Listen:
-
play_arrow
05_22_25MMHeadlinenews Ainsley Coogan
Arrest made in hit-and-run cyclist death
A Denver man is being held in the Arapahoe County jail, in connection with the hit-and-run death of a cyclist in Boulder last weekend.
23-year-old Dante Johnson was taken into custody on Monday, on a warrant unrelated to the hit-and-run case, according to The Daily Camera, although authorities did not announce his arrest until yesterday.
The Boulder County Coroner’s Office identified the cyclist as 41-year-old John Wilkinson. He was struck and killed just before noon last Sunday at 95th Street and Avocet Lane, a lightly populated area east of Boulder.
Dante Johnson is charged with failing to remain at the scene or give information and/or aid after an accident involving death. The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office also charged him with failing to notify police of an accident.
The crash remains under investigation, and further charges may be filed.
The vehicle involved was found abandoned in Littleton, according to a press release.
John Wilkinson had been working as a mechanic at an Erie bike shop. Friends say he was an inspiring person who had the ability to make everyone who came to the bike shop feel welcome.
Wilkinson’s hit-and-run death remains under investigation.
Colorado abortion clinics face more harm
Colorado abortion clinics reported more instances of trespassing over the past couple of years than almost anywhere else in the country. .
That’s according to new data by the National Abortion Federation, which shows that 65% of providers in Colorado reported trespassing at clinics in 2023 and 2024. That’s one of the highest percentages in the nation.
Reports of trespassing, vandalism, threats of harm, and more toward abortion sites appeared to go up in 2023 and 2024, despite the state’s generally liberal stance on reproductive rights.
Karen Middleton, the president of reproductive rights organization Cobalt Advocates, told The Denver Post that “reports like these really emphasize why states like Colorado must take action on their own to ensure patients and providers are protected, now that federal protection is not guaranteed.”
Coloradoans enshrined access to abortion in the state’s constitution last election. Since then, Governor Jared Polis has signed several bills tied to abortion rights, including one that will permit the use of public funding to cover an abortion procedure.
On the flipside, a dozen states across the country currently enforce total abortion bans.
The National Abortion Federation says that the data doesn’t provide a full picture, and that the actual number of incidents nationwide is likely much higher than what their report reflects.
Sundance Festival’s economic potential
The City of Boulder, along with several local organizations, are hopeful that Sundance Film Festival will bring in big bucks.
A coalition that includes the City, the Boulder Chamber, and CU Boulder offered Sundance $34 million in incentives to be spread over 10 years for the festival’s relocation from Utah to Boulder.
Though that figure could change and will not be finalized until later, Boulder Reporting Lab says the size of that incentive package reinforces the city’s expectation that the two-week festival will bring a major boost to the local economy.
Of that several million dollars, the city paid around $2.1 million per year in waived city fees, permitting reimbursements, logistical support, and other in-kind contributions. CU Boulder and the Boulder Chamber, meanwhile, pledged roughly $300,000 annually in support.
Those local offers come on top of millions more from the state, including a $34 million tax credit.
Total support for the move amounts to over $70 million.
Boulder County Findhelp
The Boulder County Family Resource Network has launched a new online tool to help residents find local, accessible resources.
Through the Boulder County Findhelp website, individuals can search for free and low-cost services and get help with housing, medical care, job training, childcare, food and more.
No account is required to make these searches; users only need to enter their zip code. The website is available in over 130 languages.
The tool is part of a countywide effort to replace outdated or incomplete resource directories, according to a Boulder County press release. Site organizers hope that organizations offering safety net resources will use Findhelp as their online directory.
