The Sunriser | “I had to run and run and run”

Good morning, Colorado. What do you want to talk about? The election? The Nuggets? Spring break?

Or how about the large amounts of big, wet snow falling outside our windows right now?

As we and several others reported earlier, today is the day. You’re seeing record rainfall turn into what’s expected to be the biggest winter storm to hit the Denver metro in a few years, to say nothing of the huge amounts we’re seeing this morning in the mountains.

Stay off the roads and keep an eye on updates, as the snow is expected to accumulate throughout Thursday while a winter storm warning is in effect. And while you’re (hopefully) huddled up inside, catch up with the rest of today’s news from The Sun.

Kevin Jeffers

Product Team

THE NEWS

IMMIGRATION

She was a lawyer in Venezuela. Now she helps other migrants in Denver apply for asylum.

By now you’ve hopefully read our reporting on the influx of Venezuelan migrants to Colorado, with numbers reaching the tens of thousands. This week, we talked to one of them in-depth about her family’s perilous journey to get here. You don’t want to miss Jennifer Brown’s interview with Yali Reinoso, a lawyer in her home country who gives us her firsthand account of how she escaped a life of poverty and political unrest.

READ MORE | WATCH THE INTERVIEW

• Watch: The Colorado Sun discusses Denver’s Migrant Crisis. In case you missed our full panel discussion from Tuesday night, you can watch it on our YouTube channel.

TRANSPORTATION

Colorado rental car fee hike would raise money for Front Range and mountain passenger rail systems

A state-imposed rental car fee would increase by as much as $3 per day under a soon-to-be-introduced bill aimed at attracting federal investment in the proposed Front Range and mountain passenger train systems, Jesse Paul reports. The fee increase would generate an estimated $50 million in revenue annually, money that would be used as a match to secure federal grants.

READ MORE

OUTDOORS

Triumphs and tragedy of Aspen ski legend Spider Sabich set for Amy Redford-directed documentary

Spider Sabich’s accomplishments as an athlete and his groundbreaking efforts for ski racers to make a living have largely been overshadowed by the lurid details surrounding his death in 1976, writes Andrew Travers. But a new documentary could change that, courtesy of Amy Redford, the filmmaking daughter of Robert Redford, who based his character in the 1969 film “Downhill Racer” on Sabich. Here are the details on the upcoming project.

READ MORE

LOCAL MEDIA NEWS

• Colorado Community Media owner purchases printing press, offering lifeline to local newspapers across the state. National Trust for Local News expects to start printing suburban newspapers by May and open to other publications soon after.
• Fired Colorado Public Radio reporter-host claims the station discriminated against him. CPR says his allegations are “false.” Vic Vela, who rose to prominence in recent years through his podcast about addiction, recovery and mental health, filed a joint claim Tuesday with U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Colorado Civil Rights Division. Jesse Paul has more.

Section by Kevin Jeffers | Product Team

THE COLORADO REPORT

• There’s a bipartisan plan to repay teachers for costly school supplies. Here’s why it could fail for a sixth time. The proposal would pay teachers up to $1,000 each — in the form of a refundable tax credit — to cover spending on classroom supplies.
  — CPR News
• Here’s when Colorado’s ski resorts will close for the season. Get your spring skiing in while you still can.
  — The Know 🔑
• New bill would make it harder for ranchers to be compensated for livestock killed by wolves. Colorado ranchers would have to use non-lethal wolf deterrence measures to be eligible for state compensation if their livestock is killed by the predators under the bill.
  — Summit Daily
• More than 800 flights canceled at Denver’s airport as snowstorm hits Colorado. Southwest, SkyWest, Frontier, United, CommuteAir, and Mesa reported the most cancellations.
  — 9News

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Danika Worthington | Presentation Editor

THE OPINION PAGE

COMMUNITY

• Lawmakers pulled the shades on Colorado open meetings law. During Sunshine Week. Gov. Jared Polis signed into law a bill that lets the Colorado General Assembly discuss and formulate public policy in secret
  — Steven Zansberg and Jeff Roberts, The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition
• Preserving western Colorado’s Dolores Canyon area will nurture nature for future generations. Getting national protection for the area will also help give kids another outlet to explore and connect with nature
  — Jen Clanahan, Co-director of Mountain Mamas

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.

What’s Happening

Culinary connections. This weekend the annual Dragon Boat Film Festival, celebrating Asian and Asian American film culture, takes over the Sie Film Center. The festival is hosted by Colorado Dragon Boat, a nonprofit organization that advocates for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities through festivals and programming — and one of the most widely accessible pathways into Asian culture is through food.

On Sunday, the festival hosts a community conversation about the ways that food is a vehicle for connection and a celebration of heritage. The conversation begins at 10 a.m. and is free and open to the public. Click this link to reserve your spot. After the conversation, ticketed guests are invited to sample an array of Asian cuisine from local chefs —including the Sap Sua, RiceBoxx Denver, Kokoro and a dozen other restaurants and food trucks. The tasting event costs $25 and will be hosted in the Sie Film Center lobby.

$25; March 17; Sie Film Center, 2510 E. Colfax Ave., Denver

• Black Restaurant Week. The national showcase of African and Caribbean restaurants is hosting its fourth Southwest campaign beginning Friday. Featured spots include Smokin’ Bones BBQ truck in Denver, Konjo Ethiopian Food in Edgewater and Drip Queen Coffee in Colorado Springs. Various prices; March 15-24; Denver, Colorado Springs, Edgewater and Highlands Ranch
• Zine reading. Denver Zine Library, a volunteer-run collection of over 15,000 zines, is hosting a reading at Ratio Beer Works in RiNo. Featuring work from Razorcake, Northern Colorado’s Scrapped Magazine, Tiny Spoon Lit Magazine and other local talent. Free; 7-10 p.m., March 16; Ratio Beer Works, 2920 Larimer St., Denver
• St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. The annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Denver is happening this Saturday, rain, shine or — most likely —snow. “I’ll be in kilt and Irish sweater, perfect for days like these,” parade director Dave Anderson wrote on the website. If standing outside all morning in a snowstorm doesn’t sound like your kind of Saturday, consider the World’s Shortest St Patrick’s Day parade, a whopping one-block celebration in downtown Boulder. On the other hand, if getting out in the elements is your thing, jump into a St. Patty’s Day 5K run or the Peddlin’ St. Pat’s 30K and 50K bike rides, in Colorado Springs. Free; March 16 and 17; Various locations

Section by Parker Yamasaki | Reporter

Be safe out there.

— Kevin & 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.