A year ago, the CoorsTek facility at 4414 Table Mountain Drive was a simple warehouse.

Today, it’s a training center.

And, in the coming months and years, CoorsTek leaders hope it’ll become a regional epicenter for advanced manufacturing workforce development.

On July 16, the company celebrated opening its new CoorsTek Academy Advanced Manufacturing Training Center with its industry and education partners, as well as state and local government officials.

The CoorsTek Academy started in 2021 to train internal hires and employees.

However, this new training center in northeastern Golden was made to be used by outside entities.

According to CoorsTek Workforce Development Manager Elizabeth Pittman, workforce development centers, local school districts, community colleges and other companies will use it to train people in universally applied manufacturing skills.

“This is really what opportunity looks like,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Pittman and other CoorsTek officials explained how the state-of-the-art facility will be ideal for advanced manufacturing personnel, covering everything from a half-day recertification course to a multiyear apprenticeship.

CoorsTek employees are also using the training center for apprenticeships, recertification and other endeavors.

In fact, Pittman said the first apprenticeship cohort — composed of six recent high school graduates from Jefferson and Denver counties — started on June 30 for an 18-month program.

The facility is composed of two training bays. One is specific to CoorsTek employees, with proprietary technology and machinery. The second is open to community colleges, workforce development centers and others, Pittman said.

Both feature innovative technologies, such as a forklift simulator, to help participants learn.

Opportunity Now Colorado

Last year, CoorsTek received a $4.5 million Opportunity Now Colorado grant to help establish the academy. From now until late 2026, the academy must serve at least 1,200 Coloradans as part of the grant requirements.

Polis said that overall, $55 million in Opportunity Now grants will help at least 20,000 Coloradans with job training and placement. The CoorsTek Academy’s training center specifically will be a major boost for the 6,000 companies that comprise Colorado’s advanced manufacturing sector, he said.

CoorsTek leaders thanked the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade and the Governor’s Office for investing in the training center, saying it will become a model for public-private collaboration.

Chief Executive Officer Michael Coors also anticipated it’d be a major asset to Colorado’s advanced manufacturing sector, and help boost local companies, employees and economic development.

Irma Lockridge, chief people & systems officer, encouraged Polis and other officials to check back on the training center in a year to see just how much it had grown and how significant of an impact it’s had.

Click through additional photos from the July 16 ribbon-cutting ceremony:

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The responding officer to an accidental shooting at the apartment of Thornton’s new police in May did not have his body camera on, an apparent violation of police policy.

Thornton Police Department admitted the responding sergeant should have been rolling on his body camera when responding to the apartment of incoming Chief Jim Baird on May 14, according to Channel 9 News.

Technically at the time of the shooting, Baird was not yet Thornton’s police chief. He was sworn in as chief on May 27.

Baird said he was trying out different magazines on a new Sig Sauer 9 mm handgun when it was fired. He said he was on the phone and was multitasking when the gun fired.

The bullet went through a kitchen cabinet inside the apartment, and nobody was injured, according to CBS News Colorado.

“I should have known better,” Baird told CBS News Colorado. “It’s a mistake I’ll never make again.”

The City of Thornton said in a statement that Baird immediately tried to contact residents to make sure nobody had been hit. Baird then reported the incident to the interim police chief, who came to the apartment with an on-duty sergeant from the Thornton Police Department.

The investigation found no evidence of negligence or criminal conduct and Baird was not cited or arrested, according to a City of Thornton statement.

Channel 9 News reported that in a statement from the Thornton Police Department, the police acknowledged that on the evening of the incident, there were assumptions made that the situation was a “personnel/administrative matter instead of an investigation with a member of the public.”

“In review, the Sergeant should have had his body camera turned on, and this will be addressed internally, consistent with other incidents where a body-worn camera is not properly activated,” the statement said. “Furthermore, steps will be taken to clarify the interpretation of the BWC policy for all personnel for unique situations as our personnel faced on that evening.”

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With the massive facility between uses and temporarily empty, vandals have left their mark at Bandimere Speedway. 

They’ve broken windows, stripped electrical boxes and other devices, and tagged walls with graffiti. Bandimere representatives said people are living in the buildings as well.

Several videos depicting the damage are posted on TikTok and YouTube. 

The speedway’s former facility and operations manager recently shared his concerns with the Morrison town board.

“There have been people all over the suites breaking windows,” said Larry Crisp, who is also son-in-law of the speedway’s former owner, John Bandimere Jr. “Homeless people that have been chased out of here. It’s on all kinds of videos, and it’s kind of the laughing stock of Morrison because there are no cops.”

While two trustees said they agree with Crisp that the issue should be addressed, no formal motion was taken.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said it has no record of vandalism at the site. 

Securing the property

Bandimere hosted its last race in July 2024, and stopped doing any business at its Morrison site in October.

Global auto company Copart plans to operate a vehicle auction center on most of the former speedway site at Morrison Road and C-470. Copart representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

Sheriff’s office spokesperson Karlyn Tilley said Copart has not been in touch with them about issues on the site.

“Someone from the town of Morrison reached out to let us know the new owner wanted to speak with us about securing the property,” said Tilley, estimating that the call came in March. “Since we never heard back from them, we don’t have any official records of it, just what people remember.”

Despite Crisp’s observations, Tilley said the Sheriff’s Office has no information about criminal incidents at the abandoned speedway.

“I couldn’t find any case reports related to vandalism at that address, so that leads me to believe we have not received any requests for us to respond out there,” she wrote.

In addition to an office, the Bandimere site has a VIP tower with four floors. Future plans call for razing the towers, stadium lights and grandstands, leaving only the office for Copart’s use. Its agreement with the town also includes fencing and revegetating much of the speedway site. 

But town manager Mallory Nassau said the company’s site plan is not yet approved.

“Copart is still working on its site plan application,” she wrote in an email. “It is my understanding that once the plan is submitted and approved, construction will begin.”

John Bandimere, Jr., whose family has run the speedway since its 1958 opening, sold the land to move the operation to a much larger site in Hudson. But he agrees with Crisp that there are issues at the Morrison site.

“The land has been annexed into Morrison,” he said. “It’s something they should be paying attention to, and apparently they’re not.

“People have gone through the tower, pulled every wire and everything so they can sell it. It’s ridiculous. And people are living in every building there. You would think Morrison would not want people on the property. They’re making a mockery out of it on TikTok.”

Bandimere acknowledges his family has moved its business interests elsewhere.

“It’s not our responsibility,” he said. “But we were part of the town for years, and we are still tied to it emotionally.”

The property had been in Jefferson County, but Morrison agreed to annex the 125-acre site in August 2024. That deal includes the transfer of 16 acres to the town. 

Morrison disbanded its police department in late 2024, and instead contracts with the sheriff’s office for law enforcement services.

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City Forester Bryan McCoy is on the frontlines in the battle against the voracious Emerald ash borer, the killer of millions of ash trees and considered the most destructive tree insect pest in North America.

“They move quickly into the ash trees, and they are so aggressive that even healthy trees die within two or four years after being infected,” McCoy said.

Trees may be well into their death throes, but many people don’t realize that the first signs of fatal infections is the thinning of leaves at the very top of the tree, he said.

“Most are only concerned about what’s going on at eye-level of a tree,” McCoy said. “They don’t think to look up.”’

Westminster has about 69,000 ash trees on private property, just part of the 1.2 million in the Denver-metro area. The city has been assessing city-owned ash trees on city property for treatment since 2013, McCoy said.

The city estimates one out of every seven trees in Westminster is an ash.

The city completed a tree inventory in 2023 to identify ash trees in the city’s Right-Of-Way areas, within about 12 feet from the curb into a yard or property. The study found 3,174 ash trees worth preserving.

The city says that ash trees that do not meet the treatment criteria must be removed because the infected ash trees will eventually die. Removing untreated trees early temporarily slows the spread of Emerald ash borers, reduces the risk to tree workers, and can speed up replanting efforts by prioritizing re-planting locations.

The city treated those trees between July and September 2023 using a micro-injection system that put the product directly into the tree trunk, according to the city website.

Untreated trees to be removed

The city does not have enough personnel to remove tainted trees on private property, McCoy said. He urges property owners to use a different species of tree to replace their ash.  

“The ash borer only infests that ash tree,” McCoy said. “We really encourage everyone to get a different tree to help stop the spread of the EAB.”

To help pick a new tree, the Colorado Department of Agriculture offers a database of registered nurseries and landscape contractors.  

The Emerald ash borer is native to Asia and was introduced into North America sometime during the 1990s, probably via ash wood pallets or wood packing material, according to Colorado State University’s Warner College of Natural Resources.

Since its initial discovery in southeastern Michigan in 2002, the insect has killed millions of ash trees throughout the central and northeastern United States and Canada, according to CSU.  An infestation was first detected in Colorado in the City of Boulder in September 2013. Approximately 15 percent of the trees in Colorado’s urban forests are ash, making this insect a major threat to urban forests statewide, says CSU

EAB has spread to other cities and towns on the Front Range and Thornton is the first Colorado city east of I-25 to confirm EAB. The insect was recently detected in Oregon as well, McCoy said.

On a recent afternoon, McCoy walked down a sidewalk behind several businesses near Sheridan Boulevard and found numerous signs of Emerald ash borer infestation. Several round holes penetrated the bark of ash trees, signs that the hungry insect was gorging throughout the tree.

Ash trees are popular because they throw off plenty of shade and are colorful in the fall, McCoy said. If left alone, he added, they can live several decades. “But these (near Sheridan) may not make it much longer,” McCoy said. “It’s sad.”

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Weld County is hosting a free electronics waste disposal events in Severance and Greeley, according to a news release on July 7. 

There will be two events where you can drop off unwanted or broken electronic devices at the drive-thru e-waste events at no cost, approved by the Weld County Board of Commissioners, the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment (WCDPHE), and the Household Hazardous Waste Program. 

According to officials, the first event will be at 8 a.m. July 26 at Severance High School, at 1200 Hidden Valley Parkway. The second event runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. August 9 at the Island Grove Grandstand Arena Parking Lot, 14^th Avenue in Greeley. 

The county urges residents to make a reservation on the Household Hazardous Waste Website for drop-off. Residents may drive up without a reservation, but if the lines are long, they will be asked to return, according to officials. 

The permitted items include electronic devices such as computer monitors, laptops, televisions, microwaves, and similar items. IT Refresh will provide collection services through a certified electronics recycler responsible for secure pickup, transportation, destruction, and disposal of all items dropped off for disposal. 

Additionally, all items must fit in a standard resident vehicle with easy access for unloading. No business vehicles are accepted, and trailers are not allowed. 

 For more details about e-waste events and to schedule a drop-off, please visit www.weld.gov/go/hhw.

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Seats for four City Councilors and the Mayor are all up for grabs in November’s election as the race to fill those seats kicks off.

Terms for Mayor Greg Mills and for City Councilors Jan Pawlowski, Ann Tadeo and Peter Padilla are all due to expire in January.

Voters in Ward 1 will also elect a new City Council representative. That seat has been vacant since Matt Johnston stepped down in April.

City Council nomination packets will be available starting August 5, according to a news release dated July 5. The nomination packets are available at the City Clerk’s office on the fourth floor of City Hall, located at 500 S. 4^th Avenue.

The City of Brighton will hold elections for mayor and one city council member from each ward on Tuesday, November 4. Residents in each ward will vote for a council member; the candidate with the most votes wins. The entire city of Brighton elects the mayor. The winners will serve four-year terms. 

Candidates running for Mayor and Council must return their petition with the names of 25 qualified electors from their specific ward by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, August 25.  Petitions must be filed with the City Clerk by 5 p.m.

The City Clerk draws lots for council member candidate placement on the ballot on Aug. 26 and the council is scheduled to certify the ballot at their Sept. 2 meeting.

Election Day is Nov. 4.

For more information on the 2025 election, visit brightonco.gov/elections.  

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A new program aimed at increasing career opportunities in aerospace, aviation and more will be coming to Adams County’s Colorado Air and Spaceport, thanks to an agreement with the University of Denver.

The Spaceport and AltitudeX Aviation Group have signed a lease with the University of Denver to establish a Six Sigma Center of Excellence at CASP as a public-private partnership, according to a news release on July 11.

“This is a major win for Adams County, for Colorado, and for our entire community,” said Lynn Baca, Chair of the Adams County Board of Commissioners. “Efforts like this show youth across our county —and people of all ages, for that matter—that world-class career opportunities in aerospace, aviation, logistics, transportation, and more are happening right here in their backyard.” 

The AltitudeX Aviation Group is a private investment firm that focuses on creating investment opportunities in the aviation and aerospace sectors. That group signed a partnership with Adams County and the Spaceport in February.

Six Sigma is a business philosophy that aims to reduce defects and variation and enhance quality and efficiency. A Six Sigma Center of Excellence is a group established to guide the Six Sigma process.

In July 10 press release, Baca said the center will become a hub for aviation, aerospace, and logistics in the region. 

CASP will join DEN, Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW), Los Angeles World Airports (LAX), and Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN) in the Six Sigma Center of Excellence program.

The DU campus location at CASP is meant to serve the Rocky Mountain region, focusing on education and workforce development to promote long-term economic growth. CASP aims to promote international education programs at the air and spaceport to attract more students to its campus for collaboration in research, innovation, and the aviation industry. 

“These types of thoughtful, inventive projects are exactly what AltitudeX hopes to be involved with in the future at CASP. And this is just the beginning,” said Jon Roitman, Chief Executive Officer of AltitudeX. “By joining forces with partners who accelerate innovation and expand opportunity, we can truly achieve extraordinary outcomes.”

“We are thrilled to work with CASP and Adams County to create a Center of Excellence that will set a new standard for quality and efficiency in the aviation and logistics sectors,” said Jack Buffington, Director of the Supply Chain Program at the University of Denver. “Six Sigma is the gold standard for world-class practices, and this center can become a catalyst for economic growth in Adams County and across Colorado.”

The Spaceport is located near major transportation hubs, including interstates, freight lines, commuter rail, and Denver International Airport, making it an ideal location for groups hoping to collaborate on space, air travel initiatives and to establish a transportation logistics hub.

“The Six Sigma Center of Excellence will not only transform how we operate at CASP but will also elevate our reputation as a leader in quality, safety, and innovation,” said Jeff Kloska, Director of CASP. “This project is a perfect example of how the public and private sectors can work together to build something bigger than any of us could do alone.” 

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Adams County will get $352,000 in grants from the Geothermal Energy Grant Program to support geothermal heating initiatives, according to the Colorado Energy Office. 

“We are thrilled to receive these geothermal grants from the Colorado Energy Office for the Waymire Dome and Colorado Air and Spaceport CASP tower projects,” said Lynn Baca, Chair of the Board of Commissioners. “This funding represents a major milestone in Adams County’s commitment to powering all county buildings with 100% renewable energy by 2030. With these investments, we expect to save over $40,000 annually in energy costs and reduce carbon emissions by more than nine million kilograms—demonstrating both environmental leadership and fiscal responsibility.”

Adams County received $291,000 for the Waymire Dome at Riverdale Regional Park and $51,000 for the air traffic control tower at Colorado Air and Spaceport CASP, according to officials.  As part of this funding, $1.6 million was awarded across the state for this program.

The Colorado Energy Office awarded 16 grants in this first round of funding. 

“By better using the heat beneath our feet to help us, we are leading the nation in innovative clean energy technologies that save Coloradans money and protect our air quality,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis. “Investing in geothermal heating technology increases energy reliability and serves as a low-cost energy source.”

The grants will fund five single-structure geothermal projects, nine thermal energy network studies, and two thermal energy network installation efforts, according to officials. 

Additionally, 89.3% of the funding would be allocated to serve disproportionately impacted and low-income communities.

Gov. Polis’s goal is to make “The Heat Beneath Our Feet” initiative the leading effort in the Mountain West to advance geothermal technology, according to officials. 

According to officials, this is the last funding round through the Geothermal Energy Grant Program; incentives for geothermal projects are available until 2032 or until funding runs out.

For more information on these projects, see the Colorado Energy Office Geothermal Incentive Award Tracker.

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City officials Monday night saluted Elizabeth Ann Price as Westminster’s “mom” lauding her work as an educator, journalist and historian.

Councilor Obi Ezeadi also made sure people knew that Price’s kindness was just as remarkable as all her other achievements.

“She really was the mom of Westminster,” Ezeadi said as he introduced a proclamation during the regular city council meeting honoring Price. “She advocated for me when no one else would. She always said we do all things in love…and because of love.”

At least a dozen of Price’s family and friends crowded Ezeadi as he stood in front of the council to read the proclamation for the 98-year-old Price, who died June 3.

Price was a booster for the city but also reminded officials that there had been long-standing mistrust between residents and the city’s government, Ezeadi said.

“She always said that a community is bigger than streets and lights,” he said.

Invested deeply

Price was born in Kansas and moved to Westminster in 1951 with her husband, Garnet. Once here, they built their home, raised five children and “…invested deeply in the life of the city for over seven decades,” the proclamation states.

She taught at Westminster High School, Hodgkins Junior High and eventually Ranum High School, where she served as journalism advisor for The Ranum Roundup until her retirement in 1992. She left behind “generations of students who remember her guidance and care…” the proclamation states.

Price was “cornerstone of Westminster’s civic and cultural life, serving over 20 years with the Westminster Retired School Employees Association, more than 25 years on the Friends of the Westminster Public Library Board, and as an honorary member and historian of Zeta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma,” the proclamation states.

She received numerous recognitions and awards, including the “Light of Christ” award from the Denver Presbytery and “Citizen of the Year” from the Westminster Legacy Foundation. She also authored the 125-year history of the Westminster Presbyterian Church and became a meticulous family historian, compiling extensive genealogies that connected relatives across generations and continents, a “…labor of love that enriched her community and kin,” the proclamation states.

Her son, Larry Price, said his mother stayed active throughout her life and was a living historical resource for the whole community.

“You could come to her and learn the history of Westminster,” Price said. “She did not have to pick up a book or anything.”

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Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a lawsuit in coordination with more than 20 other states Monday against the Trump administration, accusing it of unlawfully freezing approximately $80 million in federal education funding intended for Colorado schools.

The freeze, announced June 30 by the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Department of Education, has thrown local school districts, including Jefferson County, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Westminster Public Schools, Weld RE-8 and 27-J Schools, into disarray just weeks before the new academic year begins.

The lawsuit contends that the freeze violates the U.S. Constitution and multiple federal laws by blocking funds that Congress had already appropriated.

Weiser called the move “disruptive and reckless,” saying it forces school leaders to rework budgets, staffing and programming on the fly.

“I have heard directly from Colorado school superintendents how disruptive and reckless this arbitrary freeze of federal funding is to them,” Weiser said. “Schools deserve to be treated fairly, and this administration’s lack of regard for the impact of this lawless decision is appalling.”

Funding pulled with one day’s notice

Each year, the U.S. Department of Education distributes grants by July 1 so states and districts can budget for services that support students and educators.

The funds typically cover programming for English learners, migrant students, after-school and summer learning, teacher training, technology access and school climate initiatives.

Until this year, the money had arrived on schedule.

This summer, state agencies received notice just one day before the new fiscal year that the Department would not be obligating any funds for these programs, despite previously approving state plans.

A June 30 email from the Department stated that decisions had not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for the upcoming academic year due to “a review of the programs’ consistency with, among other things, the President’s priorities.”

According to the lawsuit, this eleventh-hour notification left states without time to address what it calls “a momentous fiscal vacuum.”

The complaint describes the freeze as “unlawful, arbitrary and capricious, and unconstitutional,” and states that the Department of Education and OMB have no authority to withhold the congressionally appropriated formula funds for discretionary review.

Local districts scramble to respond

The fallout has been immediate.

Jefferson County Public Schools estimates a $3 million shortfall directly tied to the freeze. Programs supporting multilingual learners, professional development for educators and community engagement are now at risk. Because of federal supplanting rules, the district cannot legally use general fund dollars to fill the gap, even if funding is eventually released.

Adams 12 Five Star Schools also faces budget uncertainty, but Superintendent Chris Gdowski said that, based on careful budget planning, families and staff will not see disruptions this year.

However, he warned that if the federal government does not release the funds soon or cuts them again next year, the district may not be able to sustain the affected programs long term.

According to reporting from KUNC, summer youth enrichment programs offered by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver rely on nearly $1 million in federal funding now threatened by the freeze. 

Weld RE-8, a smaller district serving Fort Lupton and surrounding communities, is bracing for the possibility of reducing support staff and postponing student services. 

In 27-J Schools, Superintendent Will Pierce said the district is using contingency funds for the 2025-2026 school year but will have to make adjustments if the funds remain unavailable long-term.

Constitutional clash over spending authority

Weiser emphasized that only Congress has the authority to decide how federal money is spent. The lawsuit claims the Trump administration overstepped by holding back education funds that Congress had already approved and the President had signed into law.

At stake, Weiser said, is not just the money, but the principle that education budgets shouldn’t be used as political leverage.

According to the complaint, the Constitution gives Congress, not the President, the power to control spending. The lawsuit argues that the administration is ignoring its legal obligations by refusing to release money that has already been allocated.

“Yet that is exactly what Defendants are attempting to do here,” the lawsuit states.

Weiser is co-leading the lawsuit with attorneys general from California, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The attorneys general of more than a dozen other states, along with the governors of Pennsylvania and Kentucky, have joined the legal challenge.

Broader impact extends to red states

While the lawsuit was filed by states led by Democratic governors, the impact of the funding freeze is especially severe in Republican-leaning states. Red states are, on average, more dependent on federal education dollars than blue states.

They receive roughly 17% of their public school funding from federal sources, compared to just 11% in states that voted for President Harris. The freeze affects critical programs, including Title I-C for migrant education, Title II-A for professional development, Title III-A for English-learner services and Title IV programs for academic enrichment and after-school activities.

Rural districts in red states are among the hardest hit, with Mississippi, South Dakota, and Arkansas receiving over 22% of their education funding from federal sources.

States like Wyoming and Alabama have already warned of potential teacher layoffs and program cuts. The situation underscores a growing contradiction between political rhetoric about federal overreach and the practical reliance many red states have on federal dollars.

Schools urge swift resolution 

Some districts say they’ll face impossible choices before the first bell rings. The 2025–26 school year begins in a matter of weeks, and many schools are preparing contingency plans in case the funding isn’t restored.

“Our schools need stability and support,” Weiser said. “Instead, they’re being forced to undo months of planning because of a decision that is both unlawful and indifferent to the needs of our students.”

The lawsuit also highlights how essential programs from English learner services to teacher training to adult education and reentry programs are now at risk. 

“The abrupt freeze is wreaking havoc on key teacher training programs as well as programs that make school more accessible to children with special learning needs,” the complaint states.

A hearing date has not yet been scheduled, but the coalition is asking the court to declare the freeze unlawful and block any attempt to withhold or delay the funding.

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