Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Friday June 11th.

 

Today - During the pandemic many Coloradans struggled to find help from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. So what caused the enormous backlog of applications? And how have they addressed it? 

 

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 June 1996 when a parade through downtown Denver allowed nearly a half million people to celebrate the state’s first championship in a professional sport. The Colorado Avalanche hockey team had brought home the Stanley Cup. They swept the Florida Panthers to win.

 

Now, our feature story.

 

As the pandemic began taking a toll on many Coloradans’ livelihoods, some struggled to find help with rent from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. The problem: Early on, just one state employee was responsible for answering all the calls for help applying for housing assistance. With an enormous backlog of applications this spring, the department hired an emergency services contractor for nearly $1 million to help process the applications. The company has since had to more than triple its workforce to 100 people and the cost of the contract has grown to $6.5 million. Reporters Tamara Chuang and Erica Breunlin talked about the arduous task of sorting through thousands of applications for help with rent. 

 

To read more about how HORNE has churned through the backlog of housing assistance applications and review its contracts, visit coloradosun.com.

 

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

 

With drought conditions escalating on the Western Slope, the National Weather Service issued its first “extremely critical” fire danger warning in 15 years for the northwest part of the state. The warning was for parts of Moffat and Rio Blanco counties that also are in a state of “exceptional drought.” About 45 percent of Colorado -- all west of the Continental Divide -- is currently in some state of drought, with 17.5 percent categorized as exceptional drought.

Rocky Mountain National Park is working to control crowds of summer visitors by implementing a timed-entry permit system. Until October 11, people will have to make reservations to access the park. The park, the third-busiest national park in the country, has seen a big uptick in travelers, drawing about 4.6 million people in 2019, up 1.5 million from 2012. Park officials worry that overcrowding is degrading natural resources while also increasing safety concerns and straining park amenities.

 

Colorado lawmakers have pushed forward a significant expansion of labor rights for nearly 40,000 agricultural workers through a bill Gov. Jared Polis appears ready to sign. The so-called Farmworkers Bill of Rights incorporates a long list of provisions, including granting Colorado farm workers the right to organize or join labor unions, be paid minimum wage and collect overtime, and be protected from retaliation if they report abuse.

 

An environmental coalition is asking the Colorado to clamp down on emissions of sulfur dioxide from the coal-fired Pawnee station electric plant near Brush. They say the state set a rolling average for emissions of sulfur dioxide that violates EPA clean-air rules. The group used EPA data to show the plant exceeded safe levels of emissions of the gas for 149 hours in 2019 and 200 hours last year. The gas can harm the human respiratory system and make it difficult to breathe. It also combines with other compounds in the atmosphere to cause haze.

 

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 June 10th.

 

Today - The mental health crisis for young Coloradans has grown more severe during the pandemic. So how are lawmakers pushing to support them in this session? 

 

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 June 10th, 1931 when a Greeley man named Jesse Nusbaum was notified about evidence of prehistoric evidence in Larimer County. The location, known now as the Lindenmeier Site, has contributed essential and diverse information about the earliest inhabitants of Colorado. The evidence shows that there were likely dozens of Folsom people there more than 12,000 years ago.

 

Now, our feature story.

 

For several years, young Coloradans have increasingly struggled with mental health crises -- crises that have grown even more severe during the pandemic. Children’s Hospital Colorado has reported that psychiatric emergency room visits were 90% higher in April than they were in April 2019, and hospital emergency departments have been overwhelmed with kids who have just attempted suicide. Reporters Jen Brown and Erica Breunlin discussed several efforts lawmakers pushed forward this session to support students battling mental health issues. These include a $114 million bill that directs money to mental health and substance abuse treatment, with nearly $20 million set aside to specifically help kids. But some some mental health advocates see these legislative efforts as merely “downpayment” on creating a mental health care system in Colorado that can respond to both kids and adults in desperate need of help.

 

To read more about lawmakers’ efforts to better help kids battling mental health issues, visit coloradosun.com.

 

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

Coronavirus vaccines are proving successful in protecting Coloradans against COVID-19, as evidenced by few breakthrough cases in the state. About 1.7 percent of Colorado’s coronavirus cases since Jan. 15 have been in a person who is fully vaccinated. Slicing it another way, about one-tenth of a percent of Coloradans who are fully immunized have contracted COVID-19. State officials say the low  numbers are in line with their expectations.

A state biologist and district wildlife manager made a big discovery over the weekend when they each laid eyes on a litter of at least three gray wolf pups with their parents. There could be even more pups as most wolf litters contain four to six pups. The gray wolf pups are the first spotted in Colorado in 80 years, state wildlife officials said. Just last year, voters narrowly passed a ballot measure requiring Colorado to reintroduce gray wolves on public lands in the state’s western region by the end of 2023.

Urban streams and rivers in the Front Range are flowing so high and fast that officials are closing parts of the Poudre River and Clear Creek to keep people out of the water. In Fort Collins, the Poudre Fire Authority has rescued 18 people from cold and rushing waters since May 1. Melting snowpack from the mountains often sends dangerously cold water flowing through the Poudre River at a higher rate. Most people who have needed to be rescued this season have been trapped in piles of debris, some of which was carried downstream from the Cameron Peak fire burn scar.

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 June 9th.

 

Today - Housing in Colorado’s high country has become out of reach for many who live and work there, but new state and federal funds could help in the effort to create more affordable housing. 

 

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 June 9th, 1864 when The Cache La Poudre River overflowed its banks after a rainstorm. The flood in Larimer County took no lives, but it destroyed a small military installation known as Camp Collins.

 

Now, our feature story.

 

Housing in Colorado’s high country has become increasingly out of reach for the people who live and work there -- a problem that has only worsened during the pandemic as more prospective homeowners have turned their attention to the state’s mountain communities. An infusion of state and federal dollars could help governments and developers make headway on creating more affordable housing. But as outdoors reporter Jason Blevins tells reporter Erica Breunlin, time is one critical resource running out in resort towns.

 

To read more about how the housing crisis has overwhelmed the high country, visit coloradosun.com. 

 

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

 

Colorado is moving closer to doing away with styrofoam and significantly limiting single-use plastic bags. On Tuesday, lawmakers sent Gov. Jared Polis House Bill 1162, which would ban the use of styrofoam by restaurants starting in 2024 and would also ban all single-use plastic bags starting the same year. There are exceptions, however, that would enable some businesses to continue distributing single-use plastic bags, including restaurants that prepare or serve food in individual portions for immediate consumption. But businesses still permitted to use plastic bags would be required to charge a fee of at least 10 cents per bag.

A contentious bill that would give historic survivors of child sexual assault three years to sue their abusers and the institutions or organizations that failed to protect them moved to Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday. Senate Bill 88 provides a workaround to survivors when the civil statute of limitations has expired. If Polis signs the bill into law, Colorado will join other states, including California and New York, that have already adopted laws to help victims of past child sexual assault.

Colorado will soon start clamping down on some of its biggest air polluters. A bill that now awaits Gov. Jared Polis’ signature requires “fenceline” monitoring at certain facilities and more mobile testing by the state. That means that industrial plants would have to set up monitoring along the border of their sites and publicly report the results. Advocates for House Bill 1189 are concerned about three primary toxic chemicals: hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulfide and benzene emitted by refineries, air craft parts makers and gasoline distribution hubs.

 

A tornado that was on the ground for about 30 minutes Monday afternoon tore through about 6 miles of of rural Weld County northeast of Firestone. The twister destroyed two homes and damaged five properties including a dairy and a feedlot. Two buildings on the feed lot are considered a total loss -- one that burned because of a downed power line and another damaged by the tornado.

 

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 June 8th. 

 

Today - Commissions are already getting a start on revising Colorado’s congressional districts based on the state’s population increase.

 

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 June 8th, 2002 when a spark struck at a campsite by a US Forest Service employee ignited Colorado’s largest recorded fire. Over the span of six weeks the Hayman fire scorched about 215 square miles in Douglas, Jefferson, Park, and teller counties. Terry Barton confessed to accidentally setting off the inferno when she burned letters from her estranged husband.

 

Now, our feature story.

 

Official Census figures have not yet been delivered, but the two commissions charged with revising legislative and congressional districts based on the state’s 14.5 percent population increase in the last decade are ready to get to work. Politics desk contributor Sandra Fish talked with reporter Erica Breunlin about how the new maps will unfold this summer.

 

Read more about how the state’s legislative and congressional districts are expected to change at coloradosun.com

 

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

 

The Colorado legislature is on track finish its 2021 session on Tuesday. Last-minute items on lawmakers’ agenda include a bill that would give historic child sexual assault victims an opportunity to sue their abusers and the institutions that allowed the abuse to happen despite the civil statute of limitations having run out.

 

https://coloradosun.com/2021/06/03/2021-colorado-legislative-session-live-blog/#residency-requirement-repeal

Lawmakers and Governor Jared Polis settled Monday on one of the fiercest battles of the session: Whether to codify the state’s ambitious greenhouse gas emissions goals in law and who will enforce them. The deal kills Senate Bill 200 -- which the governor had threatened to veto. And it rolls up many of the provisions in that bill in a 25-page amendment to House Bill 1266. It creates an environmental justice ombudsman and has the air quality control commission in charge of emissions-reduction targets for all industries but transportation and construction. Key industry goals include an 80 percent reduction of emissions by some electric utilities by 2030 and a 60 percent cut in emissions from oil and gas operations.

 

https://coloradosun.com/2021/06/07/colorado-greenhouse-gas-emissions-bill/

 

Commissioners in three Colorado counties are doubling down on their claims that a leader in the state Division of Property Taxation has coached a lawyer for luxury resort hotel owners on how to minimize their property taxes. Eagle, San Miguel and La Plata counties used open records requests to help prove that the relationship between the state tax official and the lawyer -- who gets a cut of the tax savings -- is highly inappropriate and perhaps illegal.

 

A Colorado state trooper fired after an internal affairs investigation allegedly pointed a semi-automatic rifle at two people in a car during a confrontation while he was off duty. A report released Monday shows that Wesley Dakan pulled the gun from the back of his Subaru after some kind of disagreement with the driver of another Subaru in Denver on April 25. Dakan has been charged with menacing.

 

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 June 7th

 

Today - One hundred years ago over a thousand people in Pueblo were killed during the Arkansas River flood. Now, as the city remembers the tragedy, we look at how the changes prompted by that flood sparked a recreational center.

 

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”:

 

The federal government sent thousands of German and Italian POWs to Colorado during WWII. There were large facilities at Camp Carson, Greeley, and Trinidad. In 1944 a handful of German prisoners escaped and made it to Mexico. But then on June 7th 1964 they returned to the camp in Trinidad for a reunion.

 

 Now, our feature story. 

 

One hundred years ago this month, a wall of water swept through downtown Pueblo, destroying buildings and killing perhaps as many as 1,500 people. That day changed the city’s relationship with the Arkansas River. The main channel was diverted away from the city center and contained by a levee. It took another 80 years before the original channel was reclaimed as the city’s beloved Riverwalk. Now, as the city commemorates that tragic June afternoon, it also is acknowledging how the changes to the river sparked a new recreation-oriented relationship to the Arkansas. Southern Colorado reporter Sue McMillin talked with editor Dana Coffield about the whole process.

 

Read more about Arkansas River recreation revival visit coloradosun.com.

 

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

 

Four hikers were injured when they were caught in an avalanche on Torreys Peak Sunday morning. The Clear Creek County Sheriff’s office said the people were swept into a rock field just after 9 a.m. Torrey’s Peak is a popular 14-er near Georgetown. Some Colorado peaks hold snow well into the summer, and avalanches can occur at any time of the year.

 

The city of Thornton isn’t giving up on its 6-year quest to build a 75-mile pipeline to carry water from reservoir in Larimer County. The city last week sued Weld County for denying is plan to build about 34 miles of the pipeline through unincorporated Weld County. It has a similar lawsuit against Larimer County moving through the courts.

 

Colorado’s child protection ombudsman in 2019 asked the state to strengthen rules about abuse of children who live in residential centers for troubled kids. Three years later, and after a multi-part investigation by The Colorado Sun and 9News, two state lawmakers are vowing to strengthen mental health treatment for children and compel the state child welfare division to examine that county child protection officials must follow when deciding whether to investigate allegations of abuse at Colorado’s 52 state-licensed child centers.

Thousands of Colorado inmates were isolated in single-person cells last year, sometimes for months on end, to slow the spread of coronavirus in prisons run by the Colorado Department of Corrections. And it may have worked. However, the experts worry that it may have also undone years of work intended to make prisons feel less traumatic. The use of solitary confinement is regulated in Colorado because of the psychological harm it can cause. Prisoners can be kept in solitary for no more than 15 days without special approval.

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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Friday June 4th.

 

Today - What went wrong in K-12 classrooms this school year. 

 

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 June 4th, 1869 when A ten member mapping expedition entered Colorado Territory. The group was led by John W. Powell, a US Army surveyor who lost his right arm during the Civil War. They arrived in a broad valley known as Browns Hole in present day Moffat County. 

 

Now, our feature story.

 

Pandemic-related restrictions caused upheaval at all levels of education. And while educators, parents and the state of Colorado are waiting for data to show exactly what the academic impacts were, teachers are emerging as an interesting source of information about what went well and what went wrong in K-12 classrooms this school year. Education reporter Erica Breunlin spent time with teachers this week and found out they learned a lot about technology, their students and where this experience may lead them next.

 

Read more about the experiences of Colorado teachers working during the pandemic at coloradosun.com. 

 

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

 

Public health officials say the common characteristic among the 500 people hospitalized in Colorado with COVID-19 is that most are unvaccinated. Though doctors say they can’t recall a single death of a vaccinated person, they are struggling to convince some groups to get the shot -- younger people and minorities in particular. In the week of May 23, nearly 19% of hospitalized patients were 39 and younger. That’s up from November 22 when the age group made up just 12% of the patient caseload. Meanwhile, Hispanic and Black residents continue to be hospitalized at disproportionately high rates. COVID-19 vaccines now in use and available to just about anyone 12 and older provide near universal protection against the illness and even greater protection against severe cases leading to hospitalizations, public health officials say. 

 

https://coloradosun.com/2021/06/03/coloradans-hospitalized-coronavirus-vaccine/

 

Colorado-based Boom Supersonic hasn’t even flown a prototype of its new jet and yet United Airlines on Thursday said it plans to buy 15 plans and has an option to purchase 35 more. The company says the speedy new planes may be ready for United passengers by 2029. Travel faster than the speed of sound will cut the length of a flight from London to New York to about three-and-a-half hours and it will be possible to fly to Tokyo from San Francisco in just six hours. Boom values the deal at three-billion dollars.

 

https://coloradosun.com/2021/06/03/united-airlines-boom-supersonic-colorado/

 

The homestead exemption has saved Colorado’s older homeowners millions of dollars in property taxes. But it also has an equity problem. A 2019 study by the Colorado Fiscal Institute found that the exemption disproportionately benefits well-off white homeowners. Some in the state legislature would like to make changes to the program to make sure people who are struggling financially, minorities and even renters can benefit for the program. State Rep. Chris Kennedy, a Democrat from Lakewood, said he will work on a bill to present during the 2022 legislative session.

 

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 June 3rd

 

Today - As the legislative session comes to a close some of the biggest bills have JUST hit the governor’s desk. So how is this last minute frenzy affecting the critical legislation that’s still on the table?

 

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 June 3rd, 1921 when a flood devastated Pueblo. It swept away hundreds of homes and caused great loss of life. The Arkansas River flood remains one of Colorado’s deadliest and most destructive natural disasters. Local governments ended up claiming nearly $20 million in damage.

 

Now, our feature story.

 

Colorado lawmakers are working at a breakneck pace to wrap up 2021 lawmaking. Some of the biggest bills of the session moved on to the governor’s desk on Wednesday, including an ambitious transportation finance program. But pundits are waiting with baited breath to see what happens with other critical legislation, including a plan to drive down the cost of health care. Politics reporter Jesse Paul explains how the last minute frenzy is shaping new laws.

 

Read more about the fast and furious pace in the final days of the lawmaking session at coloradosun.com.

 

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

 

Colorado has expanded the coronavirus vaccine sweepstakes to include people between the ages of 12 and 17. The first of five drawings for $50,000 scholarships is scheduled for Monday. Money for the winners will be placed in a 529 college savings account that can be drawn on to pay for tuition at any higher-ed institution, including credentialed technical programs. The idea behind the drawings is to get more young people inoculated against COVID.

Coloradans ages 12-17 who get a coronavirus vaccine are eligible for $50,000 scholarships under new sweepstakes

 

Lawmakers worried about increasing the misuse of high-potency cannabis by people under the age of 21 are taking aim at medical marijuana users. House Bill 1317 would expand use of the software the state uses to track cannabis from seed to sale to keep track of daily purchases by medical marijuana patients and prevent them from exceeding limits. Although recreational marijuana is limited to people age 21 and older, people of all ages can get a medical card. And some advocates say teen M-M-J patients buy large quantities of high-potency cannabis products and distribute it to unauthorized users. 

JBS in Greeley is resuming beef production after a ransomware attack over the weekend shut down lines worldwide. Cybersecurity expert Allan Liska says JBS was the largest food manufacturer yet to be hit by ransomware, in which criminal hackers paralyze entire networks by scrambling their data. He said at least 40 food companies have been targeted by ransomware gangs over the last year, including brewer Molson Coors and E & J Gallo Winery.

 

https://coloradosun.com/2021/06/02/jbs-cyberattack-greeley-beef-processing/

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 June 2nd.

 

Today - Ski resort operators began using new technology to make sure that people stayed on the slopes last season. And now that pandemic restrictions are lifting, how will these apps continue to help skiers and resorts alike going forward?

 

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 June 2nd, 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill to establish a federal land office in Colorado Territory. The agency divided up much of the territory within Colorado into easily defined and distributed units. The goal was to encourage American settlement.

 

Now, our feature story.

 

The coronavirus put a hard stop on skiing a year ago. But resort operators big and small proved themselves agile, using technology innovation to make sure that people stayed on their skis and snowboards for the twenty-twenty-one season. Outdoor reporter Jason Blevins took a look at the new apps that reduced friction for skiers this year and did it with systems that will live on long after the pandemic is over. He talks about the changes with editor Dana Coffield

 

 

To read more about the new technology ski resort companies launched during the pandemic, go to coloradosun.com.

 

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

 

After decades as an anchor in central Wheat Ridge, Lutheran Medical Center plans to move west to a new campus at Clear Creek Crossing by 2024. The departure will leave the hospital’s 100 acre campus along West 38th Avenue available for redevelopment. Its owner S-C-L Health hopes to sell the parcel to a master developer, similar to what happened when St. Anthony Central hospital moved to Lakewood from Denver.

 

https://coloradosun.com/2021/06/01/lutheran-medical-center-moving-to-clear-creek-crossing-by-2024/

The first of five one-million-dollar drawings open to people who have been vaccinated for the coronavirus happens today. But it will be Friday before the winning name is known because the state must comply with health-record privacy laws. State public health officials started the drawings hoping to encourage some of the nearly 40 percent of Coloradans who are not inoculated against COVID to get a shot.

As more restrictive abortion laws pass in other states the number of women receiving financial help from a Colorado fund that helps pay for abortions is on the rise. The fund, managed by the nonprofit abortion rights group Cobalt, helped 20 times as many women last year than it did four years ago. Colorado is one of only seven states without restrictions on when during pregnancy a woman can get an abortion. 

 

Cyber attackers shut down the world’s largest beef processor with a ransomeware demand. Union representatives for J-B-S operations in Greeley said at least two shifts were canceled there, plants elsewhere shut down entirely. A Michigan State University professor estimates that if the shut down lasts a day, it will cost the U.S. almost a quarter of its beef-processing capacity, or the equivalent of 20,000 beef cows.

 

https://coloradosun.com/2021/06/01/jbs-ransomware-attack-colorado/

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 June 1st. 

 

Today - Unlike elsewhere in the state, independent voters are highly influential in Lauren Boebert’s district. So what does this mean for the 2022 election?

 

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 June 1st, 1899 when renowned Scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla commenced a journal of experiments in electricity. It was a months-long project he conducted in Colorado Springs. At one point his experiment blew out the entire city’s power generators. Tesla is known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electricity supply system.

 

Now, our feature story.

 

No one was more surprised than the pundits when upstart conservative politician Lauren Boebert beat five-term Republican Congressman Scott Tipton in the GOP primary a year ago -- and then again when she handily beat Democrat Diane Mitsch Bush in the general election in November. The Colorado Sun and newspapers in the third CD looked at voter registration and turnout data and learned that unlike elsewhere in the state, registered independent voters are highly influential in the sprawling district. Politics reporter Jesse Paul explains how independents came to dominate the discourse and the role they’ll play in the 2022 election.

 

To read more about independent voters in the 3rd Congressional District, go to coloradosun.com.

 

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

 

Some businesses in busy tourist destinations were headed into the busy first real weekend of summer short of workers. They say it has to do with a shortage of available housing in mountain communities, where homes that used to rent to seasonal workers have been purchased by work-from-anywhere people fleeing cities. There are also problems with wages that have not kept pace with the cost of living in Colorado. Some employers are getting creative, raising hourly rates and offering signing and retention bonuses.

 

https://coloradosun.com/2021/05/29/seasonal-hiring-restaurants-resorts-jobs/

 

Online education was a punt after the pandemic shut down in-school learning last spring. But experts say fully remote instruction, or some form of it, is likely here to stay because it works well for some students. Jeffco Public Schools, for example, is rolling out a new remote learning program, and has hired 33 teachers and has another 16 positions to fill in the K-12 program. One quarter of JeffCo’s 80,000 students enrolled in fully online learning last year.

 

https://coloradosun.com/2021/05/31/colorado-education-schools-students-remote-learning-coronavirus/

 

A Denver School Board member accused of sexual misconduct will step away from his board duties until an investigation is complete. Tay Anderson denies the allegations, but says removing himself from his school board work for now is the best thing for his family. He is accused of multiple instances of sexual assault, unwanted touching and other inappropriate behavior.

 

https://coloradosun.com/2021/05/30/tay-anderson-sexual-misconduct-step-down/

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 Friday May 28th.

 

Today - Is there a labor shortage in Colorado? Or are wages in some industries just too low?

 

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 May 28th, 2008 when The University of Denver bestowed a new name on the college’s international relations program. It became the Josef Korbel School of I

International Studies. Korbel was a Czechoslovakian diplomat who fled the country as it fell to Nazi Germany. He returned  when the war ended, but three years later a Soviet backed government hijacked the country and the Korbels left once again - and came to Denver. He organized a graduate program at DU and served as its first dean. There, he trained students in the nuances of diplomacy until his death in 1977.

 

Now, our feature story.

 

Employers say they can’t find workers to fill positions. Job seekers say they can’t find positions that pay enough money. So, is Colorado experiencing a labor shortage or what? Reporter Tamara Chuang talks with Lucy Haggard about what’s going on with Colorado’s job market.

 

To read more about Colorado’s job market, go to coloradosun.com. 

 

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

 

The Denver Metro area will get a new area code starting next year: 983. The two area codes associated with north-central Colorado, numbers starting with 303 and 720, are expected to run out by the end of 2022. Existing phone customers will be able to keep their current numbers, as the 983 code will be used for people who request new phone service. This will be the first area code added to Colorado since 1998, when the 720 area code came on the scene. 

 

Colorado Democrats are getting creative in an attempt to reduce out-of-pocket prescription drug prices. One bill would create a prescription drug affordability board to review the prices of medications. Governor Jared Polis’ office is pursuing measures with drug companies and health care providers, as well as reviewing cheaper Canadian drugs for import. If all those efforts succeed, they could collectively reduce out-of-pocket costs by 20% to 40%.

 

The Colorado Sun is offering a free virtual summer camp for middle school and high school students interested in journalism! Participants will match up with a professional journalist for a week to learn about what it’s like to work in the field. Students from underrepresented groups, including people of color, LGBTQ+, rural and first generation students are especially encouraged to apply. The Rise And Shine workshop will be held in the last week of July, with applications due June 18. Go to coloradosun.com for more information and to apply.

 

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.