New CO Justice, Venezuelan gang cases end in plea deals, businesses suffering from no snow, Ikea coming to FoCo

Colorado’s highest court is back to full strength, after Gov. Polis appointed a judicial veteran to fill its open seat. Then, a splashy set of indictments last summer was supposed to show the danger a Venezuelan gang poses to Colorado, but when CPR News followed up on those legal cases, the outcomes we found tell a different story. Plus, ski areas get all the attention in low snow years, but plenty of other businesses are taking a hit to the bottom line too. And the Swedish DIY furniture giant is preparing to open a third Colorado outpost.Email us at [email protected]. Colorado Today is supported by CPR’s members.Read more on the stories in today’s show: CPR’s Rae Solomon on Colorado’s newest Supreme Court justice. CPR’s Allison Sherry on the plea deals being offered to Venezuelan immigrants arrested on gun and drug charges. CPR’s Haylee May on the businesses suffering from this dry winter. CPR’s Ryan Warner covers the 2011 opening of the Centennial IKEA. This episode of Colorado Today is hosted by Haylee May. It’s edited and produced by Mateo Schimpf,  Arlo Pérez Esquivel, Haylee May and Tyler Bender. The executive producer is Megan Verlee. Theme music by Pedro Lumbraño.