If you were looking at my shaggy sheepdog Kevin, you’d have no idea temperatures were teetering above zero the past few days in Colorado Springs. Aside from the icicles forming in his beard, he acted like it was a balmy winter’s day and I had to beg him to come inside after a walk.
Meanwhile, it felt as if no pair of gloves could shield my fingers from the arctic temps and when home, I rushed to the blankets on the couch. It’s where I plan to be tonight — warm and cozy — while tuning in to our free High Cost of Colorado event when reporters Jennifer Brown and Michael Booth discuss with a panel of economic experts why everything just seems to be getting more expensive in Colorado.
It starts at 6 p.m., includes a live chat with the panelists, and you don’t even have to leave your couch. (Click here to RSVP.)
HIGH COST OF COLORADO
It costs more to take care of pets in Colorado than it used to
Volunteers distribute free pet food and supplies to individuals in need Dec. 21 in west Denver at a Colorado Pet Pantry event. Around a dozen volunteers distributed thousands of pounds of food and supplies to pet owners via drive-thru. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun via Report for America)
143%
Price increase of a 16.5-pound bag of Purina ONE Plus Healthy Puppy Formula High Protein Natural Dry Puppy Food since 2020.
Speaking of shaggy sheepdogs, pet ownership ain’t cheap. Most pet owners already know that (and decide to spoil them anyway), but in the latest installment of our High Cost of Colorado series, reporter Kevin Simpson takes a deep dive and breaks down exactly how much Coloradans will spend for our furry family members and the sacrifices we often make to do so.
BUSINESS
Colorado offered $1.45 billion in incentives to attract new business. About 5% was claimed.
$66.3 million
Colorado tax incentives claimed by new business in 2023.
If all 35 companies approved in 2023 take Colorado up on its offer of a job-creation tax credit to move or expand here, we’d be looking at more than 12,700 new jobs across the state in the next eight years. Last year’s slate of approved job-creation tax credits was twice the amount of those approved in 2022, which also means twice the workforce potential. Reporter Tamara Chuang has more on how Colorado’s job-growth incentive is doing.
ENVIRONMENT
“We don’t want to be activists”: The farmers pushing for stronger pipeline safety rules
Mark and Julie Nygren stand together on an empty lot on their family farm Jan. 9 in Johnstown, where their home once stood. Both suffered unexplained illnesses for years including headaches and dizziness while living in their home and had suspected a gas leak from nearby underground pipelines. When they finally got the proper testing in April 2019 their house was evacuated and the contamination was so severe their home eventually had to be torn down. (Kathryn Scott, Special to The Colorado Sun)
A pair of sugar beet and corn farmers would seem like an unlikely duo to take on the oil and gas industry and the state’s biggest utilities over the issue of pipeline safety, but read Mark Jaffe’s story, and you’ll find out that’s exactly what’s happening. Mark and Julie Nygren are advocating for more inspections of pipelines with the hopes that others don’t lose their homes to a gas leak.
EQUITY
Denver receives record number of applications from landlords looking for new rental licenses
Eric Escudero, communications director for Denver’s Department of Excise and Licenses, views a graphic showing an increase in the number of applications for residential licenses by landlords. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun via Report for America)
More than 5,000 landlords applied to get their Denver rental units licensed in December, but the flood of applications may mean they’ll need to be patient awaiting approval. The program is the city’s first large-scale attempt to make Denver’s rental units safer, after years of rising complaints, Tatiana Flowers reports.
MORE NEWS
Massive winter storm closes Colorado mountain passes, grounds at least 300 flights at Denver International Airport. The arctic blast was a possible factor in the deaths of four people who were found outside in Denver since Friday, officials said.
THE COLORADO REPORT
Bridget Johnson is covered in falling snow as she joined others in freezing temperatures at the annual Marade celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at City Park in Denver on Monday. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Hundreds of people turned out for Denver’s Marade, despite below-zero temperatures. It was officially minus 4 degrees at the start of yesterday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Marade, but an estimated 1,000 people walked from King’s statue in City Park to Civic Center park. (Don’t miss Denver Post photographer RJ Sangosti’s excellent photos of the event.)— Denverite The teens who made Colorado No. 1 in underage vaping 5 years ago are now young adults, and they’re still using. While vaping rates among Colorado’s current crop of high school and middle school students are dropping, nicotine use by kids who in 2017 made the state top the charts have held steady.
— CPR News Auto auction firm to redevelop Bandimere Speedway property. California-based Copart wants to turn the bulk of the 150-acre complex into a storage facility for cars awaiting resale while allowing for commercial redevelopment on a southern portion of the property.
— BusinessDen 🔑 Vogue’s new Denver guide includes RiNo restaurant that closed in 2019. Sorry if you picked up the most recent guide and hoped to eat at The Populist.
— Westword Miss Colorado and Air Force officer Madison Marsh crowned Miss America 2024. Marsh, a 2023 Air Force Academy graduate, is the first active-duty service member to win the title.
— Fox21
🔑 = source has article meter or paywall
— Michael Fields, president of Advance Colorado
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 [email protected].
“So Much Stuff” details a find in Boulder that fits an enduring historical narrative
Anyone who has taken on the task of household decluttering no doubt has scratched their head and identified with the theme of archaeologist and author Chip Colwell’s “So Much Stuff.” How did we manage to collect all these things? In answer, Colwell takes the long — very long — historical view in a fascinating exploration that, in this excerpt, takes us to a front yard in Boulder.
Interview with the author. The origin of Colwell’s look at our hoarding nature came from the simplest of interactions — his sister’s offhand question about why we accumulate so many possessions.
Warmer weather is on the way. In the meantime, stay warm and catch you here tomorrow!
— Olivia & the whole staff of The Sun
Corrections & Clarifications
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Type of Story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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