Denver in 5 minutes: What you need to know today, July 31

Andrew Kenney

Jul. 31, 2016, 12:00 p.m.

It’s the last day of two excellent events: The Underground Music Showcase, which brings a really wonderful variety to downtown Denver, and the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, which is super popular for both obvious and subtle reasons.

Sadly, we weren’t invited to the Koch brothers’ “exclusive weekend retreat” in Colorado, and maybe neither did Donald Trump. Once again, there’s not much love between the billionaires and the maybe-a-billionaire.

In other Trump-Colorado news, his own team probably got him stuck in an elevator here. In other dragon-boat news, Darryl Glenn’s team is not particularly good at dragon boating.

Meanwhile, environmentalists are planning to focus some of their campaigning in Colorado in this year’s elections. (The Hill)

Over at the Denver Post, the columnist Woodie Paige just wrote his last column before departing for the Colorado Springs Gazette. (DP)

Meanwhile, the Post finds that Colorado does a remarkably bad job of checking doctors’ criminal records. As a result, one kept practicing for years here after losing his license to fraud allegations elsewhere. (DP)

This weekend, sadly, brought more gun violence to Denver.

Youth community activist and organizer Rahma Ahmed, right, and community organizer Iris Butler lead a march down Colfax Avenue protesting the recent police killing of Tyre Nichols in Denver, Colorado, on Saturday, January 28, 2023.

Protesters demand justice for Tyre Nichols at Colorado State Capitol after footage released

“It’s unbearable to hear about another one.”

Cook Street, just south of City Park, on a cold winter's eve. Jan. 20, 2023.

Denver’s McNichols building warming center is open now through Wednesday morning

It'll be very cold this weekend with a chance of snow Saturday and Sunday.

Inside a RTD W Line train heading into Denver from Lakewood. Jan. 27, 2023.

RTD wants to ban passengers from riding with nowhere to go

Some worry proposed rule changes to address security concerns would target homeless riders.

Denver's City and County Building. Aug. 10, 2021. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Here are the mayoral candidates who qualified for the ballot

Seventeen have qualified — making it the largest field in at least 40 years.

People who've arrived from the U.S. southern border hang out on bedrolls on the floor of a Denver rec center, the city's second emergency shelter. People were originally given cots, but a city spokesperson said they switched to mats to squeeze more people in when they neared capacity in late December. Jan. 6, 2023.

Rude Rec Center to reopen Monday after hosting emergency migrant shelter

Fewer migrants and asylum seekers have arrived in Denver this month.

Lion dancers with Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu march into China Jade Restaurant during Lunar New Year festivities at Federal Boulevard's Far East Center. Feb. 5, 2022.

Things to do in Denver this weekend, Jan. 27-29

A whiskey festival, Lunar New Year celebrations and more!

Brandon Pryor speaks to supporters during a protest against his ban from Denver Public School Properties, and equity issues more generally, in front of DPS' headquarters on Lincoln Street. Oct. 26, 2022.

Denver school board member obtains restraining order against district critic

Artwork for The Casa Bonita Art Show by Jeff Lee.

Calling all divers: Casa Bonita is hiring hundreds

The iconic restaurant is set to reopen in May.

Mayoral candidate Lisa Calderón marches with supporters in Denver's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Marade. Jan. 16, 2023.

Lisa Calderón’s 2019 Denver mayor campaign website is being held for ransom — and it’s messing with her 2023 race

"We have a beautiful new website. I love our website. But we can't get people directed to it in a way that is going to really help push us forward, at least on the internet.”

Leslie Herod’s community safety plan will be a hot topic in the Denver mayor’s race. Here’s where she stands on crime

At the Statehouse, she's been a proponent of criminal justice reform, law enforcement accountability and harm reduction. Denverites will be debating whether these are the right solutions to ensuring the city is safe.

Denverites have raised their own sales taxes more than 30 percent in the last few years

We rely pretty heavily on them to fund the budget!

A metal fence outside Urban Peak, at 2100 Stout Street.

Denver nonprofit that broke ground on a new $37 million youth shelter this week loses state funding

The $500,000 grant funds mental health services for youth experiencing homelessness.

Laura Brudzynski. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Laura Brudzynski is Denver’s new chief housing officer

She comes to the role from her job as Deputy Director of Operations for the Department of Housing Stability.

Mike Johnston speaks during a kickoff event for "Yes on Proposition 123," support for a ballot measure that would increase funding for affordable housing in Colorado. Sept. 13, 2022.

Denver mayoral candidate Mike Johnston is a “fundraising machine”

Money isn't everything in a Denver mayoral race, but it is money.

Denver's City and County Building seen from Civic Center Park. Sept. 14, 2022.

Nearly half of Denver voters polled don’t have a mayor pick

A poll commissioned by candidate Debbie Ortega says voters would be likeliest to choose her, but no candidate reached even the 20% mark.

Kwame Spearman, owner and CEO of the Tattered Cover, stands on East Colfax Avenue. Jan. 10, 2023.

Kwame Spearman wants to be Denver’s neighborhood mayor. What does that mean?

The Tattered Cover CEO says Denver government needs to focus more on specific communities and less on umbrella solutions.

Police officers stand between a soup drive and "anti-fascist" protest and a "patriot" rally in support of police on October 10, 2020 at Civic Center Park.

Security firm Pinkerton has reapplied for a license in Denver

An unlicensed subcontractor for the company was involved in the 2020 shooting of Lee Keltner.

A political mailer some Denverites received in January 2023.

That mailer about Council Member CdeBaca was probably legal

Let's dive into election law!

1775 Federal Blvd. under construction, June 25, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Denver metro apartment vacancy is rising, as rents dropped $32 in the last three months of 2022

The Apartment Association of Metro Denver says more than 40,000 rental units are under construction.

The Park Hill Golf Course. June 4, 2021.

Park Hill Golf Course’s fate will be decided by the voters

City Council’s Monday night vote paves the way for massive development — if voters lift a contended land easement in April.

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