Sarah Tory

New York

Independent Journalist at Freelance

Women's Desk Reporter at Aspen Public Radio

Freelance journalist | writing stories on environment, migration & rural communities | [email protected]

Articles

Food insecurity on the rise in the Roaring Fork Valley

1 week ago | aspenpublicradio.org | Sarah Tory

On Tuesday, volunteers at Food Bank of the Rockies’ mobile food pantry in El Jebel doled out bags of groceries to a line of cars moving through the parking lot. On an average day, they see around 180 cars, serving as many as 600 people throughout the region. One of the volunteers, Cecilia Perez, has volunteered at the mobile food pantry for four years. “Today, we have a lot more people than we had before,” she said.
A statewide initiative aims to build more inclusive housing for mentally disabled adults

1 week ago | kvnf.org | Sarah Tory

Aspen resident Sallie Bernhard has a 37-year-old son with severe autism. He lives in his own house in Carbondale, but requires 24/7 oversight from caregivers. Unlike in many urban areas, the Roaring Fork Valley offers little in the way of resources for adults like Bernard’s son and their families. Mountain Valley Developmental Services is the sole service provider in the region.
Colorado healthcare experts criticize flawed study on abortion drug

2 weeks ago | kunc.org | Sarah Tory

More than 70% of abortions at Glenwood Springs' Planned Parenthood clinic are administered using medication -- specifically mifepristone in combination with misoprostol. But a new mandate from the federal government directing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review the regulations around mifepristone could jeopardize the main way patients can access an abortion.
A statewide initiative aims to build more inclusive housing for mentally disabled adults

2 weeks ago | aspenpublicradio.org | Sarah Tory

Aspen resident Sally Bernhard has a 37-year-old son with severe autism. He lives in his own house in Carbondale, but requires 24/7 oversight from caregivers. Unlike in many urban areas, the Roaring Fork Valley offers little in the way of resources for adults like Bernard’s son and their families. Mountain Valley Developmental Services is the sole service provider in the region.
Healthcare experts criticize flawed study on abortion drug

3 weeks ago | aspenpublicradio.org | Sarah Tory

More than 70% of abortions at Glenwood Springs’ Planned Parenthood clinic are administered using medication — specifically mifepristone in combination with misoprostol. But a new mandate from the federal government directing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review the regulations around mifepristone could jeopardize the main way patients can access an abortion.
Garfield County organizes caregiver self-care event

3 weeks ago | aspenpublicradio.org | Sarah Tory

When Darcy Anthony and Leslie Wood’s father was alive, they promised him they would do everything in their power to keep him in his home, rather than sending him to a nursing home or assisted living facility. They kept their promise, and now they are doing the same for their almost 93-year-old mother. The sisters, who are in their 60s and live in New Castle, split caregiving responsibilities. Still, it’s a lot to handle.
Basalt Elementary School Celebrates 30 years of Bilingual Education

1 month ago | aspenpublicradio.org | Sarah Tory

On a Wednesday morning in April, a group of kindergarteners at Basalt Elementary School sang a song in Spanish in Ana Quiceno’s classroom, while across the hall, a first grade class was learning how to tell time in English. Thirty years ago, Basalt Elementary became a pioneer for bilingual education in the Roaring Fork Valley. The students, roughly 57% of whom identify as Hispanic or Latino, receive half their instruction in English and half in Spanish.
Colorado Medicaid to Cover Abortion Care Starting 2026

1 month ago | ksjd.org | Sarah Tory

Governor Jared Polis has signed a new bill into law, allowing Coloradans on Medicaid and other publicly funded health insurance plans to access abortion care. This legislation, which takes effect on January 1, 2026, follows the state's 2024 constitutional amendment ensuring abortion access. For decades, Medicaid and state employees’ insurance plans didn’t cover abortion, forcing private organizations like Planned Parenthood to cover the gap.
Eagle County Commissioners pass resolution reaffirming support for immigrant community

1 month ago | aspenpublicradio.org | Sarah Tory

The Trump Administration’s aggressive new immigration policies have left many members of Eagle County’s Latino communities feeling like they’re under attack. Their fears led the Eagle County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday to revisit and expand upon an earlier resolution it passed in 2016 in support of all Eagle County residents. A resolution from nine years ago felt “inadequate” to Commissioner Matt Scherr.
Is sustainable tourism possible?

1 month ago | hcn.org | Sarah Tory

For years,Crista Valentino felt uncomfortable about how Jackson, Wyoming, her adopted home, promoted itself as a tourist destination. Ads showed cringe-worthy montages of frolicking bear cubs and jagged peaks in nearby Grand Teton National Park. “I always felt a little bit icky, like we were marketing Jackson as a commodity,” she said. The Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board was primarily responsible.