Counting deaths on the slopes

Hello, dear readers. I’d say “good morning” but it’s hard to feel too good waking up on a Monday when the whole state’s playoff hopes are dead until next season (barring some kind of “Angels in the Outfield” situation with the Rockies).

So to ease the pain of having to watch Av- and Nugget-free playoffs, we have a whole weekend’s worth of news to catch up on, so let’s dive in, shall we?

Eric Lubbers

CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

P.S. — There’s not much time left to nominate local small businesses as Colorado’s Best! Just click here and choose your region to make sure your favorite shops get the recognition they deserve.

THE NEWS

OUTDOORS

At least 14 people died on Colorado slopes this ski season

Colorado ski areas do not release cumulative details or reports about deaths at resorts. That’s why Jason Blevins surveys 16 county coroners at the end of each season to compile the statistics that would otherwise be unseen.

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ECONOMY

Concentration of real estate agents in Colorado Springs is 3 times higher than the national rate

Colorado Springs is one of the most real estate agent-dense metro areas in the country and as Tamara Chuang reports, that means that the effects of the housing market are felt even more acutely.

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• Colorado added a mere 300 jobs in April. But new jobs aren’t the only measure of the economy, Tamara Chuang reports in this week’s edition of “What’s Working.”
• Colorado becomes first state with law regulating potential consumer harms of artificial intelligence. Gov. Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 205 into law, set to go into effect February 2026, that is designed to protect consumers and prevent discrimination. But Polis sent a letter back to lawmakers about his concern that it could hamstring the state’s technology sector if not implemented properly.

HISTORY

Plaza Urrutia, a beloved symbol of Basque culture in Grand Junction, gets its official landmark designation

The nearly half-century-old Plaza Urrutia court — a three-sided concrete court that Basques call a fronton — has been officially established as a state historic site, a far cry from the brink of demolition. Nancy Lofholm reports.

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ELECTION 2024

How The Colorado Sun will cover the 2024 election

To say that this year’s election is a big one is an understatement, but as election season heats up, The Sun is setting intentions on how we will cover the races and ballot initiatives that affect the entire state. Read more to see how our approach will focus on policy over politics and how readers like you can help guide our coverage.

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• Colorado voters will decide in November whether to protect abortion access in the state constitution. Initiative 89 would also lift the state’s nearly 40-year-old constitutional ban on state dollars being used to pay for abortions.
• Colorado GOP chair’s embrace of Trump tactics splits party as he tries to boost his own campaign. The rift in the state party led by CD5 congressional candidate and party chair Dave Williams’ zeal reflects the Trump-shaped divide in the party at a national scale.

MORE NEWS

• Does Colorado limit how much rainwater you can collect? Colorado allows rainwater collection on private property but limits who can collect it, how much they can collect and how it can be used.
• Ed Dwight, America’ first Black astronaut candidate, finally goes to space 60 years later. The 90-year-old Denver sculptor’s quick ride in a Blue Origin capsule makes him the oldest person in space.
• Colorado Public Radio resolves dispute with fired host Vic Vela, who alleged the station discriminated against him. Vela, who rose to prominence in recent years through his podcast “Back from Broken,” was fired in January. He filed complaints against CPR in March with state and federal disability authorities.
• Telluride man, 70, sentenced to one year in prison for role in Jan. 6 riot at Capitol. Avery MacCracken was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty in October to one felony count after pushing past police.

Colorado Sunday

A workers’ co-op rises from the remains of a Colorado mushroom farm

When the Colorado Mushroom Farm in Alamosa abruptly shut down, generations of migrant workers lost a lifeline. In response, farm workers — with the help from local backers — formed the Sand Dunes Mushroom Cooperative. But as they learn the ropes of the business, Tracy Ross reports that the entrepreneurs are fighting headwinds in a system that favors wealthy white owners.

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Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Nuggets blow 20-point lead, struggle from field as Timberwolves end their title defense in Game 7. The Nuggets became the fifth straight reigning champion to fail to reach the conference finals in their quest to repeat.
  — The Associated Press
• Antiwar protesters at Auraria Campus have ended their encampment. The student-led protest lasted just over three weeks and led to dozens of arrests.
  — Denverite
• Colorado is about to wipe 100,000 criminal convictions from the public record. The state’s new Clean Slate Act automatically seals low-level crimes, but district attorneys can object — and have been, to varying degrees.
  — The Denver Post 🔑
• How 3M executives convinced a scientist the forever chemicals she found in human blood were safe. Decades ago, Kris Hansen showed 3M that its PFAS chemicals were in people’s bodies. Her bosses halted her work. As the EPA now forces the removal of the chemicals from drinking water, she wrestles with the secrets that 3M kept from her and the world.
  — ProPublica
• CEO stole $37K meant for scalping sports and concert tickets, lawsuit says. Tim Hager, a former radio exec who ran iHeart Radio’s nine Denver stations from 2014 to 2020, boasted that he “can buy pretty much anything at face value” because of his extensive contacts in sports leagues and the music industry.
  — BusinessDen 🔑

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Danika Worthington | Presentation Editor

THE OPINION PAGE

COLUMNS

• As a reward for her Trump grovel, Lauren Boebert gets a front-row courtroom seat. She’s one in a parade of MAGA sycophants who have traveled to New York to do Trump’s bidding
  — Mike Littwin
• Colorado must scrub the definition of marriage from the state constitution. The long-dormant provision defining marriage as only between a man and a woman could be revived if the U.S. Supreme Court continues to fuel the culture wars by overturning precedent
  — Mario Nicolais
• Want to fix downtown Denver? Start by investing in people — and tackling noise. The renegade motorcycle scene contributes to the inaccurate impression that downtown is a dangerous, crime-ridden place to be avoided.
  — Diane Carman

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.

Thanks for starting your week with us and don’t forget to nominate businesses for Colorado’s Best at coloradosun.com/colorados-best! Nominations end Wednesday so there’s no time to waste!

— 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.