A flyer on a wooden pole details the number of animals killed to make one fur coat, including figures for foxes, squirrels, minks, and chinchillas. Nearby is a neighborhood street corner.
A flyer by Pro-Animal Future promoting a Denver ballot measure that would ban slaughterhouses is stapled to a pole at Bayaud Avenue and Washington Street. (Danika Worthington, The Colorado Sun)
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Good morning, Colorado.

I went for an evening stroll as the sun set last night. As the light lingered, it was nice to see my neighbors starting their nights.

Lots of dogs on walks, folks watering sidewalk gardens and others lazily leaving a restaurant with their date. And one rather serious Rollerblader.

Summer, may it never end. (That’s what I say in the evening, I have a completely different take around the 2-4 p.m. hours.)

All right, enough daydreaming. Let’s get to the news.

A graphic showing how much the ingredients in a burger have increased
Sheep herders create a “lamb jam” on a warm fall day as they move their flock down Gunnison County Road 12 below Kebler Pass toward Paonia on Sept. 25, 2019. Colorado is the third largest producer of sheep for breeding and meat in the U.S., behind Texas and California. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette via AP)

A national animal rights group got a slaughterhouse ban on Denver’s November ballot. But it would affect only one business: the largest lamb packing plant in the U.S. A CSU report found the “most pessimistic” impact would be a loss of 2,787 jobs and $861 million in economic activity. Tracy Ross has more.

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A graphic showing how much the ingredients in a burger have increased
Colorado’s new Firehawk helicopter can fly faster than 150 mph and quickly slurp up as much as 1,000 gallons of water. (Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun)

Three years ago, lawmakers allocated $30 million for the state to buy its first “Firehawk,” a modified military helicopter that can quickly travel the state to drop 1,000 gallons of water on flames. Now, four pilots have gone through specialized training and are ready for the job. But, as Olivia Prentzel writes, don’t expect the copter at every fire.

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A graphic showing how much the ingredients in a burger have increased
From left, chief public defender Colette Tvedt, peer support specialist Kiersten Davis, senior public defender Cayce Duncan, legal administrative support assistant Lucienne “Lulu” Scully, and senior public defender Nicole Duncan stand for a portrait July 2 at the Denver Office of the Municipal Public Defender, where their team has been preparing to provide free legal representation for youth in the city’s municipal courts. (Eli Imadali, Special to The Colorado Sun)

Denver young people ages 10 to 18 can receive a free public defender if accused of municipal violations starting Thursday. Before the law changed, many kids immediately pleaded guilty to crimes like alcohol possession or trespassing as they could not receive courtroom advice from judges or city attorneys. And if kids wanted to challenge their case but their parents couldn’t afford a lawyer, they had to represent themselves. Tatiana Flowers has more.

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Each week as part of SunLit — The Sun’s literature section — we feature staff recommendations from bookstores across Colorado. This week, the staff from Poor Richard’s Books in Colorado Springs recommends:

Read what the bookstore staff had to say about each. Pick up a copy and support your local bookstores at the same time.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Stay cool out there.

— Danika & the whole staff of The Sun

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