Keepers of school spirit reluctantly resign to change as jerseys and other objects emblazoned with Indians and Savages are sold to the highest bidder
Sue McMillin
Special to The Colorado Sun
Twitter: @suemcmillin
Posted inArts, Business, Culture, Economy, News, Politics and Government
In Florence, pop. 4,000, political upheaval is testing the city’s push to shake off its “ghost town” past
At 8 p.m. on a summer weeknight, the setting sun slants its last warm rays through the trees along Main Street in Florence. The antique stores, bakery and coffee shops are closed, and the nearly empty dinner spots will soon follow. The benches that provide a shady respite during the day are empty. There’s a […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, News
A deadly car crash sidelined a southwest Colorado farm family. Neighbors are making sure there is a harvest.
As the Jaws of Life pried open the crumpled wreckage of the Rohwer’s Farm GMC Sierra to rescue family members, their community was rallying to help them as word quickly spread of the early morning crash on a highway just outside Durango. It was market day, and many were on that same road into town. […]
Posted inEducation, Equity, News, Politics and Government
Lamar High School is dropped from list of Colorado schools with banned mascots at 11th hour
A state board on Tuesday removed Lamar High School from a Colorado list of schools with banned mascots, meaning it narrowly avoided potential fines up to $25,000 per month that could have started this month. The Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs board voted 8-2 at a special meeting to take Lamar off the list, contingent […]
Posted inColoradans, Culture, News
Chuck wagon fans roll into Pueblo for preservation and camp camaraderie
Steam from rapidly melting snow and campfire smoke mingled above a field on the west side of Pueblo recently as the crews of seven chuck wagons peeled potatoes, chopped onions and prepped their biscuit mix. Evidence of the previous rough night that brought a late-season snowstorm remained in a collapsed tent, a broken wagon bow […]
Posted inEducation, Equity, News, Politics and Government
Lamar High School drops “Savage” from its mascot name as 10 new schools are found in violation of state law
Lamar High School cannot use the term “Savage” in any form in its school mascot name. Not Savages. Not Savage Thunder. That was the decision Thursday of the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, which added 10 more schools — all with Thunderbird mascots — to a list of those not in compliance with a state […]
Posted inEducation, Equity, News, Politics and Government
7 more schools may face $25K monthly fine as Colorado adds “Thunderbird” to banned mascot list
A commission that has worked for nearly a year to rid more than two dozen Colorado public schools of American Indian mascots is now targeting seven additional schools as the statewide compliance deadline nears. All the schools are the Thunderbirds, named after a mythical bird that was important to several tribes. The action could come […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Energy, Environment, News
Pueblo’s steel mill is an American success story. And it’s owned by Russians.
The story of Pueblo’s steel mill is steeped in the lore of American industry, from its rise backed by ingenuity and perseverance to its near demise at the hands of foreign competition. The mill has risen again in recent years, modernizing operations and winning back business from overseas rivals — with the help of its […]
Posted inEducation, Equity, News, Politics and Government
12 Colorado schools still face monthly $25K fines under new law banning American Indian mascots
Eleven schools were removed Thursday from a list of schools that were not in compliance with a new state law banning the use of American Indian mascots, leaving 12 schools facing fines of $25,000 a month if they haven’t complied by June 1. Montrose County School District issued a swift rebuke to the Colorado Commission […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, Equity, News, Politics and Government
Lamar and Yuma schools cling to Savages and Tribe after being told to drop Native American mascots
The Lamar and Yuma school districts were told last week that their preferred team names – Savages and Tribe, respectively — likely would not comply with a new Colorado law that bans the use of Native American mascots. “Savages is probably the worst word I’ve heard out there, out of all of them,” said Manuel […]