🎤 Happy Thursday, and happy birthday to rockstar Robert Plant, who — legend has it — loves biking around Boulder and eating sandwiches when he tours the Front Range.

• Speaking of, he's headed for Colorado Springs in September.
• 🎵 Sounds like: "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, with highs in the 90s.

Today's newsletter is 839 words — a 3-minute read.

A Colorado judge took the rare step of dismissing a felony case after finding the state's failure to stop wrongdoing by former DNA analyst Yvonne "Missy" Woods' amounted to "outrageous government conduct."

Why it matters: The ruling could give defendants in other Woods-linked cases grounds for dismissal even without proof she manipulated evidence in their individual cases.

Driving the news: Weld County District Court Judge Vincente Vigil on Aug. 2 dismissed a felony child sex assault case involving Woods' DNA work.

• Vigil found that Woods' misconduct and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's failure to identify and address it amounted to “conduct that violates fundamental fairness," adding it's "shocking to the universal sense of justice," the Denver Post reports.
• Yes, but: The judge didn't find Woods manipulated evidence in this particular case, but indicated the "the scope and breadth" of the scandal warranted the ruling, per the Post.

How it works: Colorado judges can find "outrageous government conduct" and prohibit prosecution when the government's actions violate the fairness of the judicial system.

• "It's designed to protect an individual's due process rights," Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty told me.
• Colorado courts have recognized this doctrine since the 1970s, but Dougherty said defendants rarely succeed in getting cases dismissed on those grounds.

State of play: The Weld County DA's Office has appealed the ruling, which means there's a chance the Colorado Supreme Court weighs in and sets a precedent.

• Dougherty believes Weld prosecutors have a strong argument for reversing Vigil's ruling because the judge didn't find that Woods mishandled evidence in this particular case.

What they're saying: "Should hundreds of victims and community members be denied justice in order to punish Missy Woods and the state lab? That can't be the answer," Dougherty said.

Go deeper

Fortezza Ristorante is celebrating one year of Italian food, wine and hospitality in the quiet community between Boulder and Longmont.

Why it matters: The anniversary marks an early checkpoint for whether upscale dining can thrive in a place as small as Niwot.

Driving the news: To celebrate, Fortezza is holding a special garden party tomorrow with small plates, drinks and live music.

State of play: Husband-and-wife team Adam and Natalie Moore opened their eatery last August at 7916 Niwot Road.

• Adam Moore drew inspiration from visits to northern Italy while he was a general manager at Denver's Barolo Grill.

What to expect: Moore brought chef Egan Ma from Barolo to oversee Fortezza's ever-rotating menu, featuring ingredients from local farmers and even backyard garden produce.

• Already, Wine Spectator has recognized their curated wine list.

The big picture: Despite a population of just about 4,000, Niwot has attracted high-concept restaurants.

Reality check: Keeping them has proven trickier.

• Farow, which formerly occupied the Fortezza location, opened in 2021 as a farm-to-table spot, but shifted from fine dining and then closed in January 2025 due to rising costs.
• 1914 House closed in July 2024 after eight years, with its owner also citing similar money troubles.

The bottom line: The Moores both went to high school in Longmont and met there while bartending in college, so being part of this community is important to them.

• "This is a beautiful space … We very much feel like we are fitting in," Adam Moore said.

Tell a hungry friend

🔌 Xcel Energy's Colorado customers will pay an average of $5 per month more on their utility bills after state regulators approved a rate increase yesterday. (Denver Post 🔑)

💰 Speaking of money out the door, Boulder plans to start collecting its new transportation maintenance fee in 2027 to provide a steady funding source as sales tax revenue levels off. (Boulder Reporting Lab)

🔥 Fast-moving wildfires change landscapes so significantly that the forests may never grow back, a team of Colorado researchers found. (KRCC)

🎿 Following a historically warmm dry winter, Broomfield's Vail Resorts hopes Super El Niño weather patterns bring snowy conditions back to its mountains this ski season. (BizWest 🔑)

With post-8pm sunsets done for the year, we asked you to share your favorite summer photos.

Thanks to reader Angela Tucci for submitting this shot from east Boulder in July.

• I especially love when the mountains create those rays of orange against the sky.

And just because they'll be earlier, doesn't mean we won't get any more solar shows. Keep your eyes peeled and always feel free to send us your best shots!

Editor's note: A story in yesterday's newsletter misspelled the name of Republican Colorado Senate candidate Mark Baisley.

⚾️ Mitchell is by no means a baseball expert, but maybe the Rockies should stop pitching to Shohei Ohtani.

Thanks to Gigi Sukin for editing.