Laura Palmisano
Laura joined KVNF in 2014. She was the news director for two years and now works as a freelance reporter covering Colorado's Western Slope. Before moving to Colorado, Laura worked as a reporter for Arizona Public Media, a public radio and television station in Tucson. She's also worked at public radio station KJZZ and public television station KAET Arizona PBS in Phoenix. Her work has aired on NPR, the BBC, Marketplace, Harvest Public Media, and on stations across the Rocky Mountain Community Radio network. Laura is an award-winning journalist with work recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, Colorado Broadcasters Association, and RTDNA. In 2015, she was a fellow for the Institute for Justice & Journalism. Her fellowship project, a three-part series on the Karen refugee community in Delta, Colorado, received a regional Edward R. Murrow Award. Laura also has experience as a radio host, producer, writer, production assistant, videographer, and video editor. She graduated summa cum laude from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.
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In the United States, less than one percent of midwives are male, according to national data. That figure holds true in Colorado. State data, from February of this year, shows there are four men certified as nurse-midwives here. For KVNF, Laura Palmisano speaks to one of those midwives: Adrian Medina. He's the only male nurse-midwife on staff at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction. -
Remote Hinsdale County is not a ski destination like Aspen or Telluride. Lake City, the county’s only incorporated town, touts its ski hill as what skiing was like before the rise of mega ski resorts. For KVNF, Laura Palmisano reports from opening day. -
Imagine traveling and needing a guide book to tell you what places would offer you lodging or services based on the color of your skin. This was the reality for Black travelers in the United States prior to the end of segregation. History Colorado, the state's historic division, plans a statewide survey of these locations, also known as Green Book sites. A recent federal grant of nearly $75,000 will help make this possible. To learn more, KVNF's Laura Palmisano brings us an interview with History Colorado Chief Preservation Officer Patrick Eidman and Deputy State Preservation Officer Poppie Gullet. -
The Sand Creek Massacre is the deadliest day in Colorado's history. On Nov. 29, 1864, a peaceful group of Cheyenne and Arapaho were attacked by U.S. troops despite being promised protection by the military. On that day, more than 230 indigenous women, children, and elders were slaughtered. Northern Arapaho tribal member and Carbondale resident Kate Collins’ great great grandmother survived the massacre. In a recent op-ed in the Sopris Sun, Collins writes about her ancestor and about the new History Colorado exhibit that commemorates the Sand Creek Massacre. For KVNF, Laura Palmisano brings us an interview with her. -
Every birth experience is different. Some are joyful, even spiritual occasions. Others result in emergency situations or even tragedy. This week on Local Motion, four mothers share their birth stories. -
Over the summer, the invasive Japanese Beetle was detected in Grand Junction. The adult beetle feeds on more than 300 species of plants including those that are a major part of Western Slope's agricultural economy such as sweet corn, peaches, and grapes. The invasive insect already plagues some communities on the Front Range. For KVNF, Laura Palmisano interviews Rich Guggenheim, Plant Health Certification Program Manager for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. -
Demand for services at the Food Bank of the Rockies Western Slope Distribution Center in Palisade is up 28 percent since March 2020. KVNF's Laura Palmisano speaks with the organization's Western Slope Director Sue Ellen Rodwick about how the agency is meeting the increased need in the 13 counties it serves. -
This week on Local Motion, reporter Laura Palmisano interviews Dr. Nicki Gonzales about how Latinos shaped Colorado history. Dr. Gonzales is a noted historian and Professor of History and Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion at Regis University in Denver. She is also a member of History Colorado’s State Historian’s Council. Gonzales was appointed Colorado State Historian last year by Governor Jared Polis for a one-year term that ended at the beginning of this month. She was the first Latino to hold that position. -
Governor Jared Polis stopped in remote Hinsdale County on Wednesday to visit Peninsula Park on Lake San Cristobal. For KVNF, Laura Palmisano reports from the event just outside of Lake City. -
Governor Jared Polis stopped just outside Lake City in remote Hinsdale County yesterday to visit Peninsula Park on Lake San Cristobal. Laura Palmisano was there. Plus, as reporter Eric Galatas explains, mountain resort towns are seeing the pros and cons of attracting the wealthiest residents.
