Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Tuesday July 20th,

 

Today - Officials are saying there’ll be 2.5 million fewer acre-feet of natural runoff flowing into Lake Powell this year. 

 

Now, water engineers are now forced to switch gears, meaning they’ll be pulling water from other sources.

 

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 taking you back to July 20th, 2012 when a movie theater in Aurora filled with patrons for the debut of “The Dark Knight Rises”. But what started as excited escapism turned into an infamous moment of domestic terrorism when a gunman opened fire on the crowd, killing 12 people and injuring others. 

 

Now, our feature story.

 

The on-going drought in the West has become so severe that federal officials predict there will be 2.5 million fewer acre-feet of natural runoff flowing into Lake Powell this year. Water levels are in danger of falling below the electric turbine intakes for the lake’s Glen Canyon Dam, which is alarming news for the power grid. Federal water engineers are now forced to switch to Plan B, which means pulling water from other sources — including Colorado’s Blue Mesa Reservoir. Colorado Sun’s social editor Danika Worthington talks with reporter Michael Booth about the dangerously low water levels.

 

To read more of Michael’s reporting on the impact of the drought on the West, go to coloradosun.com. 





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

 

A 24-year-old man has been convicted of vehicular homicide after prosecutors say he hit a car while driving around 120 mph during a Facebook livestream showing him speeding. Bryan Kirby was accused of driving as fast as 167 mph during the stream on a highway near Denver while making comments to viewers about his speed. He rapidly crossed from the left lane to the right and crashed into a sedan from behind. The driver of the sedan died at the scene.

 

In 2018, former Georgetown police officer Jon Geiger was convicted of excessive force. It triggered an automatic revocation of his officer’s state certification, which is supposed to prevent him from working as a police officer in Colorado. But now he’s serving as an interim police chief for the small town of Nunn in Weld County. How? A loophole that allows the Peace Officer Standards and Training board to keep officers who have been convicted of crimes in their jobs. His case highlights the power of the POST board as state lawmakers work to increase police accountability. 

 

The total number of marijuana arrests dropped 68% between 2012 and 2019, according to a new report from the Colorado Department of Public Safety. The report, which aimed to track the impact of marijuana legalization, said the disparity of arrests by race and ethnicity had not changed in any meaningful way since legalization. For White Coloradans, the number of arrests dropped by 72 percent. For Black Coloradans, it dropped by 63 percent and for Hispanic Coloradans, it dropped by 55 percent. Although it’s important to note that report writers said it was difficult to find definitive impacts of legalization because of a variety of factors, including data sources that vary considerably, a lack of pre-commercialization data and a decrease in social stigma.  

 

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.

 

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 Tuesday July 20th,
&nbsp;
Today - Officials are saying there&rsquo;ll be 2.5 million fewer acre-feet of natural runoff flowing into Lake Powell this year.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Now, water engineers are now forced to switch gears, meaning they&rsquo;ll be pulling water from other sources.
&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 taking you back to July 20th, 2012 when a movie theater in Aurora filled with patrons for the debut of &ldquo;The Dark Knight Rises&rdquo;. But what started as excited escapism turned into an infamous moment of domestic terrorism when a gunman opened fire on the crowd, killing 12 people and injuring others.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Now, our feature story.
&nbsp;
The on-going drought in the West has become so severe that federal officials predict there will be 2.5 million fewer acre-feet of natural runoff flowing into Lake Powell this year. Water levels are in danger of falling below the electric turbine intakes for the lake&rsquo;s Glen Canyon Dam, which is alarming news for the power grid. Federal water engineers are now forced to switch to Plan B, which means pulling water from other sources &mdash; including Colorado&rsquo;s Blue Mesa Reservoir. Colorado Sun&rsquo;s social editor Danika Worthington talks with reporter Michael Booth about the dangerously low water levels.
&nbsp;
To read more of Michael&rsquo;s reporting on the impact of the drought on the West, go to coloradosun.com.&nbsp;
 
And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:
&nbsp;
A 24-year-old man has been convicted of vehicular homicide after prosecutors say he hit a car while driving around 120 mph during a Facebook livestream showing him speeding. Bryan Kirby was accused of driving as fast as 167 mph during the stream on a highway near Denver while making comments to viewers about his speed. He rapidly crossed from the left lane to the right and crashed into a sedan from behind. The driver of the sedan died at the scene.
&nbsp;
In 2018, former Georgetown police officer Jon Geiger was convicted of excessive force. It triggered an automatic revocation of his officer&rsquo;s state certification, which is supposed to prevent him from working as a police officer in Colorado. But now he&rsquo;s serving as an interim police chief for the small town of Nunn in Weld County. How? A loophole that allows the Peace Officer Standards and Training board to keep officers who have been convicted of crimes in their jobs. His case highlights the power of the POST board as state lawmakers work to increase police accountability.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The total number of marijuana arrests dropped 68% between 2012 and 2019, according to a new report from the Colorado Department of Public Safety. The report, which aimed to track the impact of marijuana legalization, said the disparity of arrests by race and ethnicity had not changed in any meaningful way since legalization. For White Coloradans, the number of arrests dropped by 72 percent. For Black Coloradans, it dropped by 63 percent and for Hispanic Coloradans, it dropped by 55 percent. Although it&rsquo;s important to note that report writers said it was difficult to find definitive impacts of legalization because of a variety of factors, including data sources that vary considerably, a lack of pre-commercialization data and a decrease in social stigma.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don&rsquo;t forget to tune in again tomorrow.
&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/.

Advertisement