You made it to Friday, Boulder. Here’s an update on our beautiful town’s goings-on to carry you into the weekend:

In our main story today, John Herrick covers the county jail being full for the first time since 2020. The trend indicates that pandemic-era measures aimed at sending fewer people to jail (in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus) have all but ended. Boulder Sheriff Joe Pelle said he’s feeling pressure from Boulder businesses and police officers to jail more people amid the recent wave in crime sweeping the county. The goal is still to keep out those with only low-level charges, however, to reserve limited bed space for those with more serious charges.

We’ll see you back here on Monday.

— Tim, reporter

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What to know today

  • Mix of sun and clouds with a stray shower possible: Clouds will dominate the afternoon. High of 84.
  • All Boulder emergency orders related to Covid have ended: As of Aug. 31, all emergency orders related to Covid will have either expired or been repealed. Some of such wide-ranging orders included: the cancellation of all in-person boards and commissions meetings, and the suspension of domestic partnership fees. On cue, Boulder City Council is planning to meet in person next week and city officials said the public will be allowed back to City Hall in October. The plan is for boards and commission meetings — which will remain virtual in the near-term — to run in a hybrid format by the end of the year. “The last two and a half years have not been easy,” said City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde. “I look back with gratitude to our community for working together through the pandemic and now ahead with confidence in a brighter future thanks to all we have learned.”
  • Mixed opinions on homeless day center: The city hosted a virtual meeting on Wednesday to gather feedback on a day center for homeless people to go to during the day, when the city’s largest nonprofit-run shelter is typically closed. Some residents supported the concept of a day center. Others worried about its location, which remains to be decided. The city council has made it a priority create a day shelter providing a wide range of services to people experiencing homelessness. The next meeting will be today from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. A link to the meeting will be posted here.
  • Debris removal program completes ash and debris removal work from Marshall Fire: After clearing 566 properties over four months, the team tasked with coordinating debris removal recently cleared the final Marshall Fire-destroyed property of ash and debris and completed all final erosion control work. Some of the material removed: 103,662 tons of ash and debris, 64,648 tons of brick and concrete, 2,403 tons of metal, and 1,837 tons of vegetative debris. More details here.
  • Get your free MPX (monkeypox) vaccine: Hosted by Out Boulder County, today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at OBC’s Equality Center of the Rocky Mountains (3340 Mitchell Lane in Boulder), the MPX vaccine will be offered at no cost. To speed up the process, you can schedule an appointment here. Supply is limited. Eligibility screenings will be completed on site. Check the eligibility guidelines here.
  • Eurasian Watermilfoil, an aquatic invasive plant species, detected at Boulder Reservoir: During its semi-annual invasive species monitoring visit, Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed the presence of the invasive plant in the rez. If EWM becomes established, it grows quickly and disrupts aquatic ecosystems. The question the city is working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to answer: Is it established? Either way, the invasive plant is not harmful to humans. But it could affect swimming at the rez; spread to nearby Coot Lake, which would impact fishing; and have effects on drinking water taste and smell. More information can be found here.
  • Boulder police seeking additional victims and/or witnesses from Wednesday attack: The Boulder Police Department is seeking anyone else who may have been attacked by an 18-year-old suspect on Wednesday evening. The suspect allegedly assaulted two community members and three Boulder Police officers at the intersection of 30th and Aurora streets. If you have additional information, use this contact info.
  • South Boulder Rec Center closed: The rec center will not open as normal this morning, the city wrote in a tweet, due to a water pressure issue. It’s evaluating whether to open at noon today. Separately, East Boulder Community Center will be closed Aug. 27 to Sept. 5 for its annual shutdown.

Go deeper

The Boulder County Jail is full for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic

By John Herrick

The Boulder County jail has reached full capacity for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

About 412 people are currently incarcerated or detained in the 543-bed facility off Airport Road, according to the most recently available state data. That’s the most since Jan. 1, 2020.

The numbers are rising in part because police are arresting people again for more minor charges. For much of the pandemic, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle prohibited police from jailing people for low-level crimes in order to drive down the jail population and prevent coronavirus outbreaks.

On July 5, 2022, with cases trending down in the county and a growing acceptance that Covid is here to stay, Pelle signed off on new incarceration standards that removed restrictions on detaining people. 

People who were issued multiple summons in the past two years, but who never showed up to court, are now being arrested and booked into jail. 

“Because of the backlog in the system, we’re going to be catching up for a while,” Pelle said in an interview.  

Continue reading…

BRL picks

📕 Boulder Bookstore hosts Boulderite Waylon Lewis: On Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m. the founder of Elephant Journal will speak about and sign his new book, It’s Never Too Late to Fall in Love with Your Life: “a mix of everyday Buddhism, practical tips, humor, criticism, and mindful life lessons learned the hard way, this book distills everything you (or a young friend or loved one) might want to learn the easy way.” Purchase tickets for the event here.

🌻 Final weekend of U-Pick Sunflowers in Erie: This Sunday, Aug. 28 is the last day to pick your own sunflowers at Anderson Farms in Erie. Seventeen varieties beckon from their 15 acres. “Admission includes a wagon ride to and from the field where you will find many hidden photo ops.” More details and tickets here.

🎶 Meadow Music: Sunday, Aug. 28 at 10.30 a.m. to noon is the final installment for the summer of the award-winning environmental education program and kids concert series Meadow Music with Jeff & Paige at the Chautauqua Green (Baseline Rd. and 9th St.). The event is free. It includes a short hike followed by nature music. More details here.

🛍️ Mapleton Hill rummage sale is back: “Bring your shopping bags, shopping cash, and wear your walking shoes! Over 60 homes in this beautiful historic central Boulder neighborhood set up yard sales, bake sales, lemonade stands, and more.” Tomorrow, Aug. 27, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check out the map of participants here and other details.

🦆 Duck race at Scott Carpenter Park – icymi: Adopting a pet can provide fulfilling companionship, but also requires some level of commitment and maturity. Adopting a rubber duck, however, requires neither. This Sunday, Aug. 28 from 3-5 p.m., at Scott Carpenter Park you can see if a tub toy provides the buddy you’re looking for. Even if it doesn’t, send it racing around the lazy river and help fund Boulder Parks and Recreation’s programming for low-income families and people with disabilities.

Covid in Boulder County: Aug. 26, 2022

  • 79 daily new cases (7-day avg.) ⬇Down 33% over preceding 7-day avg.
  • 12 patients hospitalized with Covid (7-day avg.) ⬇Down from high of 13 last week.
  • 33% percent of ICU is occupied. ⬇Down from avg. of 66% since July 2020.
  • Note: Boulder County has moved into the “low community level” for transmission, per CDC guidelines.

What else we’re reading

  • Miss out on yesterday’s catalytic converter anti-theft kit giveaway? So did a lot of people. CU Boulder Police and the Boulder Police Department gave out 350 kits in 10 minutes, before running out.
  • A bicyclist was hit and seriously injured by the driver of a car on Colorado 119 near Boulder Falls Thursday afternoon. The driver fled the scene. The Colorado State Patrol is seeking help in locating the driver.

ICYMI

Tim Drugan was a climate and environment reporter for Boulder Reporting Lab.