Today on Colorado Edition: Molson Coors is moving its headquarters from Denver to Chicago. We explore what that means for the state and the company. Plus, a conversation on a new federal report on the Firestone pipeline explosion. We also learn how to get the most out of Colorado's film festivals, check out a shop full of spooky things in Denver, and get to the bottom of why Allegiant pulled out of adding routes from the Northern Colorado Regional Airport.
News Of The Day:
- Digital IDs - Gov. Jared Polis has unveiled a new program that lets residents store a digital version of their drivers' license on a smartphone. The digital IDs will be accepted by all state agencies starting in December. But residents shouldn't ditch their plastic copies just yet. Polis says residents still need those to show to police and for air travel.
- Outdoor Recreation - A new report from the nonprofit Headwaters Economics says our region's outdoor recreation industry is growing more than twice as fast as the overall economy. The West's public lands, national parks and hunting and fishing opportunities are becoming more popular these days. That's fueling a booming outdoor recreation economy. In our region, this sector grew by an average of nearly 25% in recent years. That's partly because the sector is multi-faceted and includes manufacturing, retail and services as well as finance and engineering. The study shows Colorado's outdoor recreation economy grew by 30% between 2012 and 2017. The main contributors were snow sports and outdoor gear sales.
- Boulder Police Oversight - Boulder's Police Oversight Task Force will install an auditor-monitor to investigate complaints against officers. The Daily Camera reports Boulder City Council approved the change in a unanimous vote Tuesday night. The monitor will inspect police internal affairs probes and send findings on the accuracy of the reports to a public panel. The approved recommendations on policy and outcomes of internal probes will go to the police chief who has the final say on disciplinary actions.
Federal Investigation Into Firestone Pipeline Explosion
In April 2017, a pipeline leaked natural gas into a home in Firestone, causing a fatal explosion. This incident led to a discussion in our state about where “flowlines” are located and who knows about those locations. Yesterday, federal investigators released their final report on the accident in Firestone, and today the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is meeting to discuss next steps.
KUNC’s Matt Bloom joins us to walk us through what’s going on and what happens next. You can read more on that report here.
Molson Coors Moves HQ To Chicago
Molson Coors is moving its headquarters from Denver to Chicago, expecting to eliminate around 500 jobs companywide. What does this mean for the company and for the state? And what effect will it have on smaller breweries around Colorado?
We spoke with Julia Herz of the Brewers Association in Boulder to learn more about what impact the move will have.
Northern Colorado Regional Airport
Last week, Allegiant Air announced it would not be moving forward with plans to have routes from Northern Colorado Regional Airport to places like Phoenix and Las Vegas. At the crux of the decision is a matter of air traffic controllers on site at the Loveland airport. Dan Mika reported on what happened for BizWest, and joined us to tell us more about the situation.
How To Get The Most Out Of Colorado's Many Film Festivals
The Denver Film Festival opens today, bringing 134 feature films and 130 short films to the city for almost two weeks of programming. But if you’ve never been to a film festival before, it can be hard to know what to look out for. So we talked to KUNC’s film critic Howie Movshovitz to get advice on getting the most out of Colorado’s many film fests.
The Room Of Lost Things
There’s a place in Denver that celebrates the macabre all year long. From human teeth to fossilized dinosaur feces, the Room of Lost Things can provide it to you... at a price. KUNC’s courageous Stacy Nick explores the shop for us.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music this week by Blue Dot Sessions:
- “Rabbit Hole” by Love and Weasel
- "Great is the Contessa" by The Contessa
- "Homegrown" by The Pine Barrens
- "Mandelbrots in Winter" by Forest Robots
- "On Our Own Again"
- "Roadside Bunkhouse" by Truck Stop
Colorado Edition is hosted by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1) and Henry Zimmerman @HWZimmerman), and produced by Lily Tyson. The web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. Managing editor Brian Larson contributed to this episode.
KUNC's Colorado Edition is a daily news magazine taking an in-depth look at the issues and culture of Northern Colorado. It's available on our website, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can hear the show on KUNC's air, Monday through Thursday at 6:30 p.m.