Good morning and happy Tuesday! Never thought “June gloom” would be desirable, but compared with the heat dome, a little cloud cover is a welcome change.
As someone who still sees themselves as a scrappy youngster, it shocked me when I realized that today marks exactly 20 years since my first day as a professional journalist (RIP Rocky Mountain News, RIP YourHub).
Without a doubt, the seven of those years since we announced the launch of The Colorado Sun have been the most exciting and personally rewarding of my two decades at work. And having experienced those not-so-great first 13 years in the business, I can confidently say the difference is readers like you.
Whether it’s by reading The Sunriser every morning or by supporting our work with a membership, readers have become a much more involved part of the journalism they rely on. Our whole staff is just barely big enough to field a football team, but because there are no profit-seeking middlemen getting between us, every action you take has a direct effect on our ability to keep Colorado informed.
So as we dip into another edition of this newsletter that has been dropping into inboxes for seven years — longer than we’ve even had a website! — I want to thank you for everything you’ve helped us do so far and encourage you to check out the ways you can get involved in our future at coloradosun.com/join.
Let’s shake off this gloom and embrace The Sun, shall we?
Eric Lubbers
CTO & Newsletter Wrangler
THE NEWS
ENVIRONMENT
Millions of acres of Colorado forest under threat after Trump reverses longstanding roadless rule
Mountain Coal Co. built a new road in the Sunset Roadless Area, after the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an exception to the Colorado Roadless Rule in 2020. (Provided by Juli Slivka, Wilderness Workshop)“An attack on the Roadless Rule is an attack on clean water, wildlife, Western communities and recreation on public lands. For over two decades, the Roadless Rule has protected intact ecosystems from irresponsible timber companies who want to clear cut the mature and old-growth forests that provide clean drinking water and recreation opportunities to Westerners, as well as healthy habitat for wildlife.”
— Rachael Hamby, policy director of the Center for Western Priorities
A federal “roadless rule” has long protected tens of millions of acres of National Forest land from development. After a move Monday by the Trump administration to throw out that administrative policy, Colorado environment advocates say Colorado forest and grasslands could face threats of “large-scale mining, oil and gas drilling” as well as logging. Michael Booth has more.
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IMMIGRATION
How many unaccompanied immigrant children are in Colorado and who is taking care of them?
Migrants from Venezuela stayed in and around a Quality Inn hotel near Speer Boulevard and Zuni Street, used as a temporary shelter by Denver Human Services in 2023. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun via Report for America)Amid a legal dispute between a state official and Gov. Jared Polis over giving federal immigration enforcement access to personal information of sponsors of unaccompanied immigrant children, Jennifer Brown breaks down how many of those children are living in Colorado — both kids designated as refugees and those who entered the country illegally.
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HOUSING
Young homebuyers face high hurdles to ownership. These programs may help.
A house for sale flying a Colorado flag in Denver’s Wash Park West neighborhood on May 14. (Eric Lubbers, The Colorado Sun)What are some easy-ish steps rookie homebuyers can take in a housing market where home prices have surged by double-digit percentages over the past few years? Robert Davis offers a roundup of promising strategies, from fleshing out a budget to prepping for taxes and insurance costs to taking advantage of first-time homebuyer programs.
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MORE NEWS
Fact Brief ☀️ Are Colorado school districts seeing declining enrollment? Yes. Colorado public school enrollment has dropped to the lowest point in more than a decade after years of declines.Section by Erica Breunlin | Education Reporter
THE COLORADO REPORT
University of Utah student arrested by ICE says 15 days in detention were “hardest of my life.” In her first statement since being released Friday, the 19-year-old University of Utah student detained by ICE describes what she experienced at an immigration detention center in Colorado.— The Salt Lake Tribune The FBI joins the search for a missing teenager from Aurora. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has issued a missing endangered alert and Aurora police are partnering with the FBI in the search for 14-year-old Erica Long, who hasn’t been seen since Sunday night.— CBS News Colorado man struck and killed by lightning in Florida while on honeymoon. Jake Rosencranz, 29, was struck by lightning in New Smyrna Beach on Friday and died of his injuries Saturday morning.— 9News Outdoor preschool advocates worry proposed rules under new law could shut them down. Nature-based schools fought for state licensing, but say Colorado’s proposal doesn’t match their reality.— CPR News?=source has article meter or paywall
Section by Kevin Jeffers | Product Team
THE OPINION PAGE
COMMUNITY
Colorado utility commission should not let Xcel Energy rush into a bad deal. To ensure Colorado can meet its emissions and affordability goals, Xcel should join a full service regional transmission organization.— Chris Hansen, La Plata Electric Association CEO and former Colorado state senatorThe 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.
SunLit
BOOKS
In “Mary’s Place,” a rural, small-town bank meets its demise
The agricultural disaster of the mid-1980s provides the backdrop for author Charlotte Hinger’s story of two western Kansas families — farmers and bankers — struggling to weather the storm. In this slice of her Colorado Book Award finalist for Historical Fiction, she focuses on the banker family, and the falling out between father and son that ultimately ruins the small-town bank that made them pillars of the community.
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Interview with the author. For Hinger, this book hit close to home because she lived in a community where agribusiness suffered during the ’80s and dealt with both bankers and farmers reeling from the fallout.Section by Kevin Simpson | Writer
Voting is LIVE for this year’s Colorado’s Best reader’s choice survey. Head to coloradosun.com/colorados-best to cast your vote and get your favorite small businesses the recognition they deserve!
— Eric & the whole staff of The Sun
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Corrections & Clarifications
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