AUTO THEFTS AT DIA THIS YEAR ALREADY TOP THE NUMBER FOR ALL OF LAST YEAR

Denver and Denver airport law enforcement officials say that the frequency of auto thefts from the garages and parking lots at Denver International Airport is double that of 2020. Thieves are swiping cars at a rate of about 16 a month. Even with reduced passenger numbers last year due to the pandemic, there were 97 vehicles taken from locations on DIA property. That is 24 percent higher than 2019. Through the end of July this year, 115 vehicle thefts have been reported. That is a 125 percent increase over the 51 reported stolen in the first seven months of 2020. These airport theft statistics do not include nearby hotels, private long-term parking lots and an off-site lot managed by DIA adjacent to the A-Line station at 61st and Peña Boulevard, but Denver law enforcement officials say thefts have increased in those locations as well.

GOOGLE EXPANDS IN BOULDER WITH PURCHASE OF OFFICE BUILDING

Google is continuing to expand its operations in Boulder. The huge tech firm has purchased the Reve, a new mixed-use development at 30th and Pearl streets. The Reve also includes a large residential component, which Google is not buying. The Reve purchase adds 125,000 square feet to Google's holdings in Boulder. Google has built a 300,000-square-foot campus at 2930 Pearl St., has taken over a nearly 160,000-square-foot facility at 3333 Walnut St. that was formerly home to CA Technologies Inc., and is occupying smaller offices at 2590 Pearl St. and 2600 Pearl St.

SPENDING HIGHER THAN EXPECTED, ECONOMY SHOWS RESILIENCE

The U.S. Commerce Dept. Thursday released a report which showed retail sales in the country rose 0.7 percent in August, blowing away the estimate by Wall Street analysts who predicted a 0.8 percent decline as well as reversing the decline in July. Consumers bought more groceries and merchandise at big-box stores and those purchases, along with higher spending on furniture and hardware, offset another decline in auto sales. The strong sales, along with the fact that employers did not lay off workers, were signs the economy was strong in view of the concerns that the Delta variant would stall the economy.

WITH NEW CITY HALL IN ASPEN, WHAT TO DO WITH THE ARMORY?

In 2017, the Aspen City Council made the decision to locate all the city employees in one building rather than having them in several locations around town. Aspen voters in 2018 selected the option of building a new city hall at Rio Grande and Galena Plaza. That building is almost complete and now the city needs to determine the use of the old city hall, the Armory building. The building dates to 1892 and served as city hall for 64 years. It was once a community gathering place for dances, events and it is registered as an historic place. The city council in October will consider a proposal from City Manager Sara Ott for a $7.5 million remodel project to convert it back to a community center.

ANDREWS NAMED AS REPLACEMENT FOR FERNANDEZ-ELY AS PITCO JUDGE

Gov. Jared Polis Thursday appointed Aspen public defender Ashley Andrews as the replacement for Pitkin County Judge Erin Fernandez-Ely, according to a news release. Fernandez-Ely will retire Oct. 31, and Andrews will assume the county judge position, which includes handling the Pitkin County misdemeanor docket, domestic violence and drunken driving cases. Andrews has worked in the Public Defender’s Office in the 9th Judicial District since 2019 and handled the felony court docket in Pitkin County. Before that, she worked in the 2nd Judicial District in Denver from 2013 to 2019, according to the release.

PANDEMIC CAUSED CHANGES IN EMPLOYMENT, NOW WORKERS ARE NEEDED

After the economy shut down last year due to COVID-19, the rebound has been varied and the nature of work has changed with some workers who were laid off receiving more in unemployment funds than they made at work, other workers finding they liked working from home, while others decided to find completely different work or start their own businesses. The result is employers now need workers. This is true across the state and in Mesa County. The Mesa County Workforce Center job fair on Sept. 1 had 54 companies represented, one of the largest representations ever. On Connecting Colorado, the job listing database, there are more than 900 job postings for Grand Junction.

$33 MILLION MONTROSE AIRPORT EXPANSION

On Sept. 15, the Montrose County commissioners signed a $33 million contract with FCI Constructors to remodel and expand the Montrose Regional Airport. The expansion includes 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor terminal construction, 8,000 square feet of terminal renovation, parking lot reconstruction, Ground Service Equipment parking and utility work. The expansion will nearly double the size of the terminal to approximately 70,000 square feet and add two additional gates. The expansion project is projected to take two years to complete. Since service returned to the airport this spring, after the limited service due to COVID-19, passenger numbers in April, May, June, July and August have all set new highs.

CITIES IN THE U.S. WHERE HOMES ARE OVERPRICED

Professors at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Florida International University (FIU) analyzed the nation’s 100 largest metro areas using publicly available data from Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin and the Federal Housing Finance Agency to come up with their ranking of the most overvalued housing markets in the U.S.:

1. Boise, Idaho: 80.64 percent (over what they should be priced)
2. Austin, Texas: 50.72 percent
3. Ogden, Utah: 49.70 percent
4. Provo, Utah: 46.16 percent
5. Detroit, Michigan: 45.57 percent
6. Spokane, Washington: 45.21 percent
7. Salt Lake City, Utah: 42.41 percent
8. Phoenix, Arizona: 42.31 percent
9. Las Vegas, Nevada: 41.88 percent
10. Stockton, California: 38.50 percent

JOIN WSVC EVERY SUNDAY DURING FOOTBALL SEASON

Join the Western Slope Veterans Coalition every Sunday during football season! Doors open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 801 Colorado Ave., in Glenwood Springs. To learn more about the WSVC, visit online at westernslopeveterans.org or call 970-233-8735.

WILD AND SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival, today, Friday, Sept. 17, 6:30 to 9 p.m., is Middle Colorado Watershed Council's flagship annual fundraising event. The format of this year's event is hybrid: on-lawn or online. The on-lawn option takes place at the recently-completed "River Stop" Interpretive Center at the I-70 Rifle rest area (near Lions Pond). The online viewing option allows you to participate from home! The films begin at 7 p.m. In addition to a new lineup of films, there are great raffle items (in-person only)! This event is a fun and family friendly way to support the Middle Colorado Watershed Council and all the organization's projects from Glenwood Springs to De Beque. For more information, call 970-625-1829 or visit the link below.

VETERAN SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH FUNDRAISER IN GJ

September is Veteran Suicide Prevention Month and Volley’s in Grand Junction is holding a fundraiser, "Reach Out," with the Student Veterans Assoc. and Colorado Mesa University. The fundraiser takes place Saturday, Sept. 18, beginning at 10 a.m. at Volley's, 1130 North Third St. Ten community co-ed teams made up of six players are needed. The teams are guaranteed three games. For more information, call 970-393-6379 or email Rainy.Reaman@va.gov.

AVLT OPEN HOUSE AT COFFMAN RANCH SEPT. 19

The Aspen Valley Land Trust completed its acquisition of the 141-acre Coffman Ranch located 1.5 miles east of Carbondale on the Roaring Fork River. AVLT plans to maintain the land as a working ranch and will establish an agriculture and conservation education center onsite. AVLT will launch a $7 million capital campaign to support conservation and public access to the ranch. There will be an open house at the ranch from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 19. RSVP at the link below. For more information, call ​970-963-8440.