Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years behind bars

Good morning, Sunrisers! I’m the type of person who decides if I’m going to an event at exactly that event’s start time minus however long it takes to get there. Last night, at 5:07 p.m., I made the very last second decision to hustle up to Fort Collins and catch curator Tony Ortega talk about his new exhibition at the Museum of Art.

I’m so glad I went. “Nepantla” is a group show by 36 artists depicting the three-way intersection of Chicano, Indigenous and American cultures. There are some longtime staples from the Colorado arts scene and some up-and-comers. There’s painting, fabric, sculpture, spirituality and — one of my favorites — a series of paintings on the bottom of chili cheese fry trays.

If you’re nearby and looking for a nice day trip this weekend, I suggest stopping into the Museum of Art in Fort Collins.

But before the weekend, the news.

THE NEWS

ELECTIONS

Tina Peters, the former Mesa County Clerk who broke into election equipment then toured election-conspiracy conferences and podcasts peddling the breach and requesting money for her defense, has been sentenced to 9 years in behind bars. No proof of election fraud was discovered, and Peters’ actions cost the county an estimated $1.4 million in damage control, tarnished the county’s reputation and resulted in tighter state laws. Nancy Lofholm reports from the courthouse.

READ MORE

WATER

In the final story in a five-part series examining Colorado water myths, Shannon Mullane takes a close look at desalination, a process that creates drinkable water from saltwater sources. Other water-stressed states, like California, Arizona and New Mexico, have built desalination plants or are toying with the idea. But how feasible is desalination for Colorado’s upcoming water woes?

READ MORE

BALLOT EXPLAINER

For the second time in four years, Colorado voters will weigh in on wildlife management, this time deciding whether to outlaw the hunting of mountain lions, bobcats and lynx. Colorado Parks and Wildlife currently supports hunting as a tool for wildlife management, but does not take sides on ballot issues. Jason Blevins looks into the measure, where it came from and what it means for hunters and conservationists.

READ MORE

MORE NEWS

THE COLORADO REPORT

???? = source has article meter or paywall

THE OPINION PAGE

CARTOONS

In “What’d I Miss?” cartoonists R. Alan Brooks and Cori Redford examine the implications of character and racism within the MAGA movement.

CARTOON

Drew Litton is pumped that, for the first time in forever, the Denver Broncos uniform design combo that defined the “Orange Crush” defense of the late ’70s will make its return on Sunday.

CARTOON

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.

Podcast Playlist

CONVERSATION

Each weekday The Daily Sun-Up podcast brings you a bit of Colorado history, headlines and a thoughtful conversation. We keep it tight so you can quickly listen, or stack up a few and tune in at your leisure. Download the Sun-Up for free in your favorite podcasting app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or RSS to plug into your app. This week, our range spans from ski season hype to grocery stores in Colorado court.

• A peek inside a new Colorado farm-farm.At the Denver Botanical Gardens’ lease at Chatfield Reservoir, a new solar farm with veggies growing underneath is Colorado’s biggest foray into agrivoltaics. Michael Booth gives us a tour of the $4.7 million layout.LISTEN
• SunFest was sun-sational.Thanks to all who made it out to SunFest 2024. We had an awesome time, and events manager Kristina Pritchett and reporter Kevin Simpson chat about how big events like this come together, from parking to panelists.LISTEN
• Can Colorado solve its housing crisis? At SunFest 2024, politics reporter Brian Eason talked with a trio of housing experts about how we got here and what policies could help ease our housing affordability crunch.LISTEN
• Colorado ski season is quickly approaching.Who’s ready for the lifts to start spinning? Sun outdoors reporter Jason Blevins has an early look at lift ticket deals to be had and season pass changes ahead.LISTEN
• Not in Colorado.The proposed $24 billion merger of Kroger (King Soopers/City Market) and Albertsons (Safeway) is a no-go for Colorado’s AG. Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang followed opening arguments in the trial and the 255 stores in Colorado.LISTEN

????️ Remember, you can ask Siri, Alexa or Google to “play the Daily Sun-Up podcast” and we’ll play right on your smart speaker. As always we appreciate your feedback and comments at podcast@coloradosun.com.

See you on Monday.

— Parker & the whole staff of The Sun

Corrections & Clarifications

Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing corrections@coloradosun.com.