Tug-of-war over Colorado River water 

Good morning, Colorado.

Traditions may be my favorite part about this time of year — whether it be for the nostalgia they evoke or the joy they bring by connecting others over ideas that are passed down from generation to generation. When I was growing up, one of my favorite traditions involved a glass pickle ornament that my siblings and I had, each one a different shade of green. My parents would hide the pickle deep inside our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and my siblings and I would then search for our pickles, camouflaged among the branches. Once we found ours (which was much harder than you might think), we got to open our first present, before opening “Santa’s presents” the next morning.

I always thought the pickle tradition had German roots, but apparently, that’s a myth and the origin of the tradition remains a mystery, according to Kim Klimek, a history professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

As we look forward to a season of traditions — quirky or not — let’s get to another one of my favorites that I’m grateful to share with you: catching up on the day’s news.

Olivia Prentzel

Reporter

THE NEWS

WATER

Tribal, Arizona officials are racing to push a landmark water bill through Congress. Colorado is one of the states in their way.

Days are left for tribal nations, Arizona and 30 stakeholders to secure water rights for thousands of people in northern Arizona. But Colorado River officials in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming have concerns about how the historic settlement would allow water from their basin to be used farther downstream. Will federal lawmakers see a consensus from all seven Colorado River basin states before voting? Shannon Mullane has more.

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ENVIRONMENT

Colorado sees flurry of last-minute action on endangered species ahead of Trump administration

Some last-minute decisions during Biden’s administration, with Trump’s administration eager to shake things up, could bring some changes for some of Colorado’s most challenged wildlife species, like the pinyon jay and greater sage-grouse. Michael Booth has the scorecard of the wins and losses for threatened species in the West.

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BUSINESS

Bogus oil and gas data filed for wells in or near 15 Front Range cities and towns, Colorado regulators say

Employees at two consulting firms used by the state’s largest oil and gas operators filed bogus soil, groundwater and chemical sampling for 344 sites in 15 Front Range cities and towns, state regulators say. The falsified data didn’t create any new public health concerns, but the case has been turned over to prosecutors for further investigation. See which towns had bad data with Mark Jaffe’s interactive map and story.

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Section by Olivia Prentzel | Reporter

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Lakewood company says biased BBB leads public to think the Bureau is part of the government. American Auto Shield, a processor of extended warranty claims, has sued the local Better Business Bureau, seeking a fine and for the bureau to be banned from giving the business a “Not Rated” rating, which it claims “harms AAS’s reputation.”
  — BusinessDen ????
• Developer renews push to tear down fire-damaged East Colfax mansions as preservationists fight for restoration. The owner of the buildings just two blocks north of Cheesman Park was given until June to demolish or fix them, but demolition was vetoed by the Historic Denver nonprofit.
  — The Denver Post
• Browns Canyon National Monument in southern Colorado is now an International Dark Sky Park. The dark sky over the Arkansas River in Chaffee County has been revered for stargazing, but now it has become the latest Colorado site to get the official designation.
  — KRCC

???? = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE OPINION PAGE

COMMUNITY

• Having a healthy beaver population will help restore Colorado ecosystems and watersheds. Successful beaver recovery in Colorado includes engaging with agricultural and private landowners to address their concerns.
  — Madison Martin, Lakewood, deputy director of the Colorado Wildlife Federation

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.

SunLit

REVIEW

In “Mamie’s Well,” a baby-trafficking scheme unfolds on the border

As author Daniel Ginsberg begins a tale of illegal adoption with an understated account of a nun’s border crossing, we quickly realize that the devil’s in the details. “Mamie’s Wall,” the first book in a mystery trilogy, Ginsberg drives home the horror of human trafficking in plain sight. His hero-detective, NYPD Detective Banty Conners, must overcome physical disability as well as the bad guys to solve this one.

READ AN EXCERPT

• Interview with the author. Ginsberg drew on both his childhood experience in New York as well as his work as a military policeman for inspiration in the police procedural mystery. 

Section by Kevin Simpson | Writer

Thanks for reading with us this morning! Hope to see you here again tomorrow.

— Olivia & the whole staff of The Sun

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