Regan Mertz
Arts & Culture ReporterRegan is a journalist for Aspen Public Radio’s Arts & Culture Desk. Regan moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in July 2024 for a job as a reporter at The Aspen Times. While she had never been to Colorado before moving for the job, Regan has now lived in ten different states due to growing up an Army brat. She considers Missouri home, and before moving West, she lived there and worked at a TV station.
Regan graduated from the Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism, earning a Master of Arts in Documentary and Photojournalism in December 2022. She received her Bachelor of Journalism in Radio and Convergence Journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in May 2021. Throughout college, Regan worked at every Missouri School of Journalism publication, including the local NPR station.
She spent her summers working as a fellow for the Reynolds Journalism Institute, where she worked on a podcast with The Oregonian and audio stories for South Dakota Public Radio. She has also worked in Washington, D.C., at the Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival and Symposium and at the Library of Congress as a research assistant.
Regan is a White House Correspondents’ Association scholarship recipient and has won awards from the Missouri Broadcasters Association and a Missouri Press Association, along with receiving an Edward R. Murrow in 2021.
When not reporting, she enjoys trying out new hikes with her dog and reading with her cat. Regan is also learning to ski for the first time this winter.
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Over 7,000 animals were killed in wildlife-vehicle collisions on Colorado roads in 2025. Local nonprofit Roaring Fork Safe Passages has worked since 2022 to make Highway 82 safer. This story is part of our “On the Ground” radio series that highlights solutions to local and global issues from Roaring Fork and Colorado River valley organizations. -
The fledgling initiative is a series meant to showcase locals’ talent in the Roaring Fork Valley — especially during Aspen’s off season. -
The mural is the first of three that will highlight young immigrants’ memories and creative expression in Carbondale. The art project is part of a program supported by Carbondale-based nonprofit VOICES. -
Dance Initiative reanudó este mes las clases de danza Folklórico en el valle de Roaring Fork, después de que el Aspen Santa Fe Ballet pusiera fin a este programa de larga tradición. Ahora, algunos de sus exalumnos están asumiendo el papel de la próxima generación de maestros. -
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 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. -
After Pitkin County agreed to fund a feasibility study for wildlife crossings, Roaring Fork Safe Passages went on an EcoFlight on Monday. Colorado’s Wildlife Collision Prevention Act is also making its way to the state house floor, which would fund similar projects.
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The bridge would cross sections of unincorporated Garfield County, and commissioners argue the city needs their approval. Glenwood Springs argues that both the city and the Colorado Department of Transportation have determined the county doesn’t have jurisdiction under state law. -
Dance Initiative brought back Folklórico dance classes to the Roaring Fork Valley this month after the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet ended the longstanding program. Now, some of its old students are stepping up as the next generation of teachers. -
Artnauts is an artist collective that works to draw attention to global issues through the visual arts. Despite originating in Colorado, the group usually shows internationally, and making a stateside appearance is rare.
