From Denver to the New York Stock Exchange

Good morning, Colorado.

Have you been following our events? Recently we’ve discussed with the public the future of passenger rail, Denver’s migrant crisis and more. And next month, you can attend a free, live discussion with our politics team at the University of Denver to wrap up this year’s legislative session.

Is there any topic in particular you’d like to see The Sun discuss? Let us know in this survey.

Here’s today’s news from The Sun.

Kevin Jeffers

Product Team

THE NEWS

EQUITY

Western Colorado psychiatric hospital has “less than 30 days’ cash on hand” before it must close, leaders say

West Springs Hospital in Grand Junction faces closure, Tatiana Flowers reports. The psychiatric hospital provides mental health and addiction services to people across 23,000 square miles in western Colorado, and needs to find funding fast to stay open. If West Springs closes, its patients would need to drive more than four hours for similar care on the Front Range.

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BUSINESS

Colorado’s startup community rallies behind Ibotta as Denver’s popular consumer app has IPO

Ibotta, writes Tamara Chuang, is one of those rare tech startups that was founded in Denver, grew larger, felt pain, shrank some, kept at it and made it to IPO status. Read more about how the local tech giant got to today’s peak, when it debuts on the New York Stock Exchange.

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ENVIRONMENT

Colorado’s 14ers lost a couple inches after federal scientists remeasured them

Speaking of peaks, some of Colorado’s most famous peaks are changing. NOAA’s ocean office combined years of more precise GPS measurements with more sophisticated understanding of how gravity and curvature of the Earth affect “actual” sea level. How does that affect Colorado’s landmarks? Michael Booth has the answers.

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• Snow pillows and laser planes offer better data for Colorado water providers facing uncertainty. Colorado is heading into spring runoff season with average snowpack, but aerial data is providing a clearer picture of just how much water the state has in its mountains, Shannon Mullane reports.

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

• Plan to quadruple property taxes on short-term rentals in Colorado fails in late-night Capitol committee vote. Senate Bill 33 was voted down 6-1 in the Senate Finance Committee during its first hearing and after months of loud opposition from vacation rental owners and companies like Airbnb and Vrbo, writes Jesse Paul.
• Republicans block legislature from asking Colorado voters to let victims of child sex abuse from decades past sue their abusers. Senate Concurrent Resolution 1, which would have reopened cases for which the state’s since-repealed statute of limitations has run out, needed a supermajority of support to pass the chamber. It failed by a single vote. Jesse Paul has more.

Section by Kevin Jeffers | Product Team

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Jay Bianchi, fixture in Denver jam band scene, arrested on sexual assault charges. Arrest follows 2021 allegations by two women against the former Sancho’s Broken Arrow owner.
  — The Denver Post 🔑
• Summit Stage, Summit County’s free bus system, restores 30-minute service across various routes for first time since 2021. Officials say they’ve overcome staffing, fleet issues that have previously kept them from running buses more frequently.
  — Summit Daily
• How much recycling is happening at Durango fire’s demolition site? Separating materials like wood, steel and concrete can be challenging — but not impossible.
  — Durango Herald 🔑
• Suncor sues the state of Colorado over its stricter water quality permit. Issued last month, Suncor’s new permit is the most protective water quality permit Colorado has issued for the company.
  — 9News

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Danika Worthington | Presentation Editor

THE OPINION PAGE

COMMUNITY

• Colorado banks don’t want or need credit unions as potential buyers.  State legislature should defeat House Bill 1351 as long as it allows credit unions to buy banks
  — Michael Van Norstrand, executive director of the Independent Community Bankers of Colorado
  and Jenifer Waller, president and CEO of the Colorado Bankers Association

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

Swap N’ Sip. April is a month of unrelenting change. Weather shifts by the hour, dormant plants bloom and cries of “spring cleaning” urge a household refresh. If you’re among the restless closet cleaners this time of year, then Fruits of Our Labor has something planned for you.

Every April the company hosts its Swap N’ Sip event, drawing hundreds of people to Town Hall Denver to exchange their closet duds for fresh new finds. Entry to the event costs either one bag of swappable clothes or a $15 donation. Pick through the piles for a perfect fit, or take your scavenged threads to the upcycle tent, where you can tie-dye, bleach-splatter, cut, sew and patch them into something wholly new.

The spirit of the event is part spring cleaning and part sustainability. “We encourage people to take as much as they want,” Tara Forman, co-founder of Fruits of Our Labor said. All unclaimed clothes will be donated to the JeffCo Action Center, I Support the Girls and other local organizations.

$15 or one bag of swappable clothing; 11 a.m.-4 p.m., April 20; Town Hall Collaborative, 525 Santa Fe Dr., Denver

• Postcolonial Love Poem. If there is a prestigious prize for writing, poetry or thinking in general, Natalie Diaz has probably won it. In 2018 she was named a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and in 2021 her second poetry collection, “Postcolonial Love Poems,” won a Pulitzer Prize. Diaz visits History Colorado next Wednesday to give a keynote presentation about her poetry, much of which is anchored by her Indigenous and Latina heritage. $30-35; 7 p.m., April 24; History Colorado Center, 1200 N. Broadway, Denver
• Earth Day Dinner. Enjoy a three-course meal spotlighting local San Luis Valley produce, prepared by Chef Desiree Marceau of Gracie’s Farmstead. Dinner menu features handmade gnocchi from Jones Farms potatoes, Alpine Valley mushrooms and Lazy Ewe cheesecake, among other bites. $30; 5 p.m. & 7 p.m., April 20; SLV Apothecary, 1617 State Ave., Alamosa 
• Student Film Showcase. Aims Community College celebrates 20 years of its animation program with a free short film and animation showcase. The same program will run twice, once Friday night and again during a Saturday matinee.  Free; April 19 and 20; Ed Beaty Hall, 5203 W. 20th St., Greeley

Section by Parker Yamasaki | Reporter

See you tomorrow.

— 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.