Good morning. Today's news roundup includes weekend events, the supposed general strike, some political revenge, exploding sewers and people-detecting lasers. That escalated quickly.
What to do this weekend:
Maybe it's time for some local theater? Or maybe you'd like to drink a caffeinated cocktail while learning some science? Ashley's got you. (Denverite)
There's supposed to be a general strike today:
Are you going to work today? Are you playing political hooky? Erica has some interesting labor history on the general strike that's been called for today. The last really big one, in Oakland, 1946, resulted in a law that "severely undermined the power of American labor." (Denverite)
Political revenge on the attorney general:
It looks like some legislators are upset with AG Cynthia Coffman because she just sued Boulder County over its ban on fracking. As an apparent result, the state House shot down her budget request. One lawmaker told Joey Bunch that his constituents "are getting sued by the attorney general on behalf oil and gas industry and that demands a response.” (Colorado Politics)
Denver's new transportation tech:
Denver's working to use video and lidar to get pedestrians across streets more efficiently. The city also is considering using wireless technology to change traffic signals for freight trucks on certain roads at certain times of day, the idea being that this could encourage trucks to travel preferred routes rather than neighborhood streets, as Daniel Vock reports. (Governing)
Exploding sewer threat:
Customers of the Valley Sanitation District may be asked to pay hundreds of dollars a year to move a sewer main from beneath a landfill, averting the possibility of a rather dramatic explosion, as John Aguilar reports. (DP)
A scholarship for an eighth grader?
Yes, the CU football team is now competing for 13-year-old Larry Turner. His highlight reel is somewhat awesome. (Denverite)
Balancing services and development:
Paul Karolyi's Changing Denver podcast goes deep on the development of Arapahoe Square, long a center for homeless services. It's too long to summarize, but it's worth listening because it gets a lot of people to answer some uncomfortable questions. (Changing Denver via Confluence)
Also, you can hear me rambling about Commons Park in the update to Changing Denver's Stoner Hill episode. (Changing Denver)
More on the A Line:
Footage released by police showed that a passenger van waited for nearly two minutes by the A Line tracks before lurching in front of the tracks. An expert says the intersection's gates likely worked as designed, but questioned whether the driver really was suicidal. (Denverite)
