afghanistan on March 21, 2021. As the Taliban sweeps Afghanistan, filling the void left by withdrawing U.S. troops, Rep. Jason Crow and other members of Congress who served in the military are warning of a humanitarian crisis.
VA Clinic In Aurora Could Be Named For Tuskegee Airman, CSU Football Player
Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library Photo of Air Force Lt. Col. John Mosley, a Tuskegee Airman. A congressman and community supporters are rallying behind the idea of naming a Veterans Affairs health clinic after John Mosley, a Denver native who became one of the military’s first Black pilots as a Tuskegee Airman during World War II. “There was a way in through the military because of resources, because of reach, because of access,” his grandson, John-Claude Futrell, said.
Some Colorado Hospitals, Companies Make COVID-19 Vaccination Mandatory For Workers
Published July 28, 2021 at 4:18 PM MDT Matt Bloom / KUNC COVID-19 vaccines rest on a table at a clinic in Aurora in February. This week, dozens of health organizations — from the American Medical Association to the American Nurses Association — said they support mandates that require health care workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The mandates are starting to trickle into Colorado. Banner Health is giving “all” 52,000 of its “team members,” with limited exceptions, until Nov.
Documents Indicate How Little Officials Knew About Mysterious Drones Last Year
Jo Bisch Peuchet / Pixabay File photo of a drone at sunset. Just before the coronavirus pandemic hit last year, Eastern Colorado was center stage for a kind of whodunnit. Ranchers, farmers — and even a few deputy sheriffs — described mysterious drones flying in the night skies. A report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, or UAPs, released last month by national intelligence officials didn’t say anything about the sightings in Colorado.
Colorado Stops Paramedics' Use Of Ketamine To Sedate People After Polis Signs Bill
Published July 8, 2021 at 4:37 PM MDT Paul Sableman / CC BY 2.0 Paramedics around Colorado must stop using ketamine to sedate people for excited delirium, following an order from state health officials. Denver Health is one of dozens of EMS providers affected. Colorado’s public health department issued an order Wednesday that prevents paramedics from using ketamine to sedate people in situations like the one involving Elijah McClain. The change came just hours after Gov.
Allegations That Trump Interfered In U.S. Space Command HQ Decision Linger
White House Photo Members of Colorado's congressional delegation are fighting the Trump administration's decision to move U.S. Space Command from Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs to the Army's Redstone Arsenal near Huntsville, Alabama. In the waning days of Donald Trump’s presidency, the Air Force announced that the headquarters for the U.S. Space Command should be located in Alabama.
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