The Daily Sun-Up

Keeping with yesterday's podcast on filling dangerous mine shafts, today we are visiting with freelance photographer and journalist William Woody (williamwoody.us/about/) of Montrose who recently covered a hard-rock mining competition in Ouray.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - we're talking to The Colorado Sun's outdoor reporter, Jason Blevins, about officials using foam to fill dangerous abandoned mine shafts in the Colorado Rockies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - we're talking to The Colorado Sun's marketing and events director Kristina Pritchett about recent events and what's in store for future virtual and in-person events.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - As we get closer to the election, Colorado Sun political reporters Jesse Aaron Paul and Sandra Fish discuss spending - or lack thereof - in the senate race.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - We're talking to The Colorado Sun's business reporter Tamara Chuang about Denver Startup Week.   [NEW - running all week] Before we begin, We'd like to thank our sponsors - Xcel Energy. Xcel Energy can help you find ways to keep your home or business running smoothly, while reducing energy use and saving you money. Find everyday tips for using less energy and simple ways to manage your energy budget at X-C-E-L-energy-dot-com."   Now, let's go back in time with some Colorado History.   More than 1,000 years ago, a culture known as Chacoan dominated the Four Corners region from a cluster of cities in Chaco Canyon in today's northwestern New Mexico. Satellite communities with allegiance to the canyon extended for a hundred miles in every direction. On the northern Chacoan frontier stood a community known today as Chimney Rock, named for one of two stone spires that towered above it, in present-day Archuleta County.   Starting around 900 AD, Chacoans colonized the region, erecting towns in the shadow of Chimney and Companion Rocks. Higher in elevation than any other Ancestral Puebloan settlement, archaeologists believe Chacoans used the Chimney Rock site as an astronomical calendar, with important buildings aligned with both the stones and celestial bodies at important times of the year, including solstices, equinoxes, and phases of the moon. For two and a half centuries, several hundred Chacoans inhabited eight communities clustered below the pinnacles.   For reasons unknown, around 1150 AD the residents burned and abandoned the site, although competition from groups to the west (such as Mesa Verde) might have contributed to its decline. Archaeological work at Chimney Rock, now located in the San Juan National Forest, occurred sporadically in the twentieth century. Although surveys are still made, American Indian descendants of the community's inhabitants have requested that no further excavations disturb the site. In 1970, Chimney Rock earned a listing in the National Register of Historic Places, spurring further attempts to protect and recognize it. To better preserve and interpret the historic landmark, President Barack Obama used his authority under the Antiquities Act to declare Chimney Rock National Monument in 2012.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - we're visiting with The Colorado Sun's environment reporter Michael Booth about greenhouse gas emissions in Colorado not dropping quickly enough and about efforts to change landscaping trends.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - we're talking to Colorado Sun Outdoors Reporter Jason Blevins about virtual fencing technology for cattle on rangeland in the American West.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - we're speaking with The Colorado Sun's water reporter Chris Outcalt, who joined forces with five other news outlets in the southwest United States to report on the dwindling Colorado River that supplies water to seven states, more than 24 Native American tribes, and the country of Mexico. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - we're visiting with Colorado Sun political reporter Jesse Paul about campaign finance trends, as well as about a lawsuit involving the change in political affiliation for a state senator.   [NEW - running all week] Before we begin, We'd like to thank our sponsors - Pinnacol Assurance. Pinnacol Assurance provides workers' comp insurance and was named one of the most community-minded companies in Colorado for the third year in a row. Last year, Pinnacol donated 1.5 million dollars in grants, donations and scholarships to Colorado communities. Learn how Pinnacol puts care to work at Pinnacol dot com.    Now, let's go back in time with some Colorado History.   On this day in 1879, Colorado's Historical Society held its first official meeting in Denver. It was established by the General Assembly in the spring of 1879 to protect and preserve the nascent state's story.   Members discussed the military and educational history of their community and heard bombastic remarks by Mayor Richard Sopris about the glory of the state and its capital city over the previous two decades.   The Colorado Historical Society and its ever-larger collection occupied space in hotels, office buildings, and the Arapahoe County Courthouse until 1895, when it moved to the capitol's basement. Visitors marveled at exhibits overflowing with taxidermied animals, geological specimens, pottery from Ancestral Puebloan sites, and the desiccated remains of those who lived in the ancient cities of southwestern Colorado.    The society proved so popular that it soon merited a separate building, a marble museum across Fourteenth Avenue from the state capitol.   Its collections grew in size and scope, from dioramas of historic scenes made by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression to "Baby Doe" Tabor's wedding dress. The crowded edifice also proved insufficient, and in 1977 the society moved to the Colorado Heritage Center, a modernistic, sloping structure of brown brick. This structure and the state's judicial building north of it came down to make way for the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center, and the collection found a new home in 2011.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - Colorado Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang talks about small business hiring practices in the current economy. We'll also revisit the topic of older workers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - we're talking to The Colorado Sun's environmental reporter Michael Booth about how air pollution damages the gut biome of infants, as well as a movement to place electric vehicle charges in rural Colorado.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - we're talking with Colorado Sun outdoor reporter and co-founder Jason Blevins about a couple different lawsuits. One is between some private developers and the National Forest Service. Another is between Vail Resorts and the city of Vail.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - we're talking with author Claire Boyles, who not only has terrific writing chops but also has worked as a teacher and even tried her hand at farming. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're visiting with Colorado Sun politics reporter Jesse Paul about a flurry of legal filings in the case of indicted Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, as well as 2022 general election Colorado TV ad spending, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're visiting with The Colorado Sun's business reporter Tamara Chuang about how Colorado workers, particularly those in the 55 plus bracket, are returning to the workforce.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - We're visiting with The Colorado Sun's environment reporter, Michael Booth on how prairie dogs are viewed and treated in the various landscapes of our state.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - we're speaking with The Colorado Sun's equity reporter Tatiana Flowers about The Black Legacy Project which is coming to Denver next week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - Today we're talking to Sanda Fish of The Colorado Sun's politics team. We'll cover an analysis of voting on bills that became law during the last legislative session, a look at a state senator who recently switched political parties, a look at the U.S. senate race, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - We're speaking with Shannon Najmabdi on how two rural Colorado administrators were investigating a sexting case between students, and now the administrators are facing child porn charges.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - Today, we're taking a deeper dive into ozone pollution in Colorado, as well as looking at the recent Air Pollution Control Division's issuance of a long-delayed permit for the Suncor oil refinery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we're visiting with outdoors reporter Jason Blevins about a proposed power project that would flood a western Colorado canyon, including the homes and land of several residents, if constructed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - We hold a myriad of events about a variety of Colorado-related topics all year long, and today The Colorado Sun's event and marketing specialists, Kristina Pritchett catches us up on a recent event, and what's on tap.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're looking at a couple of environmental topics, including how Colorado is getting worse, not better, in terms of ozone pollution. This is despite making big cuts to greenhouse gasses, mainly by closing coal-fired power plants faster than expected and switching old cars out for new ones. We're also looking at the state's expanded probe into "forever chemicals" or PFAS (pee-faas) from the metro area showing up in biosolids spread on farmland in rural Colorado.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, U.S. Department of Treasury officials awarded Colorado up to $104.7 million as part of a program that started 12 years ago. The money will be used to invest in startups and small businesses.  While some of the funding will serve as collateral for small businesses that don't have enough, most will be invested in the state's venture capital funds — which expect returns and don't rely on taxpayers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - Earlier this month Colorado Secretary of State's office shared the latest quarterly update on how small businesses in the state are doing. And while job growth remains strong, the number of businesses that are delinquent in filing regular reports or repaying a debt increased.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Castilian has resigned as executive director of the Lakewood-based National Ski Patrol after one year, citing “vastly different visions for the future of this organization” between himself and the group's board.  The venerable National Ski Patrol is a mess, and has been for years, with half the members wondering why the group needs to think about diversity, equity and inclusion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the long term, buying an electric vehicle in Colorado just got an enormous boost from the final passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark bill on climate and health care costs. But for the next few months, though, the EV market will be a bit of a puzzle, as dealers and regulators work out which subsidies apply to which vehicles, and whether manufacturers can improve lagging inventory.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - After watching the bill fail to advance past the U.S. Senate for years, supporters of the COREs Act (or Colorado Outdoor Recreation Economy Act) are asking President Joe Biden to take executive action to protect the tens of thousands of acres of federal land in Colorado the measure aims to shield.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - The lowest-paid workers in Denver are getting a 9% pay raise on January 1st. When it takes effect, the city's minimum wage of $17.29 will be one of the highest in the nation.  But what does this mean for employers like restaurant owners who are already struggling to make ends meet?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today - Colorado has a new state historian, Jared Orsi of Colorado State University. In his new role, he aims to amplify under-told stories, share his expertise of how Coloradans have shaped public lands - and how they also have been shaped by them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've been following sales tax collections in Colorado's mountain towns during ski season for several years now. And the 2021-2022 winter was the best ever for ski resort operators, with record traffic and peaking profits. In fact, tax collections were up 55 percent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Colorado Sun hosts a multitude of events throughout the year. Most are virtual and free.  Today - Carol Wood talks with The Sun's Marketing and Events Specialist Kristina Pritchett about what's on tap for the rest of the year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been a lot of political activity going on in Colorado recently, for starters – State Senator Pete Lee, a Colorado Springs Democrat, has been indicted on a felony charge alleging that he lied about where he lives for the purpose of voting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's difficult to imagine a topic in the West that has more impact than water usage in the Colorado River Basin. And as climate change impacts water flow and water agreements, politicians are looking for funds meant to buy, rent or save water.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today We take a closer look at Colorado employers in certain sectors who still are experiencing a labor shortage – even as more jobs are filled in other areas. We'll discuss the disconnect, and talk about what to expect next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We delve into air pollution after a series of stories in The Sun that center on the toxins we might be breathing. Sun Reporters Michael Booth and Jennifer Brown talk about higher cancer risks in Lakewood and the fact that 10 northern Front Range counties are constantly busting ground-level ozone pollution caps. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food trucks splashed with colorful cartoons are roaming throughout Grand Junction this summer, handing out hundreds of lunches a day to kids hungry after playing out under the sun. The food trucks have become a critical part of overcoming food insecurity in Mesa County, where at some schools about 90% of students qualify for free lunches. Freelance writer Nancy Lofholm talks to Erica Breunlin about ongoing efforts to keep kids fed and what federal cutbacks on universal free school lunches will mean for the future of the food trucks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About 2,000 wild horses have been captured and removed from Colorado since last summer — including horses rounded up in the latest wild horse gather in Colorado. That gather, which trapped 864 stallions, mares and foals, was the largest in the state's history and drew sharp criticism from animal advocates, including Gov. Jared Polis and First Gentleman Marlon Reis. Writer Jennifer Brown talks to Erica Breunlin about how the roundup played out and what it means for the state's attempts to control its wild horse population.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colorado lawmakers set aside $28 million so that residents across the state could ride public transit for free this month and in August 2023 and help scale back on pollution. Three million dollars were up for grabs by smaller transportation agencies, but $2 million will go unused with some agencies hurting for bus drivers and unable to accommodate a swell in riders. Reporter Marvis Gutierrez talks to Erica Breunlin about the money left on the table and the tension around trying to shuttle more riders without enough drivers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Few people die in Colorado each year from heat-related causes, but heat remains a top concern for medical and public health experts. One major reason: Heat can be particularly dangerous for people who have underlying health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, and can push them into a medical crisis. And as climate change warms the environment, heat is only posing more of a threat to people's health. Health care reporter John Ingold talks to Erica Breunlin about how heat could put Coloradans' wellbeing at greater risk as summers continue to turnSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drought and irrigation demands will drain two Eastern Plains reservoirs, killing fisheries and the local economy. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has issued emergency fish salvages at Queens and Jumbo reservoirs, which will run dry and lose all fish this summer. Now, local communities are bracing for the loss. Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins has the story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Problems from the PFAS 'forever chemicals' are cropping up all over Colorado, as they are in the rest of the United States. Now, many local water systems are finding out that what they thought were good test results are now outside the Environmental Protection Agency's suggested limits. Colorado Sun environment reporter Michael Booth is here today to talk about the latest news from a big community in Adams County.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colorado has paid back 87% of the $1 billion it borrowed from the federal government to help give unemployment benefits to out-of-work Coloradans during the pandemic. As of this week, the outstanding balance was just over $133 million. The unemployment loan is on track to be paid off by mid November. Colorado Sun reporter Tamara Chuang has the full story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Putting your house up for sale is stressful enough. But, sellers in three major Colorado cities are now finding that they're having to cut their listing price after the home is already on the market. Two to three times more sellers in Denver, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs reconsidered their list prices and then lowered them in June compared to a year ago, according to new data from Zillow. Cutting the price of a house after it hits the market is normal but it doesn't come without added stress for the seller. Colorado Sun reporters Tamara Chuang and Marvis Gutierrez have more to share about this story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the fall of Roe vs. Wade, abortion rights advocates are pointing to the story of a 10 year old Ohio girl who had to travel to another state to end her pregnancy after she was raped. And as states continue unraveling access to abortion, Colorado reproductive health care providers are seeing an increase in the number of people coming to the Centennial state to access abortion care. Colorado Sun reporter Jen Brown recently requested state health department data to provide a clearer picture about the ages of kids receiving abortions in Colorado. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are at least 150 abandoned homes in the San Luis Valley at a time when Colorado is in a severe housing crunch. Sun reporter Tatiana Flowers visited the valley recently and met with several San Luis Valley organizations trying to find abandoned homes, figure out who owns them, buy them and renovate them  to make them habitable again.  The San Luis Valley is vast and sparsely populated, and short about one-thousand-800 housing units, which is where the abandoned home project comes in. In some cases, the homes will be restored for the people who abandoned them when upkeep became too expensive. In others, they will house people who are currently homeless. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Money matters a lot when it comes to politics, and the Sun's Sandra Fish is Colorado's journalism campaign finance guru. She reports that a group aligned with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York was behind a shadowy 4-million-dollar campaign to encourage voters in Colorado's Republican primary to vote for a Republican candidate who is an election conspiracist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's now taking nearly three months for Coloradans who are out of work to get a new unemployment claim processed. So why is it taking so long? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the Aurora theater shooting when a gunman opened fire on a crowd of people. Twelve were killed and many others were injured. So, how have gun laws in Colorado changed? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few weeks ago, the Bureau of Reclamation said another 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water would have to be cut next year by Colorado River water users to protect levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell. To many, this signaled more water was going to be released from reservoirs in Colorado,  New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. On Monday, water managers in the four so-called Upper Basin States sent a letter back to the Bureau of Reclamation saying they'll do what they can to pull back use of the overtaxed river that originates in Colorado. But they also said it's time for Lower Basin states to work just as hard to consume less water. Reporters Jennifer Brown and Chris Outcalt talked about what the implications are for Arizona, California and Nevada, states that together used almost three times the water consumed by the Upper Basin last year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years, Eric DeFonso studied bird recordings, listening to the chirping through his car speakers. His fascination with birds and their unique callings paid off last week in the Monte Vista Wildlife Refuge with a special discovery. The Sun's Olivia Prentzel talks with environment reporter Michael Booth about what he found. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.