Monday, December 9, 2024

Good Morning! On this day in 1867, the Colorado Territorial Assembly narrowly voted to make Denver the capital, replacing Golden.

It’s feeling wintry across the state today. With snow and ice dominating a number of our stories, we’ve got a bone-chilling cold-weather trivia question for you!

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Dems Lose Legislature Supermajority

Recounts in two tight Colorado House races have confirmed that Democrats have lost their supermajority in the state legislature.

In House District 16, Republican Rebecca Keltie defeated Democratic State Rep. Stephanie Vigil by three votes. Meanwhile, in House District 19, Republican Dan Woog increased his lead over Democrat Jillaire McMillan to 110 votes following a recount.

Republicans flipped a third House seat when Democratic state Rep. Mary Young of Greeley lost her reelection bid in House District 50 to Republican Ryan Gonzalez.

The three flipped seats will reduce the Democratic edge in the House to 43-22 from 46-19.

Colorado River Talks Deadlocked

Representatives from the Upper Basin and Lower Basin states did not appear together at the Colorado River Water Users Association Conference in Las Vegas last Thursday.

Divisions between the Upper Basin states (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) and the Lower Basin states (California, Arizona, and Nevada) were evident as they held separate panels to present conflicting water-sharing proposals.

Upper Basin representatives contend they already bear the brunt of climate-related impacts and shouldn’t face additional cuts, while Lower Basin negotiators emphasize the need for shared sacrifices during dry years.

Negotiations remain stalled after nine months.

CU Secures $46M for Eye Transplant Research

The University of Colorado has secured up to $46 million in funding to pioneer whole eye transplant technology.

Officials with ARPA-H, a federal health research funding agency, say the research could one day provide a cure for blindness.

The research team is tackling challenges like reattaching the optic nerve, preventing organ rejection, and regenerating nerve connections.

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➤ Western Colorado: The Supreme Court set arguments for the future of the proposed Uinta Basin Railway project, which would transport Utah crude oil to Colorado and beyond. (See Details)

➤ Steamboat: A major snowstorm triggered Steamboat Resort’s largest avalanche in two decades, closing several advanced runs. Officials are urging respect for closed terrain. (More)

➤ Longmont: Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis is facing calls to resign from legislative aides citing workplace mistreatment, campaign finance violations, and ethical misconduct. (More)

➤ Denver: The city will implement a $150 annual fee for most property owners starting in 2025 to fund sidewalk repairs and construction. Low-income residents will be eligible for rebates. (Video Report)

➤ Pueblo: A school prayer walk, supported by school board members, prompted a counter-event to fund LGBTQ+ programs and youth mental health. (More)

➤ Statewide: The state will be launching a regulated psychedelic therapy program in 2025, aiming to address mental health through supervised psychedelic mushroom treatments. (Video Report)

➤ The Colorado Buffaloes will face BYU in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio on Dec. 28. (More)

➤ The CSU Rams will face the Miami RedHawks in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl. This is their first bowl appearance since 2017. (More)

➤ Nikola Jokić scored a career-high 56 points in the Denver Nuggets’ surprise loss to the 3-18 Washington Wizards. (More)

Yesterday’s results: NFL | NCAAF | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | PGA

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➤ Halfdays, an outdoor-apparel brand that aims to empower active women, opened its flagship store in Denver. (More)

➤Jeremy Bloom, former Olympic skier and CU football player, has become X Games CEO with X Games Aspen set for Jan. 2025. (See Details)

➤ Two Colorado athletes, Mallory Swanson and Christian McCaffrey, earned spots on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for 2025, highlighting their record-breaking achievements. (More)

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➤ Videos filmed by the owner of a small-town cafe in Evergreen inspired filmmaker Candy Cain to shoot her Christmas movie Mocha and Mistletoe in the scenic mountain town. (See Photos)

➤ Two dogs fell into icy water at Coot Lake in Boulder, prompting a daring rescue by their owner. Both dogs and their owner made it out unharmed. (See Video)

➤ A CU student has created ASTROMECH, an augmented reality tool likened to Google Maps that uses holograms to plot space missions. (More)

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