A fight over caseworker records goes sour

Good morning, Colorado.

Not too often do I get to directly support the people who grow the food I eat, let alone talk with them about their passions. Last weekend, at my local farmers market, I felt I was on a treasure hunt, picking out ingredients to inspire Saturday’s dinner. Along the way, I learned more about a family of cow and yak ranchers from Divide, a farmer from Pueblo and a mycologist from Colorado Springs.

When I got home, I made the most satisfying mushroom-and-tongue tacos — not just for their taste, but the feeling of being a bit more connected to the place I call home.

It’s a similar feeling I get when reading so many stories from The Sun and learning more about the fascinating lives and business from around the state. (ICYMI: Nancy Lofholm’s Colorado Sunday story about the Western Slope farm that cultivates a globe-spanning collection of garlic.)

We’ve got more stories like that in today’s lineup, so let’s get to it.

Olivia Prentzel

Reporter

THE NEWS

POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Two Colorado agencies are fighting over information. Now one is charging the other a $30-per-hour research fee.

There’s an information tug-of-war between state agencies in their mission to figure out how to deal with child protection caseworkers who falsify records. On one side is the state child welfare division, which is trying to get the bottom of how often such complaints are made. On the other is the Department of Human Services, which is charging $30 per hour to research, retrieve and redact the documents. Jennifer Brown has more.

READ MORE

ELECTION 2024

Colorado GOP reports spending another $39,000 on mailers for Chairman Dave Williams

The Colorado GOP sent three mailers between late May and early June telling voters in the 5th District in El Paso County to support chairman Dave Williams, at a cost of $58,000. That spending drew criticism at a recent meeting about party finances, with some candidates saying they weren’t offered the same type of financial support or endorsement as Williams, Sandra Fish reports.

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ENERGY

EPA grants $328 million for Colorado programs designed to slash greenhouse gas emissions

The EPA just gave Colorado a whole lot of money — $328 million — to help the state get closer to its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% in 2030 and 90% by 2050 (compared to 2005 levels). Mark Jaffe has more about where the money is going.

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OUTDOORS

Boulder’s Outdoor Industry Association ends 30-year partnership with Outdoor Retailer trade show

After three decades, the Outdoor Industry Association is divorcing from the Outdoor Retailer trade show, and taking its more than 4,000 outdoor industry members with it. What’s to come for trade shows is still unclear as the outdoor businesses move away from big selling gatherings, such as the Outdoor Retailer, and shift their business strategies. Jason Blevins reports on the split.

READ MORE

Section by Olivia Prentzel | Reporter

THE COLORADO REPORT

• 7 takeaways from Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s State of the City address. Among the notable lines compiled by Denverite of the mayor’s first State of the City address: “All our problems are solvable and we are the ones to solve them.”
  — Denverite
• RV with blown tire sparks several fires along I-70 in western Colorado. This is less of a news story than a cautionary tale: An RV driver kept driving along the interstate, unaware that one of their tires had blown, spinning the rim directly on the road and causing several grass fires near Rifle. The fires were under control within a few hours.
  — KKTV
• Doulas are now covered under Colorado’s Medicaid program. Beginning July 1, pregnant people on Medicaid could receive doula services as part of their care. And as one women’s health nurse practitioner put it, lower-income patients often have the most to gain by working with a doula.
  — KUNC
• Contractor cited for missing permit after Denver balcony collapse injured one. A construction worker was taken to the hospital and residents were relocated to hotels after a stairwell and exterior balcony collapsed during construction of a building in the Highland neighborhood Monday.
  — The Denver Post 🔑
• Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA announces classical ballet album with Colorado Symphony Orchestra. And now for the most exciting news unearthed during my regular scanning of Colorado-related headlines: One of the driving creative forces behind the Wu-Tang Clan will release “A Ballet Through Mud” — RZA’s first classical record, based on notebooks from his teen years — Aug. 30.
  — DJ Mag

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE OPINION PAGE

COMMUNITY

• Colorado must prioritize restoring rivers instead of unnecessarily delivering municipal water via pipelines.  Water belongs in natural river channels as long as possible before being pulled for Front Range communities
  — Evan Stafford, Fort Collins, American Whitewater

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.

SunLit

“Blood Betrayal” sends readers on a twisting tale along racial divide

Two police shootings in one Colorado night set the stage for Ausma Zehanat Khan’s Colorado Book Award-winning mystery that turns its lens on race relations and how these incidents are perceived across the board.

READ AN EXCERPT

• Interview with the author. Khan explains that she selected this particular excerpt in part because it tests readers’ assumptions about the kind of incident that happens repeatedly in America. 

Section by Kevin Simpson | Writer

Thanks for joining us today! Enjoy your Tuesday and we hope to see you back here again tomorrow.

— Olivia & the whole staff of The Sun

The Colorado Sun is part of The Trust Project. Read our policies.

Corrections & Clarifications

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