Headlines – June 15, 2023

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Boulder City Council to Consider Changing Single-Family Zoning Laws

Boulder City Council members are considering changes to zoning laws that could allow for more duplexes and triplexes. The City Council meets tonight. 

The ordinance under discussion mirrors a bill that died in the 2023 Colorado legislative session. 

Senate Bill 213, championed by Governor Jared Polis, would have taken land use laws out of the hands of local governments to allow for more mixed-use, affordable housing. Boulder’s City Council supported the idea, and has been seeking input from residents about zoning reform. 

Those opposing zoning reform have voiced concerns about increased traffic and a loss in property values.

Boulder Reporting Lab indicates city officials may vote on a new housing ordinance as early as September.

Man Dies After Saving Daughter in Colorado Rafting Accident

A man who was whitewater rafting in Colorado died on Friday. Dustin Harker was in a raft with three of his children when it capsized. Harker saved his youngest daughter by pulling the overturned raft off of her.

According to The Associated Press, the group made it to shore, but Harker had taken on too much water to survive.

The incident happened in the Sunshine Falls area on the Arkansas River. 

The 47-year-old father of 13 was traveling from Kansas with friends and family when the accident occurred.

Twitter’s Boulder Office Under Eviction Notice

A Boulder District Court Judge has ruled that owners of an office leased by social media giant Twitter may evict their tenant due to unpaid rent.  

Twitter signed a lease for office space in 2020 at the S’park development just south of Valmont near 34th street in Boulder, part of a much larger redevelopment effort near the Boulder Depot.  

The lease established a line of credit, upon which the landlord has drawn since Twitter ceased paying its rent. The lease called for Twitter to re-pay the line of credit if were it used to fulfill the rental obligations.

Also in court filings, a cleaning company has sued to obtain payment for multiple months of services at a Twitter location in Boulder.

In both cases, the unpaid amounts began accruing on or after October of 2022, the month Elon Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion.

Spruce Pool to Reopen for First Time Since 2020 

The Spruce Pool in central Boulder will reopen Monday for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Boulder’s Parks and Recreation announced Wednesday that it was awarded $10,000 [dollars] from Colorado’s Lifeguard Training Initiative. The money will go towards training and certification costs for new lifeguards. 

Lifeguard shortages have affected the schedules of city-run pools in recent years. 

Boulder Parks says this year it has been able to hire about 215 lifeguards to staff public pools and the Reservoir.

Pueblo News Printing Operation to Close, Move to Denver

One of the last large-scale printing presses in Colorado is about to close. The Gannett Company, which owns newspapers throughout the U.S. and Europe, announced it will shut down The Pueblo Chieftain’s production and distribution operation.

Gannett will cut 51 jobs, and printing for the newspaper will continue at The Denver Post’s printing facility in Adams County.

The Pueblo Chieftain’s last printing in their facility will be for the Monday, August 14th newspaper. 

Rabid Bat Discovered in Lyons

The Boulder County Public Health department announced Wednesday that a dead bat discovered at a home in Lyons has tested positive for rabies. It is the county’s first rabies case this year.

Officials are warning the public to avoid physical contact with all unfamiliar animals, whether wild or domestic. They are also urging dog, cat and ferret owners to keep their pets up-to-date on rabies shots.

Two Separate Frozen Strawberry Recalls in June

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced two recalls in June for certain frozen organic strawberry products that may be contaminated with hepatitis A.

The FDA says the hepatitis A outbreak has been linked to frozen organic strawberries sourced from a supplier from Baja California in Mexico.

On June 8, Wawona Frozen Foods began to recall frozen organic strawberry products, stocked in Colorado Costcos along with four other western states. 

On Monday, Willamette Valley Fruit Co. began recalling frozen organic strawberry products sold under Walmart’s Great Value brand and the Rader Farms brand at Costco and HEB. The recalled products were distributed to stores in over 30 states, including Colorado.

The FDA says, so far, nine people in the west coast have reported illness after eating frozen organic strawberries.

Rockslide Blocks Lanes, Closes Highway 7 in Boulder

A rockslide across both lanes has closed highway 7 in Boulder county between Spruce and Old St. Vrain. The area, about four miles north of Allenspark, is expected to remain closed for a prolonged period of time so that workers can clear the debris.

Denver Nuggets Parade is Today

At 10 AM, the Nuggets victory parade will take over parts of downtown Denver. Coaches and staff will ride firetrucks from Union Station to Civic Center. Drivers and those using public transport should check for road closures and service changes near the festivities.

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