Good morning, Colorado!
When I said goodbye to sea-level life in New Orleans and moved to Colorado Springs six years ago, the term “fourteener” was absolutely foreign to me. When I learned there were more than 50 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado, my curiosity got the best of me. Where do I start? What should I pack? What does it really take to go up against the altitude and summit a fourteener?
Thirty or so summits later and I can tell you: A lot of prepwork goes into climbing a high peak before even reaching the trailhead. If summiting one of Colorado’s iconic mountains is on your summer wish list, please join us Wednesday in Colorado Springs for a panel discussion on everything you need to know to get started on choosing a peak and how to best prepare to keep you and our trails safe.
We’ll be getting safety tips from experts who know Colorado’s backcountry better than most:
Lloyd Athearn, executive director of Colorado Fourteeners Initiative Ashley Kramer, volunteer program manager of Colorado Mountain Club Alyssa Karpa, El Paso County Search and Rescue board presidentYou can RSVP to this free, in-person event here. (And if just the thought of hiking a fourteener makes your head hurt, forward this to a friend who is up for a challenge!)
Hope to see you there. And now, for the news.
Olivia Prentzel
Reporter
THE NEWS
AGING IN COLORADO
Colorado’s median age is nearing 40 — and getting older. Here’s what that looks like.
For decades, Colorado’s population grew younger and younger — in 1970, the state’s median age was 26.2. That’s all changing as birth rates have dipped, migration into the state has eased and retirees are staying put. Today’s median age is 38.5, reports Tamara Chuang, who breaks down trends across age groups in the latest entry in our new Aging in Colorado series.
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ENVIRONMENT
When airport PFAS gets jettisoned, where does the forever firefighting foam go?
The Denver Fire Academy is visible through a fence from the road Feb. 23, 2023, in Commerce City. Firefighting foam used here up until 2018 is suspected to be linked to the discovery of PFAS, or “forever chemicals” found in the city’s groundwater. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson)“This is a part of our bigger sustainability strategy at the airport. We’re all very excited that, having been working on this for the better part of five or six years, that we’re now to the point that we’re removing those final sources of PFAS at the airport.”
— Scott Morrissey, DIA’s senior vice president of sustainability
A $3 million cleanup effort at Denver International Airport has largely rid tanks and gear used to tackle PFAS-filled firefighting foam of the stubborn toxins, aka per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. But what do you do with the remaining residue? Michael Booth reports on a health and environmental problem awaiting a solution by the state’s hazardous waste experts.
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STATE GOVERNMENT
Colorado reverses course, will continue to cover cost of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy for state employees
The injectable drug Ozempic is shown, July 1, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)Colorado initially planned to stop covering the cost of GLP-1 medications for state workers relying on those drugs for weight loss. Facing public backlash, lawmakers have decided to continue paying for those medications — with a few caveats. Jesse Paul has more on what the new policy will mean for state employees and the state budget.
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Colorado cities sue Jared Polis, state over housing policies. A lawsuit filed Monday argues the state is violating the right of local governments to shape how they grow and develop.MORE NEWS
State Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, watches a vote in the Colorado House on May 7 at the Colorado Capitol in Denver. (Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun) State Rep. Shannon Bird enters Democratic primary in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District. Bird is a member of the legislature’s powerful Joint Budget Committee. She is the third major Democrat to enter the race — and more Democratic candidates are expected. Colorado’s crime lab has been in crisis. Here’s how another state fixed theirs. Connecticut’s forensics lab has not had a backlog of cases for the better part of a decade. How it came to run so well may hold answers for Colorado as its lab moves forward from a scandal and addresses the long wait for test results. Supreme Court allows Trump to strip legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelans who risk deportation. U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer says in court that revocation of temporary protected status is not equal to a final order of removal. Trial to begin over staged cross burning in front of campaign sign for Black candidate in Colorado Springs. One defendant claims Mayor Yemi Mobolade was a participant in the plan to help him win the 2023 mayoral election.Section by Erica Breunlin | Education Reporter
THE COLORADO REPORT
Tornadoes destroy homes in Bennett and Elizabeth area. More than 30 homes were damaged or destroyed when four tornadoes touched down in Elbert and Adams counties Sunday, carving a path of destruction that also knocked out power to the area.— Colorado Public Radio 5 law enforcement officials injured in Monument explosion, man facing attempted murder charges. Miguel Borja, 24, is facing a slew of charges, including attempted murder and arson, after five law enforcement officers were injured in an explosion inside his Monument home that he allegedly set off as they entered.— Colorado Springs Gazette ? Manitou Springs Penny Arcade levels up with new local ownership. John Weiss, the one-time publisher of the Colorado Springs Independent, is the new owner of the Manitou Springs Penny Arcade, the largest historic arcade west of the Mississippi, boasting over 450 coin-operated games.— Denver Westword? = source has article meter or paywall
Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler
THE OPINION PAGE
COMMUNITY
Protecting northeastern Colorado’s water supply requires cooperation, transparency. Denver metro-area water suppliers should be part of the solution, not creating a problem. We should work together to solve water supply issues.— Brad Wind, general manager of Northern WaterThe 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 [email protected].
SunLit
REVIEW
“The Lion’s Den”: Introspection intersects a good friend’s tough love
With “The Lion’s Den,” author Jerry Fabyanic follows up his 2016 novel “Sisyphus Wins” by continuing the story of two characters, including Father Daniel Murphy, who stands at a personal crossroads as he considers his devotion to the priesthood and a longstanding relationship. In this passage, a trusted friend helps him confront the danger of self-pity.
READ AN EXCERPT
Interview with the author. For Fabyanic, the words of a real-life friend triggered insight into his own life and, almost as a bonus, jump-started a stalled creative process on his novel.Section by Kevin Simpson | Writer
Have a great Tuesday! Catch you back here tomorrow.
— Olivia & the whole staff of The Sun
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