Colorado finally getting a little better at recycling

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Good morning and happy Black Friday!

I hope your holiday was warm, safe and satisfying no matter how you experienced it — even if you discovered much too late that the dry yeast you bought last week was anything but “active” and you ended up with sour cream and chive hockey pucks instead of rolls.

No matter what form your leftovers are taking, it is Black Friday, at least. And while the vast majority of the “deals” you are being relentlessly bombarded with today are hardly deals at all, The Sun’s Black Friday sale is a real one.

Just head over to The Colorado Sun merchandise store and you can save 20% on anything in stock! That includes our reader-favorite caps, our new camp-kit-friendly tin mugs and everything! Now through Monday, Dec. 2. Use code Cyber2024 at checkout.

If you don’t need any more stuff in your life, we’ve also got you covered. You can give the news junkie in your life the gift of membership with digital gift certificates — now 30% off with code BlackFridayGift2024. And if you’re not yet a member, now is the perfect time to join with 30% off your first year of Basic Plus or Premium membership!

Every dollar spent on merchandise, memberships or donations goes directly toward bringing the whole state of Colorado the journalism it deserves — no middle men, no investors and no greedy hedge funds. It just supports hard-working journalists who are covering our beautiful state to keep us all informed..

OK, I’m taking off my porkpie hat and putting down my megaphone because this sales pitch is over. Now it’s time for some leftover pie for breakfast and a heaping helping of news, so grab a fork and let’s get to it, shall we?

THE NEWS

ENVIRONMENT

Colorado finally makes a scrap of progress on recycling goals after years of stagnation

When is 6.9 million tons of trash a good thing? When it’s a little less than the 7 million pounds Colorado sends to landfills on average every year. Michael Booth reports on the first bits of progress showing after years of coordinated efforts to keep more waste out of landfills.

READ MORE

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ARTS

How eastern Colorado is reading amid plunging national literacy rates, book-banning battles

On the day that the Wray Eagles played an important state playoff football game, 18 people showed up at the Wray Public Library to discuss a book that came out more than 100 years ago. And that alone is enough for Maureen Hearty, co-director of the Prairie Sea Projects in Joes to know that the Big Read project is making a difference out on the Eastern Plains. Tracy Ross has more.

READ MORE

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WATER

Developers have the go-ahead for new construction in northern Weld County after a three-year freeze

In 2021 — at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and statewide housing shortage — a water district covering some of the hottest real estate in Colorado implemented a moratorium on any new requests for water. Now, after three years of planning and research, the floodgates of development could open again, Shannon Mullane reports.

READ MORE

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MORE NEWS

• Voters rejected historic election reforms across the US, despite more than $100M push. In Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and South Dakota — a mixture of red, blue and purple states — voters rejected either ranked choice voting, open primaries or a combination of both.
• Residents rally to buy mobile home park and protect affordable housing in Lafayette. Now a resident-owned community, La Luna Community Cooperative dipped into a unique funding pool to make the $4.5 million purchase.
• Fact Brief ☀️Is turkey the main reason you’re tired after a Thanksgiving meal? No. Although Turkey contains tryptophan, there isn’t enough in a typical, 1-pound serving to cause drowsiness.
• Fact Brief ☀️Did Colorado’s cage-free law cause an egg shortage? No. New rules that go into effect Jan. 1 under Colorado’s cage-free law may be a factor in egg shortages, but they’re not the cause.

THE OPINION PAGE

CARTOONS

Drew Litton reminds us that in a season of giving, Broncos fans can be thankful for what they’ve received from the NFL’s best rookie QB.
CARTOON

In “What’d I Miss?” the cartoonists address right-wing complaints about supposed silencing of speech, when it’s really just critics responding to material.
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.

• It’s the most wonderful time of the year: ski season! More lifts are turning and resorts are opening early thanks to the November storms. Outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has all you need to know for the 2024-25 ski and snowboard season.
  LISTEN
• Santa Lady. There is one Colorado woman who makes thousands of visits with Santa possible. With the holidays upon us, we’re revisiting a conversation Sun reporter Kevin Simpson had with this special lady.
  LISTEN
• Once migrants in Colorado go to court, what’s next? Sun reporter Jennifer Brown discusses the huge immigration court backlog and her recent series “The Long Road to Asylum,” which looks at life for migrants after they arrive in Colorado.
  LISTEN
• Defining and tapping wilderness for inspiration. Indigenous poet and essayist CMarie Fuhrman talks with reporter Tracy Ross about what wilderness means to her, be it in the physical world or the mind, and leaving the cellphone behind.
  LISTEN
• Talkin’ turkey. Hopefully you’ve digested all that you might have over-enjoyed yesterday. But how much did it all cost? Business reporter Tamara Chuang breaks down the Thanksgiving dinner bill for feeding your family and friends.
  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.

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Thanks for checking in with us today! And as a reminder:

• 20% off all Sun merchandise with the code Cyber2024
• 30% off gift memberships with BlackFridayGift2024
• 30% off the first year of a Sun membership, with code CYBER

Get some rest and have a fantastic weekend, we’ll see you back here on Monday!

— Eric & 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.

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.