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Colorado’s next state park will attract a lot of attention; that could be a problem for neighbors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:51 GMT

Eighteen months after the White River National Forest acquired a scenic and historic property 12 miles north of Glenwood Canyon at the doorstep of the remote Flat Tops Wilderness, officials are moving forward with plans to make it Colorado’s 43rd state park.The 488-acre Sweetwater Lake property encompasses Colorado’s third-largest natural lake, which is framed by limestone cliffs. It currently offers limited camping, hiking, horseback riding and fishing provided by a commercial outfitter which operated there for decades when the property was privately owned. But forest officials and Colorado Parks and Wildlife see it as a gem with untapped potential, saying their goal is to improve access and modernize antiquated facilities without altering the rustic character of the site.But before tapping that potential, they’ll have to repair the relationship with locals, who were blindsided in October 2021 when Gov. Jared Polis held a media event to announce that Sweetwater Lake would bec...

This taqueria in Steamboat Springs makes the perfect breakfast burrito | Opinion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:51 GMT

Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems).Everyone falls in love with their first ski mountain, and mine was Steamboat Springs. In college, I went on a group trip there even though I didn’t know how to ski, just so I could get a free vacation. I envied my classmates who spent their time on blue runs, while I was stuck on the bunny hill, but at least the views on the greens were just as breathtaking.Steamboat is a true mountain town — not one where you blink and miss it — with culture, traditions, longtime residents and a strong food scene. One of my best friends has a mountain home there that I’ve visited over the past years, and my brother even lived there for a couple of years.And there’s one place we make sure to visit every time: Taco Cabo. Not only is it a ...

“Young, Gifted and Black” at Vicki Myhren Gallery is a “visual treat”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:51 GMT

A persistent debate surrounds exhibitions like “Young, Gifted and Black,” a traveling showcase of contemporary Black artists currently installed at the Vicki Myhren Gallery on the University of Denver campus.One line of thinking posits that black artists were long overlooked and underrepresented in U.S. galleries and shows like this bring attention to important work that needs to be seen. When they are well-produced — and this one is — they can document a crucial chapter in art history.“Blue Dancer,” by Tunji Adeniyi-Jones. (Provided by the Vicki Myhren Gallery)The other line argues that Black voices are better represented on the walls of U.S. museums in the present day (if not in the curatorial or management offices; though that’s another debate) and that Black-only shows perpetuate the idea of separateness in the minds of the viewing public. In other words, they are an updated, if well-intended, form of segregation.Moreover, the arguments go, they treat “Black art” as monolithic. ...

Native-Colorado plants can be hard to come by as more people want water-conscious lawns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:51 GMT

Carpets of lush Kentucky bluegrass covering lawns across Colorado’s high desert are on their way out. Native plants are on their way in.But gardeners who don’t know the right people or visit the right nursery might be out of luck when looking for their very own upright junipers, aspens, serviceberries, western sand cherries, Indian paintbrushes or yuccas.Trees, shrubs and perennials that grow naturally in Colorado — and therefore consume far less water than non-native plants — can be hard to find despite a widespread push in their favor, growers told The Denver Post.Some stores don’t stock many native plants because they haven’t historically sold well. Other places sell out almost as quickly as their shipments can arrive.“We’re doing more business now than truly we ever have,” Daniel Corse, nursery area manager for Echter’s Nursery & Garden Center in Arvada, said. “We get our allotment from our wholesalers and a lot of times that’s all you can get.”Whether stores don...

Marshall fire investigation still a month or two away from completion, sheriff says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:51 GMT

Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson recently told a crowd of Marshall fire victims that it may take another month or two to finish the investigation into what caused the deadly December 2021 wildfire.“Every time we think we’re done. something else comes up to investigate,” Johnson said.Johnson, who was elected sheriff in November, commented on the investigation on March 17 during a Superior town hall meeting organized by CBS Colorado. Johnson was asked about the investigation by a man in the audience, who said residents were anxious to learn the cause.“Me as well,” Johnson said. “My house burned down in the fire, so I want to know as well.”Elisabeth Scanlon, a spokeswoman for the Boulder District Attorney’s Office, said the DA’s office is working with the sheriff’s office to review all of the findings by investigators, “whether it is criminal or not.” The investigative team brought in outside experts and peopl...

2 sought in Westminster home invasion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:51 GMT

Two men are being sought in connection with a home invasion in Westminster late Sunday, police said.The incident was reported around 10:30 p.m. at a home near the intersection of Rockview Circle and Monroe Street.Westminster police are not releasing any information about what was taken during the burglary, but no injuries were reported.Video from the scene showed a glass sliding door was smashed during the break in. Police were at the scene looking the suspects and scouring the area for evidence with the help of K9s, police showed. The case remains under investigation.

DOJ investigates deputies accused of shoving guns in mouths of 2 Black men in Mississippi

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:51 GMT

Several deputies from a Mississippi sheriff’s department being investigated by the Justice Department for possible civil rights violations have been involved in at least four violent encounters with Black men since 2019 that left two dead and another with lasting injuries, an Associated Press investigation found.Two of the men allege that Rankin County sheriff's deputies shoved guns into their mouths during separate encounters. In one case, the deputy pulled the trigger, leaving the man with wounds that required parts of his tongue to be sewn back together. In one of the two fatal confrontations, the man's mother said a deputy kneeled on her son's neck while he told them he couldn't breathe.Police and court records obtained by the AP show that several deputies who were accepted to the sheriff's office's Special Response Team — a tactical unit whose members receive advanced training — were involved in each of the four encounters. In three of them, the heavily redacted documents don't...

Pico Rivera teen missing since Wednesday located; man in custody

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:51 GMT

A 13-year-old girl who was reported missing earlier this week in Pico Rivera has been found, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.The teen had been missing since late Wednesday night after she left home without her cell phone following an argument with her mother, authorities said. At around 2 p.m. Sunday, officers with the Montebello Police Department responded to the 500 block of North 4th Street. There, deputies spotted the teen as she exited a detached converted garage, an LASD news release stated. The teen was taken to the Pico Rivera Sheriff's Station. "A male Hispanic adult was taken into custody at the location without incident," the release noted. "There were no other people inside the location. The suspect was arrested and booked on unrelated charges." The teen's family spoke at a news conference with sheriff's deputies on Saturday, pleading for her safe return. She had been missing for three days without any mode of communication or way to support hers...

New bill seeks to limit housing sprawl in fire- and flood-prone areas of California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:51 GMT

Over the past half-century, new housing has spread into ever more far-flung parts of California – from luxury estates perched on remote hillsides to tightly packed subdivisions stretched over rural flatlands.The sprawl has allowed people to live closer to nature and buy homes in more affordable parts of the state where it’s cheaper and easier to build. But it’s also left millions vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires and flooding.And as destructive natural disasters have become more frequent in recent years, state and local officials have felt increasing pressure: How does California find ways to ease a dire housing shortage without ignoring the harsh reality of climate change?Now, an unlikely coalition of environmentalists and housing advocates is backing a bill that seeks to slow growth in many parts of the state at high risk of fires and floods while encouraging more multifamily housing in existing population centers.The proposal wouldn’t outright ban new housing...

Analysis: What’s ‘digital blackface?’ And why is it wrong when White people use it?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:51 GMT

Analysis by John Blake | CNNMaybe you shared that viral video of Kimberly “Sweet Brown” Wilkins telling a reporter after narrowly escaping an apartment fire, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”Perhaps you posted that meme of supermodel Tyra Banks exploding in anger on “America’s Next Top Model” (“I was rooting for you! We were all rooting for you!”). Or maybe you’ve simply posted popular GIFs, such as the one of NBA great Michael Jordan crying, or of drag queen RuPaul declaring, “Guuuurl…”If you’re Black and you’ve shared such images online, you get a pass. But if you’re White, you may have inadvertently perpetuated one of the most insidious forms of contemporary racism.You may be wearing “digital blackface.”What is digital blackface?Digital blackface is a practice where White people co-opt online expressions of Black imagery, slang, catchphrases or culture to convey comic...