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Inside the News: The Aspen Times Is Making News for All the Wrong Reasons

Jun 17, 2022

Six months after Ogden Newspapers of West Virginia bought The Aspen Times, the 140-year-old paper has become the

How Soaring Inflation Will Affect Fees for Public Records in Colorado

If you think the cost of obtaining public records in Colorado is too high now, you’re not going to like what will

Colorado Journalism Investment Group

Jun 15, 2022

Moving toward a unique model of community

Sentinel Colorado Gets New Ownership Structure To Ensure Control and Focus Remain Local

Jun 12, 2022

AURORA | In an effort to move The Sentinel  toward a unique model of local ownership, a consortium

Inside the News: Sentinel Newspaper Changes Hands in ‘Unique Model of Local Ownership’

Jun 10, 2022

Another Colorado newspaper is changing hands, and how it happened once again underscores the ways people involved in

Grassroots Groups Lead Way on Closing Colorado’s Infant Mortality Gap

Colorado is among about 15 states that have met federal goals to reduce infant mortality, an important indicator of

Grupos locales lideran esfuerzos para cerrar la brecha de mortalidad infantil en Colorado

AURORA, Colorado. — Mientras Britney Taylor recorría Mama Bird Maternity Wellness Spa durante su inauguración esta

Opinion: The Sentinel Is Changing so We Can Keep It the Same — Local and All Yours

Jun 9, 2022

It’s no overstatement to say that without a free and responsible press, there would be no democracy. Democracy is the

CFOIC Report: Comparing Colorado with Other States on Public Access to Criminal Justice Records

A new analysis of open records laws in all 50 states highlights several ways Colorado legislators could make criminal

Homeownership Gap Between White and Latino Coloradans Narrows. But for Black Coloradans, It’s Widened.

After 50 years, homeownership gap between white and Latino Coloradans narrows. But for Black Coloradans, it’s

Después de 50 años, la brecha entre los coloradenses blancos e hispanos dueños de su vivienda disminuye. Pero para los coloradenses negros, está aumentando.

Estados Unidos tiene una escasez de 3.8 millones de unidades de vivienda en relación con la demanda. Esto resulta en

Inside the News: 10 Journalism ‘Heroes’ of Colorado Interviewed

Jun 3, 2022

Ten journalists from a cross-section of Colorado news outlets sat for an interview this week with Yellow Scene’s

Chasing Progress

Jun 2, 2022

Examining socio-economic and health equity among Black and Latino Coloradans over the last

Driving a Decade of Progress, Hispanic Students Made Huge Gains in High School Graduation

When Rosa Beltran was going through high school in the late ’90s in a small town in southern Colorado, she never

Éxito y sacrificio: una década de grandes avances en las tasas de graduación de estudiantes hispanos en Colorado

Cuando Rosa Beltran estaba en high school a finales de los años 1990 en un pequeño poblado en el sur de

Buscando Avances

Algunas brechas socioeconómicas clave entre coloradenses negros, latinos y blancos se redujeron en la última década,

Chasing Progress

Some key socioeconomic gaps between Black, Latino and white Coloradans narrowed in the last decade, but equity remains

Inside the News: Layoffs at Boulder’s Outside Inc. Follow Rapid Consolidation of Outdoor Media

May 27, 2022

A tale of two headlines Last month, Denver’s 5280 magazine asked in a headline: “Can Outside Inc. Save Outdoor

Judge: State Law Protects Privacy of Those Who Ask for Library Books To Be Banned or Reclassified

May 24, 2022

People who ask Gunnison County librarians to remove or reclassify books they find objectionable or controversial can

Listen: Is Colorado’s Mental Health Care Safety Net System Reforming or Rebranding?

May 23, 2022

More whistleblowers have come forward to call out Mind Springs Mental Health for falsifying patient forms. Past and

Two Judicial Branch Agencies Disagree With Proposal To Open Records on Completed Personnel Investigations

May 18, 2022

Two agencies of Colorado’s judicial branch object to a proposed new rule that would make records of many completed

Thousands of Colorado Patients Put in Peril Due to Risky Prescribing of Psych Medicine

May 16, 2022

Gene Estes implored his son, Shayn, to go to the emergency room that day, fearful he was having another reaction to his

Whistleblowers Say They Falsified Patient Records at West Slope Mental Health Center

May 15, 2022

State regulators have overlooked what former Mind Springs workers describe as a long pattern of

Inside the News: Promising Projects – Colorado Media Initiatives Aimed at Reimagining the Public Square

May 13, 2022

Last week’s newsletter offered the first installment of a series here at Inside the News in Colorado called

Rare Three-Agency Audit of Western Colorado Mental Health Center Finds Dangerous Prescription Practices

State officials blasted one of Colorado’s 17 community mental health centers for prescription practices they called

Wrap-Up: Effort To Reform CORA, CCJRA Fades in 2022 Colorado Legislative Session

May 12, 2022

For those concerned about access to government records in Colorado, the 2022 legislative session was notable for what

Inside the News: Reimagining the Public Square

May 6, 2022

What’s happening in Colorado’s information ecosystem right now? These are some of the players trying to

Judge: 9NEWS Anchor Must Be Allowed To Inspect Cora Request for Douglas County Teacher Sick-Out Records

May 5, 2022

The Douglas County School District must let 9NEWS anchor Kyle Clark see a Colorado Open Records Act request that sought

Legislation Continues Remote Public Testimony in Colorado General Assembly Committees

May 4, 2022

Remote testimony on bills, a positive outgrowth of the COVID-19 pandemic, likely will remain an option for the public

Inside the News: Rocky Mountain Media Review

May 3, 2022

This is a special, expanded edition of the “Inside the News in Colorado” newsletter. Occasionally, I’ll try to

Listen: Investigation Shows Mental Health Centers Fail to Meet Community Need

Apr 29, 2022

Colorado has among the highest rates of mental illness in the country, yet it has one of the lowest rates when it comes

Inside the News: Judge & Attorney General Try To Stop Denver Gazette From Publishing a Story. Paper Fights Back.

‘Went about it the way I did’ Update, 5:15 p.m. Friday: The attorney general’s office says it will not appeal a

Colorado Lawmakers Aim To Protect Mental Health Therapists From Billing Headaches, Clawbacks After a Rough Year

Apr 25, 2022

Two bills with bipartisan support would help therapists in private practice who are fed up with the convoluted Medicaid

Inside the News: Colorado Journalism Award Season, and More News About the Local News This Week

Apr 22, 2022

‘Strong news’ The snowpack is melting, rivers are rising, green shoots poke through mulch, and “Springtime in the

‘There’s Winners and Losers’: Colorado Is Hoping To Reform Mental Health, but a Failed Overhaul in 2014 Shows How Political Connections Maintain the Status Quo

Apr 20, 2022

A schizophrenic man had opened fire on a packed movie theater in Aurora, killing 12 and injuring dozens more. Something

Eastern Plains County Settles Cop-Killing Case for $9.5 Million

Apr 18, 2022

Kiowa County has reached a $9.5 million settlement with the family of Zach Gifford, the unarmed local handyman its

Inside the News: Rocky Mountain Media Review

Apr 15, 2022

This is a special, expanded edition of the “Inside the News in Colorado” newsletter. Occasionally, I’ll try to

Judge Orders Woodland Park School Board To Comply With Colorado’s Open Meetings Law by Listing Agenda Items ‘Clearly, Honestly and Forthrightly’

Apr 14, 2022

A Teller County District Court judge Friday ordered the Woodland Park school board to comply with the Colorado Open

Legislators Endorse CORA Provision Barring Disclosure of a Teacher’s Absence From Work

An anti-doxxing bill advanced by a state legislative committee Thursday would amend the Colorado Open Records Act to

9NEWS Lawsuit Challenges DougCo School District’s Refusal To Disclose CORA Request for Teacher Sick-Out Records

Apr 13, 2022

Anchor Kyle Clark and the company that owns 9NEWS are suing the Douglas County School District’s records custodian

CORA Exemption Would Protect Colorado Wildlife and Sensitive Plant Species, Proponents Say

Restricting access to certain public records in Colorado will protect the state’s wildlife and sensitive plant

Inside the News: Voters in Estes Park, Colorado Sided With Their Town Over the Local Newspaper

Apr 8, 2022

‘Bad precedent’ In the months leading up to a recent local election, The Estes Park Trail-Gazette newspaper urged

Mind Springs Interim CEO Meets With Eagle County Commissioners

Apr 6, 2022

A delegation from Mind Springs Health, led by Doug Pattison, the interim CEO and CFO, met Monday with the Eagle Board

Inside the News: FOX31 Rising – New TV Show Looks To Get Denver’s KDVR Sunday Politics Mojo Back

Apr 1, 2022

A show ‘like they have never seen before’ The Fox affiliate in Denver will debut a new statewide politics

Court of Appeals Weighing Judge’s Dismissal of CORA Lawsuit Seeking Child-Abuse Hotline Statistics

Mar 30, 2022

A case before the Colorado Court of Appeals will determine whether a state agency wrongfully denied two news

Summit County Commissioners Take Initial Steps To Cut Ties With Mind Springs Health

Mar 29, 2022

The Summit County commissioners are taking steps to cut ties with Mind Springs Health as community members continue to

Regional Mental Health Centers Are Alarmed by Colorado’s 232-Page Plan To Shake Up the System

The signature piece of legislation to redefine Colorado’s mental health system is a 232-page bill that’s causing

Colorado Legislators Introduce Two Bills To Bolster Access to Behavioral Healthcare Workforce

Lawmakers in the Colorado Senate have introduced a pair of bills aimed at improving access to Colorado’s behavioral

Inside the News: Denver TV Journalist Assaulted While Covering a Crime Story

Mar 24, 2022

‘Completely unprovoked’ A yet-to-be-named TV photojournalist came “face to face” with a crime story he was

Colorado Legislature Orders Audit of State’s 17 Nonprofit Community Mental Health Centers

Mar 22, 2022

As early as today, March 22, the Colorado Legislative Audit Committee may see the first draft of a bill from the State

On Edge: Outlets Unite To Take a Closer Look

Mar 20, 2022

Reporters throughout the state work together investigating public and private mental health care in Colorado and

State Hid Findings of “Life-Threatening” Errors at Troubled Mental Health Center

A pattern of “severe, life-threatening” prescription errors by the troubled mental health center responsible for

Think Big: With Increasing Community Needs, Aurora Mental Health Center Says the Time To Build Is Now

For years, Aurora Mental Health Center has been fighting a battle of supply and demand. While services offered through

On Edge: Outlets Unite To Take a Closer Look

Reporters throughout the state work together investigating public and private mental health care in Colorado and

Inside the News: ‘Deliberative Journalism’ Week in Colorado

Mar 18, 2022

‘A community effort’ In recent years, Colorado has become a clear leader in a movement toward more robust

Small Business Tax Credit for Local News Advertising Advances in Colorado House

Mar 12, 2022

A committee of state lawmakers Thursday endorsed a tax credit for small businesses that spend money to advertise in

Inside the News: That ‘Local News’ Bill Has Advanced in Colorado — But It Looks Very Different

Mar 11, 2022

‘Media outlets are not the direct beneficiary’ A panel of Colorado lawmakers this week gave preliminary approval to

Lawmakers Seek Audit of Community Mental Health Centers

Mar 9, 2022

The Legislative Audit Committee authorized the state auditor to draft a bill that would investigate 17 nonprofit

House Bill Adds Vendor Names to State Government’s Online Checkbook

Mar 7, 2022

Lawmakers Monday advanced a bipartisan bill that requires Colorado’s online checkbook system to display the names of

Bill for New Behavioral Health Agency Seeks Sweeping Safety-net Reforms

Mar 4, 2022

Questions remain about who’s ultimately responsible for keeping the most vulnerable Coloradans from slipping through

Inside the News: A Reformed Oath Keeper Militia Spokesman Runs a Local News Substack in Estes Park

‘Things are ramping up’ Northern Colorado resident Jason Van Tatenhove might be on his way to becoming something of

Inside the News: Denver is Newsbreak’s ‘Test Market’

Feb 25, 2022

Plus, 9News gets sold to a hedge fund, KUNC reflects on ‘the legacy of racist Colorado media coverage,’ Denver

Listen: Reflecting on the Legacy of Racist Colorado Media Coverage, and Correcting It Today

Feb 23, 2022

Media in Colorado and across the country has a long history of harming communities of color. In the 19th and 20th

Colorado House Bill Lets School Boards Interview and Prioritize Superintendent Finalists in Executive Session — If Multiple Finalists Are Named

Feb 18, 2022

Update: The Colorado House passed HB 22-1110 on a 50-11 vote on Thursday, Feb. 24. Responding in part to a recent court

Inside the News: Wesley Lowery and Julian Rubinstein on Journalism

Plus, 'Sunshine Madness,' the Coloradoan brings back its opinion offerings, why the Colorado Press Association opposes

Judge: Redacted Portions of Tay Anderson Investigative Report Won’t Be Disclosed

Feb 16, 2022

Redacted portions of an investigator’s report on sexual misconduct allegations against Denver school board member Tay

CFOIC, Other Groups Seek Colorado Supreme Court Review of Ruling That Makes Attorneys Liable for Statements Made to News Media

The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition and other organizations are asking the state’s highest court to review

Inside the News: Hedge-fund TV News Ownership Coming for 9News in Denver?

Feb 11, 2022

Also, the Springs alt-weekly slashes at The Gazette, KUNC ousted a longtime news leader, Colorado's (maybe) first-ever

‘Bill Drafting Transparency’ Measure Dies in Colorado House Committee

Feb 10, 2022

A state House committee Thursday killed legislation to require the online publication of bill drafts more than a month

Opinion: A Plan Emerges To Fix Colorado’s Broken Mental Health System

Feb 9, 2022

An effective and well-functioning behavioral health system should treat people in need early to prevent a crisis

Boulders Largest Mental Health Provider Cuts Emergency Services as the Community Endures Compounding Crises

Mental Health Partners, a private nonprofit serving Boulder County, has abruptly closed its weekend walk-in crisis

House Committee Passes Bill To Create Free Website for Colorado High-Court Opinions

With civil court records now free to access online in Colorado, the state may soon also post the text of high-court

Inside the News: A Colorado Legislator Pushes a Law ‘Supporting Local Media’

Feb 4, 2022

Democratic Rep. Lisa Cutter, who was responsible for our state’s relatively new media literacy program, had an idea

Colorado Lawmakers Remove Open-Ended Sunshine Law Exception From Legal Services Committee Bill

Revising rules for the legislature’s Committee on Legal Services for the first time since 1981, Colorado lawmakers

Inside the News: How $1 Million Is Flowing To ‘Strengthen and Advance Equity’ in Colorado News

Jan 28, 2022

Colorado Media Project, which underwrites this column, announced this week how nearly $1 million will flow to

Novel City Program Works To Draw Some Criminal Suspects Into Mental Health Treatment To Keep Them From Coming Back

Jan 27, 2022

On a recent Monday morning, Chief Defender Doug Wilson said six of the eight inmates in the Aurora municipal jail were

Colorado Judicial Branch Considers Opening Records on Completed Personnel Investigations

Jan 24, 2022

Amid multiple probes into allegations of employee misconduct, the Colorado Judicial Department is considering a new

Editorial: Our View — Mind Springs’ Work Is Too Important Not To Pay Attention

Jan 20, 2022

Newfound attention has landed on Mind Springs Health after an investigative series from the Colorado News Collaborative

Inside the News: ‘Is It Possible? I Don’t Know’: Newspaper Publisher Tests E-edition in Cañon City

Jan 14, 2022

‘I want to see what happens’ Last Saturday, Jordan Hedberg was running a portable sawmill on his Custer County

Three State Agencies are Auditing the Troubled Mental Health Center for 10 Western Slope Counties

Jan 12, 2022

State investigators are at Mind Springs Health offices in Western Colorado this week to review files and financial

Proposed Rules for Colorado Ethics Commission ‘Limit Transparency and Public Oversight’

Jan 6, 2022

The constitutionally created state commission that investigates allegations of ethical misconduct by public officials

Embattled Western Slope Mental Health Executive Resigns. Polis Appoints New State Mental Health Chief.

Jan 4, 2022

Mind Springs President and CEO Sharon Raggio stepped down Tuesday, Jan. 4. Her resignation after 14 years in the

Everything You Need To Know About Voting in Colorado’s 2022 Elections

Election Day is Nov. 8 this year, but since every eligible registered Colorado voter will receive a mail ballot in

Listen: Why Is Colorado’s Mental Health Care Safety Net So Broken?

It seems ironic that in a state that touts healthy lifestyles like hiking and biking and being outdoors, we have some

Inside the News: What Happened in Colorado’s Media World in 2021

Jan 3, 2022

Ownership changes and new startups could reshape our local news

CFOIC’s 2021 Year in Review: Sole Finalists, Internal Affairs Records, Body-cam Footage, Peace Officer Database, Disinformation, a Judge’s Order to ‘Be Kind’

Dec 28, 2021

Court rulings top CFOIC’s 2021 list of Colorado transparency highlights and lowlights, with the most impactful paving

Solvista Health: “We Know Who We Are and What We Stand For”

Dec 23, 2021

Part I of a two-part On-Edge Series about Solvista Health. A conversation with Solvista Heath Centers CEO Brian Turner

Revelations About Mind Springs Necessitate Change

The extensive investigative reporting by the Colorado News Collaborative in Tuesday’s edition of The Daily Sentinel

Editorial: Reform Our Mental Health Safety Net and Then Fill In the Holes

Dec 21, 2021

Everyone is in agreement that Colorado’s safety-net mental health system is in crisis. All you have to do is drive

Valley’s “Resource Rich” Mental Health Community Helps Counter Discouraging System

Dec 19, 2021

Specialized groups, community mental health centers both play roles in meeting local

The Trouble with Mind Springs

Two counties are breaking from their mental health provider. Others are taking

Our Community Mental Health Centers Are Broken. The State Wants To Give Them Millions More.

Dec 17, 2021

For more than three years now, Gazette reporters have been tracking the crisis in mental health care in Colorado. In a

Colorado’s Mental Health System Is “Broken.” An Audit Could Reveal Why, and What To Do About It.

Dec 16, 2021

As state policymakers and media outlets scrutinize Colorado’s mental health system, the head of a trade group

Gov. Jared Polis Responds to Colorado’s Mental Health Crisis

Dec 14, 2021

Gov. Jared Polis is responding to increasing scrutiny of the state’s troubled mental health system, agreeing that

Colorado Has Half a Billion Dollars To Fix Its Mental Health System. But It Won’t Work Without Workers.

Dec 12, 2021

This investigation is part of the ongoing “On Edge” series about Colorado’s mental health by the Colorado News

Editorial: ‘Mental Health Will Drive You Mad’

Dec 10, 2021

We’re bringing you the latest installment in the “On Edge” series from the Colorado News Collaborative this week.

News Organizations’ Court Filing Argues for Disclosure of Redacted Portions of Tay Anderson Investigative Report

Dec 8, 2021

An attorney for The Denver Post and The Denver North Star explained in a new court filing why the news organizations

On Edge: Mental Healthcare Safety Net Failing in Aurora, Across Colorado

Dec 6, 2021

Aurora Mental Health Center officials are fast to offer a short list of critical observations about their industry and

On Edge: The Initial Investigation

Dec 5, 2021

An investigative look into Colorado's mental health safety

State Mental Health Safety Net is “Failing” Coloradans

Will planned reforms fix or further the

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