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Colorado - Tue. 06/23/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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TOP-PAID CEOS SMASH THE $200 MILLION PAYDAY
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The $100-million-plus CEO is back with a bang, just a year after nine-figure pay packages seemed to be fading. More U.S. CEOs last year crossed the once-rare pay threshold than in any year since 2021—and nearly a dozen topped $200 million. Their compensation looked like crumbs, of course, compared with Elon Musk’s $158 billion pay package from Tesla, which set a new record and is about 16 times the combined value for all 391 other chiefs in The Wall Street Journal’s annual CEO pay ranking. (Musk’s deal could ultimately be worth $1 trillion.) Still, No. 2 Shankh Mitra reached $821 million from Welltower, a real-estate investment trust focused on senior housing and healthcare. That lands him one of the biggest executive-pay packages for a public-company CEO over the past decade.
Just over half the CEOs making over $100 million last year ran companies outside the S&P 500, meaning they aren’t included in the Journal’s ranking. They include Dylan Field of design-software company Figma, at $864 million, and Kaz Nejatian of Opendoor Technologies, an online real-estate transaction platform, at $741 million. Overall, median CEO pay rose to nearly $18 million at S&P 500 companies in 2025—a new high. More executives made over $50 million, and the share making under $10 million shrank further. Two of the highest-paid CEOs ran top-performing companies: Warner Bros. Discovery ranked fourth by performance and reported pay of $165 million for David Zaslav. Broadcom, ranked seventh in performance, said total pay for Hock Tan reached $205 million.
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EASTERN COLORADO FARMERS BRACE FOR WORST WHEAT HARVEST SINCE 1965
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Climate conditions in Colorado have crippled the 2026 winter wheat crop. Instead of mile after mile of dense, waist-high stems and heads heavy with grain, this year’s crop rises barely more than ankle-high, is sparse and projected to yield a fraction of previous crops. Colorado is forecast to produce just 33.6 million bushels of winter wheat in 2026. This represents a 52 percent drop from the state’s 10-year average, resulting from severe drought and ill-timed periods of freezing temperatures across a wide swath of America’s wheat belt. Most of the wheat grown in eastern Colorado is classified as No. 2 hard red winter wheat, used mostly for baking bread and making noodles. Freezing temperatures, wind and a lack of snowfall damaged the crop over the winter. There was little or no snowmelt to water the crop during the spring warm-up. And precipitation has been dismal at best.
Brad Erker, executive director of the Colorado Wheat Administrative Council in Fort Collins, said that during the annual Wheat Field Days earlier this month he was told this year’s crop is the worst in recent memory. “I had farmers who have been farming 50, sometimes 60 years, say it’s the worst they’ve ever seen,” he said. The National Agricultural Statistics Service says it’s the worst since 1965.
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POLIS ADMINISTRATION AWARDS $30 MILLION FOR LOCAL CLIMATE POLICY PROJECTS
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Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Energy Office announced $30 million in grants to 18 local and tribal governments for projects to reduce emissions, improve air quality and promote energy efficiency. This second and final round of the federally funded Local IMPACT Accelerator Grant program brings the total spending to $51.7 million. The first round had awarded $21.6 million to 17 projects earlier this year. The grants support policy adoption and implementation in buildings, land use, transportation and waste. Officials at the Colorado Energy Office said it prioritized projects with strong stakeholder support, long-term impacts and benefits to low-income communities.
- Three projects target building emissions. The City of Aspen leads a cohort of 10 jurisdictions in adopting advanced building energy codes for all-electric new construction. The effort includes workforce training and incentives for affordable housing, according to authorities.
- Seven projects address land use, including updates to support clean energy development and accessory dwelling units. Alamosa County, for example, plans to revise land use rules for solar and geothermal projects and study opportunities for farmers to add renewable production to their operations.
- Seven projects include transportation elements, such as electric vehicle adoption and multimodal options. The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe will conduct a transit assessment, pursue fleet electrification and improve regional coordination.
- Five projects focus on waste diversion. The City of Lakewood and Town of Silverton, for example, will develop a pay-as-you-throw policy to reduce waste volumes.
The full list of Round 1 and Round 2 awardees and project descriptions are available in the official summary of awards: energyoffice.colorado.gov/local-impact-accelerator.
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ALAN GREENSPAN, FORMER FED CHAIRMAN, DIES AT AGE 100
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Alan Greenspan, the longtime Federal Reserve chairman known as “the Maestro” who became one of the most influential economic policymakers of his era and famously warned of “irrational exuberance,” has died. He was 100. The influential economist died Monday at his home from complications of Parkinson’s Disease, said his wife of 29 years, Andrea Mitchell, the chief Washington correspondent and chief foreign affairs correspondent for NBC News. “He was a giant of a man who helped shape the U.S. economy for decades under presidents of both parties, but was always honest in acknowledging his mistakes,” Mitchell said in a statement. Greenspan was appointed Fed chairman in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan and held the position — through busts and booms — until retiring in 2006. His tenure was the second longest, four months short of that of William McChesney Martin, who presided over the central bank from 1951 to 1970.
The Fed in a statement Monday morning said it noted Greenspan’s passing “with deep sadness” and said his “contributions to monetary policy and economic thought left a lasting mark on this institution, on the broader field of economics, and on the country.” Greenspan played the clarinet and saxophone and briefly attended the Juilliard School. He played in Woody Herman’s jazz band (as did another future White House official, Leonard Garment), before he enrolled in New York University, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics by 1950. He eventually received his Ph.D. in 1977 — at age 51.
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GREELEY STAMPEDE'S NEW APP ALLOWS VISITORS TO CREATE THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES
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With new attractions and a new way to plan your fun, the Greeley Stampede is encouraging everyone to customize the Stampede exactly to their liking this year. “Live your Stampede experience,” Stampede Marketing Manager Kevin McFarling said. “Because there are so many things going on that you can customize your experience to be whatever you want it to be. We have arena concerts, the Tasman Park stage and the local stage. If you’re a foodie, there’s a food court and food throughout the park. There’s family entertainment. There are just so many different ways to make your own Stampede experience.” A new app, “Greeley Stampede Event Guide,” will help attendees take more control of their experience this year. The app allows users to buy and store tickets, view the schedule and save events they are interested in and view park rules before showing up.
The app is available to download on any platform by searching “Greeley Stampede.” Though not specified in the app, events in the brochure — both the physical and digital copies — in dark print are included with standard $5 admission into the park. The Stampede has also partnered with Greeley Hat Works, 2613 8th Ave., Georgia Boys, 2473 W. 28th St., and select King Soopers locations to give out admission coupons, bringing the cost of entry down to just $3.
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NASA SELECTS CU BOULDER MISSION TO STUDY SPACE WEATHER AROUND EARTH
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NASA has selected a mission concept led by the University of Colorado Boulder to study Earth’s space weather systems and their impact on the planet’s atmosphere. The Dynamic Atmosphere-Ionosphere Explorer, or DAPHNE, mission will enter NASA’s phase B of development, which includes planning and design for flight and mission operations. Led by Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics researcher Aimee Merkel, DAPHNE will use identical twin satellites to study how changes in Earth’s lower atmosphere influence the planet’s upper atmosphere, where space weather is created. The mission will help improve prediction capabilities for impacts on crucial technology, such as GPS and low Earth orbit satellites, as well as astronauts in space.
Both DAPHNE satellites will be equipped with three remote-sensing instruments that will provide multi-point measurements of winds, temperature and composition in very low Earth orbit, a region where Earth’s atmosphere transitions into charged particles. The mission will be subject to a confirmation review in 2027, which will assess the mission’s progress and the availability of funds. If confirmed, the total estimated cost of the mission, excluding launch, will not exceed $250 million in fiscal year 2023 dollars, with a mission launch date of no earlier than 2029.
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CU TO PURCHASE $30 MILLION DENVER OFFICE TOWER, AN ENTIRE BLOCK ON THE 16TH ST. MALL
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The University of Colorado approved the purchase of a $30 million, 25-story office tower on Monday, spanning an entire block of the 16th Street Mall in Denver. Independence Plaza, a 567,287-square-foot office tower in the Central Business District at 1050 17th St., is a full-block property spanning 17th Street, Curtis Street, Arapahoe Street and the 16th Street Mall. The University of Colorado Board of Regents approved the property acquisition during a specially scheduled board meeting on Monday. Built in 1971, the building features a lobby and a 25-story tower, along with a three-level parking garage that contains nearly 700 parking spots. CBRE, the firm that marketed the building for sale, lists it as just 21 percent occupied. CU Denver will manage planning efforts to attract new tenants.
The current owner is Independence Plaza Investment Group Inc, which acquired the property in 2007 for $144.5 million. The property was sold to CU for a much lower sum of $29.8 million, given the property’s vacancy and the overall market for downtown office real estate.
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NORTHWEST COLORADO STATE PARKS EXPERIENCING WATER SHORTAGES, REDUCED BOATING ACCESS
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Impacts from Colorado’s extreme drought conditions are hitting several state parks in the state’s northwest corner. Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced emergency water conservation measures and boating restrictions at both Sylvan Lake State Park in Eagle County and Rifle Gap State Park in Garfield County. Both parks are located within some of the more extreme drought conditions in Colorado. According to the June 18 U.S. Drought Monitor, Eagle County and western Garfield County are experiencing exceptional drought conditions — the worst measured by the monitor.
- Sylvan Lake State Park: At Sylvan Lake State Park outside of Eagle, the park’s main source and well, Zurcher Spring, has run completely dry and shows no signs of recovery due to the extreme drought conditions in the region. To maintain basic operations at the park, Parks and Wildlife has transitioned to using a secondary water source, Cowboy Spring. This spring is producing 2,000 gallons of water per day, and with park usage ranging between 2,500 and 3,000 gallons daily, park staff shut off all 17 public water spigots in the state park. Visitors are asked to help out by bringing their own water. Visitors can fill their tanks at the visitor center, which operates on a separate, functioning well system.
- Rifle Gap State Park: A little further west in Garfield County, Rifle Gap State Park is experiencing impacts brought on by the winter’s historically low snowpack and early snowmelt. Parks and Wildlife is reducing motorized boat launching to a single lane and has pulled all courtesy docks from the water. Access for hand-launched vessels like kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards will remain unaffected by the closure. Parks and Wildlife encourages boaters to exercise caution as low water levels have also exposed shallow, unmarked hazards across the reservoir, including uneven bottom topography, fish habitat structures, rocks and tree stumps. If the reservoir continues to recede at its current rate, the water levels will drop entirely below the concrete boat ramp, forcing a complete closure of the ramp to motorized watercraft for the remainder of the season in early July.
At both parks, the most current information can be found on their individual Facebook pages and websites at CPW.State.CO.US/state-parks.
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COLORADO AMONG THE 'MOST PATRIOTIC' STATES IN THE U.S., STUDY FINDS
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Colorado is the fourth most patriotic state in the U.S., according to a new study from WalletHub released in advance of Independence Day. The study looked at 13 measures of civic and military engagement in all 50 states, giving points for factors such as military enlistment and veteran status, different forms of volunteerism and voter participation. Community factors counted for a larger portion of the score than military factors in the study. “The most patriotic states have a lot of residents who serve or have served in the armed forces, high voter turnouts during elections, and a high share of the population volunteering with national or local organizations,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in a release announcing the study. “Patriotism also isn’t concentrated in any one particular area – the top states are located in vastly different geographic regions.”
According to WalletHub’s methodology, the most patriotic states are scattered across the U.S.:
- Virginia
- Montana
- Vermont
- Colorado
- Oregon
- North Dakota
- Washington
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- New Hampshire
Five of the seven states touching Colorado are in the top 20 for patriotism in WalletHub’s study. Here's how Colorado's neighboring states ranked:
- Utah (No. 11)
- Kansas (13)
- Wyoming (15)
- Nebraska (17)
- New Mexico (20)
- Oklahoma (33)
- Arizona (35)
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ONE OF THE BUSIEST ZIP CODES FOR MOVERS IN THE COUNTRY IS IN COLORADO
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Aurora’s 80019 ZIP code was the hottest in Colorado and second most active for inbound moves per capita in the U.S., according to research by MovingPlace, an online moving marketplace and brokerage. Aurora’s 80019 scored well in moves with a destination in the ZIP code per 1,000 people, seeing 12.05 moves per capita. That put it 0.01 move per 1,000 behind 34987 in Port St. Lucie, Florida, the national leader in the report. That is close enough that one more move would have made 80019 — with 6,141 residents — No. 1.
The 80019 ZIP code includes neighborhoods between two fast-growing areas of metro Denver: the University of Colorado Anschutz campus and Denver International Airport. Anschutz hosts a tech incubator and three hospitals as part of CU’s medical campus in Aurora, while the corridor connecting the airport to the metro area continues to be filled in with ambitious development.
Eight of the 10 hottest ZIP codes for movers in Colorado were in Denver or its suburbs:
- Aurora (80019), 12.05 moves per 1,000
- Denver (80202), 7.62
- Denver (80203), 7.11
- Colorado Springs (80927), 5.89
- Denver (80204), 5.74
- Denver (80218), 5.63
- Westcliffe (81252), 5.44
- Denver (80216), 5.36
- Broomfield (80021), 5.03
- Denver (80205), 4.76
What are the busiest ZIP codes for movers in the U.S.? Seven of the 10 — are in the Sun Belt. Only one hot zip code is ranked higher than Aurora.
- Port St. Lucie, Florida (34987), 12.06
- Aurora (80019), 12.05
- Crandall, Texas (75114), 11
- Nashville (37228), 10.2
- Austin, Texas (78701), 9.4
- Lavon, Texas (75166), 9.3
- Manchester, New Hampshire (03101), 9.2
- (Tied for No. 8) San Antonio, Florida (33576), 9
- (Tied for No. 8) Surprise, Arizona (85387), 9
- Sunrise Beach, Missouri (65079), 8.5
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MARKET UPDATE - 06/22/2026 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 06/18/2026)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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