Happy Friday from KUNC News! Here are a few of the most interesting stories from the week of August 11 - 15:
Visitors to downtown Fort Collins could soon be paying for on-street parking
Paying for on-street parking in downtown Fort Collins is not something residents and visitors are accustomed to, but that might change.
City council held a work session this week to discuss paid parking in Old Town to help bolster revenue. Parking could cost between $1.50 and $2.00 per hour.
There are still multiple steps before finalizing the plan, but the change could come as soon as next year. Officials hope the plan will also reduce congestion and pollution, if more drivers use parking garages rather than “trolling” the Old Town area for a free spot.
CPW considering increased surcharges to cover emergency rescues
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is considering an increase in the surcharge that helps fund volunteer search and rescue teams.
If approved, the fee attached to most wildlife registrations and licenses, such as snowmobile and three-wheeler permits, would go up by $1.00.
The fee increase is meant to support the demand on search and rescue teams in Colorado’s backcountry.
Public input is being solicited this fall. If approved, the change will take effect on January 1st.
Denver council declines a ranked-choice plan for local elections
Denver leaders rejected a proposed ranked-choice ballot measure Monday. City Council stopped the measure from advancing after a first reading vote.
The proposal aimed to convert most city elections to a system where voters rank candidates instead of voting for just one. Supporters said the change would save the city money and increase voter turnout. Opponents weren’t convinced of the cost savings.
Other Front Range communities - like Boulder and Fort Collins - have adopted ranked-choice for local elections. Coloradans rejected a statewide ranked-choice ballot measure last year.
Greeley residents file protest against Catalyst petition
Members of the group Greeley Deserves Better have submitted a petition to stop the Catalyst project in West Greeley.
Opponents are trying to repeal the city’s approval of a financing plan to help get the project rolling. The petition needs more than 4,500 valid signatures to be considered for the November ballot. Anti-Catalyst candidates are planning to run in the upcoming city council election.
Both the Catalyst and Cascadia developments on the city’s west end have divided residents. Some see the projects as necessary to help guide growth in Greeley.
The Catalyst entertainment district would include a hockey arena, hotel, and water park. If voters end up passing a repeal, it could halt the project or require it to find new funding.
Two major oil companies want to take climate change lawsuit to the Supreme Court
Suncor and Exxon Energy are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Colorado climate lawsuit. The oil companies filed a petition last week that argues the case is a federal matter.
Back in May, the state Supreme Court ruled that a lawsuit seeking damages from the companies for their role in climate change can proceed in state court.
The city and county of Boulder originally sued Suncor and Exxon in 2018.
Former Nuggets mascot performer sues over firing
A man who once entertained fans as the Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky is suing Kroenke Sports and Entertainment after he was fired last year.
Westword reports Drake Solomon filed a lawsuit this week claiming illegal disability discrimination and retaliation.
Solomon had hip replacement surgery several months before losing his job. The lawsuit alleges Solomon’s supervisors told him he was unreliable because of medical issues.
Rocky has been the highest paid mascot in the NBA for several years, with an annual salary of $625,000.
How a gecko’s ability to cling to surfaces could help CU scientists make stickier – and better – cancer treatments
University of Colorado researchers are behind an innovative new cancer treatment that's modeled on gecko toes.
The lizards' gripping power was the inspiration for a new material to help chemotherapy drugs cling to tumors. Early research focused on bladder cancer.
Learn more about this fascinating bit of biomimicry, courtesy of KUNC’s In the NoCo.
