Broncos finish strong; AFA planetarium reopens; One city's quest to decriminalize mental illness; Today is Bacon Day

All the news you can use in a bite-sized format Hi {NAME}, Happy Monday! It's New Year's Eve Eve. Let's make it a good one. How about them Broncos? Denver may not have made the playoffs but according to Gazette sports columnist [Woody Paige]( the team's rivalry with the Oakland (soon to be Las Vegas) Raiders went out with a bang...[Read more.]( Yikes it sure is cold outside! Today's high is expected to only be 34 degrees. The New Year's Eve forecast isn't much better...[Read more.]( In unrelated news, today is Falling Needles Family Fest Day, National Bicarbonate of Soda Day and Bacon Day (which restaurant serves the best bacon cheeseburger?). 🥓🥓🥓 Without further ado, here are 5 things worth sharing today. 1. In Miami-Dade County there's a program that prioritizes treatment for some of Miami’s most mentally ill defendants over plea deals, convictions and extended jail time. In the process, the movement has openly questioned long-established ideas of law and order, the nature of justice and just what obligations society owes the mentally ill. The overarching principle is that people with mental illnesses are best treated outside of jails and in the surrounding community — often in residential care centers or recovery houses...[Read more.]( 2. In the rush for powder and first tracks, skiers and snowboarders often don’t linger on the titles of trails, lifts and lodges they see across Colorado’s slopes. But if they did, they’d get a glimpse into local legends and souls of the past. Here's how 10 skiing trails, lifts and lodges got their names...[Read more.]( 3. [Last of the Greatest] - As a freshman at what is now Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, Frank Macon was designing planes and putting most of the money he earned working part time toward flying lessons at a local airfield. Little did he know that the journey to his wings would take him into a world war and from Colorado Springs to Alabama, where he would train with the legendary group of African American World War II fighter pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen...[Read more.]( [Podcast 🎧] - On this week’s episode, Gazette reporter Stephanie Earls chats with Frank Macon about his World War II experiences...[Listen here.]( 4. The newest Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers scheduled to open in Colorado Springs will mark a milestone for the Louisiana-based chain. The company's third Springs restaurant will open Feb. 18. Not only will it be the 10th Raising Cane's in Colorado, but it also will be the 500th for the chain...[Read more.]( 5. [Paul Klee] - If the Broncos are going to win big with Drew Lock, it’s time to balance the checkbook. Only three teams spent less money on their 2019 offense than the Broncos. And the Dolphins, Redskins nor Lions made the playoffs, either. Pile up some serious speed around Lock, and the optimism that bubbled all over the final locker room could be validated...[Read more.]( Bonus content - [Air Force Academy Planetarium, closed after 15 years, reopens]( - [El Paso County Sheriff's Office mental health unit to double by early 2020]( - [Some Teller County Posse volunteers now armed]( - [Denver's controversial urban camping ban ruled unconstitutional]( - [Full recap of AFA football's bowl game win, plus a look ahead to 2020.]( Photo of the day - Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton (14) snags a pass during the first half of the Broncos matchup against the Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday. The Broncos won 16-15. (Photo by Chancey Bush, The Gazette) Thank you for reading! If you like this newsletter and want to support it, forward this email to a friend. If you’re seeing this newsletter for the first time, [you can subscribe here]( free. No spam. Unsubscribe whenever you want.  Terry Terrones Terry Terrones is a journalist and social media manager. He's a graduate of Denver University, loves the Broncos, and might be Spider-Man. Twitter - [@terryterrones]( Email - terry.terrones@gazette.com Instagram - [@terronesterry]( [Subscribe to this Newsletter!]( [Subscribe to free Gazette podcasts!]( The Colorado Springs Gazette, L.L.C. | 100 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Suite 100, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 [Unsubscribe {EMAIL}]( [Update Profile]( | [Our Privacy Policy]( | [About Constant Contact]( Sent by noreply@gazette.com