Hi. This morning's news roundup includes an intensifying immigration debate in Colorado, an excellent read on opiate addiction, a new urbanist advocacy group and two restaurant reviews. Woop woop.
How one pain clinic can change a town:
Potent opiate drugs once were reserved for cancer cases and extreme pain. Since the 1990s, though, doctors have prescribed them more widely. In fact, a single medical office can contribute significantly to addiction in a small town, as shown in Paige Blankenbuehler's excellent profile of Craig, Colorado, where abuse of prescription drugs and heroin has multiplied in recent years. (High Country News)
Reeling in Airbnb scofflaws:
Denver has sent out 1,057 violation notices to people who apparently aren't complying with the city's new rules on short-term rentals. Most of them were sent because listings for the properties in question didn't include a registration number for the city's new licensing program, as Jon Murray reports. (DP)
Hickenlooper on federal immigration enforcement:
The governor says that state agencies, like the State Patrol, are not inclined to help the Trump administration crackdown on unauthorized immigrants, and it's "probably not" a good idea for local law enforcement to increase their involvement in immigration policing, as Rachel Estabrook reports. (CPR)
This is the subject of some intense debate right now. A Colorado lawmaker wants to make cities like Denver liable for the crimes of unauthorized immigrants. Essentially, anyone who is the victim of such a crime could sue elected officials if it happened in a "sanctuary jurisdiction." The proposal is likely to fail today, but a recent Denver murder is sure to put it at the center of attention, as Erica details. Meanwhile, business groups are pushing for overall immigration reform, as Adrian writes. (Denverite)
Rep. Mike Coffman is getting a lot of mail:
The Republican's offices have received 12,000 pieces of digital and physical mail since Jan. 1, a seven-fold increase from the same time last year, as Quincy Snowdon reports. (Aurora Sentinel)
Density advocacy:
YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) activists "recognize this growth as an opportunity rather than as a burden because YIMBYs perceive that density is good and density makes cities work better." Denver's first YIMBY meetup is tonight, 5:30 p.m., at Public School 303 near Union Station. (Denver Urbanism)
Eric Peterson, meanwhile, has a good explainer of community land trusts, which keep specific homes and apartments permanently affordable. (Confluence)
Restaurant reviews:
- Himchuli in Highland sounds tasty and pretty cheap in Elisa Cohen's review. (North Denver Tribune)
- Fish N Beer is tiny, loud and way fancier than it sounds. Worth the visit, Gretchen Kurtz reports. (Westword)
P.S.: Please watch the Nuggets
They're having an awesome season yet their numbers are way down. : ( (Denverite)
