The woman with a life’s worth of dog days

Good morning, Sunrisers. I’m writing this morning from an unusually drizzly Pueblo, where the annual Colorado Creative Industries conference is being held. Work conferences aren’t exactly top of mind when people think of a good time, so I have been somewhat surprised and definitely delighted that this conference has been, well, very fun.

Most of that is due to the fact that Colorado’s creative industries have incredible range. I’ve heard from sound healers, Native dance troupes and Asian splash artists. There have been sessions on policy, public art and air pollution, and some well-attended sessions on philanthropy and grant writing — because at the end of the day, it is still work. This morning, Pikes Peak poet laureate Ashley Cornelius and therapist Sam Paulin are leading a session called “Rest as Resistance” that, if I’m reading the description correctly, involves a big community nap time.

So I’ve got to make sure I make it there. Let’s get to nap. I mean, work. Let’s get to work.

Parker Yamasaki

Reporter

THE NEWS

COLORADANS

Colorado woman earns second selection as judge at iconic Westminster Dog Show

It started with a beagle puppy that showed up in her bed at midnight one night, a surprise gift from her older brother, who rescued it from a university testing facility. Joyce Vanek’s rise to judge at the Westminster Dog Show is full of surprising twists — most of them including either dogs or horses. Kevin Simpson reports on the path that led Vanek into her life full of “rare and beautiful things.”

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ARTS

Vail abruptly cancels residency program with Lakota artist Danielle SeeWalker

Lakota artist Danielle SeeWalker’s murals are all over Denver, her paintings are up at History Colorado, her curatorial skills are on display at The Collective Art Center in Lafayette, and she was recently commissioned by Marvel to create art for a new series. In short, she’s everywhere right now. Except for Vail. After residents complained about a painting that evokes parallels between the Native experience and the crisis in Gaza, the town of Vail abruptly canceled their plans to collaborate with the artist during a summer residency. Parker Yamasaki has more.

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HEALTH

Abortion seekers continue to flood Colorado for care. 85% of people requesting travel help are Texans.

The number of people requesting assistance from a Colorado abortion fund has more than quadrupled since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an abortion, with the most out-of-state requests coming from Texas, where abortion is effectively banned after six weeks into a pregnancy. Jennifer Brown and John Ingold look at new data showing the shift of abortion services as some states tighten laws.

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• FACT CHECK: Does Colorado allow abortions even after birth? Colorado is one of seven states without limits on when an abortion can occur during a pregnancy — but that right ends the moment the baby is born.  

WATER

There may be a wetter future ahead for the Colorado River, new CU Boulder research says

The past couple of decades have marked the driest period in the Colorado River Basin in the last 1,200 years, but new research shows that the river could be due for an upswing. The operative words there are “could be.” As Shannon Mullane explains, scientists are reporting the possibility of a wetter future, with some major caveats.

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Section by Parker Yamasaki | Reporter

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Mayor Mike Johnston unveils plan to break downtown Denver out of “doom loop” with $500 million in public investment. The plan includes expanding an obscure special taxing authority that played a part in downtown’s last big boom.
  — The Denver Post
• Rick Sallinger, veteran TV journalist at CBS Denver and 9NEWS, dies at 74. Veteran TV reporter Rick Sallinger, who worked for decades at CBS Denver and at 9NEWS in the 1980s, died Wednesday night.
  — 9News
• Northern lights could be visible within 2 hours of Denver. An active month of solar weather has experts predicting a rare aurora borealis possibility within Colorado’s borders.
  — Fox 31
• 36 hours in Colorado Springs. Colorado’s second largest city gets the travel spotlight from NYT.
  — New York Times 🔑

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Kevin Jeffers | Product Team

THE OPINION PAGE

CARTOONS

In “What’d I Miss?” Ossie continues to smart from the angry backlash — from like-minded friends — to his social media mistake.

CARTOON

Jim Morrissey illustrates how bipartisanship led to an 11th-hour agreement on a difficult property tax measure.

CARTOON

Drew Litton marks the passing of Joe Collier, the Denver Broncos’ legendary defensive coordinator who leaves a legacy of excellence that helped put a rising football team on the NFL map.

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

CONVERSATION

Each weekday The Daily Sun-Up podcast brings you a bit of Colorado history, headlines and a thoughtful conversation. We keep it tight so you can quickly listen, or stack up a few and tune in at your leisure. You can download the Sun-Up for free in your favorite podcasting app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts or RSS to plug into your app.

• Appeals court gives ski village developer good news. Outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about the latest ruling in a decades-long court battle to build a village next to the Wolf Creek ski area in southern Colorado.
  LISTEN
• A closer look at artificial intelligence developments in Colorado. Business reporter Tamara Chuang looks at artificial intelligence developments in Colorado, from businesses to legislation at the state Capitol.
  LISTEN
• A closer look at House Bill 1378: “Consumer Protection in Event Ticket Sales.” More on a bill that cleans up the ticket-buying process by creating transparent pricing and clearer definitions of deceptive practices, but stops short of ticketing’s most egregious practices.
  LISTEN
• Climate and health recap: Unpacking the legislative session. Reporters Michael Booth and John Ingold recap what happened at this year’s legislative session on climate and health issues.
  LISTEN
• A conversation with author Steve Friesen about his new book on Buffalo Bill — as a foodie. Writer and editor Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose new book, a finalist for the prestigious Colorado Book Awards, takes an unconventional look at legendary 19th-century Western frontiersman “Buffalo Bill” Cody.
  LISTEN

🗣️ Also, 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.

Get some rest this weekend. We’ll see you back here Monday.

— 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.