Good morning, Colorado.
In case anyone is wondering, I had to bail on my stargazing plans Tuesday night. I won’t go into details, but a dog with diarrhea derailed the night and, as much as I wanted to catch a bunch of meteors, it was much more important to take care of her. But Perseids, I’m coming for you next year!
In other news, among the emails waiting for me in my inbox this morning was one claiming that, of all states, Colorado is “most excited about the return of the pumpkin spice latte” at Starbucks later this month. That’s based on some research around search data and “consumer interest” in the seasonal beverage across the country. I’m still vetting how legit this email is. It gives a little bit of a rationale as to why we’re allegedly obsessed with the PSL, writing that it’s the kind of cozy treat perfect to cap a hike.
Don’t get me wrong — I love a good PSL (unlike a friend, who recently told me that drinking a PSL is like drinking a candle). But can we all please soak up the rest of summer and wait until the leaves start changing to begin sipping PSLs and gathering holiday decor? We’re approaching that time of year when stores start stocking their shelves for Halloween and even Christmas, and I really don’t want to wish the rest of the summer away.
But before I really start preaching and cause another derailment, let’s turn our attention to today’s news, shall we? There’s lots brewing.
Erica Breunlin
Education Reporter
THE NEWS
EDUCATION
Many Colorado teachers must spend more than 40% of their income on rent
A house for sale flying a Colorado flag in Denver’s Wash Park West neighborhood May 14. (Eric Lubbers, The Colorado Sun)40%
amount of paycheck spent on monthly housing for half the teachers in four districts
A new report titled “We Can’t Live Where We Teach” by the nonprofit Keystone Policy Center highlights the hardship educators face in finding affordable housing — a factor that heavily influences whether teachers can work in a district and stay in the field altogether. As Erica Breunlin writes, the report comes with input from more than 3,200 educators surveyed in 10 Colorado districts earlier this year.
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POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Frequently asked questions — and misunderstandings — about Colorado’s special session to close a nearly $1B budget hole
The Colorado House of Representatives on March 18, in Denver. (Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun)Colorado lawmakers are returning to the Capitol on Aug. 21 for a special session to address a nearly $1 billion hole in the state budget. There’s a lot of confusion out there about why the hole exists, how the state budget works and what’s going to be done to address the gap. Jesse Paul and Brian Eason are here to help.
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$280 million at stake if Colorado cities don’t start complying with housing policies. In a new executive order signed today, Jared Polis declared that beginning Oct. 6, local governments will not be eligible for $280 million in grants across 34 different funding streams unless they are complying with a range of new housing laws.CRIME AND COURTS
Arizona hunting guide gets prison time for “numerous and severe” list of violations in Colorado
Arizona outfitter Timothy Rawlings was sentenced to a year in federal prison after CPW agents caught him poaching animals including mountain lions in Colorado. (Jason Clay/CPW photo)An Arizona outfitter discovered poaching doesn’t pay when he was sentenced and fined by a federal judge for guiding and outfitting out-of-state clients on numerous big-game hunts in Colorado. Timothy Rawlings will serve 12 months in federal prison. As Tracy Ross reports, Rawlings’ sentence also includes three years of supervised release following the prison term and $45,800 in restitution.
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SPORTS
Rocky the mascot sues owner of the Denver Nuggets over firing
Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky the mountain lion in the second half of an NBA basketball game on Nov. 6, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)“We loved Rocky our entire lives. We always looked at the Nuggets as a second family and Rocky as a second dad. For it to end so cold … it’s kind of like losing a family member.”
— Drake Solomon, who took over the role of Rocky from his father
In a lawsuit filed in Denver District Court, the man inside the mountain lion suit, Drake Solomon, alleged that he was fired after he took time off to heal from a hip injury, in violation of disability protection laws. Solomon became Rocky in 2021, following in the footsteps of his father, who was the original Rocky more than 30 years ago. Jennifer Brown looks at the messy breakup.
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ENVIRONMENT
Colorado approves up to $14 million to plug oil wells before they end up on state’s “orphan list”
An idle oil and gas well in Weld County. Some of the 18 wells slated for remediation using federal funding are located in Weld County. (Dana Coffield, The Colorado Sun)142}{{number of marginal wells that will be plugged with new money to cut pollution and avoid the sites ending up on the state’s orphan well list
The state estimates well-plugging costs in Colorado range between $10,000 and $40,000 and site remediation at about $1 million. Between the state and federal funding there were about 9,500 wells in the state eligible for the new program. There are about 46,000 active wells in the state. Mark Jaffe breaks it all down.
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Section by David Krause | Editor
COLORADO REPORT
? = source has article meter or paywall
Homicides and shootings in Denver plunge to a nearly 6-year low. Homicides in Denver this year are lower than they were even in pre-pandemic 2019, when 33 people had been killed by the end of July, police records show. ?— The Denver Post EPA activity releases sediment from Bonita Peak mine into Animas River tributary. The agency dislodged rust-colored sediment from one of the 48 locations in the Bonita Peak Superfund site late last week. The sediment did not appear to cause any immediate health or environmental impacts in Silverton.— Durango Herald Will Colorado see a snowy winter? Early forecasts suggest mixed outcomes. For some of us, it’s never too early to start talking about and getting amped for ski and snowboard season. Even a 50-50 chance of an above-normal winter for snow gets us excited.— Summit Daily One, two, three, four, five educators from same family teach at this rural school in San Luis Valley. Educators Tiffany, Brooke, Cody, Sarah and Travis Paine put their hearts and souls into teaching in one of Colorado’s poorest schools.— Colorado Public RadioSection by David Krause | Editor
THE OPINION PAGE
COMMUNITY
Colorado’s county clerks work for our voters and neighbors, not political agendas. Despite threats, intimidation and misinformation, clerk’s offices keep working with honesty, transparency and commitment to the law.— Tina Harris, Larimer County clerk and recorder; Lori Mitchell, Chaffee County clerk and recorder; and Jenny Thomas, Routt County clerk and recorderThe Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at [email protected].
What’s Happening
Aug. 14-20
A viewer stands beneath “SPARK” in Pesaro, Italy, in 2024. The free-floating light installation by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde appears in Breckenridge during the first few nights of the Breckenridge International Festival of Arts. (Photo provided by Studio Roosegaarde)Breckenridge International Festival of Arts. Breckenridge always goes big — whether it’s setting world records for the longest shotski at the annual Ullr Fest, hamming it up at the Bacon and Bourbon Hogfest or hosting the International Snow Sculpture Championships in the depths of Winter, the town takes its seasonal celebrations very seriously.
The Breckenridge International Festival of Arts is no exception.
Kicking off Friday, BIFA, as it’s known, is nine full days of music, plays, movies, panels, guided walks, artist talks, arts and crafts and at least one full-length circus performance.
Highlights of this year’s festival include “Spark,” a sky-high light show inspired by fireflies and billed as a biodegradable alternative to fireworks, on display beginning at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 15-17. Entry is free, but a timed entry must be reserved in advance.
The Minty Fresh Circus performance Aug. 23 features an all-Black cast with an “Afro-futuristic vibe” that celebrates Black music and movement through contemporary circus, sound design and visual storytelling. And on Friday night, Emmy-nominated singer Kishi Bashi performs his signature blend of song and storytelling at the Riverwalk Center.
A couple of nods to the local scene show up in “Breckenridge Rewind,” a film montage of Breckenridge in the 1970s and ’80s followed by a talkback with longtime locals, and “The Great Divide,” a musical set in the mid-1800s, as an early Breckenridge props itself up against the backdrop of gold mining, the Civil War and the eventual statehood of Colorado.
Various prices; Aug. 15-24; Various locations in Breckenridge
Palisade Peach Festival. You’ve seen the tents all summer long, popped up alongside highways and in parks and at the edge of parking lots. This weekend, head straight to the source at the 57th annual Palisade Peach Festival. While the peach fun reaches its peak Friday and Saturday, you’ll find parades, tours and tastings in Palisade all week. $20; Aug. 15-16; Riverbend Park, 451 Pendleton St., Palisade Teen Poetry Workshop. An opportunity for teens to spend an afternoon with poet, MacArthur “Genius” award winner and Freedom Reads founder, Reginald Dwayne Betts. The workshop is limited to ages 14-18, but there is still room for Betts’ conversation with local podcaster Mitzi Rapkin, on Aug. 19. Free; 4:30-6 p.m., Aug. 18; TACAW, 400 Robinson St., Basalt “Unstudied” by Kerrie Joy. The final event presented by poet Kerrie Joy to close out her two-year tenure as Adams County poet laureate. The celebration will include readings by Joy, Suzi Q. Smith, and Hakeem Furious, along with an open mic and live DJ set. Free; 5:30-8:30 p.m., Aug. 16; Anythink Wright Farms, 5877 E. 120th Ave., ThorntonSection by Parker Yamasaki | Reporter
Thank you for giving us a sliver of your morning! We’ll see you back here tomorrow.
— Erica & the whole staff of The Sun
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