Good morning, Colorado.
One of my first friends in life was Anya, a black shepherd mix so sweet and loyal and still one of the smartest dogs we’ve ever known. Before I came into the Breunlin family picture, my parents were out on their front porch with Anya one Fourth of July, when a firework popped off at the park nearby. Spooked, Anya bolted.
My parents frantically searched for her, calling her name and darting around the neighborhood, which abutted cornfields a few miles from town. After night fell and still no luck, they turned on a porch light, propped the porch door open and set out some water in hope she would return. They got up in the middle of the night to see if she had trotted back home but found the water untouched and no sign of any dog.
The next morning, the phone rang. It was my grandma, who lived at least 2 miles away in town.
“You’ll never guess what showed up on my porch.”
Anya.
She had been to my grandma’s house before, but only by car. Never on foot. How she wound her way to my grandma’s house in the dark, through a sprawling park and a maze of side streets, still confounds our family. Whether it was the power of a dog’s intuition or scent, we’ll never know.
So as we celebrate another Fourth of July this weekend, keep your dogs extra close and shower them with a few extra treats to ride out the roughest holiday of the year for many pets.
Now let’s take a thorough look at today’s headlines, shall we?
Erica Breunlin
Education Reporter
THE NEWS
HEALTH
Colorado, Oregon are leading more than 20 other states in reform of psychedelic policy
Renowned mycologist Paul Stamets outlined the history of psilocybin mushrooms at the Psychedelic Science 2025 conference at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver on June 20. “Psilocybin should be free for every human on the planet,” he said, to rousing applause. (Jason Blevins, The Colorado Sun)“I’m convinced that this medicine is what they say it is. It is a cure for addiction. It is a cure for PTSD. It is a road to recovery. And secondly, my reputation is not worth more than their lives.”
— Rick Perry, former governor of Texas who served as the U.S. Secretary of Energy
With nearly two dozen states weighing legislation to deploy and study psychedelic-assisted therapies, and Colorado and Oregon rolling out pioneering psychedelic regulatory systems, the U.S. is a policy laboratory testing widely different approaches to uncovering the healing potential in long-maligned psychedelics. Jason Blevins stopped by the second Psychedelic Science conference to learn more.
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WILDFIRE
Colorado’s Western Slope is dry. Here’s where you can — and can’t — start a campfire this weekend.
Lauren Carpenter and Melissa Humphrey cuddle their rescue Chihuahuas near a campfire at Melissa’s home in Grand Junction. (Dean Humphrey, COLab)The three-day holiday weekend is upon us, and many Coloradans are headed to the high country for a little rest and relaxation. But if you’re heading to the hills or west of the Continental Divide, better check first about that campfire. Olivia Prentzel has the latest on where you can and can’t huddle around a fire (or shoot fireworks) and why.
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WATER
Colorado finds larva of invasive zebra mussel in Colorado River for second year in a row
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows a group of zebra mussels. (U.S. Department of Agriculture via AP, File)1 million
Eggs one female zebra mussel can release in a year
No adult zebra mussels have been found in the Colorado River … yet. That’s good news for the river. Because, as Shannon Mullane reports, once adult populations are established, eradication is nearly impossible and can cost millions of dollars. Colorado Parks and Wildlife and its federal partners are still searching for the source of the zebra mussel larvae in the river.
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EDUCATION
Colorado, 15 other states sue U.S. Department of Education for axing grants funding mental health professionals in schools
Students participate in classroom lessons at Alice Terry Elementary School on Feb. 20 in Sheridan. (Jeremy Sparig, Special to The Colorado Sun)955
Mental health professionals the money was supposed to fund in Colorado
Attorneys general in states suing the federal government over the $1 billion in lost grants say discontinuing the funding is illegal and unconstitutional, arguing it violates both Congress’ power to control spending and separation of powers. The AGs also say the federal government did not provide the kind of advance notice or an explanation for defunding the grants required by the Administrative Procedure Act. Education reporter Erica Breunlin has the details.
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MORE NEWS
Republican leaders work to win over final holdouts on Trump’s tax bill. Here’s where Colorado’s representatives stand. Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Grand Junction, plans to vote “yes” on the bill. It’s unclear how the three other Colorado Republicans in the House will ultimately vote on the bill, but U.S. Reps. Gabe Evans and Lauren Boebert appear supportive of the new version of the measure. Judge ends order blocking deportation of family of man charged in Boulder firebomb attack. Hayam El Gamal and her five children were detained by immigration agents June 3, two days after her husband, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, was accused of throwing two Molotov cocktails at people demonstrating for awareness of Israeli hostages in Gaza.Section by David Krause | Editor
COLORADO REPORT
? = source has article meter or paywall
Denver reduces seniority protections ahead of layoffs. City workers are lawyering up. The sweeping changes to the city’s layoff rules — including stripping seniority protections and creating a “merit-based system” — has the city attorney warning the mayor’s office that Denver could lose any savings made from cutting staff just litigating court cases.— Denverite 2024 Mercedes-Benz camper van found as ignition point to Snowmass Creek Road fire. A fire that spread to 5 acres Monday near Snowmass Creek Road was caused by a 2024 Mercedes-Benz camper van explosion, according to local officials. Recent models of the same camper van had been recalled because of a wiring harness that created increased fire risk.— The Aspen Times Historic Fox West Theatre back on stage at the Trinidad City Council as grant approaches expiration. The city is at risk of losing a $600,000 grant for the renovations after the money has gone untapped for two years. The city of Trinidad is considering three options regarding the funding from the state Department for Local Affairs.— KRCC Black former employees of Aurora warehouse allege supervisors called them “monkeys.” The plaintiffs allege that one of the managers at the door-making company Woodgrain Inc. called several of the Black employees “monkeys” last fall amid a pattern of discriminatory practices.— The Denver Post ? “No regrets, no pity parties.” Denver’s Underground Music Showcase is shutting down. After 25 years and thousands of shows, The UMS is falling victim to a nationwide downward trend in music festival popularity. On a personal note, I spent nearly every summer of my 20s planning for, living through and recovering from the UMS (I even made a Tumblr back in 2011 with some of my photos ) and I can confidently say it was a one-of-a-kind experience I’m glad we all got to share for a quarter-century. RIP.— The Denver Post ?Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler
THE OPINION PAGE
COMMUNITY
The Colorado River is speaking to us. Are we listening? No matter where you live, the choices we make about the Colorado River in the next few years will ripple out far and wide.— Cindell Dale, Rancher, guide and artist from IgnacioThe 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].
What’s Happening
A bull rider hangs on during the Carbondale Wild West Rodeo on Aug. 5, 2021, in Carbondale. The rodeo event is held Thursday nights until late August by the Carbondale Rodeo Committee, an all volunteer organization, to keep western heritage alive in the Roaring Fork Valley. (Hugh Carey, The Colorado Sun)Rodeo round up. Everyone wants to be first. When it comes to the great Western tradition of summertime rodeos, Colorado has long held on to the honor of hosting the “world’s first rodeo” thanks to a cowboy competition in Deer Trail, about an hour east of Denver, on July 4, 1869. (Prescott, Arizona, and Pecos, Texas, have both disputed this title.)
Regardless of where it started, the seasonal spectacle has grown from a way to show off one’s riding and roping skills to a full-on career path, with hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line for the nation’s top riders.
Over the course of this weekend and next week, four Pro Rodeo sanctioned events take place in Colorado — in Steamboat Springs, Estes Park, Colorado Springs and Gunnison — drawing in top talents vying for a spot at the National Finals Rodeo in December. Celebrate the Fourth of July with an American pastime about as old as baseball, depending on whom you ask.
Various prices; various dates; various locations
In(ter)dependence Day. A party in the park filled with food, drink, music and poetry. Join Monticue Connally at 10 a.m. for an herbalist walk or stop in at 11 a.m. for midday performances and an awards ceremony celebrating local heroes. Free; 10 a.m.-1 p.m., July 4; southeastern corner of Huston Lake Park, Denver Song Swap. While Creede is known nationally for its theater chops, the town is also — perhaps unsurprisingly — also full of musical talents. Get acquainted with the Creede Musical Arts Collective by attending their monthly open mic on Tuesday, July 8, then check out the rest of their packed summer schedule. Free; 6-9 p.m.; Creede Musical Arts Collective, 112 N. Main St., Creede Church Project Anniversary Party. Celebrate two years of the Church Project in Monte Vista, with music, games and an art market, from 1-9 p.m. Saturday. Free; 1-9 p.m. July 5; 256 S. Broadway St., Monte VistaSection by Parker Yamasaki | Reporter
Have a safe Fourth of July and hug your pets a little tighter these next few days. We’ll see you back here tomorrow!
— Erica & the whole staff of The Sun
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