☔ Whatever happened to 300 days of sunshine?

🪧 Were the Auraria Student Protests Antisemitic?

The last two years of news out of the Middle East have shocked Denverites and changed the way we talk about Israel. So what does that mean for our politics? And how has it affected Denver’s Jewish community? We’re digging into the investigation into antisemitism at Auraria campus and asking the bigger questions. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

⚰️ Another Colorado Funeral Home Hiding Corpses

State law enforcement officials are investigating Davis Mortuary in Pueblo after a routine inspection by authorities discovered several decomposing bodies improperly stored on the property. The owners of the funeral home — one of which is the county coroner — admitted to keeping bodies and distributing fake cremation remains to families who used their services. [CPR]

• Not the first time: The inspection that led to the discovery of the bodies was a requirement of a package of new laws that passed last year to better regulate Colorado’s funeral industry following a similar high-profile case out of Penrose, Colorado, where nearly 200 decaying bodies were found. [CPR]
• What is wrong with this state?? We asked an industry expert. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

🚔 Mayor Names New Public Safety Director

Mayor Mike Johnston has nominated Denver Deputy Mayor Al Gardner to become the city’s new director of public safety, pending City Council approval. He’d replace Armando Saldate, who left the role to lead the Colorado Bureau of Investigation last month. Gardner currently leads the city’s Department of General Services and also ran against Johnston in the 2022 mayoral race. [Denverite]

⚖️ Vail Settles Lawsuit With Denver-Based Artist

The Town of Vail has settled a lawsuit filed by local artist Danielle SeeWalker, who is a Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta and a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in North Dakota. In the suit filed last October, SeeWalker said Vail officials violated her free speech rights when they removed her from their public art residency program because they believed a Gaza solidarity piece she created was “too political.” [Westword]

• The details: As part of its settlement agreement, Vail will fund a new art program for underrepresented artists, host a community forum on Israel and Palestine, and mandate annual cultural sensitivity training for employees in its public arts department for the next five years.