Carbondale-based nonprofit Youthentity hosted its first civics bee this week for middle school students on the Western Slope. Similar competitions — like the spelling bees — have helped schools reach certain learning benchmarks. This story is part of our “On the Ground” radio series, which highlights solutions to local and global issues from Roaring Fork and Colorado River valley organizations.

The city’s planning and zoning commission revoked a decades-old permit for a short-term ICE detention facility located at the Midland Center on Tuesday night. The decision could result in a legal battle over whether ICE can continue to operate there.

The county estimated the entire project would cost about $31 million. FCI Constructor’s bid came in at around $40 million.

The Aspen Institute awarded Maria Reva with its Aspen Words Literary Prize on Thursday. She won the prize for her novel, “Endling,” which focuses on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War.

A new report from the American Lung Association finds about half of U.S. children are living in areas with unhealthy air quality, and several Mountain West cities rank among the most polluted in the country.

More than 60 organizations published a policy paper in response to a recent push to sell public lands for housing. They argue that such proposals would need to check certain boxes to ensure affordability and community benefits.

“Suppression is always going to be there,” Chief Brian Fennessy told the Mountain West News Bureau. “But we're not going to suppress our way out of this situation.”

Proponents of a bill in Colorado say stronger roofs would mean less damage during storms, and lower home insurance costs.

Many of the nation's overgrown forests are at high risk of burning. Under the Trump administration, work to reduce flammable vegetation fell by more than a million acres compared to previous years.

President Trump has thrown his support behind challengers to Republican state senators who opposed his redistricting push.

The bipartisan bill would block companies from using auto-dialers to harvest private information about disabled veterans. The firms charge vets for a service lawmakers say is supposed to be free.

In 23 states, including five presidential swing states, candidates who've denied election results are running for offices that have a direct role in certifying future elections, a new report finds.