What’s with all the Viking hats?

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Good morning, Sunrisers! We’ve got a lot of great stories for you today, so I’ll keep this message short and sweet.

It has been a busy couple of weeks on the business side of The Sun, between our ongoing membership drive and our official nonprofit designation. A huge thank you to everyone who has joined (we’re halfway to our goal!), donated or reached out to congratulate us so far.

Now, on to the reason you all joined, donated or congratulated us: the news.

THE NEWS

CULTURE

PHOTOS: 60 years of horned, snowy celebration in Breckenridge

Nearly every year since 1963, as soon as winter descends, the streets of Breckenridge fill with drinking, dancing and lots of Viking hats for Ullr Fest. Reporter Jason Blevins and photographer Hugh Carey hit the town to ask the important questions, like: How many people does it take to set a world record shot-ski? And what’s with all the Viking hats?

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OUTDOORS

A way to add 8,800 acres to Colorado State Parks without the spending a dollar

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A 10-year “beneficial use agreement” between Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Colorado State Land Board of Commissioners is nearing its expiration. The question both agencies are asking now is whether they should enter another 10-year agreement, or transfer the property permanently to CPW. Jason Blevins reports on why the land board and others are looking to Wyoming for what to do (or what not to do) next.

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HEALTH

A common parasite in cat poop could be linked to frailty in older humans, Colorado professor’s study finds

Toxoplasma gondii, an orzo-shaped parasite that researchers have found makes individuals less risk-averse (weird, right?), was the subject of a scientific paper released by the University of Colorado, the University of Maryland and various universities in England. They wanted to know if that same parasite could be linked to frailty in older humans. John Ingold has the story, and the answer.

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ENVIRONMENT

How northern Colorado is making the clean energy transition

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As one of the first major utilities to commit to a 100% carbon-free goal, the Platte River Power Authority has always been ambitious about its transition to renewable energy. But some think its carbon neutral plan — which has been reduced to 88% carbon reductions by 2030, still higher than the state’s statutory target of 80% — is getting ahead of itself. Michael Booth has more.

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MORE NEWS

• Montanya rum distillery sells to long-time employees as another veteran owner of a Colorado mountain town business walks. Karen Hoskin, a model for female distillers worldwide, has handed her company to two employees who understand the dynamics of operating in a changing mountain town.
• Lawsuit from Colorado, other states accuses NCAA of antitrust violation in college athlete transfer rule. Under current NCAA rules a student athlete can transfer once without having to sit out a year, but any further transfers require a waiver. Seven states, including Colorado, filed a lawsuit alleging the waiver rule violates antitrust law.
• Two police officers, two firefighters struck by suspected DUI driver in Commerce City. On Thursday evening two police officers and two firefighters were struck while investigating separate crashes in Commerce City. Their conditions have not been released.
• Watch: The Colorado Sun discusses health insurance open enrollment. Health reporter John Ingold spoke with a panel of experts about health insurance options ahead of open enrollment.

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THE COLORADO REPORT

🔑 = Source has article meter or paywall

• How much snow will Colorado get? The Front Range and Denver area can expect several inches of snow by Saturday morning, with the heaviest snowfall hitting the metro area between 5 and 11 tonight.
  — 9News
• Denver moves 100 people off the streets into transitional housing. The city is promising to provide services to help people move into the hotel, the former DoubleTree hotel at 4040 Quebec St., from the encampment at 20th and Curtis and help them find permanent housing.
  — CBS Colorado
• Family alleges UCHealth cut off Indigenous patient’s hair, then lied about it. The family of 65-year-old Arthur Janis alleges UCHealth cut and disposed of their relative’s waist-length hair — something that violates Native American cultural practices — and then lied about it when confronted. Hospital officials claim the man arrived with shoulder-length hair.
  — The Denver Post
• State leaders discuss the rise in hate crimes, many of which go unreported, in Colorado. A discussion at the state Capitol on Wednesday led by Aurora state Sen. Rhonda Fields and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser illuminated a need to address rising hate crimes in a state that saw a 14% increase in such crimes between 2021 and 2022.
  — CPR News

THE OPINION PAGE

CARTOONS

Jim Morrissey illustrates the fraught nature of the Colorado Supreme Court appeal on whether Donald Trump should appear on the state ballot.

CARTOON

With a nod to “White Christmas,” Drew Litton laments a 100-loss baseball team that has done little to change its fortunes.

CARTOON

In “What’d I Miss?” writer R. Alan Brooks and artist Cori Redford introduce us to “two-spirit” people and their legal battle for equal rights.

CARTOON

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 opinion@coloradosun.com.

Podcast Playlist

We interrupt this weekly Playlist note for some big Sun-Up news: We’re now on YouTube. That’s right, on our Colorado Sun channel we are posting each episode, which includes a bit of Colorado history, headlines of the day and a thoughtful conversation. At the Sun-Up, we keep it tight so you can quickly listen, or stack up a few and tune in at your leisure. You can also download the Sun-Up for free in your favorite podcasting app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or RSS to plug into your app.

• The latest in the Argo Mine development saga. The big, red mill that hovers over Idaho Springs processed millions of dollars in gold but now millions in cash is gone after an alleged scheme involving a Virginia-based title company.
  LISTEN
• What does all that fine print mean on your cell phone bill? In Colorado, a list of fees and taxes each month add up to about 25% of the bill. Why and how do we rank vs. the rest of the country?
  LISTEN
• A conversation on race and Colorado history with local authors. We dip into our 2023 SunFest files for this discussion with writers Patricia Raybon and Alan Prendergast about the historical books that touch on the KKK in Colorado.
  LISTEN | Watch the full panel on our YouTube channel
• Big news for greenhouse gas emissions in Colorado. The coal-fired power plant in Craig is closing two years earlier than planned. That means Tri-State power’s pursuit of solar and wind power will pick up.
  LISTEN
• Meet longtime Colorado library director who wrote the book “On Censorship.” In his time leading libraries, Jamie LaRue has dealt with hundreds of challenges to remove books, movies and other things from the shelves.
  LISTEN

🗣️ And remember to ask your favorite smart device to “play the Daily Sun-Up podcast” and we’ll be on the speaker. As always we appreciate your feedback and comments at podcast@coloradosun.com.

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Looks like the prayers to Ullr have been answered.

— Parker & 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.