Good morning, Colorado. December is a hectic month, so I’ll keep it brief … but I can’t help but remind you all that we are nearing the end of our winter membership drive. That means there are only a few days left to become a member, or upgrade your membership, and have your contribution matched with a grant from the Colorado Media Project, totaling up to $5,000.
Our goal is 200 new and upgrading members and we’ve still got 80 to go, so if you’ve been on the fence, today is the day to help us get there! It’s a quick, yet impactful way to support trustworthy, local news. Just tap the button below to join!
We are so grateful for the community of readers who support The Sun and are excited to see it grow.
And with that, on to the news.
OUTDOORS
Forest Service, BLM offer plan to block mining, oil and gas drilling on 225,000 acres in Thompson Divide
A member of the Red Ladies attaches red prayer flags to a pole at the summit of Mount Emmons, 12,392 feet in elevation, overlooking the town of Crested Butte on March 19. The Red Ladies group formed to protest a molybdenum mine on Mount Emmons. (Julie Nania, Special to The Colorado Sun)
“It’s a big step toward permanent solutions.”
— Julie Nania, the Red Lady program director for High Country Conservation Advocates, which has led the fight to block moly mining in Crested Butte since the 1970s
A 20-year-ban on mining, oil and gas permits on public lands inside the Thompson Divide is a reason to celebrate for the group of conservationists in Crested Butte who have been fighting since the late 1970s to stop a plan to unearth a massive molybdenum deposit from an abandoned mine above the ski town. Jason Blevins explains more on the Forest Service and BLM’s proposal to protect the 225,000-acre mix of mountains and rangeland between Glenwood Springs and Crested Butte.
EQUITY
Parenting from prison is difficult, but a new Colorado law aims to give some incarcerated people a chance to try
Beza Woche, a participant in a program designed to help formerly incarcerated parents develop healthy relationships with their children, and her son Taz Pottoroff, 4, drop pebbles into a tub filled with water while proclaiming positive thoughts to the world. The ritual was part of the Breaking Chains, Building Bonds graduation ceremony at Parkview Congregational Church in Aurora on Sept. 30. (Kathryn Scott, Special to The Colorado Sun)
Parenting from jail or prison has never been easy, but a new law that goes into effect Jan. 1 will require courts to include jailed parents in hearings and consider whether their kids have a “safe” relationship with them before terminating rights. Advocates say there are still many barriers, but they hope the law marks progress toward keeping more families together.
EDUCATION
Denver kids get $1,000 for sports, art, music in experiment for school success
Denver kids learn to breakdance at School of Breaking, one of 127 organizations where low-income middle schoolers will be able to use a $1,000 debit card. (Provided by Gary Community Ventures)
“Bless his heart, he really believes he is going to play for the NFL and the NBA.”
— Lakiesha Shears, a single mom of three boys
Lakiesha Shears wants to support her sons’ athletic dreams — even if it’s to play in the NBA and NFL — but it’s a financial struggle to raise three boys on her own. She was thrilled when she received a surprise email from Denver Public Schools notifying her that because her middle schooler qualifies for free and reduced-price lunch, he is also eligible to receive $1,000 to pay for after-school sports, dance, music or art programs. Jennifer Brown has more on the pilot program that already has 1,000 kids on board.
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Denver International Airport cargo workers strike over what they call unsafe working conditions. One Swissport cargo agent said he and his colleagues work with faulty and broken equipment and endure dangerous working temperatures at the facilities.— CBS Denver City of Loveland reaches $400K settlement with man wrongly accused in DUI arrest. The lawsuit brought by Harris Elias, who was arrested on a DUI charge in 2020 — even after blowing zeros during a breathalyzer test and turning over a clean blood test — alleges that then-Loveland Police Chief Bob Ticer created a competitive culture at the department to see who could collect the most DUI arrests.
— Denver7 Colorado ski industry pioneer, Keystone Resort co-founder Bill Bergman, dies at 99. An Iowa lawyer turned mountain man, Bergman established Keystone Resort in 1970 and remained invested in Summit County long after he stepped back from the resort business.
— Summit Daily Denver changes counting method in race to get 1,000 people off the streets. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s pledge to get 1,000 people off the streets and into housing by the end of the year is running out of time. The administration had previously waited to count someone as “housed” until they spent 14 days in a shelter or housing unit. Now, as 9News reports, people are counted immediately upon entry.
— 9News
Colorado has what it takes to solve the housing crisis, but will we? Now that we have funds, state policymakers need to shift their focus to improve efficiency in housing development and delivery of services— Katie McKenna, Archway Communities
The 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].
“On Censorship” explores reasons behind book challenges — and their dangers
Author James LaRue has spent a good portion of his professional life answering challenges to library materials, and took note of the recent resurgence in efforts to deny access to them. Librarians have long talked about the issue among themselves, but LaRue wanted to extend the conversation into the public realm. The result is “On Censorship,” in which he takes a deep and thoughtful look at the reasons behind those efforts, and what they could portend for society.
Interview with the author. While others have written about fear of demographic change fueling the push to restrict some materials, LaRue explains another factor — parents who panic at two particular stages of their children’s lives. But there’s also something larger at work.🎧LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW
You’ve made it to the very end. Thanks for being here, and see you tomorrow.
— Olivia & the whole staff of The Sun
Corrections & Clarifications
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