-
play_arrow
07_23_24_am_headlines Greta Kerkhoff
Gun ammo vending machines
Firearms ammunition will reportedly be available in Colorado by vending machine soon.
The first of the ammunition vending machines is expected to open in a food store in Buena Vista by the end of this month.
The Denver Gazette says the machines are already in stores in Alabama, Texas, and Oklahoma, operated by a company called American Rounds. The machines are made with double steel walls and weigh up to a ton. They’re installed indoors only, and only American Rounds staff have keys.
Company officials say that for safety reasons, customers must be over twenty-one. The machines also have facial recognition features and require a valid driver’s license.
The company also says their age requirements make their in-person purchasing safer than online sites that sell ammunition, which typically sell to anyone.
A spokesperson for Ceasefire Colorado said he agrees that the age restrictions to buy from the machines are a benefit; but, he added that the mere fact of an ammunition vending machine helps to normalize firearms.
City Council weighs Boulder Airport future
The Boulder City Council is about to begin discussions that could end with the eventual closure of the Boulder Municipal Airport.
The city council will discuss whether to close the airport by 2041, at a meeting scheduled for this Thursday, when they return from summer break.
2041 is the year the city will no longer be obligated to operate the airport under Federal Aviation Administration regulations, according to a city staff memo cited by the Boulder Reporting Lab.
The airport’s future has long been a topic of contention. Two measures on its fate are already set to appear on the November ballot. One of those measures would close the airport “as soon as reasonably feasible,” if voters approve it. The other would decommission the airport, and use its approximately 176 acres to create a neighborhood of affordable housing.
The nearly century-old airport is used mainly by private pilots and trainees. Many residents call it an important city asset, while others complain about noise and lead pollution.
Meanwhile, a new report by Boulder staffers says the city could make hundreds of millions of dollars from closing the airport and selling the property. That’s according to The Daily Camera.
Rabid bats in Boulder County
Three bats in Boulder County have tested positive for rabies.
In a press release yesterday, the county said the infected bats were found in separate areas across the county, but did not specify where exactly.
Rabies is an infectious viral disease that affects the nervous system and is almost always fatal unless treated before symptoms are present. Rabies most commonly occurs when people or pets interact with wildlife, such as picking up a bat. Exposure to rabies is generally caused by a bite or scratch by an infected animal.
The county is encouraging people to avoid direct contact with wild or unfamiliar animals, and keep pets’ rabies vaccinations up-to-date.
Those who believe a person or pet has been exposed to rabies should contact Boulder County Public Health or animal control.
Marshall Mesa coal fire
The City of Boulder is about to begin a project that will address an underground coal fire that has burned for over a century.
The project is expected to begin sometime this fall, and take three to four months to complete.
All smoldering coal, and any remaining coal that could catch on fire, will be excavated, extinguished, and reburied, according to Boulder Reporting Lab.
The affected site is beneath the Marshall Mesa trailhead at the intersection of highways 170 and 93.
The project also includes installing a twenty thousand gallon cistern. In order to get project approval, fire officials must keep the cistern filled at all times, as a firefighting measure.
In addition to finally putting out the underground coal fire, the efforts will include the renovation of the Marshall Mesa trailhead and parking lot.
The coal fire drew attention after the December 2021 Marshall Fire. Investigators concluded that the underground fire was unlikely to have caused the above-ground blaze, but couldn’t entirely rule it out.
Wolf rules updated
Colorado ranchers can now kill any wolves that attack “working dogs,” under updated rules by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The Commission unanimously approved the revisions last week. Now, wolves caught attacking guard or herding dogs can be killed by ranchers.The updated rule applies only to dogs used in livestock production.
There have been a series of wolf attacks on livestock since ten gray wolves were reintroduced to Colorado late last year.
Boulder speed limits
The City of Boulder is about to reduce speed limits a handful of streets, as part of an effort to end serious crashes in the city.
The lower speed limits are expected to go into effect on some streets this month, and on additional streets through September, according to a city press release.
The speed reductions are part of the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan, a five-year, data-driven effort to make streets safer. Boulder’s Director of Transportation and Mobility said that speeding is one of the city’s top traffic safety concerns, factoring in to nearly a third of all fatal and serious-injury crashes.
Streets that will have reduced speed limits this year include parts of Arapahoe Avenue, University Avenue, and North 55th Street.
You can see a full list of the affected zones on the City of Boulder’s website.
Riley and Munro win
22-year-old Boulder High School graduate Bjorn Riley won the men’s elite cross-country Olympic-distance and short-track races this past weekend.
The Daily Camera says Riley beat his competitors with a margin of three minutes and seventeen seconds.
The wins come ahead of his scheduled appearance in the world championships next month.
22-year-old Madigan Munro, who is also a Boulder High grad, won the U23 long-course race, and placed fourth in the elite short track race.
