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Article Icon 1PNC Buys Colorado-Based FirstBank for $4.1B

PNC Financial will acquire Lakewood-based lender FirstBank in a $4.1 billion deal, making Colorado one of PNC’s top markets in the U.S., the company announced Monday.

The acquisition will more than triple PNC’s presence in Colorado, furthering its reach beyond the East Coast. PNC will become Denver’s top bank in both retail deposit and branch share.

With FirstBank’s $26.8 billion in assets, PNC’s total assets will rise to just under $600 billion, putting it in the same size category as competitors U.S. Bank and Capital One.

The deal, set to close in early 2026, comes amid a wave of bank deals under the Trump administration’s deregulatory approach to mergers and acquisitions.

Article Icon 1Second Lawsuit Filed in Strip-Search Case

Eighteen women have filed a class-action lawsuit against Edward Aber, a former La Plata County jail commander accused of accessing and watching strip-search videos of 117 female inmates.

Investigators believe Aber, who resigned last year, accessed the jail’s evidence database more than 3,000 times from 2019 to 2024. He was charged in July with over 100 counts of invasion of privacy.

Three victims filed a separate class-action lawsuit in August, listing Aber, La Plata County, and Sheriff Sean Smith as defendants. A judge will decide whether to consolidate the two cases.

Attorneys say additional victims may be identified as the lawsuit proceeds.

Article Icon 1Mystery Man Hands Out Ice Cream Atop 14er

Hikers who climbed Colorado’s 14,000-foot Huron Peak over Labor Day weekend were greeted by a costumed man handing out ice cream at the summit.

Clad in an ice cream cone costume, sunglasses, and a fake mustache, the man lugged a 60-pound pack of dry ice and ice cream sandwiches up the peak, offering the frozen treats to anyone who wanted one.

Word of the stunt quickly spread down the mountain and on social media, where fourteener enthusiasts shared photos and applauded the stranger.

One hiker said the man later sped past him on his way down the mountain, making him think he’d climbed it many times.

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The Flyover

Keep This Stock on Your Watchlist

It’s a private company, but Pacaso just reserved the Nasdaq ticker $PCSO

Created by a former Zillow exec who sold his first venture for $120M, Pacaso brings co-ownership to the $1.3T vacation home industry. 

It has generated $1B+ worth of luxury home transactions and fees across 2,000+ owners, resulting in more than $110M in gross profits in less than five years.

It’s no surprise that the same firms that backed Uber and Venmo already invested in Pacaso. But you don’t have to be a Wall Street firm to invest. Pacaso is giving the same opportunity to everyday investors, and 10,000+ people have already joined them.

You can join them today for just $2.90/share. But don’t wait too long. Invest in Pacaso before the opportunity ends Sept. 18.

Around Colorado

Statewide: The vacancy rate in state prisons has stayed below 3% for 30 days, triggering a 2018 law requiring efforts to reduce the prison population, including expedited parole hearings and halfway house placements. (See Details)

Boulder: A woman was arrested on charges of harassment and felony retaliation against a public official after allegedly confronting a city councilman and pushing another person during a public altercation. (See Details)

Summit County: The sheriff’s office issued an arrest warrant for a New Mexico woman accused of threatening to trample and shoot hikers while riding a horse on the Meadow Creek Trail. (More)

Statewide: About 53% of registered voters who participated in a summer poll said they support wolf reintroduction, while 37% opposed it and 10% were unsure or had no opinion. (See Details)

Larimer County: A paddleboarder who went missing at Horsetooth Reservoir on Sunday is presumed dead following an unsuccessful search effort, the sheriff’s office announced. (More)

Colorado Springs: Someone bought a winning $1 million Powerball ticket at a local Maverik convenience store on Saturday. (More)


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Colorado Sports

➤ Former University of Colorado standout Travis Hunter had a quiet NFL debut for the Jaguars, catching six passes for 33 yards and playing just six defensive snaps in the win over Carolina. (More)

➤ The Colorado Rockies are on the verge of their worst season ever after tying a franchise-worst 103 losses on Sunday night. (More)

➤ Nikola Jokić’s Serbian national team lost to Finland in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament—one of the biggest upsets in international basketball history. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | Soccer | WNBA

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Colorado Business

Empower Field at Mile High is rolling out new concessions for Broncos games, including a Coca-Cola Barbecue Burger, Smoked Pork Mac and Cheese, and football-themed mocktails. (See List)

Colorado Mountain College plans to install a secondhand platter lift at its Leadville campus as part of an overhaul of its ski area operations program, offering expedited technical training for aspiring and current resort workers. (See Details)

The Air Force Academy’s Cadet Chapel restoration project has been delayed again, bringing its total estimated cost to $335 million and pushing its target completion date to 2028. (See Details)

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Former Zillow Exec Opens Door to $1.3T Market

Austin Allison sold his first company for $120M. He later served as an executive for Zillow. Both companies reached massive valuations before everyday investors could get in.

“I always wished everyday investors could have shared in their early success,” Allison later said. So he built Pacaso differently. 

Pacaso brings co-ownership to the $1.3T vacation home market, earning $110M+ in gross profit in under five years. No wonder the same early investors who backed Uber, Venmo, and eBay already invested in Pacaso.

Now, after adding 10 new international destinations, Pacaso is hitting its stride. It even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

And unlike his previous ventures, you can invest in Pacaso as a private company. But you don’t have time to waste. Invest before Pacaso’s opportunity ends on Sept. 18.

This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving the ticker is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.
Et Cetera

Parker’s 80134 zip code is one of the 10 most moved-to zip codes in the U.S. this year, ranking No. 7 with 2,961 new residents, according to a new study. (See List)

An eight-year-old Broncos fan attending her first-ever game on Sunday and holding a “My First Game” sign broke into tears of joy after wide receiver Courtland Sutton handed her his glove. (See Details)

The Epsilon Perseids meteor shower will peak tonight with meteors expected to be visible through Sept. 21. (See Details)

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The Poll

Have you ever been to a Broncos game?

  1. Yes, more than once
  2. Yes, once
  3. No, but I want to
  4. Nope, not for me
 

Yesterday’s Results:

Are you afraid of heights?

  1. A little: 31%
  2. Yes, very: 25%
  3. Not really: 24%
  4. Not at all: 20%
Colorado Trivia

Second only to the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy is the No. 2 source of what profession?

Show me the answer

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