This past Wednesday The Colorado Sun hosted a networking event at Artworks in Loveland. It was a really laid back affair, as you might expect of a weekday afternoon with free food, booze and art. Despite the jovial atmosphere, I had some really engaging conversations throughout the event with people who were curious, concerned and unafraid to ask some really demanding questions — like, how can they learn to trust the news?
My favorite conversations were among small groups of neighbors who had never met in which we’d end up talking about arts funding or the upcoming election while crunching on water crackers. The whole affair reminded me of an interview with journalist Audie Cornish that I listened to recently, who said that voting is “just the beginning.” In other words, civic engagement doesn’t just mean going to the polls — though that’s also very important. Civic engagement can also mean showing up to a local event at a gallery, snacking on cheese and crackers and learning more about your neighbors.
Keep an eye on our events page to stay up on where we’ll be and what we’re talking about.
Now on to the reason we’ve all gathered here this morning — the news.
Reporter
THE NEWS
ELECTION 2024
Greg Lopez selected as Republican nominee for special election in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District to replace Ken Buck
A late-night vote in Hugo landed former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez the GOP nomination to replace U.S. Rep. Ken Buck in Congress. Buck, a Windsor Republican whose term ends in January 2025, abruptly resigned from Congress earlier this month, forcing a vacancy committee to select a nominee to serve the remainder of his term. Lopez will run against a Democratic nominee in a special election on June 25, the same day as the state’s primaries. The surprise 51-46 victory for Lopez in the Republican-dominant 4th District all but assures he will become a member of Congress. Jesse Paul has more on who Lopez is and who he beat out for the nomination.
OUTDOORS
Locals worry plan to recycle Leadville’s mining waste could threaten Arkansas River, unearth town’s long-buried history
In 2008 a man named Nick Michael bought the dormant Leadville Mill 2 miles west of the high country town, with the plan to drag the slag and ore from nearby mine dumps into the facility, mix it in a vat with sodium cyanide, and reclaim the gold and silver deposits. But locals and downstream landowners are haunted by the site’s Superfund past, which the town and federal government have spent 50 years and millions of dollars to remediate. Michael sees his plan as an extension of reclamation — a way to remove mine dumps around Leadville, use land that’s already zoned for industry and mining, and make a few bucks along the way, while opponents view the plan as a hazard to the environment and the recreation-heavy Arkansas River. Jason Blevins has the story.
EDUCATION
A Colorado bill aims to make charter schools more transparent. Opponents say it’s a “blatant attack.”
135,000
Charter school students in Colorado
A bill aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in charter schools sparked major opposition from Gov. Jared Polis, bipartisan education groups and more than 40,000 charter school supporters who emailed their legislators. The bill would require more transparent language about which laws and policies the schools are exempt from and tighten some of those regulations. Proponents argue that transparency is necessary as special interest groups pump money into some charter schools, but opponents think it will put the schools at risk of losing the innovative standards that help students excel. As Erica Breunlin reports, the fight is the latest example of political tensions over the role of charter schools in the state.
MORE NEWS
Section by Parker Yamasaki | Reporter
THE COLORADO REPORT
🔑 = source has article meter or paywall
Section by Kevin Jeffers | Product Team
THE OPINION PAGE
COMMUNITY
CARTOONS
Holy ecosystem, Batman! Jim Morrissey underscores the seriousness of white-nose syndrome discovered among some Colorado bats, and how it could have wide-ranging impacts.
With apologies to John Steinbeck, Drew Litton observes that while hope springs eternal with the opening of the baseball season, the National League West hasn’t gotten any easier.
In “What’d I Miss?” Myra finds that for some strange reason, women’s reactions to sexist incidents often generate … even more criticism.
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 bit of Colorado history, headlines and a thoughtful conversation. We keep it tight so you can quickly listen, or stack up a few and tune in at your leisure. You can download the Sun-Up for free in your favorite podcasting app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or RSS to plug into your app. This week’s topics range from Steamboat’s housing spectrum to Colorado’s history to help for those with severe food allergies.
🗣️ Reminder, you can ask Siri, Alexa or Google to “play the Daily Sun-Up podcast” and we’ll play on your smart speaker. As always we appreciate your feedback and comments at podcast@coloradosun.com.
Section by David Krause | Editor
Next week we’re (virtually) talking RTD and public transportation. See you there?
— Parker & 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.
