Good morning. Today's news roundup includes the latest on housing and homelessness, complaints about Velorama, the heavy electricity costs of marijuana and more.
Health care:
Anthem will stay on for another year in Colorado, ensuring that the 14 counties where it is the only provider will continue to have insurance options, Dan Njegomir reports. (Colorado Politics)
City Council President Albus Brooks supports a proposal to create a supervised injection facility where people potentially could inject drugs more safely. (CBS4)
Beer, weed and entertainment:
A lot at 38th and Tennyson will become a brewery, a restaurant and retail space near Natural Grocers, as Amy DiPierro reports. (BusinessDen)
Falling marijuana prices are forcing grow operations to get a lot more efficient. They're using LED lighting and even greenhouses to bring down very high electricity bills. (CPR)
Denver is considering increasing taxes on medical weed or instituting a new fee for weed businesses. That discussion is just starting, so get to know it now. Adrian reports. (Denverite)
Dylan Owens compiles the chief complaints about last weekend's Velorama festival. Principally: The entrance wasn't obvious, ticket scanners weren't working and there were very long beer lines. (The Know)
Here's a fun little romp by Denise Mickelsen through a day at Izakaya Den. (5280)
Immigration & justice:
Mayor Michael Hancock, Denver City Council members and immigrant advocates have united behind a new version of an ordinance that would officially limit the city's cooperation with federal immigration authorities. However, staff still can notify ICE about undocumented immigrant's upcoming release from jail. Erica reports. (Denverite)
Two Denver sheriff's deputies were fired for failing to report that they suspected a co-worker was drinking on the job. They said they believed he was suffering adverse reactions to chemotherapy. Noelle Phillips reports. (DP)
Housing:
Perceptions of East Colfax are changing. Case in point: The East Montclair Neighborhood association just changed its name to East Colfax. (Denverite)
A class-action lawsuit aims to stop Denver from conducting further sweeps that force homeless people to move from certain locations. The latest filings include allegations that police used devices to incinerate people's belongings, which the city denies as "absurd." (Westword)
The first phase of a 9,000-home development east of Aurora has an important approval now. (DP)
Organizers want to create a community land trust that could keep housing prices down in Globeville & Elyria-Swansea. CPR has an interview. Erica has your explainer. (CPR, Denverite)
Bree Davies wants to see some of the $937 million GO Bond spent on affordable housing. She tried to tell the council that at a meeting. Here's what she learned about the difficulties of civic engagement. (Denverite)
Transportation:
The state now regulates e-bikes, or powered bicycles, by placing them into three categories. It's up to municipalities to decide whether they're allowed on bike paths, as Nancy Lofholm reports. (CPR)
ICYMI: The train tracks through Elyria-Swansea have for years forced schoolkids to squeeze between cars or wait for long stretches to get to school. That may finally change. Erica reports. (Denverite)
Baseball:
The Rockies completely destroyed Atlanta. Like, 17-2 destroyed. Revel in it. (AP via Denverite)
Christian has written a really excellent feature on Beth Buglione, the varsity football coach for Nederland High School. (Denverite)
