Headlines – July 6, 2023

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Boulder e-Bike Voucher Applications to Open This Week

The City of Boulder is launching the first wave of applications for its highly anticipated e-bike voucher program today.

Two types of vouchers are available, as of 9 a.m. this morning: standard and income-qualified vouchers. The first voucher offers a $300 discount to standard model e-bikes and a $500 discount for cargo models.

Vouchers for low-income residents offer a higher discount, at $1,200 for standard e-bikes and $1,400 for cargo models, as well as an additional $200 for safety gear like helmets and child seats.

This first voucher application window runs until July 19 at 5 p.m. The City of Boulder says two hundred applications will be chosen at random thereafter. 

Applicants who don’t get an e-bike voucher in this round can reapply in September.

CU Boulder Scientists Unveil Novel Plastic Recycling Method 

Chemists at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a new technique to reduce plastic in landfills. 

The technique involves adding oxygen to a current-utilizing solution to dissolve Polyethylene plastic, or PET for short. PET is used in packaging, fabrics, and many other common products and appliances.

The team of chemists, who posted their findings in the journal Chem Catalysis, aimed to curb plastic waste which typically ends up in landfills.

Study co-author Oana Luca says the technique breaks down the PET plastic into its molecular components. The scalability of the technique is unknown as the researchers were only able to dissolve a small amount of the plastic in their tabletop equipment. 

Luca hopes to see the study evolve into using the method to deconstruct multiple types of plastics all at once in order to reduce the volume of plastic landfill waste.

X Corp., Formerly Twitter, Suing Boulder Landlord After Eviction

X Corp., the company formerly known as Twitter, is suing their former Boulder landlord after being evicted for alleged non-payment of rent. 

The social media company filed suit in Boulder County District Court, claiming they were wrongfully evicted from their Boulder offices last May.

The X Corp. lawsuit further claims that the original lease for the property had a clause that would have required the landlords to repay X Corp. $5.8 million for improvements X Corp. made to the property.

Before the eviction the landlord, Lot 2 SBO, filed suit against X Corp. claiming they weren’t paying their rent or responding to a default notice.

Man Struck and Killed by Westminster Police Car

A Westminster police officer is on paid administrative leave, after he struck and killed a pedestrian with his police car late Tuesday evening.

The officer said the collision happened after the man walked into traffic on southbound Sheridan Boulevard around 10:30 p.m., according to a police department spokesperson. The officer was on duty and in a marked police car.

The victim, whose name has not yet been made public, was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer, whose name has also not been made public, was not hurt.

The spokesperson further stated that the officer could not recall if the vehicle’s lights were flashing at the time of the collision.

Department of Transportation Granting Colorado for Bus Improvements

Congressman Joe Neguse announced nearly $2.7 million in grant funding from the Department of Transportation for Colorado. 

Congressman Neguse said that the grants will benefit communities in Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District by helping provide more accessible, environmentally-friendly transportation.

Just over $1.1 million will go to the town of Winter Park to install the first electric bus and charging infrastructure.

The final $1.6 million will go to the Colorado Department of Transportation and be used for Eagle County’s Transit Vehicle Storage Electrification Project.

Neguse is an advocate for the Low or No-Emission vehicle program, often securing funding for projects he says will help improve transportation across the 2nd Congressional District and the whole state of Colorado.

Grand County Devil’s Thumb Fire Continues To Burn Unmitigated

The Devil’s Thumb Fire in Grand County continues to burn, currently estimated at around 95 acres in size.

In its most recent social media posts, the U.S. Forest Service said the fire is 10% contained. Authorities have not released any evacuation orders for the surrounding area. They are calling it a full suppression fire, with firefighter safety their top priority.

The blaze began Tuesday afternoon, and has been fueled by heavy amounts of dead undergrowth.

Firefighters remain hopeful however, as rain has helped to slow the fire’s steady advance.

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