The hydraulic fracturing process involves pumping chemicals into the ground to free oil and gas reserves trapped in tight shale formations. The debate over fracking’s environmental risks isn’t all that different; it’s become a battle to squeeze a few facts out of stubbornly entrenched forces, amid a lot of high-pressure…
Despite an emphatic recommendation against the move by her advisory board, Denver Parks and Recreation manager Lauri Dannemiller has okayed Mayor Michael Hancock’s plan to swap open space in the Cherry Creek corridor for an office building downtown. The decision sets up a showdown between the administration and some Hampden…
It’s now official: In some areas of Colorado, 2012 was the driest year since 2000. A late dump of snow in December has failed to take portions of the Western Slope and the southern part of the state out of the “extreme drought” category. And if the weather doesn’t take…
While the clock ticks away on last-minute negotiations to avoid plunging the nation’s economy over the dreaded fiscal cliff, the U.S. Senate did take steps late last night to provide a path up the side of a mountain — and in the process transform thousands of Colorado scofflaws into legal…
In 2012, a lot more people rode their bikes in Denver and throughout the state — which led to an overall jump in the number of crashes. But a more ominous trend, perhaps, was the growing tension on the road between cars and cyclists, resulting in a steady stream of…
Based on safety concerns and the potential for crashes in a congested corridor, Longmont officials are considering a ban on biking downtown through a so-called “dismount zone” that would require cyclists to get off their wheels and walk their bikes. And while cycling advocates aren’t opposed to encouraging safer behaviors,…
Uneasy hangs the cowboy-hatted head of the man in charge of one-fifth of the land mass in the United States. The strain of running the Department of the Interior seems to be catching up with Ken Salazar, who offered to “punch out” a reporter last month in response to a…
When Colorado native son Ken Salazar became Barack Obama’s Secretary of the Interior four years ago, it was widely expected that he would steer a more “balanced” course through the energy wars across the West, pulling back on the drill-baby-drill mantra of the Bush years. It hasn’t worked out that…
Despite a personal appeal from hizzoner himself, the Denver Parks and Recreation Advisory Board gave a thumbs-down last night to a controversial plan by Mayor Michael Hancock’s administration to swap a parcel of open space in the Cherry Creek corridor for an office building. Amid much soul-searching and head-scratching by…
Five years ago, Denver park officials thought highly enough of a little-known parcel of open space along the Cherry Creek corridor, containing some of the last traces of native prairie vegetation to be found in the city, to officially designate it as a natural area. But now, Mayor Michael Hancock’s…
In our recent cover story, “Bed Check,” which chronicles the challenges homeless women in Denver face, we note the need for both emergency shelter and more permanent homes. In the latter category, a group called the Empowerment Program is now pushing forward with a housing project specifically for female veterans…
People across the country may have their eyes on the Mile High City because legalized marijuana is officially a thing. But Denver’s also going to get some national attention for another celebrated activity: its night-time bike parties. The Denver Cruisers are hosting an off-season ride tonight that will be featured…
Prolonged drought and a rising population have put the squeeze on Western Slope water supplies. But Colorado River activists have something to celebrate in their long battle with Front Range development interests — a hard-won agreement that will help limit the impact of the Windy Gap Firming Project, a further…
In “Bed Check,” this week’s feature, we take a close look at the challenges homeless women face when trying to find safe places to sleep in Denver. Incidentally, Denver’s Road Home, the agency that oversees homeless issues, has just released an assessment of the city’s shelter programs — a report…
As more cyclists ride on Denver’s roads alongside cars, the city’s planners are working to build out a network of safe paths for bikes. But when a car double parks in a bike lane, it can make these paths a lot harder to navigate — a fact that BikeDenver is…
In this week’s feature, “Bed Check,” we take an in-depth look at the services available in Denver for homeless women, some of whom describe a daily struggle filled with high-stakes lotteries to find sanctuary. For the piece, we spent time with members of the Women’s Homeless Initiative, a coalition of…
After several negative headlines around solar energy locally — including the bankruptcy of Abound Solar and news of major delays on a planned Aurora solar plant — Colorado has some good news to share about renewable energy. Denver officials announced yesterday that the city is the first to be recognized…
Nobody has ever mistaken Ken Salazar, the mild-mannered, 57-year-old Secretary of the Interior, for Mike Tyson. Except, perhaps, Salazar himself. Taken by surprise by a question about one of his agency’s most troubled programs — the scandal-plagued effort to rid the public lands of “excess” wild horses — the flustered…
Add this to the growing list of signs that Denver is becoming more of a bike city: A local developer is now promoting a new apartment building as a bike-themed project. That means free bikes for tenants, bike-themed artwork in the interior, bike storage and even a bike repair room…
It’s been a very rough week for cycling in Denver, with the tragic death of 23-year-old Gelseigh Karl-Cannon on Tuesday — the second bike fatality in the city this year. Denver residents who want to support a good cycling cause will have a chance to do so this weekend at…
In Colorado, a state that will play an important role in today’s presidential election, Barack Obama has battled negative press regarding Abound Solar, a Loveland solar-panel company that went bankrupt this summer despite federal support. It’s become a talking point against the president, but Federico Peña, a top Obama surrogate…
In March, when news broke about layoffs at Abound Solar, a Colorado business with government support, the chief financial officer told us he was aware his company could be used as a political football in the presidential race. In June, Abound went bankrupt and has recently been the source of…
