Missing: 180 Cows

Wow, Colorado!

We’re blown away by your Colorado Gives Day support. Thanks to everyone who helped make yesterday a success. It’s inspiring to see so much appreciation for quality, local journalism — and the motivation to keep it going strong!

No matter how you support The Sun — as a reader, a member, a donor, sponsor or community partner — we are able to do this work because of you. So thank you!

Danika Worthington

Presentation Editor

P.S. If you weren’t able to share your support yesterday, it’s not too late. DONATE

THE NEWS

EDUCATION

Colorado Springs teacher disciplined 10-year-old boy with racist comment, lawsuit claims

After a Colorado Springs fifth grader greeted a friend by saying, “What’s up, brah?” a white teacher in Falcon School District 49 reprimanded him, insisting “that gang talk” isn’t allowed at school, a recently filed lawsuit says. Erica Breunlin has more.

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OUTDOORS

Missing: 180 cows have disappeared along the Western Slope, ranchers report

Officials are looking for 180 cows, which carry a hefty price tag, after multiple ranchers reported them missing during a meeting Dec. 4. The cows, mostly calves, were last seen grazing national forest land. Whether cattle thieves are to blame is unknown, Olivia Prentzel reports.

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• Hunting groups sue Colorado wildlife commissioners over mountain lion hunting op-ed ahead of election Two influential hunting organizations sued members of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission after they wrote an opinion piece published in The Durango Herald supporting Proposition 127, which would have banned big cat hunting, Tracy Ross reports.
• Uinta Basin Railway gets U.S. Supreme Court review, but the 88-miles of track are just a footnote in a much bigger fight. Eagle County and environmental groups say feds erred in not more closely considering the environmental implications of adding 5 billion more gallons of waxy crude to the U.S. refinery pipeline, Jason Blevins reports.

BUSINESS

A 138-year-old Colorado newspaper asked readers if it was worth saving. They resoundingly said yes.

Nearly five months ago, the owner of The Plainsman Herald, a weekly serving the Springfield area in southeastern Colorado, told readers he planned to close the longstanding newspaper. But he left the door open to reconsider if something changed — and it did, Kevin Simpson writes.

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Section by Danika Worthington | Presentation Editor

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Douglas County school board approves AP African American studies course. The higher-level elective was approved after hearing parents and educators express support for the new class during a Tuesday meeting. It comes at a time when courses teaching race are being restricted in other states.
  — The Denver Post 🔑
• Colorado Springs inches closer toward approving a new tallest building. The city council voted Tuesday on three measures creating a new urban renewal district for the proposed site of a 300-foot-tall mixed-use apartment complex.
  — KRCC
• Denver considers removing minimum parking requirements. The city hopes to cut down on time and costs by removing a requirement for a certain amount of parking spaces per person or per square foot of a business, while also freeing up more space for housing.
  — 9News
• Local comedian produces Netflix’s first all-Native lineup in new documentary. Joshua Emerson’s film “Bad Indian” is a love letter to his mother that reflects the resilience and humor of Native communities.
  — Westword

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Kevin Jeffers | Product Team

THE OPINION PAGE

COLUMNS

• There may be much to learn about the United Healthcare killer, but we should already know he’s no hero.
  Opposing denial of care by corrupt health insurance companies is absolutely called for. Killing one of the many beneficiaries is not.
  — Mike Littwin

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

BOOKS

Park Hill Community Bookstore suggests titles both whimsical and serious

Each week as part of SunLit — The Sun’s literature section — we feature staff recommendations from bookstores across Colorado. This week, the staff from Park Hill Community Bookstore in Denver recommends:

• “Still Life” by Alex London and Paul O. Zelinsky, a tale of still life that won’t hold still
• “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis, the disturbing classic describing how facism can rise in America
• “The Slaves of Solitude” by Patrick Hamilton, a WWII tale of lonely hearts

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

RECOMMENDATIONS

Section by Kevin Simpson | Writer

Today’s newsletter co-writer also wanted to thank everyone who supported The Sun. “We literally couldn’t do it without you,” she meowed.

— Danika & 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.