Venezuelan migrants arriving in droves to an overwhelmed Denver

Good morning, Colorado.

Even as a Southerner with an inveterate aversion to the cold that the forecast says awaits us starting later today, it’s hard to complain. The weather in Denver has been absolutely gorgeous this week.

But the relative warmth couldn’t last forever. Snow is coming. Winter is basically here. And as our report today from the tents overwhelming the streets of the Highland neighborhood illustrates, it’s going to be a long one for our fellow humans without shelter.

Let’s get to that story and the rest of today’s news from The Colorado Sun.

Kevin Jeffers

Product Team

THE NEWS

IMMIGRATION

Tents line streets outside hotels — now acting as migrant shelters — as number of Venezuelans arriving in Denver nears 30,000

In a tent outside the Quality Inn near the corner of Speer and Zuni, Lenny Maris Gonzales recounted in Spanish her journey with five now-fatherless children and her brother from Venezuela to Denver. The family is part of nearly 30,000 migrants from the South American country that have come to Colorado — many in chartered buses sent from Texas in political stunts — looking for shelter, and have found a city overwhelmed by its efforts to help. The Sun’s Jennifer Brown and Jesús Sánchez Meleán, editor of El Comercio de Colorado, report from the streets, where winter awaits a growing number of people without homes.

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EDUCATION

Battling teacher shortages, Colorado enlists the help of a promising pool of educators: Military vets

A growing number of military veterans are helping Colorado combat chronic teacher shortages after the pandemic made the high-stress job of teaching only more demanding, thanks in large part to legislation and programs to support military veterans and others shift into teaching careers. Erica Breunlin has more.

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ECONOMY

About 30% of Denver’s downtown office space is vacant — and that doesn’t include “zombie buildings”

The Denver office market continues to struggle more than three years after the pandemic sent office workers home to work remotely. While some employers now require folks to show their faces on site, the data points to many companies cutting back on how much space they still rent. Tamara Chuang and Clare Zhang have more on the hot-button issue for those with commercial real estate interests from this week’s Colorado Business Economic Summit.

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MORE NEWS

• Colorado Supreme Court struggles with whether the U.S. Constitution’s “insurrection clause” applies to Donald Trump. If the clause does apply to presidents, Donald Trump could be barred from appearing on Colorado’s Republican presidential primary ballot next year. Jesse Paul has the latest.
• Colorado regulators consider trimming Xcel Energy plan to build new solar, wind generation. Colorado’s largest utility is also asking for $3 billion in new transmission lines. PUC looks to see if that sum can be cut before passing it on to consumers, Mark Jaffe reports.
• Paramedics told investigators that Elijah McClain had “excited delirium,” a disputed condition. Aurora Fire Department paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec told detectives in separate 2019 interviews that prosecutors showed to jurors Wednesday that McClain was actively resisting officers.

THE COLORADO REPORT

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

• Front Range Passenger Rail receives starter money from feds — with the promise of much more. The inclusion of the Front Range train — which would go from Fort Collins to Pueblo — could mean significant money from the federal government over the coming years as the project moves closer to reality.
  — The Denver Post 🔑
• A behavioral health center needs extra funding to make it through 2024 as some Denverites lose health coverage. Behavioral Health Solutions Center says it will run out of initial city funding in September next year, but federal pandemic recovery funds will bail them out through the end of the year.
  — Denverite
• Owner of 36-story Amoco Tower in Denver has defaulted on loan. Now don’t you really want to read our story about office zombies.
  — Denver Business Journal 🔑
• A Christmas miracle! See the unexpected winner of our 2023 Carol Countdown. Look, I will endeavor to stay professional about this, but I am gobsmacked.
  — CPR Classical

Danika Worthington | Presentation Editor

What’s Happening

Christmas comedy. The Roaring Fork Valley’s popular comedy troupe, Consensual Improv, is bringing back their Christmas-with-an-asterisk show for two nights this year. The asterisk is too long to reiterate, but the gist is that you’re welcome no matter your religion, holiday or savior, even if that savior is Swedish actor Dolph Lungren.

Consensual Improv started in 2016 “and has been winging it ever since,” in their words. Expect a mix of original sketch comedy and holiday-themed improv from the group’s 13 actors and comedians based in the Roaring Fork Valley. Ugly sweaters are encouraged, with prizes will be awarded to the truly awful. Night 2 is already sold out, but there are still a few tickets left for night 1!

$30; Dec. 14 and 15, 8 p.m.; TACAW, 400 Robinson St., Basalt

• Bitter Moon. Bitter Moon is an “expeditionary performance,” which basically means you’ll experience a combination of dance, theater and music while being led on a guided trail walk. The performance takes place after dark, so check out their section on accessibility and winter temperatures before committing. $45; Dec. 7-10 & 14-17; Majestic View Nature Center, 7030 Garrison St., Arvada
• Housemade Market. The Block Distilling Co. folks are celebrating their 6th birthday by bringing a bunch of their favorite vendors under one roof. Think of it like a holiday craft market with a kick. Instead of soaps and fancy salt, you’ll find tattoos and tintype photos. Instead of pretzels and pierogies, they’re shucking oysters and serving Peruvian food. And instead of hot chocolate, well, it’s a distillery. Free; Dec. 10, noon-5 p.m.; The Block Distilling Co., 2990 Larimer St., Denver
• More markets. More free holiday markets! Open for this weekend only are the MCA Makers Market at the Holiday Theater in Denver, the Durango Holiday Farmers Market, and the Cripple Creek Craft Fair. And check out our story from last week for more on this year’s holiday markets.

Parker Yamasaki | Reporter

P.S. — If you missed our event from Wednesday night, catch up with it on our YouTube page. Health reporter John Ingold spoke with Colorado health insurance experts to provide a guide and tips on how to choose the best plan for the coming year.

Have a great Thursday.

— Kevin & the whole staff of The Sun

Corrections & Clarifications

Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing corrections@coloradosun.com.