Good morning, Colorado.

I have yet to pick up pickleball. I know, I know. It’s particularly egregious because a new pickleball court opened just steps from my apartment last year. I’m determined to get my hands on a paddle at some point so I can finally step off the sidelines and take a whack at the sport.

However, I’d also argue that pickleball has long had its moment and stolen far too much of the spotlight. Perhaps — hear me out — it’s time we swap the pickleball for the birdie.

That’s right. This is the summer of badminton. You heard it here first! Who’s ready to join me in dusting off our racquets, untangling our nets and practicing smashing the birdie with a violent flick of the wrist? It’s terrific cardio, an excellent way to perfect your hand-eye coordination and a great excuse to stock up on Capri Suns for those crucial water breaks. I first fell in love with the game while playing with an intramural league during high school. It’s been years since I’ve tested my agility on the court and it’s time to get back out there.

So hopefully I’ll see you on the other side of the net one Saturday afternoon in the not-so-distant future. Before that, our staff hopes to see you at our third annual Colorado SunFest tomorrow! Don’t have a ticket yet? No need to panic. You can snag yours at the door.

As for today, let’s get caught up on what you need to know across Colorado.

THE NEWS

ENERGY

The greening of the American power grid is still pushing forward, but not every state is equal. And as Michael Booth explains, Colorado is ranking high enough to be considered a leader, but it’s facing surprising competition from Great Plains neighbors like Kansas.

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BUSINESS

After blackouts more than doubled in 2024 — and customer complaints experienced a similar spike — Colorado regulators voted to not take Xcel’s word that it has addressed the underlying issues and to begin monthly monitoring of the state’s largest power company. Mark Jaffe has more.

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​​HOUSING

It can be a little difficult to keep track of all the ways local organizations are trying to tackle chronic homelessness, with models like “housing first,” “work first” and “ready-to-work” competing for the limited resources. But Jennifer Brown can help you understand the difference in this tour of three ideologically different programs — all blossoming from the funding seeded during the height of the pandemic — that are opening this month.

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MORE NEWS

• A new era of single-stair apartment buildings is coming to Denver and other Colorado cities. Under House Bill 1273, cities with more than 100,000 residents must revise their building codes by Dec. 1, 2027, to allow for a single stairway exit in apartment buildings of up to five stories, with a maximum of four units to a floor. Backers say fewer internal stairways are a way to significantly lower the building cost for multi-family housing and help ease the state’s high cost of living.
• Get ready to see a lot more mini-trucks — also known as kei trucks — on Colorado’s roads. The new law authorizes a kei vehicle to operate on the state’s roads and requires the vehicle to be 25 years old, issued a certificate of title, be registered and to obey monitor vehicle traffic laws. Kei vehicles will be allowed on roads with speed limits up to 55 mph.

COLORADO REPORT

• Boulder suspect in knife menacing case released after using fake name, then arrested again. Alyiah Faith Veg, 52, gave police the name of a younger relative with virtually no criminal record and was released on bond after being arrested for allegedly threatening a teacher and group of schoolchildren with a knife during a field trip to downtown Boulder.
  — The Boulder Reporting Lab
• Basalt short-term rental fee passes. Basalt Town Council voted Tuesday to approve a fee on short-term rentals. The 4-3 vote will impose a $2,535-per-bedroom fee on STR operators. The new cost will be charged in addition to existing licensing fees.
  — The Aspen Times
• EPA announces rollback for some Biden-era limits on “forever chemicals” in drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency says it will roll back limits on several types of PFAS in drinking water after water utilities sued, claiming that the agency lacked the authority to regulate — a push that fit in with other Trump administration efforts to roll back the power of regulators.
  — AP News

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

What’s Happening

Amache Pilgrimage(and some metro alternatives). At 6:30 a.m. Saturday, a bus will leave the Denver Buddhist Temple in downtown’s Sakura Square and steer southeast toward Amache, echoing a trip that thousands of Japanese Americans took during World War II to the remote Eastern Plains near Granada from homes and holding camps along the West Coast. This time, the trip is by choice.

The 50th annual pilgrimage to the Amache National Historic Site takes place this weekend, with a full schedule of free tours and shared meals. Those who choose to drive themselves out (as opposed to taking the bus trip) will have access to three days worth of programming, including a Sunday visit to the site of the Sand Creek Massacre, a linkup that emerged in 2023.

For those who can’t make the trip, exhibits at the Denver Art Museum, Colorado Photographic Arts Center and the Rocky Mountain Quilt Center are a Front Range alternative, paying homage to the mass incarceration of Japanese and Japanese Americans, viewed through an artistic lens.

Most activities free, registration required; May 16-18; Amache National Historic Site, County Road 23 5/10, Granada

• Denver’s Chinatown: Taste, Talk and Tour. A guided tour of the “Where is Denver Chinatown” exhibition, a panel discussion and appetizers from three local restaurants. The event isn’t until May 28, but registration closes May 21. $55; 6:30-8 p.m., May 28; History Colorado Center, 1200 N. Broadway, Denver
• Lamar Days. Pancake breakfast, barbeque lunch, all-day entertainment in the park and the annual “no booze cruise” and car show at the Sonic drive-in. Free; May 16; Lamar Chamber, 109 E. Beech St., Lamar
• Backcountry Symposium. A free, full-day event with a resource fair, panel discussions and presentations, all geared toward a better understanding of the backcountry. Free; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., May 17; TACAW, 400 Robinson St., Basalt

Hope to see you tonight — or tomorrow at Colorado SunFest! Tickets are available at the door, so come swing by the University of Denver and hang out. Have a great day!

— Erica & the whole staff of The Sun

Corrections & Clarifications

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