Happy Monday, Colorado!
I hope everyone’s backs are recovered from digging out from under all that snow this weekend, because we have a full load of news to get through this morning.
We’ve got everything from a deep look at the way food benefits work in Colorado to electric pizza (featuring an all-time great Sun headline, as you’ll see below), so rather than spend much time yapping up here, let’s just grab a paper plate, a bunch of napkins and take down a couple of slices of news, shall we?
CTO & Newsletter Wrangler
THE NEWS
FOOD
Colorado is so behind on processing food assistance benefits that it’s under a federal corrective action plan
+90%
The share of new SNAP applications processed within required time frames in Arapahoe, Denver and Weld counties.
26%
The share of renewal applications processed on time in Pueblo and El Paso counties.
Colorado is one of about a dozen states that uses a county-run, state-supervised system to distribute its food assistance program — and within that system, some counties are processing applications for benefits well within the federally required 30 days. But there are enough counties dealing with major backlogs and stressed staff that the state’s average is among the worst in the country. Jennifer Brown reports on how the feds have gotten involved and where the need for benefits has spiked since 2020.
ENERGY
When you electrify a big pizza pie that’s amore. Here’s how one Denver restaurant is doing it.
Often, the tasty pie you enjoy from your local pizzeria was fired in a natural gas-powered oven. But the desire to take fossil fuels out of the equation is leading some local pizza shops to invest in electric pizza ovens for the long haul. Michael Booth has more on how “beneficial electrification” is making in-roads in the restaurant industry.
ECONOMY
How the pandemic helped provide permanent funding for rural Colorado’s economic development
In this week’s “What’s Working” column, Tracy Ross explores one of the small silver linings of Colorado’s response to the struggles of rural areas during the pandemic, plus why a dip in the number of open jobs has employers excited about a “loosening labor market.”
MORE NEWS
COLORADO SUNDAY
More than $150M has been invested in Trinidad. Has it worked?
A lot of money has been funneled into Trinidad in the past decade with the hope that with the right amount of money invested in just the right way can spark a cultural renaissance booming with art, tourism, innovative businesses and outdoor recreation to sand the craggy edges from a historically bumpy economy. But has it worked out as planned? Jason Blevins and Gabrielle Porter dive deep looking at the tension between the old guard and the new that has stalled progress.
Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler
THE COLORADO REPORT
🔑 = source has article meter or paywall
Section by Olivia Prentzel | Reporter
THE OPINION PAGE
COLUMNS
COMMUNITY
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.
Hopefully your trusty solar plow will take care of the rest of your snow, otherwise remember to lift with your knees and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!
— Eric and 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.
