Morning thought: The guy who invented the Segway really underestimated the bicycle. He thought this thing was going to take the world by storm -- and it was cool, no doubt, but everyone seemed to forget that we already have a self-balancing, two-wheeled, zero-emission vehicle that can go nearly anywhere.
Case in point: Denver Health deploys bicycles to get its medical units into inaccessible places. That's just one of the interesting little stories in our news roundup today, so, let's read.
Aspen Skiing buys Winter Park operator:
The owner of Snowmass, Buttermilk and the Aspen resorts, along with an investment firm, just bought IntraWest for $1.5 billion. IntraWest runs Winter Park and Steamboat. It's unclear how this will affect the Rocky Mountain Superpass, which includes the non-IntraWest mountains of Eldora and Copper. (DBJ)
Meanwhile, Colorado climatologists are predicting that ski season will shorten by about a day per year, adding to the loss of a couple weeks over the last decades, as Emily Allen reports. (KDVR)
Where ambulances can't go:
Nearly 30 years ago, Denver Health deployed what may have been the first bicycle paramedic unit in the nation. Great little story by Megan here. (Denverite)
Don't drive drunk:
Colorado cops are ramping up a five-week enforcement campaign to catch drunk drivers. They suggest a really great idea: Don't do it. (DP)
The Arvada Police Department is the first in Colorado to use GPS darts, which can be deployed from squad cars to track suspects' vehicles, as Michael Konopasek reports. (KDVR)
Taco fight:
Torchy's Tacos, home of "damn good tacos," is suing the Fort Collins restaurant known as "Dam Good Tacos." Dam Good Tacos' existence precedes Torchy's trademark by two years, but I'm not sure when Torch's actually started using its motto. (KXAN)
Insurance fears:
Anthem's potential exit from numerous insurance exchanges could leave Western Slope counties with no ACA options. The insurer has not said where or whether it will cut options, but the state government is bracing for change, as John Ingold reports. (DP)
Silvi's closing locations:
The Silvi's restaurants in Olde Town Arvada and Glendale are closing. The owners claim the Arvada restaurant's annual sales had dipped from $3 million to $2.3 million, blaming construction and parking problems, as Kate Tracy reports. (BusinessDen)
