Headlines Friday, June 12, 2026
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Fort Collins responds to fires; DU faculty responds to layoffs; New public library exhibit displays 150 years of Boulder’s history KGNU News
Fort Collins Responds to Fires
Firefighters responded to two different brush fires in Fort Collins yesterday.
The Poudre Fire Authority responded to a fire in northeast Fort Collins near Mulberry Street and Lemay Avenue around 5:30 p.m.
An hour later, a fire at Lee Martinez Park was reported. As of 7:45 p.m., the Lee Martinez Park fire had been “knocked down” while emergency responders were mopping up the fire near Mulberry Street.
The causes of both fires are currently under investigation.
DU faculty responds to layoffs
A group of University of Denver faculty and graduate students have come out in criticism of DU after its recent announcement of major academic restructuring and departmental closures.
On Tuesday, the university announced major academic restructuring that involves closing and merging departments and combining schools, and an unspecified number of jobs cut.
The campus’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors said they have “no confidence in the vision for the university.”
Co-president of the chapter, DU Professor Aaron Schneider, told the Denver Post faculty members expressed feeling unheard and misrepresented, and that the administration made decisions without meaningful faculty input.
He also said DU has frozen faculty and staff wages for the next two years as the school spends millions on the salaries of the chancellor and senior administration.
New Public Library exhibit displays 150 years of Boulder’s history
Boulder Public Library’s “150 Years of Boulder” exhibit showcases decades of local history through archival photographs from the Carnegie Library for Local History. The exhibit features three photographs for every ten year period since Colorado became a state in 1876.
The exhibit was created by a team of five to mark Colorado’s 150 year anniversary. The photos feature diverse historical moments, early settlers, public events and modern issues. There is also a “Land and Photo” acknowledgment panel recognizing Indigenous peoples who have inhabited the Boulder Valley for hundreds of years.
The exhibit is free and open to the public at Boulder Public Library’s Main Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave., through Aug. 2. For more information, visit boulderlibrary.org/exhibitions.
Advocates of Colorado initiative to fund roads refuse to withdraw measure
Advocates of a Colorado initiative to secure funding for roads and bridges refuse to withdraw a measure, despite urging from state lawmakers. Largely funded by construction sector trade groups, Initiative No. 175 would require transportation-related revenue to go exclusively to road and bridge repairs and maintenance and the Colorado State Patrol.
Tony Milo, supporter of the initiative and president and CEO of the Colorado Contractors Association, said “Road transportation money should fund roads, and Initiative 175 finally does that — without raising taxes.”
Critics warned that allocating revenue toward transportation could reduce funding for health care and education. Democratic lawmakers introduced House Bill 1430 in an attempt to counter the measure if passed by lessening the financial cuts to other sectors. While supporters argue that the initiative would come at no extra cost to voters, Speaker Pro Tempore Andrew Boesenecker warned that the ballot language fails to mention which programs lose funding at the expense of transportation.
Denver area inflation up 5% in May
New federal data shows that inflation in the Denver region is climbing fast. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, local inflation shot up to 5% in May.
The biggest culprit was the skyrocketing costs of gasoline, which is up nearly 42% compared to last year. Groceries are also driving up the total, with food costs increasing by just under 2% over the year.
For some context: Denver’s inflation rate at the beginning of the year sat at a much lower 2.6% before the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran in February.
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