Hey. I always feel like I should write something really fatalistic here -- something about the minutes evaporating, the seasons collapsing into each other, the snow creeping into the mountains -- but you already know that. So, here's some stuff you might not know instead.
The planner:
Expect warm and dry conditions this week until a cold front arrives on Friday. Summer really is ending, by the way. I got major sleet to the face near Mount Evans on Sunday.
Construction will cause major delays on Interstate 25 on the next few nights. (Denverite)
Politics:
There's a renewed effort to change how Colorado draws its electoral areas. Backers say it's a bipartisan effort to ensure that politicians don't redraw the maps in ways that benefit them. However, progressive critics don't like the influence that political parties get over the process, and its emphasis on preserving potentially GOP-friendly county lines, as Corey Hutchins reports. (Independent)
Someone is reportedly impersonating the mayor of Loveland. "She's a big supporter, but she doesn't really know my message," the mayor said. Julia Rentsch reports. (Reporter-Herald)
Culture:
Ashley has a lovely profile of a man who first made and then archived Chicano history in Colorado. (Denverite)
Schools:
Denver's charter and innovation schools now outnumber its traditional schools. Charter schools are publicly funded but privately run, while innovation schools don't have to follow all the normal public-school rules. Melanie Asmar reports on the effects of that change. (Chalkbeat)
Rural school districts sometimes pay teachers vastly less than their neighbors. Some teachers can boost their starting salaries by close to $20,000 by commuting a short distance. It's been suggested that salaries should be unified across the state, but there is no money or political will to do it. Jenny Brundin reports in depth. (CPR)
Development:
There's new pressure for Denver to put more money into affordable housing. Erica explores some of the options and their feasibility. (Denverite)
Corporate consultants say Colorado has fewer financial incentives for companies like Amazon than some other states, but we may make up for it by being Colorado. Adrian reports. (Denverite)
Boulder's apartment vacancy rate is at its highest point in a decade, and developers are still working on high-end apartments. There are three apartment units in the process for every new single-family home, as Shay Castle reports. (Camera)
Co-working spaces continue to expand, and the city of Denver is helping. The city government gave $1 million loans to each of the Industry projects, as Joe Rubino reports in a story about the phenomenon. (DP)
Environment:
The state of Colorado is suing the feds. The state wants more control over Rocky Mountain Arsenal so it can continue the clean-up. (CBS4)
An Aurora company that makes vegan mushroom protein has raised $35 million and plans to build a commercial production facility in the metro, as Ben Miller reports. (DBJ)
Sporting:
The Broncos really, really won. Christian credits a much-improved defense. (Denverite)
The Rockies lost. (AP via Denverite)
