life
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Ben Nighthorse Campbell was a Colorado original | Vince Bzdek
One day in 1982, Ben Nighthorse Campbell walked into a political caucus in Colorado to kill time after thunderstorms grounded his flight. He ended up volunteering to run for office that day and wound up serving two terms as a state legislator, three more in Congress and 12 years as a United States senator. Campbell,…
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‘The canary in the democracy mine is local journalism’ | Vince Bzdek
Colorado could do a lot more to save newspapers – and democracy – in rural areas By Vince Bzdek As another new year and another legislative session dawn for Colorado, it’s a good time to ask what the absolute most important things are for our state to focus on in the coming year. Affordability is…
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Suddenly, Colorado has a private school choice program │ Vince Bzdek
By Vince Bzdek When I was a kid going to St. John’s Catholic grade school in Denver, I remember asking my mom if she and dad minded paying taxes for public schools since all her kids attended Catholic ones. We don’t mind, she told me. It’s our choice to send you to St. John’s for…
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9 things you probably didn’t know about the American Revolution | Vince Bzdek
By Vince Bzdek What is most striking about Ken Burns’ extraordinary new PBS documentary on the American Revolution is how alike we are right now to those folks in 1776. Take away the tricorn hats and ruffled shirts and they were just as divided as we are now, just as polyglot and p—ed off and…
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The rise of Indigenous comic books
By Katie Chicklinski-Cahill, Durango Herald Arts & Entertainment editor Kayla Shaggy, one of the artists featured in a new exhibit on Indigenous comic book art in Durango, said she sees the genre becoming more and more popular – and there may be a practical side to it. “I think mostly because it’s accessibility, because I…
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Surging motorcycle deaths in Colorado bring tragedy and tears
Chelsie Willing died on April 17, 2025, 10 days before her 21st birthday, when a car pulled out in front of her as she was riding her Yamaha R7 motorcycle on Platte Avenue in Colorado Springs. Motorcycling had been her passion, and she was happiest when she was riding, said her aunt, Windy McKay. The…
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Colorado’s motorcycle lane filtering law — boon or bane?
Colorado’s lane-filtering law for motorcyclists has been in effect for more than a year, but it’s still too soon to know if it has helped prevent motorcycle crashes and injuries, as the law was intended to do. The new law allows motorcyclists to pass stopped vehicles while going 15 mph or less, if the lane…
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Once dismissed by the mainstream, ski ballet is finding new life in Colorado
The sun was breaking through the clouds one day last April as Lara Rosenbaum stood atop a slope at Colorado’s Monarch Mountain. She took in the scene around her: Costumed skiers twirling around, their arms and legs moving in the elegant cadence of a dancer, getting loose before their performance set to music. “I honestly…
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6 mountain communities increase lodging taxes, 2 reject the tax hike
Six mountain communities across Colorado voted on Tuesday to raise their lodging taxes after the state legislature passed a bill allowing counties to triple such taxes and spend the money on a wider range of projects, including public infrastructure, childcare and housing for workers. Lodging tax increases passed in Eagle, Gilpin, Hinsdale, Ouray, Routt and…
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Could this be the next big outdoor destination in Woodland Park?
Could a golf course be the next great outdoor escape in the “City Above the Clouds” west of Colorado Springs? Advocates in Woodland Park think so. The 18-hole Shining Mountain Golf Course “is such a big parcel, with so much more potential than golf,” said Chris Gonzales, who leads Teller Trail Team, a nonprofit aiming…