
Another Monday, another edition of BRL Today! π¨ Weβre back with your regular dose of news and community information to help you get your week started on the right foot.
Todayβs newsletter features a Q&A with Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett. We talked to the software developer and two-term council member about his new role, and how he plans to represent a politically polarized city. We also talked about housing, equity, homelessness and more.Β
Lastly, weβre excited to announce the launch of a new community photo feature weβre calling Lens on Boulder. Below is our first entry into the series, from local photographer David Harwi, who snapped this photo from the Womenβs Night of Connection 2021 at Rembrandt Yard β an event presented by the Boulder Chamber to spur conversations around mentorship, inspiration and networking.Β
Want to have your photo featured in BRL Today? Send your submissions to photos@boulderreportinglab.org.
β Jezy, managing editor

Top Stories
Q&A: Meet Aaron Brockett, Boulder’s new mayor
Aaron Brockett, a two-term council member, takes over as mayor following an election that shifted the balance of power in city government. βAny significant actions the new council works on should be done through an open and public process,β Brockett told the Boulder Reporting Lab. βI think itβs important for the new folks who are elected by the voters to steer a somewhat different course from the path before.β Read full interview
Climate change: A warm, dry fall is creating challenges for Boulder firefighters
Winter is around the corner, and firefighters have been facing fire conditions they mainly used to face only from late spring through the summer. Boulder County was unusually vulnerable to wildfires this first week of December, raising questions about preparedness for future fire seasons. βIβm understaffed for the conditions,β said the fire management officer for the Boulder County Sheriffβs office. Read full story
Quickly
β±οΈ It’s cold out there. Highs in the mid-30s today. Light snowfall expected in the mountains this evening.
β±οΈ A Red Flag Warning covered the entire I-25 corridor on Sunday, due to dry and windy conditions. “There have been too many fire starts today!” National Weather Service in Boulder wrote in a tweet.
β±οΈ Boulder Valley School District is still in need of bus drivers. Starting wage is $20.60/hour. Signing bonuses of $2,500 for drivers with a commercial license.
β±οΈ The City of Boulder hired David Gehr, the former chief deputy city attorney who retired in June, to fill in as the interim director for the Planning and Development Services Department. He replaces Jacob Lindsey, who we spoke with last week about Boulder’s housing challenges.
β±οΈ Colorado will get more than $121 million for wastewater and drinking water projects through the federal infrastructure law. KC Becker, EPA regional administrator and Boulderite, called it an βhistoric opportunity.
Covid-19 in Boulder County: Dec. 6, 2021*
- 98 daily new cases (7-day avg.) π»Down 15% over last week.
- 81 patients hospitalized with Covid (7-day avg.) πΊUp from avg. of 37.
- 50% of ICU is occupied by Covid patients πΊUp from avg. of 22%.
- 68% percent of ICU is occupied in total π»Down from avg. of 72%.
- *Data. Hereβs what weβre tracking and where the data is from.
Latest Covid news
- Omicron. The first case of the new variant was detected in Boulder County, according to the county health department on Friday. A local health care provider notified Boulder County Public Health of a patient who recently traveled to South Africa and later tested positive for Covid-19, according to a news release.
- More data needed. βWe are still gathering information about whether [Omicron] is more contagious and whether it will cause people to have more severe disease. However, what little we do know would indicate there is still some protection from vaccines, and that masking and other mitigation strategies are still highly effective,β said Michelle Haas, BCPH Chief Medical Officer.
BRL Picks
π· Photography: A Lens Toward Healing. Thatβs the name of a free event being held in honor of the South Boulder community this month, on behalf of the Boulder County Crisis Fund, The Community Foundation, Museum of Boulder and more. Featuring photos by CU Professor Ross Taylor. Attendees are invited to share their own photos and video clips. Details: Dec. 14 from 6β8 p.m. at the Chautauqua Community House, 301 Morning Glory Drive.
π² Holiday Harvest food distribution. BVSDβs School Food Project is offering supplemental food bag to families before the winter break begins. Pick up is at BVSD Culinary Center, 6500 Arapahoe Rd. Map is here. Date and time: Monday, Dec. 13 from 3β6 p.m.
π©βπΎ Super Santa 5K is back. The run, held by T.E.A.M., supports Boulder Voices For Children and its mission to provide court-appointed volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in Boulder County. Participants are asked to bring a toy to donate. Details: Sunday, Dec. 19, at Twisted Pine Brewing Company, 3201 Walnut St. Suite A.
π₯ Health insurance assistance.Β Got questions about coverage before open enrollment ends on Jan. 15? Youβre not alone. Thatβs why Boulder County Housing and Human Services is here with answers about pricing, plans, premiums and more. Schedule an appointment for βfree, unbiased and confidential phone supportβ onΒ the countyβs website, or callΒ 303-441-1000Β for help in English or Spanish.
πΊ An iconic local beer returns. Hog Heaven Imperial Red IPA, one of Avery Breweryβs βiconic ales and arguably one of the most influential beers brewed in Boulder Countyβ is back, Boulder Weekly writes. But just for a limited time. Find it at the brewery in Gunbarrel, or in stores as part of Averyβs Hop Variety pack.
What We’re Reading
- Laid-off and furloughed library workers get a lift. The Boulder Library Foundation dispensed grant checks last week totaling almost $45,000 to 57 Boulder Public Library workers who are still furloughed or were laid off during the Covid pandemic. The donations came out of its HALO (Help a Library Worker Out) Fund. Local library employees were hit hard by Covid-fueled budget cuts. Many of these jobs have not returned. βWe are pleased to partner with our generous donors to help our hard-working library workers out during a difficult time,β Alicia Gibb, president of the foundationβs board of directors, said in a press release Friday. [Boulder Library Foundation]
ICYMI from BRL
π The cityβs lofty carbon-reduction target of 70% by 2030 got a boost from the Covid-19 pandemic. Now what? Some 65% of Boulderβs total emissions come from buildings. And thatβs a problem, because switching out houses isnβt nearly as easy as closing coal plants, reporter Allen Best writes.
π©π»ββοΈ Colorado State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy on Covid-19, and what she’s learned about bringing public health science to the public.Β “Weβve learned that we need multiple strategies,” Herlihy said. “We need to meet people where they are. We really need to understand the community weβre serving.”
π New subscriber? You can find all previous BRL Today editions here.
About Us
Hi. Weβre Boulderβs new nonprofit newsroom. Our mission is to help you get more informed about the issues you care about and more connected to the city you love. To do this, we provide high-quality, original journalism on the most pressing issues plus curated community information β all paywall-free. Learn more about us here and here.
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– The BRL Team