Hey there. Today's news roundup includes some answers to the city's big questions: Where are all of Denver's families going? Are they serious about that 81-story tower? What did Russia do here? And so on.
Growth:
More and more families are moving to northeast Denver. Less and less, they live in north Denver. And the best available data says those trends will continue for another five years. Ashley reports. (Denverite)
Denver is one small step closer to what would be its tallest skyscraper. (Denverite)
Glendale is looking at a 150,000-square-foot entertainment and dining complex that would allow to-go cups of booze. John Aguilar reports. (DP)
Car insurance rates are surging thanks to a combination of heavier traffic, more crashes and the big hail storm of 2017. Kelly Werthmann reports. (CBS4)
Boulder council members are talking about doubling their affordable housing fee. Alex Burness reports. (Daily Camera)
The big building at 22nd and Welton seemed to pop out of nowhere, thanks in part to its prefab steel structural system. (DenverInfill)
Cannabis:
CDOT will spend a year and $1 million in an ad campaign against stoned driving. Matt Bloom reports. (KUNC)
The marijuana industry is using nearly 4 percent of Denver's electricity, and it's "growing overall at a much faster rate than the overall energy use in the city." Their energy use could eventually decrease if growers move to greenhouses. Grace Hood reports.(CPR)
Colorado leads the nation in hemp production, but prices are falling and demand is limited. Kristen Nichols reports. (Marijuana Business Daily)
Politics:
The Russian bot network occasionally tweeted and retweeted messages about Colorado politics, John Frank reports. (DP)
Education:
Facing criticism that its school ratings overstated young students’ reading abilities, Denver Public Schools announced it will change the way elementary schools are rated next year. Melanie Asmar reports. (Chalkbeat)