Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Thursday September 23rd.

 

Today - The state’s system that treats children with severe mental health issues is completely overwhelmed. Some kids are staying in county office buildings given the lack of safe housing. And on top of that, nearly 70 foster kids across the state are missing.

 

But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

 

Today, we’re going back to September 23rd, 1909 when President William H. Taft, standing on a stage in Montrose County, set a golden bell down on a silver plate. An electric current opened the gates holding back the Gunnison River and water flowed through a 6 mile tunnel to the Uncompahgre River valley. President Taft predicted that “this valley, with an unpronounceable name, is going to blossom like a rose”, and within a few years 470 miles of canals were built to encourage diverse agricultural products.

 

Now, our feature story.

 

Colorado’s system that treats children with severe mental health issues is so stretched that kids are in jeopardy. That’s the upshot of a fiery letter sent by county health directors to state officials, and the details are bracing. Children in crisis are staying in motels and county office buildings for a lack of safe housing. Child protective workers spend hours, even days, on the phone trying to help them. And nearly 70 foster kids across the state are missing. Jennifer Brown has the details. 

 

 

To read more of Jennifer’s reporting on children in state custody, go to coloradosun.com. 

 

And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:

 

A Colorado State University Pueblo student who authorities say made threats towards staff and fellow students at the school has been arrested after police say they found “a large cache of loaded weapons” and nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition in his vehicle on campus. Robert James Killis, a 24-year-old who the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office says has military experience, is suspected of unlawful carrying/possessing a weapon on a university campus after the arrest Wednesday. The offense is a low-level felony.

 

Littleton police have named a suspect in a shooting that wounded one of their officers in the chest. Police are seeking 33-year-old Rigoberto Valles Dominguez, who remained at large Wednesday. The wounded officer, David Snook, was hit in his arm, leg and torso. He remains heavily sedated in an intensive care unit, Littleton Police Department Chief Doug Stephens said during a news conference, adding that the officer has ”a long road ahead of him.”

 

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has issued its second-largest penalty ever -- imposing a $2 million fine against oil and gas operator KP Kauffman. The company was initially hit with a $1.8 million fine but the commission raised the tab after concluding that KP Kauffman had engaged in a “pattern of violations” for leaks and spills. The largest fine, $18.25 million, was issued in 2020 to Occidental Petroleum Corp., the state’s largest operator, for a 2017 house explosion in Firestone that killed two people.  

 

Jim Sheeler, beloved for remarkably evocative obituary writing during his years as a Colorado journalist, has died in Ohio at the age of 53. In 2006, when he worked for the Rocky Mountain News, Sheeler won the  Pulitzer Prize for Feature writing for Final Salute, a long-form story that chronicled the work of Major Steve Beck and how he helped the families of Marines who lost their lives in Iraq cope with the cost of war. Sheeler later taught at the University of Colorado and at the time of his death was a professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. 

 

 

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.

 

The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.

 

Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you’ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, you&rsquo;re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It&rsquo;s Thursday September 23rd.
&nbsp;
Today - The state&rsquo;s system that treats children with severe mental health issues is completely overwhelmed. Some kids are staying in county office buildings given the lack of safe housing. And on top of that, nearly 70 foster kids across the state are missing.
&nbsp;
But before we begin, let&rsquo;s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett&rsquo;s book &ldquo;Colorado Day by Day&rdquo;:
&nbsp;
Today, we&rsquo;re going back to September 23rd, 1909 when President William H. Taft, standing on a stage in Montrose County, set a golden bell down on a silver plate. An electric current opened the gates holding back the Gunnison River and water flowed through a 6 mile tunnel to the Uncompahgre River valley. President Taft predicted that &ldquo;this valley, with an unpronounceable name, is going to blossom like a rose&rdquo;, and within a few years 470 miles of canals were built to encourage diverse agricultural products.
&nbsp;
Now, our feature story.
&nbsp;
Colorado&rsquo;s system that treats children with severe mental health issues is so stretched that kids are in jeopardy. That&rsquo;s the upshot of a fiery letter sent by county health directors to state officials, and the details are bracing. Children in crisis are staying in motels and county office buildings for a lack of safe housing. Child protective workers spend hours, even days, on the phone trying to help them. And nearly 70 foster kids across the state are missing. Jennifer Brown has the details.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
To read more of Jennifer&rsquo;s reporting on children in state custody, go to coloradosun.com.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:
&nbsp;
A Colorado State University Pueblo student who authorities say made threats towards staff and fellow students at the school has been arrested after police say they found &ldquo;a large cache of loaded weapons&rdquo; and nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition in his vehicle on campus. Robert James Killis, a 24-year-old who the Pueblo County Sheriff&rsquo;s Office says has military experience, is suspected of unlawful carrying/possessing a weapon on a university campus after the arrest Wednesday. The offense is a low-level felony.
&nbsp;
Littleton police have named a suspect in a shooting that wounded one of their officers in the chest. Police are seeking 33-year-old Rigoberto Valles Dominguez, who remained at large Wednesday. The wounded officer, David Snook, was hit in his arm, leg and torso. He remains heavily sedated in an intensive care unit, Littleton Police Department Chief Doug Stephens said during a news conference, adding that the officer has &rdquo;a long road ahead of him.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has issued its second-largest penalty ever -- imposing a $2 million fine against oil and gas operator KP Kauffman. The company was initially hit with a $1.8 million fine but the commission raised the tab after concluding that KP Kauffman had engaged in a &ldquo;pattern of violations&rdquo; for leaks and spills. The largest fine, $18.25 million, was issued in 2020 to Occidental Petroleum Corp., the state&rsquo;s largest operator, for a 2017 house explosion in Firestone that killed two people.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Jim Sheeler, beloved for remarkably evocative obituary writing during his years as a Colorado journalist, has died in Ohio at the age of 53. In 2006, when he worked for the Rocky Mountain News, Sheeler won the&nbsp; Pulitzer Prize for Feature writing for Final Salute, a long-form story that chronicled the work of Major Steve Beck and how he helped the families of Marines who lost their lives in Iraq cope with the cost of war. Sheeler later taught at the University of Colorado and at the time of his death was a professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website,<a href="http://www.coloradosun.com/"> www.coloradosun.com</a>. And don&rsquo;t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.
&nbsp;
The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.
&nbsp;
Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you&rsquo;ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don&rsquo;t forget to tune in again tomorrow.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Welcome to The Colorado Sun's daily podcast, The Daily Sun-Up. Every day we’re sharing an in-depth look at one of our top stories, followed by a quick summary of important things happening in our state. For more visit us at https://coloradosun.com/.

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