Good morning, Colorado.
Happy to report that I made it back from my family ski trip last weekend unscathed . Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for my wife, who was taken out by an incredibly fast and jarring ski lift that was — in my opinion — incorrectly named Koala. The same lift also gave one of my sisters a head injury.
Don’t worry, despite some bruises, all are well. And that’s why you wear helmets, folks!
So grab your coffee, strap on your helmet and let’s dive into this packed newsletter.
Presentation Editor
THE NEWS
JUST IN: Lauren Boebert won’t pursue special election nomination to replace Ken Buck after his abrupt resignation. Boebert is still running, however, in the Republican primary to be the GOP nominee for the November election in the 4th Congressional District.
MIGRANTS
6 important things to know about Denver’s migrant crisis
Nearly 40,000 migrants have come to Denver in the past 15 months. Naturally, this might lead to a lot of questions. How many people stay in Denver? Are people ending up homeless? How much is this costing? Can Denver provide its own work permits? Reporter Jennifer Brown has answers to those questions and more.
ENVIRONMENT
Colorado’s massive recycling expansion could cost a lot more than first estimated
Colorado wants to use a new packaging fee to fund a massive expansion of curbside recycling across the state. But as the legislature sat down to consider cost scenarios for the expansion, they found that the mid-level cost scenario they had been eyeing had shot up nearly 20% after a month of study revisions. Now, critics are challenging the escalating costs and the optimistic promises of a state-mandated program. Michael Booth has more.
HEALTH
Some of the 1,400 patients of a Western Slope clinic are still struggling to find care a month after it closed
In early February, Delta-based Integrated Insight Community Care clinic shut down after the state cited concerns about patient safety and ongoing financial problems. Now, a month later, the vast majority of clients are struggling to find mental and physical health care providers who take Medicaid and can care for complex, specialized needs on the rural Western Slope. Read more from Tatiana Flowers, who followed up with patients after last month’s story.
POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Ken Buck announces he will leave Congress on March 22, scrambling race to replace him that includes Lauren Boebert
In a surprise announcement yesterday, U.S. Rep. Ken Buck said he will leave Congress on March 22. This is in a district that already has a highly contentious and competitive race to replace him. Buck didn’t say why he’s retiring so soon as he was already planning to retire when his current term ends in January 2025. Jesse Paul dives into how this could impact the 4th Congressional District race.
MORE NEWS
Section by Danika Worthington | Presentation Editor
THE COLORADO REPORT
🔑 = source has article meter or paywall
Section by Kevin Jeffers | Product Team
SunLit
REVIEW
Out West Books suggests titles to help explore the outdoors
Each week as part of SunLit — The Sun’s literature section — we feature staff recommendations from bookstores across Colorado. This week, the staff from Out West Books in Grand Junction recommends:
Read what the bookstore staff had to say about each. Pick up a copy and support your local bookstores at the same time.
Kevin Simpson | Writer
OK, we have successfully gotten to the bottom of the newsletter. You can take off your helmet now.
— Danika & 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.
