The Colorado Sun

1 day ago | coloradosun.com | Shannon Mullane

Coloradans will see discounts for the waterline connection fees that come with new houses and commercial buildings because of a newly signed — and much-contested — law. The legislation, House Bill 1211, focuses on tap fees, one-time charges that developers and property owners pay when they want to connect a new building to an existing water system. The connection fees vary widely — from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands of dollars — based on the location and type of development.

1 day ago | coloradosun.com | Olivia Prentzel

After abundant rain drenched many parts of Colorado last week, including Manitou Springs, the small town near the base of Pikes Peak is now facing a critical water supply emergency and is warning residents to cease all water use. All nondrinking water use is prohibited, the city officials said Monday announcing the emergency order. The city warned residents that the city’s primary water source and reserves in its backup system have dropped at a faster rate than expected.

3 days ago | coloradosun.com | Mark Jaffe

The oil well blowout last month in rural Galeton, which sparked the evacuation of nearby homes, spewed dangerous levels of toxic chemicals as far as 2 miles away, according to preliminary tests by a Colorado State University team. Benzene, a known carcinogen and respiratory irritant, was found in concentrations 10 times above federal standard for chronic exposure, and was among dozens of chemicals detected.

3 days ago | coloradosun.com | Jennifer Brown

When state leaders decided to shake up Colorado’s behavioral health system and end decades long no-bid contracts with giant regional mental health centers, they asked independent clinics to step up. The message was clear: If clinics would begin offering needed services, like partial hospitalization programs for opioid addiction or case management to connect people to food or housing, they would get higher reimbursement rates from the state Medicaid program.

4 days ago | coloradosun.com | Kevin Simpson

John Be Lane’s first novel, “The Future Lies,”is a 2025 Colorado Book Award finalist (Science Fiction/Fantasy). His previous book, “The Beatin’ Path,” received a Living Now Evergreen Award as “one of the world-changing books published since the year 2000.” He lives in Colorado, and can always be found at JohnBe.com.  SunLit: Tell us this book’s backstory – what’s it about and what inspired you to write it? John Be Lane: Well, it’s set in Denver, because I wanted it to be grounded in a real place.