Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Monday July 26th.

 

Today - Colorado’s Farmworkers Bill of Rights became law in June… So what does this new law look like out in the fields? 

 

Before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

 

Today we’re going back to July 26th, 1881 when crews digging under the Continental Divide for the DSP&P met one another deep underground at the holing through the Alpine Tunnel. This milestone came during Colorado’s mining economy boom when railroads competed to reach new towns and tap markets throughout the Rocky Mountains. 

 

 Now, our feature story. 

 

Colorado’s Farmworkers Bill of Rights became law in June, a measure that some people consider to be the most significant expansion of labor rights in the agricultural industry in decades. But what does this new law look like out in the fields? Colorado Sun’s social editor Danika Worthington talks with reporter Nancy Lofholm about the impact of this law on ag workers and their employers.

 

To read more of Nancy’s reporting on farmworkers’ labor rights, go to coloradosun.com. 

 

Thanks for listening. Finally, here are a few stories you should know about today:

 

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Friday made her first visit to the Bureau of Land Management headquarters in Grand Junction. The agency was relocated to western Colorado by the Trump Administration, with the promise that 320 jobs would move from Washington, D.C. In fact, only 3 jobs moved and now Haaland must decide whether the agency’s main office should remain outside the beltway. She said Friday that she must consider the well-being of the agency as she thinks about the future of its headquarters and that she is open to Grand Junction playing what she called a “significant role” in the BLM’s future.

 

As deadlines loom for Colorado to finalize its redistricting maps, the state’s independent redistricting commissions want the Colorado Supreme Court to move back their deadlines. Final Census data, already delayed by the pandemic, now is expected to arrive no sooner than Aug. 16, which leaves just two weeks for the nonpartisan redistricting staff to draw their maps. If the court won’t push back the Sept. 1 deadline set by the state constitution, staff is asking for permission to use preliminary data to create the maps, which would be adjusted later, using final data. If the maps aren’t finalized by the end of the year, the primary election will have to be delayed. 

 

Jury selection has begun in a trial against a former Nevada inmate accused of using a hammer to kill four people in Aurora in 1984. Alex Ewing was identified as a suspect in 2018 when a national database linked his DNA to evidence collected at the scene of the slain Bennet family. He was in prison at the time after being convicted of attacking a couple with an ax handle in their bedroom. Ewing fought extradition but was sent to Colorado to face the charges in 2020. He has pleaded not guilty.

 

The husband of Denver’s District Attorney pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted arson last week after leaving several slash fires burning unattended near his home in Grand County during a fire ban. Christopher Linsmayer — the husband of DA Beth McCann — pleaded guilty in exchange for a deferred sentence. If he successfully completes his two-year probation without committing other crimes, his charges will be dismissed. In 2016, he was suspected of unintentionally starting a 10-acre wildfire near his home that forced about a dozen homes to evacuate.

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. Now, a quick message from our editor.

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Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Friday July 23rd.

 

Today - A group of judges and attorneys are working to change Colorado's legal standard that has made it easy for attorneys to exclude people of color from serving on juries. 

 

We’d also like to take a moment to thank our sponsors at SunShare. SunShare is building a new community solar garden and YOU can participate! Your community solar subscription adds solar to the energy mix, and your utility buys that energy directly from you! So join the thousands of other Coloradans who share your commitment to clean energy. Space is limited and filling quickly, so make sure to visit us at mysunshare.com

 

But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

 

Today, we take you back to July 23rd, 1951 when Governor Dan Thornton requested that a state board ban the flogging of inmates at the penitentiary in Cañon City. This followed controversies that swirled about warden Roy Best. After years of his brutal discipline a grand jury indicted him and eight officers for violating the civil rights of inmates. This was a first in American history.

 

Now, our feature story.

 

A group of judges and attorneys on the Rules of Criminal Procedure Committee sent a proposal to the Colorado Supreme Court on ways to change the state’s inadequate, decades-old legal standard that has made it easy for attorneys to exclude people of color, especially African Americans, from serving on juries. The proposal was modeled after one that recently passed in Washington and that other states are looking to adapt. But the court said no. Colorado Sun’s social editor Danika Worthington talks with reporter Thy Vo about the court’s decision.

 

CLIP

 

To read more of Thy’s reporting on removing discrimination from jury selection, go to coloradosun.com. 

 

And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:

 

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said she supports the Biden administration’s pick to lead the Bureau of Land Management despite growing opposition from U.S. Senate Republicans. The secretary was in Colorado Thursday to visit the BLM’s headquarters in Grand Junction as she decides whether to keep it there. The nominee to lead the agency, Tracy Stone-Manning, has been linked to a 1989 environmental sabotage case in which she wrote a letter to the U.S. Forest Services warning that trees slated for logging in Idaho had been “spiked” with pieces of metal, which is potentially dangerous to loggers. Haaland did not address the incident, but said Stone-Manning has “built a lot of credibility” over the past years. If approved, Stone-Manning would lead the agency and its role in deciding whether to allow new oil and gas drilling on federal lands. 

 

Unvaccinated staff are at the center of a federal investigation into rising COVID-19 infections and deaths in Grand Junction nursing homes. The CDC investigated outbreaks of the delta variant in elder care facilities in Mesa County in May and June. At one location, 42 percent of the staff were still not fully vaccinated compared to only about 8 percent of residents. The vast majority of fully vaccinated people who become infected with the delta variant suffer only mild symptoms. But health experts say older adults may not fully respond to the vaccine, which puts them at risk when exposed to a person infected with the highly contagious delta variant.

 

Multiple years after asking for how much it would cost to leave Tri-State Generation, rural electric cooperatives finally received an estimate — but only after federal regulators got involved. One co-op received a price tag of $449 million. Another, $1.5 billion. Co-ops called the costs “outrageous” and said they create barriers to leaving. At least 17 of the 43 members of Tri-State are interested in leave the association, in part because of its long-time dependence on power generated using coal.

 

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.

 

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Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Thursday July 22nd.

 

Today - Even after losing over $1 million in state funding, one of Colorado’s poorest school districts gave its superintendent a 17 percent raise. Many disapproved of the decision and it even led to one critic resigning from the school board.

 

We’d also like to take a moment to thank our sponsors at SunShare. SunShare is building a new community solar garden and YOU can participate! Your community solar subscription adds solar to the energy mix, and your utility buys that energy directly from you! So join the thousands of other Coloradans who share your commitment to clean energy. Space is limited and filling quickly, so make sure to visit us at mysunshare.com

 

But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

 

Today, we take you back to July 22nd, 1984 when one of the most bizarre funerals ever witnessed in Colorado took place. On Muldoon Hill along a highway in Pueblo County local residents bade farewell to a famous neighbor - a century-old ceramic composite of a prehistoric man nearly 8 feet tall and weighing half a ton, known as the Solid Muldoon.  Its creator, George Hull wanted to fool the world into believing he had found the missing link between man and monkeys.

 

Now, our feature story.

 

One of Colorado’s poorest school districts gave its superintendent a 17 percent raise after losing more than $1 million in state funding. The district said it was a necessary move to keep superintendent Pat Sandos. Others call it “a glaring inequity,” one critic going so far as to resign from the school board in response. Colorado Sun’s social editor Danika Worthington talks with reporter Erica Breunlin about the pay raise.

 

To read more of Erica’s reporting on Sheridan School District, go to coloradosun.com. 

 

And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:

One woman is dead and three other people missing after more than an inch of rain fell on the former Cameron Peak fire burn zone, sending flash floods full of debris into Poudre Canyon on Tuesday night. Debris from the mudslide destroyed at least five structures and damaged the road a few miles west of Rustic. Engineering crews are checking for structural damage to bridges downstream. The Sheriff’s Office has closed the Poudre River, which will likely remain closed through the weekend to all uses, including commercial rafting, as crews remove debris.

 

Colorado is expected to receive at least $300 million under a new tentative settlement with several major drug distributors and a manufacturer for their role in the opioid epidemic. But local governments have to sign on to the deal first. Colorado is just one state in the tentative settlement with Cardinal Health, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Johnson & Johnson, which totals $26 billion nationwide. If approved, this would bring Colorado’s total funds from opioid-crisis litigation to nearly $400 million.

 

Despite the rhetoric of Colorado politicians, there’s still quite a lot of bipartisanship going on behind the scenes. The Sun analyzed the final third-reading votes on the 504 bills that became law this session and found that 94 percent of them had at least one Republican’s vote despite Democratic control of the Capitol. To put it another way, only 22 bills — or 4.4 percent — were passed on pure party-line votes. But there were still partisan exceptions, such as when all 39 Republicans voted against six bills aimed at increasing regulations on firearms.

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.

 

The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.

 

Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you’ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Wednesday July 21st, 

 

Today - Colorado’s Medicaid program is in need of an overhaul. So can the recent $500 million injection of funds solve the issues?

 

But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

 

Today, we take you back to July 21st, 1880 when The US Army established a small outpost on the Uncompahgre River. The goal was to force Utes to move downstream while holding back the nearly 2,000 Americans who desired that region and planned to settle there. 

 

Now, our feature story.

 

Colorado’s Medicaid program got a $500 million injection of funds. This could bring a lot of help to the program, which is in need of an overhaul — but it comes with a caveat. The funds only last for three years. Colorado Sun’s social editor Danika Worthington talks with reporters Jennifer Brown and Michael Booth about how Colorado plans to use these funds and how that sets it apart from other states.

 

To read more of Jennifer and Michael’s reporting on Medicaid’s plans for the future, go to coloradosun.com. 

 

And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:

 

The Colorado AFL-CIO says it won’t donate to any state Democratic committees, campaigns or candidates for almost a year. Leaders of the union say this is because their reps weren’t brought to the caucus when important issues were discussed this legislative session. They say their seats were given to business and opposition groups. Unions have traditionally been an important voter bloc -- and a significant source of campaign cash -- for Democrats. Morgan Carroll, the leader of the state Democratic party said the unions still are important to Colorado politics and people. Unions are essential for a healthy economy and good quality of life, she said. 

 

Releases from some upstream reservoirs have allowed some fishing restrictions to have been lifted along a stretch of the Colorado River. But that doesn’t mean they’re gone for good. Biologists warn that historically low water flows caused by the drought could combine with high water temperatures and wildfire sediment to create conditions that starve trout of oxygen, forcing more bans down the line. 

 

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet said he is confident that the temporary expansion of the federal Child Tax Credit will be made permanent — he’s just not sure when. The Democrat sat down with Sun reporter Jesse Paul this week to answer reader questions about the bill. The tax credit allows parents of children up to age 17 to receive monthly installments of cash if their income is below a set limit. Payments began last week under the American Rescue Plan. Republicans in Congress have spoken out against the tax-credit expansion, but Bennet still maintains that they’ll come around, saying the credit is “enormously popular with American people.” 

 

The chair of former President Donald Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee was arrested Tuesday on charges alleging that he and two others — including a 27-year-old Aspen man named Matthew Grimes — conspired to influence Trump’s foreign policy positions to benefit the United Arab Emirates. Federal prosecutors say Grimes was regularly in contact with senior leadership of the UAE. Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark Lesko characterized the conduct as “nothing short of a betrayal of those officials in the United States, including the former President.”

 

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.

 

The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.

 

Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you’ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Tuesday July 20th,

 

Today - Officials are saying there’ll be 2.5 million fewer acre-feet of natural runoff flowing into Lake Powell this year. 

 

Now, water engineers are now forced to switch gears, meaning they’ll be pulling water from other sources.

 

But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

 

Today, we’re taking you back to July 20th, 2012 when a movie theater in Aurora filled with patrons for the debut of “The Dark Knight Rises”. But what started as excited escapism turned into an infamous moment of domestic terrorism when a gunman opened fire on the crowd, killing 12 people and injuring others. 

 

Now, our feature story.

 

The on-going drought in the West has become so severe that federal officials predict there will be 2.5 million fewer acre-feet of natural runoff flowing into Lake Powell this year. Water levels are in danger of falling below the electric turbine intakes for the lake’s Glen Canyon Dam, which is alarming news for the power grid. Federal water engineers are now forced to switch to Plan B, which means pulling water from other sources — including Colorado’s Blue Mesa Reservoir. Colorado Sun’s social editor Danika Worthington talks with reporter Michael Booth about the dangerously low water levels.

 

To read more of Michael’s reporting on the impact of the drought on the West, go to coloradosun.com. 

And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:

 

A 24-year-old man has been convicted of vehicular homicide after prosecutors say he hit a car while driving around 120 mph during a Facebook livestream showing him speeding. Bryan Kirby was accused of driving as fast as 167 mph during the stream on a highway near Denver while making comments to viewers about his speed. He rapidly crossed from the left lane to the right and crashed into a sedan from behind. The driver of the sedan died at the scene.

 

In 2018, former Georgetown police officer Jon Geiger was convicted of excessive force. It triggered an automatic revocation of his officer’s state certification, which is supposed to prevent him from working as a police officer in Colorado. But now he’s serving as an interim police chief for the small town of Nunn in Weld County. How? A loophole that allows the Peace Officer Standards and Training board to keep officers who have been convicted of crimes in their jobs. His case highlights the power of the POST board as state lawmakers work to increase police accountability. 

 

The total number of marijuana arrests dropped 68% between 2012 and 2019, according to a new report from the Colorado Department of Public Safety. The report, which aimed to track the impact of marijuana legalization, said the disparity of arrests by race and ethnicity had not changed in any meaningful way since legalization. For White Coloradans, the number of arrests dropped by 72 percent. For Black Coloradans, it dropped by 63 percent and for Hispanic Coloradans, it dropped by 55 percent. Although it’s important to note that report writers said it was difficult to find definitive impacts of legalization because of a variety of factors, including data sources that vary considerably, a lack of pre-commercialization data and a decrease in social stigma.  

 

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.

 

The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.

 

Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you’ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Monday July 19th. 

 

This year, Colorado lawmakers passed a bill requiring school districts with Native American mascots to make a change or face thousands of dollars in fines. 

 

Today - Colorado Sun contributor Sue McMillin joined reporter Jesse Paul to discuss how districts are reacting to the new law.

 

Before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

 

Today we’re going back to July 19th, 1879 when Colorado finally found its state limits. For years surveyors worked through rugged terrain to define Colorado’s straight boundaries. But it turns out, they’re not actually straight. All four edges meander from their course to some extent. In fact, a study done in 2018 suggested that as a result of the surveying challenges Colorado has no fewer than 697 sides. That makes it a hexahectaenneacontakaiheptagon.

 

 Now, our feature story. 

 

Only a few of Colorado’s public schools still use team names such as Redskins, Savages, Warriors and Indians. But a new state law says all of them must figure out how to rebrand with names and mascots that don’t misuse Native American images. They have until June of 2022 to complete the work or face $25,000 per month fines. Colorado Sun contributor Sue McMillin has been following the issue for almost a year. Last week, she went to Lamar, where the high school teams and even local streets carry the Savages name. She explained to reporter Jesse Paul how fraught the discussion of changing is, even sparking threats of lawsuits to avoid complying with the new law. 

 

To read more about how Colorado schools are rethinking their team names, visit coloradosun.com.

 

Thanks for listening. Finally, here are a few stories you should know about today:

 

Drought in the West is so severe and persistent that large reservoirs in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico must for the first time release water to replenish Lake Powell. The Bureau of Reclamation on Friday said about 2.5 million acre-feet of water that was projected to flow into Lake Powell has effectively disappeared because of drought. Water levels at Lake Powell are so low that there is a risk that turbines on the huge hydro electric plant will have to stop turning. Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Wyoming and Blue Mesa Reservoir near Gunnison will begin releasing water in August. Navajo Reservoir, which straddles the Colorado-New Mexico border, will send water starting in November. The reservoirs will in total send about 175,000 acre-feet of water, enough to raise Lake Powell by three feet.

 

Business leaders shocked University of Colorado economists with record high optimism about the state’s economy, sales and hiring. The most recent quarterly Colorado Business Review reported a third of the 250 business leaders polled said their sales never decreased during the pandemic. Another 19 percent said sales have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Most said they expect their company’s employment to return to pre-pandemic levels sometime between September and the end of 2022. The researchers from the Leeds Business Research Division at CU also said  Colorado’s real gross domestic product fully recovered from the recession by March 31.

 

Plague has been confirmed in a sample of fleas collected as part of the investigation into the death of a 10-year-old La Plata County girl on July 5. San Juan Basin Public Health said the fleas were tested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The local health department said it is reaching out to people who live in south central La Plata County, near where the fleas were collected, to remind them to take precautions against the disease, including the use of veterinarian-approved flea control products for domestic animals. Plague, which is treatable, is caused by bacteria that can be transmitted to humans by the bites of infected fleas or by direct contact with infected animals. Plague has been found in animals in multiple Colorado counties this summer. 

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. Now, a quick message from our editor.

The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.

 

Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you’ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.

 

Featured clip from: KOAA-TV

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Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Friday July 16th.

 

Some areas of Colorado’s Front Range have been hit harder than others by COVID-19. 

In many cases, those neighborhoods are communities of color or made up of low-income households. 

 

Today we take a look at new research that’s reinforcing the disparities we’ve seen during the pandemic.

 

But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

 

Today, we take you back to July 16th, 1945 when scientists with the top secret Manhattan Project successfully tested the first atomic bomb in New Mexico. It was fuel from western Colorado, in part, that made this terrifying new weapon possible. Prospectors had discovered radioactive minerals in several Colorado counties back in the 1890’s.

 

Now, our feature story.

 

All of Colorado’s Front Range has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, but some neighborhoods have been hit harder than others. In many cases, those hardest-hit neighborhoods are communities of color or made up of low-income households. In Denver, the pandemic has been particularly relentless in a cluster of poor neighborhoods within a region known as the “inverted L,” where health impacts of many types have l been notably worse than in more affluent parts of the city. As Colorado Sun health care reporter John Ingold tells Erica Breunlin, new research is reinforcing the glaring disparities behind COVID-19.

 

To read more about how the pandemic has affected neighborhoods in the Front Range differently, visit coloradosun.com.

 

And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:

 

A federal grand jury has indicted Denver-based DaVita Inc. and the dialysis company’s former CEO Kent Thiry on charges that they conspired with competing companies not to try to hire certain employees. DaVita and Thiry are accused of two counts of violating the Sherman Act, which involves antitrust law. They are due in court on July 20 for their initial appearance. If convicted, DaVita could face a maximum penalty of a $100 million fine per count. Thiry would face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine per count. Thiry has denied the accusations.

Although COVID-19 restrictions slowed business across Colorado, the struggle wasn’t as terrible as many feared it would be. Some chambers of commerce report having retained most of their members during the pandemic and even signing on new ones. State data shows that operating businesses are keeping steady, and new business filings jumped 32.2% in the first quarter compared to a year ago. Still, many businesses did not persevere through the recession caused by the pandemic. Those that have prevailed are no longer focused on surviving but rather on re-emerging problems, like finding enough workers.

The American West is enduring extreme heat and drought, suffering some of the consequences of climate change, scientists say. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. has set 585 new heat records that in the past month. The average daily high temperature for the region from the Rockies and to the west in June was 85.7 degrees, 1.3 degrees warmer than the previous record. Additionally, close to 60% of the West is in exceptional or extreme drought, according to the University of Nebraska’s Drought Monitor. That represents the highest percentage in the monitor’s 20-year history. Meanwhile, soil moisture levels have plummeted to some of the lowest recorded levels in many Western states while 68 large fires are actively burning, torching more than 1 million acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

 

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Thursday July 15th.

 

Today - Given the potential for COVID-19 to spread in jails, Colorado law enforcement worked to reduce the number of people behind bars throughout the pandemic.

 

But now, with restrictions easing, many jails may be back to pre-pandemic levels in the near future. 

 

But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

 

Today, we take you back to July 15th, 1943 when A deal between the federal departments of agriculture and war, authorized the US Army to use thousands of acres of the White River National Forest to train soldiers for winter mountain combat. The arrangement transformed Camp Hale into a facility specializing in combat on skis.

 

Now, our feature story.

 

With the potential for COVID-19 to spread quickly across tight quarters in Colorado jails, law enforcement took steps to decrease the number of people behind bars. But as communities lift pandemic restrictions, populations at many of the state’s largest jails are inching back up and could jump back to pre-pandemic levels. As Colorado Sun reporter Olivia Prentzel tells Erica Breunlin, law enforcement is doing away with many of the changes to keep the census down, including some that kept petty criminals out of jail during the pandemic. But jurisdictions are also monitoring community cases of Covid and could reassess their protocols later this year.  

 

To read more about Colorado’s rebounding jail populations, visit coloradosun.com.

 

And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:

Colorado Parks and Wildlife will outfit as many as 30 bald eagles with transmitters as part of a four-year study to determine how the protected raptors have adapted to rapid population growth along the Front Range and identify planning measures that could ensure the bird’s future as that growth continues. The study will monitor nesting sites, food sources such as prairie dog colonies, reproduction and migration from the Denver area north to the Wyoming border. CPW estimates there are more than 90 breeding pairs of bald eagles in the corridor. There were none at the end of the 1970s. 

 

Denver Water sued Boulder County in federal court Tuesday saying county officials are slow-walking decisions on plans to expand Gross Reservoir, threatening crucial federal permits and construction timelines. Denver Water says delay tactics, including repeating requests for information collected during the already completed federal permitting process, is endangering the $464 million project to raise the dam southwest of Boulder to add 77,000 acre-feet of water storage.

 

The U.S. Senate’s top Democrat is backing a bill that would strike down a longstanding federal prohibition on marijuana. But a Colorado-led effort to give the legal cannabis industry access to banking could be placed in an indefinite holding pattern because of the more sweeping measure, which doesn’t appear to have a path to passage. The bill backed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer would treat marijuana much like alcohol or tobacco, allowing it to be taxed and regulated. The legalization push comes as Colorado’s U.S. Representative Ed Perlmutter continues yearslong work to grant the legal marijuana industry access to banking through the SAFE Banking Act. Legal cannabis businesses have not been able to access full banking services because banks are federally regulated and marijuana remains federally illegal. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker also is a sponsor of the legalization bill and said he would not support the banking bill so long as the broader legislation is in play.

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.

 

The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.

 

Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you’ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Wednesday July 14th.

 

Today - Many resort communities across Colorado are short on housing, employees and hospitality. But locals are in a tough spot, since they depend on tourism. As a solution, some towns are considering spending money on the housing crisis instead of marketing.

 

But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

 

Today, we take you back to July 14th, 1938 when President Franklin D Roosevelt signed an executive order expanding the Dinosaur National Monument across the boundary in Utah into Colorado. Back in 1869 John W Powell noted that fossils remained in the area. 

 

Now, our feature story.

 

As people have flooded mountain towns during the pandemic, many resort communities are feeling overcrowded -- short on housing, employees and hospitality. Locals now are in a tough spot, understanding that they depend on tourism, but knowing that they may also be at capacity. Some towns are thinking about diverting money they usually spend marketing their towns as destinations toward solutions to the housing crisis. As outdoor reporter Jason Blevins tells Erica Breunlin, tourism is quickly evolving in Colorado’s mountain communities as they struggle to both preserve their own culture and share the beauty of the high country with outsiders.

 

To read more about how Colorado’s resort towns are pursuing more sustainable tourism, visit coloradosun.com.

 

And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:

 

An Idaho Springs police officer has been charged with third-degree assault for using a Taser on a 75-year-old man without warning less than a minute after he answered his door while holding a serrated sword, but after he had put down the weapon. The arrest warrant for Officer Nicholas Hanning says he was responding to a report that Michael Clark had punched his roommate in the face. A judge on Tuesday ordered the affidavit unsealed and also ordered that body camera footage in the case must be released to the public by July 29 under a new state law signed by Gov. Jared Polis on July 6.

 

Hundreds of aircraft are used to fight wildfires each year. But airport officials facing jet fuel shortages are concerned they’ll have to wave off planes and helicopters that drop fire retardants during what could be a ferocious wildfire season. Overall, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said jet fuel inventories in the U.S. are at or above the five-year average, except in the Rocky Mountains, where they are 1% below. Most larger airports, such as those in Denver, Seattle and Boise, are supplied by pipeline. But jet fuel is delivered by truck to many smaller, outlying airports, such as the one in Aspen, and to many of the airports with tanker bases, some of them hundreds of miles away from jet fuel refineries or pipelines.

 

The threat of flash floods shut Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon again Tuesday afternoon for the third time in less than a month. But ecologists working in parts of the Grizzly Creek burn zone high above the canyon have been racing since last winter to get seeds planted in every path of scorched earth that could slump to the highway below. The work is designed to stabilize soil and restore damage in areas of the 32,000-acre burn scar that can still grow plants. One ecologist said she’s seen encouraging signs of natural vegetation coming back -- including significant growth of snowberry, chokecherry and fireweed.

 

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.

 

The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.

 

Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you’ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Tuesday July 13th,

 

Today - Last November Coloradans voted to reintroduce gray wolves to the state. And Colorado Parks and Wildlife is in their informational phase - collecting feedback - as they put together a plan. But already, the gray wolf population is starting to grow.

 

But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

 

Today, we’re taking you back to July 13th, 1887 when the Colorado Midland Railway had its inaugural run westward from Colorado Springs, over Wilkerson Pass, and across Trout Creek Pass to Buena Vista. The Colorado Midland owed its existence to James J Hagerman, an iron railroad tycoon from Wisconsin. 

 

Now, our feature story.

 

One of the most contentious issues on the 2020 ballot was one that moved to reestablish gray wolves in Colorado. The measure passed by a narrow margin, setting in motion the development of plans to bring back the predator that has been absent from the landscape since the 1940s. It’s a path wildlife officials in Montana and Idaho have already gone down. Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown talked with biologists in both states to find out just how adaptable they found wolves to be. She discussed some of the details with Erica Breunlin.

 

To read more about the plan to reestablish wolves in western Colorado go to coloradosun.com

And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:

 

The wife of a well-known Colorado political strategist died when a Florida condominium building collapsed last month, authorities confirmed on Sunday. Cassondra Stratton was on the phone with her husband Michael Stratton when the Champlain Towers South building collapsed on June 24. Stratton, who worked as a model and actress, split her time between Florida and Colorado, where her husband is a senior policy director at the powerful Denver-based lobbying and law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber. He has directed Democratic political campaigns for years.

 

Denver police say they found more than a dozen guns, high capacity ammunition magazines, methamphetamine, heroin and ecstacy pills Friday night when they arrested four people in a swanky hotel a block from Coors Field. Court documents say a housekeeper noticed the guns and reported them to hotel management. Denver police said they found the firearms and accessories so close to Coors Field days before the All-Star Game, to be concerning. However, FBI investigators said there was no threat to the game or visitors.

 

Even before a heat wave gripped the desert southwest setting new temperature records, the bureau of reclamation was warning that water levels are falling so fast in Lake Powell and Lake Mead that massive water restrictions may soon be triggered for Nevada, California and Arizona. Both reservoirs are fed by the Colorado River, and this year, though snowpack was average in Colorado, it soaked into drought-parched soils or evaporated before it had a chance to boost the river flow.

 

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.

 

The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.

 

Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you’ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.