Boulder to renew Flock contract; Boulder County rejects all proposals for housing innovation grants; Polis orders flags at half-staff for Sgt. Pennington

Headlines Tuesday, March 10, 2026

  • cover play_arrow

    Boulder to renew Flock contract; Boulder County rejects all proposals for housing innovation grants; Polis orders flags at half-staff for Sgt. Pennington KGNU News

Boulder to renew Flock contract

The city of Boulder is set to renew its contract with controversial safety company Flock this month, despite criticism locally and nationwide. 

The city of Denver officially ended its contract with Flock in February after the community raised concerns that some police departments around the nation have used Flock data to assist with Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Flock has publicly said that it does not work with federal agencies such as ICE. 

Boulder city council members have raised concerns about the renewal, but the decision lies with city manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde and police chief Stephen Redfearn. Boulder currently has 40 Flock cameras throughout the city. 

READ MORE

 

Boulder County rejects all proposals for housing innovation grants

Fourteen groups applied for a share of the $500,000 Housing Innovation Fund, which is a part of the Affordable and Attainable Housing Tax, approved by voters in 2023. The tax generated about $16.7 million last year for housing programs.

The Housing Innovation Fund was designed to award grants of up to $100,000 to test new strategies that could expand equitable access to affordable housing in Boulder County. 

Initially, county housing staff recommended funding nine of the 14 proposals, but after a meeting with county commissioners, staff changed their recommendation, rejecting all of them. County spokesperson Gloria Handyside first suggested the issue was innovation, later saying commissioners wanted the program to better address equity in housing access.

Kurt Firnhaber, Boulder’s director of Housing and Human Services, who submitted one of the rejected proposals, said the need is becoming more urgent as state and federal housing support declines. The county also cut funding in October 2025 to its housing authority. 

Boulder County Housing Authority Director Susana Lopez-Baker told commissioners she believed “a new recommendation on the Innovation Fund is necessary” after reviewing a report from the California consulting law firm Somos, which has consulted on housing innovation funds in other communities. 

She said the report found that Boulder County faces persistent racial disparities in homeownership. The firm reported that these conditions deepen inequities and limit wealth-building opportunities for communities of color.

New Housing Innovation Fund grant proposals will be submitted under revised guidelines. Funding was originally expected to go out in February. It is now unclear when the grants will be awarded.

READ MORE

 

Polis orders flags at half-staff for Sgt. Pennington memorial

Yesterday, Gov. Polis ordered flags to fly at half-staff across the state to honor fallen Fort Carson soldier Sergeant Benjamin Pennington on the day of his memorial. Pennington died last weekend from wounds sustained on March 1 during a retaliatory attack on U.S. troops stationed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. 

The date of his memorial has not yet been announced. All seven reported U.S. casualties in the war in Iran have been Army soldiers.

Polis said in a statement, “Our hearts are with the family and friends of Sergeant Pennington. The brave members of our military and armed services who put on the uniform in service to our state and country are our neighbors, friends, and community members. Colorado honors Sergeant Pennington’s service and bravery.”

READ MORE

 

Shawna Cooper Whitehead named Regis University’s president

Regis Jesuit University of Denver announced yesterday that Shawna Cooper Whitehead will serve as the institution’s first female president in its 150-year history. 

Cooper Whitehead said in a news release, “I just can’t wait to be a part of this community. My experience in Jesuit higher education has brought out the best in me professionally and personally, and I hope to give that same gift to all our students, faculty, staff and everyone in the Regis community. I’m ready to get started.”

She is currently the vice president of student affairs at Boston College, and will begin her role at Regis on July 1, 2026. 

READ MORE

 

You can hear daily headlines on the Morning Magazine, KGNU’s weekday morning show, with coverage of local and regional public affairs and news with headlines and commentary. Click here to listen to full episodes of the Morning Magazine.

Picture of KGNU News

KGNU News

Search

Now Playing

play_arrow

Live Broadcast

Recent Stories

Upcoming Events

KGNU PARTNERS

Want to help us build a better radio station?

We’re conducting a survey to help us understand how our listeners are using new technology. Please spend 15 minutes to let us know what you think.

Public media moves forward because you listen, watch, share and support. Thank you for being part of this community — and for helping us continue the journey during Public Media Giving Days.