Wheat Ridge's Latest Community News

If Sports Illustrated is right, Denver’s lively LoDo (Lower Downtown) is the favorite downtown of National Hockey League players — and probably not just because one of America’s best bookstores, the Tattered Cover, has a store here. With a high concentration of clubs, restaurants, bars, art galleries and shops, anchored by Coors Field and the Pepsi Center, there’s a lot more to do in Denver’s hip, showcase neighborhood than just browsing books.

Today renovated hotels and old brick warehouses converted to pricey new lofts line the neighborhood. Two hundred years ago, though, teepees dotted the prairie along the South Platte River where  the Arapahoe tribe made camp.

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You might think Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood is all about politicians and legislation, lobbyists and fundraisers. It all definitely happens in and around the State Capitol Building. But take a walking tour around the area and you’ll see funky restaurants, second-hand shops, students, street people, small-business owners, dogwalkers, bicycle riders and alternative lifestyles…all in one of the most densely populated areas in town. Like diversity? Visit Capitol Hill.

With street boundaries from Broadway to Downing and 7th to 20th avenues, this is a mixed-usage neighborhood that runs the gamut. You’ll find the namesake Colorado State Capitol Building and the governor’s mansion, and a number of Victorian homes that function as single-family residences for a lucky few and divided into apartments for most. Businesses are locally owned and tend toward off-the-beaten-path products and services, with a sprinkling of law and public

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A planned mixed-usage area with distinct boundaries, the Lowry neighborhood has garnered awards and plenty of attention since it broke ground in 1996. With retail, education and recreation opportunities, corporate and residential real estate, plus parks and open space all within its three square miles, Lowry is a complete community. The centralized East Denver-West Aurora location is an easy commute to all points in the metro area. Its borders? They’re defined by the previous, gated venue: Lowry Air Force Base.

Lowry stays true to its high-flying history—logos and signage all reflect the traditional U.S. Air Force star. Hangars No. 1 and 2 remain as part of Wings Over the Rockies Aviation & Science Museum, where military planes are displayed indoors and out. Officers’ quarters were transformed into distinctive duplexes, and other government housing and buildings turned into lofts, apartments and business offices. New construct

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Many of Denver’s well-known neighborhoods are anchored by a prominent retail center, park or other distinguishing landmark. Outside of its public golf course, Park Hill is primarily a residential area with a limited number of niche restaurants and retail outlets. Residents represent a variety of ages, incomes and ethnicities. Historic homes are showpieces, but what really puts this place on the map? A clear-cut atmosphere of community pride. Welcome to Park Hill.

Located about five miles from downtown, Park Hill’s east-west borders span Quebec Street to Colorado Boulevard (directly across the street from City Park), and run from Colfax Avenue north to 52nd Street. The area boasts more schools, recreation centers and churches than commercial retail hubs. The few restaurants and shops within its borders are most often small and community-oriented, like its neighborhood library. Public-friendly Park Hill Golf Club, known for its well-kept, decidedly un-citif

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 Frontier Airlines is now offering discounts on flights out Denver International Airport between August 24 and November 17. The deal ends at 9:59 MDT Wednesday, August 4.

Special rates are offered for U.S. destinations Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Mexico destinations are offered Monday through Thursday. Tickets must be bought at Frontierairlines.com.

Sample one-way fares from Denver International Airport include: $29 to Albuquerque and Aspen; $39 to Salt Lake City and Tucson; $49 to Austin, Durango, Omaha and Phoenix; $59 to Boise, Chicago-Midway, Houston-Bush, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, Santa Barbara and St. Louis; $69 to Billings, Bozeman, Long Beach, Rapid City and Wichita; and $79 to Indianapolis, Minneapolis-St. Paul and San Francisco.

One-way fare

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A grass field just outside of Denver caught fire on Monday afternoon. Firefighters say that the fire burned up to 73 acres. The fire is 90 percent contained and should be fully contained Tuesday afternoon.

The fire was burning for hours along C-470 just south of Morrison Road. It was reported Monday afternoon, but no one knows how it was started.

Rain provided some help for the firefighters as they stood by and watched throughout the night. Firefighters reported no change in the fire activity overnight.

 More than 2,000 Colorado businesses, from growers to dispensaries, have applied for a new medical marijuana licences. This provides the first preliminary count of businesses in the state. 

The Colorado Department of Revenue closed its doors on the new medical-marijuana division this past Sunday. The division received 717 applicants for a state dispensary licence, while another 271 applied for a marijuana-product business and another 1,071 applicants filed for a marijuana-growing facility. 

This figure could still rise because of applicants that were postmarked before the due date will still be counted. 

The 2,059 total applicants brought in more that $7 million in fees. On average, that is about $3,400 per business.

Lance Armstrong and Governor Bill Ritter are set to make an announcement for the formation of a new major pro cycling event. Armstrong and Ritter have previously talked about reviving the Coors Classic bicycle race, which in time of existence was the fourth largest bike race in the world. 

Michael Aisner, the director of the Coors Classic,  said Colorado "works" for big pro races. "The whole idea that this thing could come back 22 years after our last event is an extraordinary thing, and I'll tell you there's one reason why: there's not a greater place on this earth than Colorado," also says Aisner. 

The seven-time Tour De France winner Armstrong will lead fans on a ride following the event in Colorado. 

A Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy and a suspect were wounded in exchange of gunfire on Sunday. The sheriff's office say the shooting occurred early Sunday morning on Highway 83 near Franktown, about 20 miles south of Denver.

Deputies were responding to a report of someone with a gun when they spotted the suspect's car. The suspect was reported to have opened fire on the deputies, wounding one of them while the car was stopped. The deputy returned fire and critically wounded the suspect, who was hospitalized. 

The deputy and suspect have not yet been identified, and it is still not clear how many shots were fired. The deputy was treated and released Monday morning.

Investigators are looking into what caused a miniature train to derail at an amusement park southwest of Denver. They are trying to determine if the conductor made a mistake that caused the train to derail, injuring 21 people.

The train went off the rails as it rounded a turn at Tiny Town, a miniature village made up of more than 100 buildings, on Wednesday. A total of 21 people were hurt. 16 passengers were hospitalized with injuries ranging from bumps and bruises, to broken bones. 

According to the Colorado Department of Labor, the regulatory agency overseeing the investigation, said the train's conductor had reported a rapid acceleration just before the train derailed. Investigators are determining if that acceleration was due to operator error or mechanical malfunction. 

Tiny Town was immediately closed after the accident. It is unclear when it will reopen.