Denver news in 5 minutes: What you need to know today, April 25

(Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

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Hullo, readers. Today’s roundup includes 4/20 drama, your tech events for the week, strip-mall redevelopment in Lakewood and on Broadway, eye-opening allegations at a Colorado prison and more.

An apartment building in Aurora dries out after the July 1965 flood. (Gary Gusinger/Western History & Genealogy Department/Denver Public Library)

An apartment building in Aurora dries out after the July 1965 flood. (Gary Gusinger/Western History & Genealogy Department/Denver Public Library)

Late-night weed:

Starting Monday, weed shops can open at 8 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. (Denverite)

Meanwhile, it looks like the 4/20 rally is coming under close scrutiny from the city. Mayor Michael Hancock promises a thorough review, claiming that there wasn’t enough security  and that it left Civic Center “trashed.” Things are getting dramatic. (Denverite)

Colorado tech events:

This week brings events on IoT, social ventures and more, via April Bohnert. (Built In)

Strip-mall renovation:

The mall at Wadsworth and Mississippi just sold for $5.5 million and is due for about eight months of renovations, as Amy DiPierro reports. (BusinessDen)

Meanwhile, a Kmart on South Broadway will become… apartments, surprise! Looks like it could still leave room for retail at the site. (Denverite)

Prison accusations:

Three Colorado inmates allege that a guard intentionally pepper-gassed their prayer service. They allege anti-Muslim bias, and the lawsuit claims one man was beaten to silence him afterward. (Denverite)

Suing over the Northwest line?

The Northwest rail line to Boulder and Longmont may not arrive until after 2040. People at the end of the line feel it was a bait-and-switch — and some are even considering a lawsuit. (Times-Call)

No “Bill of Rights” for homeless people:

State lawmakers held a ten-hour hearing and ultimately voted down a proposal that would have prevented cities from enacting bans on resting, sleeping and eating in public spaces. Chris Walker has the story. (Westword)

Employee ownership:

A bill headed to Gov. John Hickenlooper for approval would require the state to provide advice and a revolving-fund loan to help small businesses “transition into employee ownership,” as Ed Sealover reports. (DBJ)

“The history of moose in Colorado:”

I raised my eyebrow at this headline, but you actually can encapsulate the history of moose in Colorado, according to Erica Tinsley. The state’s moose population was largely introduced in 1978 from Wyoming. Transplants, huh? (Next)

Classic Denver:

This turned out to be a really great roundup of some truly classic Denver stuff to do. (5280)

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Denverite members have made the decision to financially support local journalism that matters to you. Ready to tell your networks why? Sharing our “About” page with your own personal comments could really help us out.