Good Morning, Colorado, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up. It’s Monday January 18th, and we’re feeling lucky to start the day with you. Join us daily for an in-depth look at one of our top stories. 

Today - Regular testing of elementary school kids aims to identify asymptomatic cases and keep disease from shutting down in-person learning this spring.

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 take you back to January 18th, 1881 when Marshall Silverthorn purchased 160 acres from the federal government down the Blue from Breckenridge, on which he failed to find gold. Today it’s the town of Silverthorne.

And now, our feature story. 

Many districts across Colorado have been regularly testing teachers and staff throughout the school year.

In school circles, the testing system has largely focused on monitoring the health of adults. But in September, COVIDCheck Colorado branched out to begin testing some of Colorado’s youngest residents from some of the most vulnerable families: students at Clayton Early Learning in Denver.

Now, as Gov. Jared Polis and many districts prioritize in-person learning this semester, opening up testing to K-12 students has become another tool to help districts track the spread of the virus and hopefully get ahead of any outbreaks that would warrant quarantines or closures.

It’s part of the solution for keeping schools open and keeping students and staff safe.

We have Colorado Sun reporter Erica Breunlin, who’s spoken to health experts across the state about this, joining us today.

And thank you all for listening. Finally, here are a few stories you should know about today:

Colorado's new Republican congresswoman, Lauren Boebert, has been sued in federal court on allegations that she violated the free speech rights of one of her constituents by blocking the constituent on Twitter. 

Governor Jared Polis says he's “shocked” to learn that Colorado will be receiving far fewer doses of coronavirus vaccine this week than anticipated. Polis says the Trump administration lied to state officials about its promise to speed up distribution.

Governor Jared Polis has sued the Bureau of Land Management and two top officials. The governor says the expansion of oil drilling on the Western Slope does not jibe with state laws and regulations protecting water, air, wildlife and recreation. Now he's asking a federal judge to overturn a plan for nearly 680-thousand acres of federal land in western Colorado. 

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. 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, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up. It&rsquo;s Monday January 18th, and we&rsquo;re feeling lucky to start the day with you. Join us daily for an in-depth look at one of our top stories.&nbsp;
Today - Regular testing of elementary school kids aims to identify asymptomatic cases and keep disease from shutting down in-person learning this spring.
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;:
Today, we take you back to January 18th, 1881 when Marshall Silverthorn purchased 160 acres from the federal government down the Blue from Breckenridge, on which he failed to find gold. Today it&rsquo;s the town of Silverthorne.
And now, our feature story.&nbsp;
Many districts across Colorado have been regularly testing teachers and staff throughout the school year.
In school circles, the testing system has largely focused on monitoring the health of adults. But in September, <a href="https://coloradosun.com/2020/09/18/colorado-clayton-early-learning-preschool-early-childhood-education-center-students-teachers-parents-covid-19-coronavirus/">COVIDCheck Colorado branched out to begin testing some of Colorado&rsquo;s youngest residents</a> from some of the most vulnerable families: students at Clayton Early Learning in Denver.
Now, as Gov. Jared Polis and many districts prioritize in-person learning this semester, opening up testing to K-12 students has become another tool to help districts track the spread of the virus and hopefully get ahead of any outbreaks that would warrant quarantines or closures.
It&rsquo;s part of the solution for keeping schools open and keeping students and staff safe.
We have Colorado Sun reporter <a href="mailto:erica@coloradosun.com">Erica Breunlin</a>, who&rsquo;s spoken to health experts across the state about this, joining us today.
And thank you all for listening. Finally, here are a few stories you should know about today:
Colorado's new Republican congresswoman, Lauren Boebert, has been sued in federal court on allegations that she violated the free speech rights of one of her constituents by blocking the constituent on Twitter.&nbsp;
Governor Jared Polis says he's &ldquo;shocked&rdquo; to learn that Colorado will be receiving far fewer doses of coronavirus vaccine this week than anticipated. Polis says the Trump administration lied to state officials about its promise to speed up distribution.
Governor Jared Polis has sued the Bureau of Land Management and two top officials. The governor says the expansion of oil drilling on the Western Slope does not jibe with state laws and regulations protecting water, air, wildlife and recreation. Now he's asking a federal judge to overturn a plan for nearly 680-thousand acres of federal land in western Colorado.&nbsp;
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website,<a href="http://www.coloradosun.com/"> www.coloradosun.com</a>. 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&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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