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Bow Mar's gate fight draws national attention

A New York Times report highlights tensions over traffic, safety and public access.

Politics

Building barriers may make communities safer, but it can also deepen divisions between neighbors.At least that&#x27;s the takeaway from this week&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="New York Times story" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/bow-mar-colorado-suburb-gated-town.html" data-vars-content-id="1b0c8f8f-b225-4574-b5de-5981b4086aea" data-vars-headline="Bow Mar&#x27;s gate fight draws national attention" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/bow-mar-colorado-suburb-gated-town.html" target="_blank">New York Times story</a> about Bow Mar&#x27;s controversial plan to gate its Sheridan Boulevard entrance — and the battle over public access.

Grow a monster pumpkin with these tips

A Colorado pumpkin-growing expert shares his secrets to producing huge gourds.

News

Next Halloween&#x27;s hulking pumpkins start with a patch of dirt this fall.The big picture: That is, if you want a gourd that&#x27;ll make your neighbors jealous and your exes on Facebook rethink their decisions.

I tried Denver South's $1 electric scooters

A new scooter pilot connects Denver's south 'burbs.

Guides

Did you spot an impossibly handsome man riding an electric scooter through Greenwood Village in an ill-fitting helmet recently?<ul><li>Me too. The jerk blew past me at 15 mph.</li></ul>

Aurora residents mobilize over massive data center

Neighbors want more scrutiny for a massive data center

Business

Dan Bergander&#x27;s forever home in northeast Aurora might come with an unexpected — and unwanted — neighbor.The big picture: Vantage Data Centers wants to build its massive Trident campus near thousands of residents who have little say over what happens next.

LDS church's Aurora development boom

The Tributary development could include more than 12,000 residents.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is planning nearly 4,900 homes on land it&#x27;s quietly owned in Aurora for decades.The big picture: The church&#x27;s real estate arm, Property Reserve Inc., is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="developing" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-08-25/florida-colorado-developments-are-part-of-mormon-church-s-real-estate-arm" data-vars-content-id="35587c4e-7446-4970-991e-3fd97c9c7852" data-vars-headline="LDS church&#x27;s Aurora development boom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-08-25/florida-colorado-developments-are-part-of-mormon-church-s-real-estate-arm" target="_blank">developing</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tributary" data-vars-click-url="https://tributarycolorado.com/" data-vars-content-id="35587c4e-7446-4970-991e-3fd97c9c7852" data-vars-headline="LDS church&#x27;s Aurora development boom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://tributarycolorado.com/" target="_blank">Tributary</a> across roughly 960 acres between I-70 and East Sixth Avenue, on Aurora&#x27;s far-east side.

Littleton tree to lose its top

Ips beetles infested the roughly 50-year-old tree near Main Street's west end, leaving one of Littleton's beloved landmarks fighting to survive.

Climate

Littleton&#x27;s most sentimental spruce is likely to look a lot different this time next month.The big picture: Ips beetles — aka engraver beetles — infested the roughly 50-year-old tree near Main Street&#x27;s west end, leaving one of Littleton&#x27;s most beloved landmarks fighting to survive.

Colorado's golden beginnings

I found Colorado gold, but the story's worth far more.

Culture

Colorado&#x27;s 150th birthday is next month, but I don&#x27;t need a beard or a pickaxe to connect with stories that helped put our Centennial State on the map.Flashback: An 1858 <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="gold discovery" data-vars-click-url="https://www.the-old-west.com/articles/pike-s-peak-gold-rush" data-vars-content-id="9c95c7d2-1ee0-4ba1-b69d-67baa69d3041" data-vars-headline="Colorado&#x27;s golden beginnings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.the-old-west.com/articles/pike-s-peak-gold-rush" target="_blank">gold discovery</a> near Arapahoe County&#x27;s South Platte River and Little Dry Creek confluence was a major moment in the rush that drew fortune-seekers West.

Aurora mulls data center limits

Data centers have become a national flashpoint.

Aurora is poised for a wider debate over data center rules, as Councilmember Amy Wiles explores new regulations and residents question whether the city is ready for AI-fueled growth.The big picture: Aurora is the latest Colorado city grappling with data centers as communities statewide weigh the infrastructure needed to support cloud services, businesses and artificial intelligence.

County Lines: Aurora's fracking fight leader

Environment

Randy Willard dedicated three years to fighting a battle he suspected he would lose.Why it matters: The 63-year-old retired IT specialist became the unlikely leader of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Save the Aurora Reservoir (STAR)" data-vars-click-url="https://savetheaurorareservoir.org/" data-vars-content-id="3e35ef64-fbff-4ba7-b867-ca6986947503" data-vars-headline="County Lines: Aurora&#x27;s fracking fight leader" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://savetheaurorareservoir.org/" target="_blank">Save the Aurora Reservoir (STAR)</a>, a grassroots group that fought a residential fracking operation near a major drinking water source in southeast Aurora.

Neighbors react to nuclear plan at Buckley Space Force base

Some neighbors support a proposed microreactor, but concerns remain.

Aerospace

Aurora residents soon could be living near a nuclear microreactor.The big picture: Neighbors in the shadows of Buckley Space Force Base say the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="April announcement" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ans.org/news/article-7930/colorado-montana-bases-selected-for-dod-microreactor-program/" data-vars-content-id="cfc0df60-54ec-420a-bf05-da85d52f72f2" data-vars-headline="Neighbors react to nuclear plan at Buckley Space Force base" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ans.org/news/article-7930/colorado-montana-bases-selected-for-dod-microreactor-program/" target="_blank">April announcement</a> naming the base a preferred site for a nuclear project came without warning.

Aurora water restrictions: What you need to know

New rules limit watering days and add fines as Aurora faces low snowpack.

The City of Aurora is formally curbing water use in response to historically <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="low snowpack" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/01/13/colorado-snowpack-drought-record-levels" data-vars-content-id="5c2d21d6-826d-430c-93c1-de7c13753702" data-vars-headline="Aurora water restrictions: What you need to know" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/01/13/colorado-snowpack-drought-record-levels" target="_self">low snowpack</a> and amid growing water shortage concerns ahead of warming weather.Why it matters: Aurora Water wants a 20% reduction in water use, affecting everything from lawn watering to development, as the city tries to stretch limited supplies.

Environment

Aurora residents mobilize over massive data center

LDS church's Aurora development boom

Littleton tree to lose its top

Colorado's golden beginnings

CU study challenges Colorado's moose origin story