The reality and racism of a Venezuelan gang “takeover”

I took a turn I’d never taken earlier this week. County Road 129 heading north from Steamboat Springs, a road that winds through Clark, passes Steamboat Lake and Hahn’s Peak Village, then shifts to dirt and dives deep into Routt National Forest. This might be familiar territory for some — there were plenty of campers, hikers, cyclists and motorcyclists in northern Routt — but to me, a first-timer, it felt good to slip back into the mindset of not knowing what’s around the next corner.

I don’t need to be told twice that there’s a lot of beautiful land to explore in this state, but I do appreciate the occasional reminder of what a privilege it is to be able to access it. Dan England’s story this week about a team of 75 volunteers and two determined parents that pulled Reed Small, who has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, to the summit of Pikes Peak, served as that reminder.

All that and more.

Parker Yamasaki

Reporter

THE NEWS

IMMIGRATION

Is racism fueling the furor over a Venezuelan gang “takeover” of apartment buildings in Aurora?

In recent weeks, a narrative about a Venezuelan gang taking control of apartment buildings in Aurora has gone national, fueled by social media videos and repeated by conservative media and local elected officials. As Jennifer Brown reports, anti-immigrant backlash and the tendency to equate immigrants with criminality is nothing new in the United States, despite decades of research showing that U.S. citizens are more likely to commit crimes.

OUTDOORS

Sara and Charles summited all 58 of Colorado’s tallest peaks. They wanted their adult son to reach the top of just one.

Pikes Peak has played a big role in the lives of Sara Thinger and her husband, Charles. It was the first 14er Charles climbed. They were married on its summit. It’s the backdrop of their life in the Springs. On Aug. 24 the peak took on new significance, when a group of 75 volunteers from the Lockwood Foundation took turns pulling Sara’s son, Reed Small, who uses a wheelchair, up the Barr Trail to the summit. Dan England has the story.

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• The Outsider ☀️ Why hikers are going thirsty on The Colorado Trail. The last two decades have been the driest on record in the Southwest, leaving streams dry and hikers thirsty along one of the nation’s premier high elevation, long-distance trails. Shannon Mullane has more.
• Fact Brief ☀️ Has it snowed in September before in Denver? Snow doesn’t usually show up in Denver until October or November, but there have been anomalous years. Justin George looks at the city’s historic snowfall span.

BUSINESS

3 Colorado utilities are getting $1.1B from the feds to accelerate the move to renewable energy

Two Colorado electric cooperatives and one multistate company with co-ops in Colorado are in line to receive over $1 billion in federal grant money that will speed the transition to renewable energy and soften the cost to consumers. The funding comes from the Empowering Rural America program, part of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. Mark Jaffe looks at what the money means for Colorado.

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• CEOs of Albertsons and Kroger say shoppers would see lower prices after merger. Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen and Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran insisted that merging the two companies would allow the grocers to compete more effectively with retail giants like Walmart, Costco and Amazon. 

MORE NEWS

• Shooter’s sanity at issue as trial begins in Colorado supermarket mass killing. The man who gunned down 10 people in a Boulder King Soopers in 2021 pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors on Thursday told jurors that he was not insane but a calculated killer.
• Dana Coffield becomes Editor of the Colorado Sun as news site marks sixth anniversary. Dana Coffield will become Editor of The Sun, succeeding Larry Ryckman, who has been named publisher. Both are co-founders and led the outlet’s transition to a 501(c)3 nonprofit late last year. 
• Watch: The Colorado Sun discusses peak ozone in Colorado. With 100-degree days and wildfire smoke choking the Front Range this summer, environmental reporter Michael Booth sat down with Colorado’s top air officials to discuss the 2024 ozone season.

Section by Parker Yamasaki | Reporter

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Relationship between DPS, teachers union sours amid monthslong contract dispute. Veteran educators were unexpectedly given one-time, 2% bonuses in recent weeks by the district, leading to accusations of union busting by the Denver Classroom Teachers Association.
  — The Denver Post 🔑
• Accidental killing of a mother bear in Silverton ignites anger and calls for change. CPW spokesperson John Livingston said the killing highlights a larger trend, with more bears being spotted in populated parts of southwest Colorado.
  — CPR News
• Family’s nightmare move with Denver-based moving company. A Nebraska family that used Denver-based Good Move USA is claiming the moving company withheld their belongings for more than three months and was operating with a suspended license.
  — 9News
• Aurora has Colorado’s most diverse food scene. Food & Wine gives its recommendations on where to eat in Colorado’s most diverse city.
  — Food & Wine

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Kevin Jeffers | Product Team

THE OPINION PAGE

CARTOONS

In “What’d I Miss?” a news item about a woman who died in her work cubicle and wasn’t found for days left Myra pondering the importance of a full life.

CARTOON

Drew Litton loves rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s appreciation for his new home state. But the view is even better from atop a mountain of wins.

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 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, we talked about “externships” and the “dance” at the state Capitol.

• Yes, wild lands can improve environmental health and mental health. Reporters Michael Booth and Parker Yamasaki talk about open space — from the farthest corner of Colorado to the doorstep of the Front Range — and how wild lands can help us all.
  LISTEN
• New externship program is teaching Colorado teachers. The state is backing a new project where teachers are embedded into STEM businesses to give educators a look at the topic they’re teaching students. Business reporter Tamara Chuang has the details.
  LISTEN
• When the political couldn’t be more personal. Colorado author Pam Houston’s newest book is “Without Exception: Reclaiming Abortion, Personhood and Freedom.” She talks with Sun writer Tracy Ross about how it takes “personal is political” to new heights.
  LISTEN
• Democrats have had enough of Colorado’s ballot-measure leverage dance. Coloradans are going to get some property tax relief after last week’s legislative special session. But as politics reporters Brian Eason and Jesse Paul found out, the Dems are getting fed up with the approach.
  LISTEN
• What’s really been happening with labor unions organizing in Colorado? We used the Labor Day holiday to bring back one of our popular podcasts from earlier this year in which reporters Tamara Chuang and Parker Yamasaki discuss the state of unions in our state.
  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.

Section by David Krause | Editor

Hope your weekend is as pleasant as a freshly graded forest road.

— Parker & the whole staff of The Sun

The Colorado Sun is part of The Trust Project. Read our policies.

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.