Last evening’s low 80s and light breezes made for the perfect atmosphere for what has become one of my favorite summer traditions — paella night in our friend’s backyard. While the garlic, saffron, shrimp and mussels simmered with the rice in a giant pan over a charcoal grill, we sipped sangria and caught up with longtime friends. Vases of daisies decorated the long table set up on the grass, and peach pie topped off the night.
It got me thinking about how traditions begin. In this case, your friend buys a paella pan and the first attempt is so fun that August is no longer complete without it.
Let’s get on with Monday, though, and our daily tradition of reading a handful of meaningful news stories about Colorado that will keep you both grounded and informed.
Reporter
THE NEWS
OUTDOORS
Colorado mountain towns see a rare summer slump in visitors as statewide tourism slows
It’s the first tourism slowdown since the pandemic for some Western Slope communities. State officials warned of a softening tourism market last year, and there was no growth in overnight visitors in 2024, Jason Blevins reports.
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Colorado’s attorney general has sued Trump 33 times since inauguration. So far, he’s mostly won.
Of the 33 times Attorney General Phil Weiser has sued to block President Trump’s policies, courts have partially or fully blocked the policies 14 times, left the policies in place five times and are still considering 15 cases. Taylor Dolven has the details.
AGING IN COLORADO
Hot Colorado labor trend alert: Working past 65
Working past 65 and 70 may be one of the hottest trends in the labor market, especially in Colorado, which tied with Oregon for the third-fastest rate of aging nationwide. The number of Colorado workers 65 and older has more than doubled since 2010 and nearly quadrupled since 2000, writes Tamara Chuang.
BUSINESS
Westcliffe’s conservative newspaper closes as editor calls for a revival: “Watching Fox News doesn’t cut it”
The Sangre de Cristo Sentinel’s editor blamed “serious, personal health issues” for closing the newspaper, Jennifer Brown reports. It ends, for now at least, a newspaper war that divided the town of Westcliffe along political lines, with some residents supporting the now-closed “Voice of Conservative Colorado” and others calling it “gossip.”
MORE NEWS
COLORADO SUNDAY
Gold King put a spotlight on mine pollution in Colorado. Ten years later, locals are still waiting for a solution.
Those of you who lived in Colorado 10 years ago remember it. On Aug. 5, 2015, contractors for the Environmental Protection Agency inadvertently unleashed 3 million gallons of wastewater trapped behind the collapsed entrance of Gold King mine in remote San Juan County. The yellow, heavy-metal-laden water impacted communities from Colorado to Utah. It wasn’t the first or the last unplanned release into the watershed, reports Shannon Mullane.
Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler
THE COLORADO REPORT
🔑 = source has article meter or paywall
Section by David Krause | Editor
THE OPINION PAGE
COLUMNS
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.
Hope everyone is making plans to fulfil their August traditions before summer runs out.
— Jennifer and the whole staff of The Sun
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