The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute has named Stacy Feldman, founder and publisher of Boulder Reporting Lab, to its 2023-24 class of RJI fellows. The program gives individuals and their news organizations the opportunity to partner with RJI on “practical innovative projects for community-centered news, journalists and the communities they serve.” Chosen projects typically involve […]
Posted inNews Bites
Gov. Polis signs four gun bills into law; three were sponsored by Boulder lawmakers
Gov. Jared Polis signed four gun bills into law on April 28, 2023. Three of the laws were sponsored by Boulder lawmakers: a three-day waiting period for gun sales, expansion of the “red flag” law, and a measure that makes it easier to sue gun manufacturers. “Waiting periods are a necessary buffer when someone in […]
Posted inClimate Change
Boulder’s free Pollinator Advocates program enlists locals to help save native insects and birds
The City of Boulder is enlisting Boulderites for the second year of its Pollinator Advocates training, a program trying to protect native insects and birds while fighting climate change — but time is running out to apply. The training, running from May to late August, will provide classroom learning on what pollinators need to thrive […]
Posted inLocal History
The ‘forgotten history’ of rent control in Boulder
On April 25, 2023, a Colorado legislative committee voted against a bill that would have allowed cities to set annual limits on rent increases, marking an end to this year’s debate over rent control — and a familiar defeat for Boulder. The City of Boulder was among few local governments publicly supporting the bill. Boulder […]
Posted inNews Bites
Boulder County health officials push for update to meth cleanup regulations in public spaces
Boulder County Public Health is working on an update to the state’s regulations for cleaning up methamphetamine contamination, particularly in public spaces such as the Boulder Public Library. “Everything we see points to meth exposure in public spaces not being a significant health risk,” Bill Hayes, an air quality coordinator for the Boulder County Public […]
Posted inNews Brief
Boulder forestry crew thins trees on Shanahan Ridge to protect water tank from wildfire threat
On Shanahan Ridge in South Boulder, trees are coming down in an 80-acre swath that runs along the South Fork Shanahan Trail. With a focus on protecting the water tank that sits just off the trail and holds city drinking water, the project — like all thinning projects near Boulder — is trying to mimic the low-intensity […]
Posted inNews Bites
State rent control bill dies, land-use legislation on life support
The state Senate Local Government and Housing Committee on Tuesday voted 4-3 against a bill that would have allowed local governments to enact rent control measures. Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Democrat from Avon, was the deciding vote on the committee. “This could and probably would stifle development,” he said before the vote. All four of […]
Posted inNews Bites
Trustees named for Boulder’s newly approved library district
A group of seven people have been selected to serve on the new governing board overseeing the creation of a library district, a property tax-funded library system that voters approved in the 2022 election to replace the City of Boulder’s libraries. The appointments were made by a selection committee, made up of Councilmembers Aaron Brockett and Nicole […]
Posted inHousing
Homelessness in Boulder Valley School District hits highest level since Great Recession
This school year, more than 750 students or their guardians in the Boulder Valley School District have reported they either lack stable housing or are homeless, according to district officials. That’s more students than at any time since the Great Recession. The uptick in student homelessness comes as city and county rental assistance programs are […]
Posted inNews Bites
ACLU and other plaintiffs seek order to halt Boulder’s camping ban
The ACLU of Colorado and other plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the City of Boulder over its camping ban have asked a Boulder County District Court judge to issue a partial judgment, which could result in an order barring the city from enforcing the controversial law. In an April 21 motion, the plaintiffs said the city has admitted to enough […]