The city of Denver and the Mental Health Center of Denver will create a new facility where dozens of people can recover from mental health crises in the Sun Valley neighborhood. To its supporters, it’s a groundbreaking step toward a new model of mental health care for people experiencing homelessness. https://www.denverpost.com/2019/01/14/denver-city-council-sun-valley-stabilization-center/ Representatives from Denver Public Schools and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association will return to the bargaining table today in ongoing negotiations over fair pay.

Denver News

Mental Health Makeover

RTD rides should know, The cost to ride buses and trains in the metro area jumped this week. The increases are the first on the RTD’s system in three years. Full-price local bus and train fares will jump from $2.60 to $3 and regional fares from $4.50 to $5.25. Any ride starting or ending at Denver International Airport on the A-Line will cost $10.50

RTD Raises Fares

Coloradans shopping for groceries on Tuesday spotted a new item on shelves of their neighborhood supermarket: full-strength beer. As of Jan. 1, Colorado’s 3.2 beer law —  a restriction from the Prohibition era that prevented many supermarkets and convenience stores from selling full-strength beer — is no more. Now shoppers can now buy the golden brew while also checking off their grocery lists. https://www.denverpost.com/2019/01/01/full-strength-beer-colorado-grocery-stores/?utm_email=64B4C41F641E221EE4A7F491AF&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.denverpost.com%2f2019%2f01%2f01%2ffull-strength-beer-colorado-grocery-stores%2f&utm_campaign=denver-mile-high-roundup&utm_content=manual

Finally! Prohibition Free

The restaurant, part of a national chain operating at more than 40 locations in 16 states, will close its doors at 1701 Pearl St. on New Year’s Day. With rent increases on Pearl Street as high as 30 percent there is a growing belief among industry experts that the restaurants along Boulder’s iconic pedestrian walkway might soon begin to change their approach. http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-business/ci_32352158/boulder-teds-montana-grill-close-new-year-pearl-street The Centennial state grew by nearly 80,000 people last year, making it the seventh fastest-growing state in the country, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Ted’s Montana Grill is Leaving Boulder

A settlement reached Thursday between Colorado transportation officials and opponents of the Interstate 70 expansion through northeast Denver calls for the state to pay for a community health study and the planting of trees throughout nearby neighborhoods. The deal, which brings the last major legal challenge of the project to a close, addresses lingering fears in the long-neglected community about the public health effects of expanding a freeway that contributes heavily to air pollution in the neighborhood.

I-70 Expansion Legal Troubles Come to an End

People charged with crimes in Denver will no longer have to pay for ankle monitoring before trial, a court-imposed requirement that can cost defendants about $1,000 per case regardless of whether they ultimately are convicted. Skiers and boarders will have, for the second year, a new ride type through the Lyft ride-sharing app, allowing them to navigate Colorado’s best ski resorts without the added stress of driving in the winter. - https://www.skyhinews.com/news/ski-rack-mode-returns-for-lyft-users-app-extends-to-winter-park-granby-and-other-rocky-mountain-ski-areas/

Ski-Rack Mode is Back!

Starting in March 2019, fliers on Denver-based Frontier airline can head to THREE new non-stop locations! https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2018/12/19/frontier-airlines-bwi-fll-bdl-den.html The Colorado Energy Office is helping launch a “green bank” that will leverage private dollars to enhance and spur investment in clean-energy projects.

Green Bank Clean-Energy Projects.

The Gaylord Rockies Resort and Conference Center, near Denver International Airport opens today, and with more than 1.1 million room nights already booked, the resort will have a huge economic impact on our state. It's estimated at more than a $7 billion of economic activity for Colorado with 2,500 permanent jobs added. https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dengr-gaylord-rockies-resort-and-convention-center/ --- If you need to use the restroom at Union Station, you might be surprised by what you see, or what you don’t see inside. The doors on all the stalls in the bus terminal restrooms have been removed.

No More Privacy at Union Station

Broadband speeds across the country are rising rapidly, but Colorado isn’t at the front of the pack when it comes having the fastest Internet. A new study from Ookla, the Seattle-based provider of the popular Speedtest application, ranks Colorado as the 14th fastest state when it comes to average download speeds on fixed broadband. — On Wednesday, the Colorado Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that will set standards for the use of police dogs’ drug-detection skills in this state — and could have repercussions across the country. Since recreational marijuana was legalized in 2012, law enforcement agencies in Colorado have struggled to decide what to do with their K-9s trained to signal for pot. Between 100 and 120 police dogs work in Colorado, and about 20 percent still alert for marijuana. https://coloradosun.com/2018/12/12/colorado-drug-dogs-marijuana-court-case/?utm_source=The+Sunriser&utm_campaign=adbad05d37-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_24f7d21cdb-adbad05d37-42968805&mc_cid=adbad05d37&mc_eid=8e125f71d2

Colorado Slow Internet Speeds

Breckenridge Ski Resort announced this week that it will open some of its Peak 10 terrain earlier than expected. That means they’re opening all of the resort’s five peaks earlier in the season than ever before — since Peak 6 opened in 2013. Hundreds of green-glowing meteors will grace Denver skies this week as the Earth passes through a field of space debris. ---- The annual Geminids meteor shower is one of the best times to see shooting stars.

Geminids Meteor Shower ☄️

The city of Denver is putting an unusual twist on development at a planned site in Globeville: A new project could combine affordable housing and space for manufacturers. It’s the latest version of the hands-on approach that the city has taken to development. By buying up land and then negotiating with developers about how to use it, Denver hopes to shape the future of gentrifying areas. https://www.denverpost.com/2018/12/10/denver-affordable-housing-factory-space-globeville/ The Aspen-Pitkin County Airport is eliminating curbside parking near the terminal to comply with federal security rules.

Globeville Gets Makeover

Lafayette’s police force is now equipped with active shooter kits — gear that more departments are considering funding for as mass shootings become a seemingly routine American experience. Lafayette Police Chief Rick Bashor on Tuesday unveiled the kit: a ballistic helmet and vest containing two ceramic plates on both the front and back. The outfit also comes equipped with wound trauma kits. http://www.dailycamera.com/lafayette-news/ci_32315480/lafayette-equips-police-department-active-shooter-kits-signaling

Active Shooter Kits in Lafayette

Colorado oil and gas regulators are considering enlarging the mandatory buffer zone between new wells and school property. A proposal released by the state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission late Wednesday afternoon would require new wells to be at least 1,000 feet (305 meters) from buildings as well as outdoor areas that schools use, like playgrounds and athletic fields. ---- Denver Public Schools is hosting a community meeting Tuesday at George Washington High School for the public, parents and students to ask questions of Susana Cordova, the sole finalist for the job of district superintendent. District staff will have a chance to quiz Cordova on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at a yet-to-be determined time. Virtual meetings with school leaders are also planned for the week of Dec. 10. https://www.denverpost.com/2018/12/05/denver-public-schools-community-meeting-superintendent-candidate/

Cordova Gets Grilled

The Denver Public Library announced Wednesday that on Jan. 1 it will eliminate all fines for overdue materials. Libraries around the country have been assessing their fines over the past few years, but in some places, such as Salt Lake City and Columbus, libraries completely eliminated overdue fines. And both of those libraries have reported increased visitors and circulation as a result. https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/denver-public-library-nixes-overdue-fines-to-increase-visits The city may change where people ride scooters and tweak the “pilot” program that has allowed several companies to deploy hundreds of scooters and bikes here. Under the proposal, riders would generally have to obey traffic laws and signals. They would have to yield to pedestrians, and only one person would be allowed per scooter.

Denver Public Library Debt Forgiveness

A proposal for a new “neighborhood center” for south Denver WILL proceed after the Denver City Council voted its approval on Monday night. The Denver City Council voted on Monday night to allow denser redevelopment on two sites along a stretch known as the “motel district.” The city paid about $2 million for the two properties — a former strip club and parking lot at 8315 East Colfax and a vacant lot at 7900 East Colfax — in 2017. https://www.denverpost.com/2018/12/03/denver-east-colfax-strip-club-housing-development/

Colfax Redevelopment Project

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