How unaffiliated voters in CD3 feel without Boebert

My street isn’t a hot spot for trick-or-treaters, so last night, my boyfriend and I thought it would be fun to dress up and walk one of the livelier nearby neighborhoods. I threw on a giant, poofy, scratchy Lydia Deetz dress and gave myself a goth little makeover. Then we hit the streets and … *tumbleweed blows by* … no one.

We salvaged the night by dining at a new Mexican restaurant in full kit and vowed to do the same next year, but with a little more research this time — at the very least, a glance at Reddit.

If turning in your ballot is on the to-do list this weekend, don’t make my Halloween mistake. Do your research. Seek online guidance. Lucky for you, we’ve got just what you need.

Let’s get to the news.

Parker Yamasaki

Reporter

THE NEWS

ELECTION 2024

How a few unaffiliated voters who disliked Lauren Boebert feel about their 3rd Congressional District options now

Voters in Congressional District 3 have sent Rep. Lauren Boebert to Congress two terms in a row, but with Boebert switching districts this year, we wondered how people are feeling about their new options. The Sun partnered with journalism students AJ Repinski and Zara Tucker at Fort Lewis College in Durango to gather thoughts from unaffiliated voters in their district.

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• The FAA finally OK’s Aspen’s plan to fix deteriorating airport runway. Election Day could send it back to square one. Two measures on Pitkin County ballots are creating a whole matrix of possibility when it comes to the future of the Aspen airport. The FAA weighed in recently, but said its input was not political, just bureaucratic. Tracy Ross has more. 
• Fact Brief ☀️ If I lost my mail ballot, can I still vote in person in Colorado? The last day to request a replacement ballot by mail was Oct. 28. Por Jaijongkit explains what to do if you’ve lost your ballot. 

OUTDOORS

The collapse of two well-funded heavyweights in Colorado outdoor recreation realm

While Colorado is known for its great outdoors, two well-funded companies have shown it’s hard to make a business of them. In Windsor, the developer behind a massive multisport complex filed for bankruptcy protection, with angry contractors clawing for $14.9 million in unpaid work, and lenders looking for much more. In Louisville, The Pro’s Closet, a bike reseller started by a pro mountain biker in 2006, announced it was closing its doors and liquidating its inventory. Jason Blevins has the numbers.

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• A battle over the National Environmental Policy Act is brewing. Pushback from communities along the proposed 88-mile Uinta Basin Railway reveals a pending showdown, and possible ramifications for the National Environmental Policy Act. Jason Blevins has that and more. 

CRIME AND COURTS

Sheriff blames South Americans in Denver suburb burglaries, says only evidence is similarity to crimes in other states

The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office is investigating what they are calling “dinnertime burglaries,” a series of break-ins to high-end homes in the Denver suburbs. The sheriff noted similarities to crimes in Southern California, Arizona and Florida, and drew attention to the burglars’ possible nationalities, although Colorado authorities have no intel about where they are from. Jennifer Brown reports.

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• Littleton man sentenced to 37 months in prison for kicking officer in chest during Jan. 6 riot. Patrick Montgomery also violated firearm and hunting laws while the charges against him related to Jan. 6 were pending. Olivia Prentzel has details.

Section by Parker Yamasaki | Reporter

THE COLORADO REPORT

• 2 dead, 4 injured in Northglenn shooting. When officers arrived at a home near Belford Drive and Bruce Lane just after midnight Friday morning, they found multiple people at a large house party had been struck by gunfire.
  — 9News
• Lawsuit against Pueblo 60 school district alleges severe racial bullying. The lawsuit alleges that Jaleigha’Nisa, 12, was bullied so badly that stress sent her to the hospital for emergency stomach surgery and left her years behind in learning.
  — CPR News
• Pro-democracy group’s Colorado election hotline sees uptick. A nonpartisan election-protection hotline run by Common Cause Colorado received just over 500 calls from voters asking questions since ballots were mailed three weeks ago.
  — Colorado Newsline
• Bo Nix’s 5 wins are already a Broncos record for a rookie QB, surpassing John Elway. Denver’s prized first-round pick was also named AFC’s Offensive Rookie of the Month.
  — AP via KDVR

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Kevin Jeffers | Product Team

THE OPINION PAGE

COLUMNS

• A federal judge warns how partisan affiliations can threaten democracy.  Federal appeals court Judge Stephen Higginson urged attorneys to avoid religious and political entanglements
  — Craig Silverman

CARTOONS

In “What’d I Miss?” the cartoonists give Ossie and Myra the day off, while two muskrats and an alligator offer a mini-drama doubling as a voter’s guide.

CARTOON

Drew Litton points out that even our sports teams’ mascots know that during election season, filling out your ballot is always the right move.

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 thoughtful conversation, a bit of Colorado history, and headlines of the day. We keep it tight so you can listen on the go, or stack up a few and tune in at your leisure. Download the Sun-Up for free on your favorite podcasting app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or RSS to plug into your app.

• Had enough Halloween? Hopefully everyone has recovered from last night, but if you want a bit more spooky, reporter Tracy Ross finds out how the Haunted Stage Stop haunted house in Gilpin County came together. (FYI, it’s open through Saturday night.)
  LISTEN
• Breaking down Amendment 79. As our politics team has their heads down focusing on the election, we revisit a conversation between reporters Brian Eason and Jesse Paul on the ballot measure seeking to enshrine abortion access in the state constitution.
  LISTEN
• Vote of confidence from American Journalism Project. The Sun recently received a major grant from the AJP to improve our business operations and help spread the word about our work. Sun publisher Larry Ryckman talks about what the $1.4 million grant will mean.
  LISTEN
• Pro skier talks about mental health in the high country. At one of our SunFest panels Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins sat down with Summit County’s Drew Petersen to discuss youth mental health challenges in mountain towns.
  LISTEN
• “When Innocence Isn’t Enough.” Colorado author Thomas Dybdahl joins Sun reporter Kevin Simpson to talk about Dybdahl’s new book, which was a Colorado Book Award finalist, and one critically important aspect of the criminal justice system.
  LISTEN

🗣️ Remember, you can ask Siri, Alexa or Google to “play the Daily Sun-Up podcast” and we’ll play right on your smart speaker. As always we appreciate your feedback and comments at podcast@coloradosun.com.

Section by David Krause | Editor

Guess I’ll have to finish this Halloween candy myself.

— Parker & the whole staff of The Sun

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Corrections & Clarifications

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