Good morning, Colorado.
We have a significant amount of news to discuss today, so I’ll keep this introduction brief. However, I want to highlight a major story that broke after 5 p.m. yesterday. Reporter Nancy Lofholm was present in the busy courtroom in Grand Junction when a jury returned a guilty verdict for Tina Peters. This conviction concludes a yearslong ordeal that has threatened Colorado’s voting system and adds to the list of convictions related to post-2020 election conspiracies.
This is just one of the topics that we at The Sun are dedicated to covering, regardless of the time or place. We have this story and more in this morning’s Sunriser.
THE NEWS
CRIME AND COURTS
Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters leaves the Mesa County Justice Center courtroom surrounded by supporters on Monday in Grand Junction.
After eight days of testimony, a jury deliberated for about four hours and found former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters guilty on seven out of ten counts stemming from a 2021 breach of the county’s election system. As reported by Nancy Lofholm, the jury wrestled with conflicting images of Peters, weighing the portrayal of a law-breaking conspiracy theorist against that of a public servant dedicated to safeguarding sensitive election data.
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ENVIRONMENT
State wildlife biologists have announced potentially groundbreaking news regarding boreal tadpoles found in a bog in the mountains above Pitkin. For the first time, these transplanted toads, which have been relocated to high-elevation ponds for habitat conservation over the last seven years, are reproducing naturally in the wild. Jennifer Brown has the details on this development.
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WATER
Colorado River officials have set a brisk timeline to negotiate a new agreement with the federal government for tracking, counting, and storing water that will benefit the four Upper Basin states: Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Water reporter Shannon Mullane has the insights on the proposed conservation credit program.
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BUSINESS
A boy runs across Main Street in downtown Ordway. The town is the county seat of Crowley County.
According to Brian Lewandowski, executive director of the University of Colorado’s Business Research Division, there has been a significant drop in new business filings in Colorado during the second quarter—the sharpest decline year-over-year since 2005. Economists attribute this downturn to the conclusion of a program that had temporarily reduced filing fees to $1, leading to a slowdown back to pre-discount levels.
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STATE LEGISLATURE
As a new session approaches, a coalition of leading civic and business organizations from various political backgrounds has expressed support for a compromise that would prevent two measures from reaching the November ballot. Brian Eason and Jesse Paul explore how this special session idea came into being.
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MORE NEWS
A bylaw amendment is being proposed that could complicate efforts to remove embattled Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams. This change would raise the bar for calling a special meeting to vote on his potential ousting. In another case, a Colorado Springs-area woman, known as the “praying Grandma,” received a sentence of one year of probation for her involvement in the January 6 riot. Before her sentencing, Rebecca Lavrenz expressed no remorse for her actions, stating on Facebook that she believed the judge’s ruling was ultimately in God’s hands.
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THE COLORADO REPORT
THE OPINION PAGE
COMMUNITY
A call for all Colorado households to have access to affordable housing is being made, advocating for publicly owned mixed-income developments that can adapt to the changing needs of residents.
— State Sen. Jeff Bridges (D-Greenwood Village), Tamara Pogue (Summit County commissioner), and Peter F. LiFari (Maiker Housing Partners)
The Colorado Sun aims to maintain nonpartisan reporting, and the views of columnists and editorial writers do not necessarily represent those of the newsroom. For details on our ethics policy or to provide feedback, visit our website.
SunLit
REVIEW
“The Girls in the Cabin” presents a troubled girl and a grieving family.
Two excerpts from Caleb Stephens’ psychological thriller, “The Girls in the Cabin,” reveal a widowed father’s hopes for a restorative camping trip with his daughters that spirals into chaos. This Colorado Book Award finalist features multiple perspectives that highlight characters ensnared in a dark narrative.
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Join us again tomorrow.
— Olivia & the entire team at The Sun
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