Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1859, a miner named John H. Gregory discovered the first hard rock gold in the Rocky Mountains at Gregory Gulch, sparking a surge of interest in the region and fueling the Pike’s Peak gold rush.

A Castle Rock man spent years meticulously building a Millennium Falcon model in his basement. This week, the replica sold for a whopping $350,000, as we report in Et Cetera. Do you have any passion projects (Star Wars-related or otherwise)? Hit reply to tell us about them.

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Mother’s Day is right around the corner. If you haven’t started shopping, start here: our 2026 Gift Guide has thoughtful, practical, and indulgent picks for every kind of mom.

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Boulder Suspect to Plead Guilty

The man accused of killing one person and injuring a dozen more in a June 1 firebombing in Boulder plans to plead guilty to all state charges this week, according to court documents.

Mohamed Soliman, 46, previously pleaded not guilty to state charges, including murder and attempted murder, after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at pro-Israel demonstrators. Thirteen people were injured, and Karen Diamond, 82, later died from her injuries.

A May 3 filing says Soliman intends to enter the plea in a hearing tomorrow, which would require a sentence of life without parole. Soliman has pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges.

The motion also requests that Soliman’s ex-wife and five children be allowed to stay in the U.S. as witnesses in the federal case, in which prosecutors are considering pursuing the death penalty.

DOJ Sues Denver Over Gun Ban

The Trump administration is suing Denver to overturn the city’s assault weapons ban, arguing the longstanding ordinance violates the Second Amendment.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed the lawsuit Tuesday after city leadership rejected an ultimatum to repeal the 37-year-old ban, which restricts certain semiautomatic firearms, including those with magazines over 15 rounds.

According to the DOJ, the ban includes “constitutionally protected” semiautomatic weapons, such as AR-15-style rifles. The city’s attorneys called the legal threat “baseless,” citing failed challenges to similar bans.

The DOJ also threatened to sue Colorado unless the state stops enforcing a ban on large-capacity magazines. Attorney General Phil Weiser said he wouldn’t comply.

Historic Storm Threatens Outages

A May snowstorm rolled into Colorado Tuesday and will continue through this evening, dropping up to 30 inches in parts of the Rockies and 4 to 8 inches along the Front Range.

The heavy, wet snow could down tree branches and power lines, triggering scattered outages. Xcel Energy put about 165 employees on standby through Thursday to restore service across the state.

Slick roads, low visibility, and fallen tree limbs will make driving difficult through today, CDOT warned. Travel impacts will likely peak this morning before improving this afternoon.

Denver is forecast to get nearly half a foot by this evening, which would make this one of the largest May snowstorms in city history.

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➤ Statewide: The Colorado Water Conservation Board granted $40 million to 136 water projects across the state to help communities cope with widespread drought. (See Details)

➤ Grand Junction: Police warn the public of impostors using manipulated caller IDs to pose as police staff, including the chief of police. (See Details)

➤ Rio Blanco County: State officials launched an emergency project to mitigate wildfire risk at the Black Diamond Mine, site of a coal seam fire burning since the 1930s, in response to recent assessments showing new activity. (See Details)

➤ Aurora: A nonprofit for veterans is offering to help a local airman whose pet husky, allegedly stolen by a house sitter during his deployment, was found dead following a monthlong search. (More)

➤ Windsor suspended 2026 motorized boating permits for Windsor Lake, citing hazardous low water levels. (More)

➤ La Plata County: A deadly single-vehicle crash down an embankment off U.S. 160 went undiscovered for nearly 30 hours. Crews found two adults, both dead, and a 5-year-old child with no obvious injuries. (More)

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➤ The Denver Nuggets are reportedly expected to draw trade interest this offseason from teams like the Lakers, Suns, and Celtics for forward Aaron Gordon. Gordon played in just 36 games this season and has three years and $103 million remaining on his contract. (More)

➤ Denver’s Summit FC was ranked 13th in ESPN’s latest National Women’s Soccer League power rankings as the club struggles in its inaugural season. (More)

➤ Former Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders graduated from the University of Colorado over the weekend with a 3.9 GPA in sociology. (More)

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➤ The State House approved a four-bill package that will reduce business tax breaks by more than $550 million annually to fund a revived tax credit for families earning under $100,000. (See Details)

➤ Elway’s Cherry Creek, a longtime Denver steakhouse, was demolished Monday, kicking off a 13-acre mixed-use redevelopment project in the area. The steakhouse is working with developers to determine a new location after construction. (More)

➤ An orchard owner in Longmont is optimistic her harvest will be safe—and may even benefit—from the spring snow thanks to an unusually early bloom. (More)

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➤ A skunk with a cup stuck on its head received help from a Parker police officer, who managed to remove the cup by hand without getting sprayed. (See Video)

➤ A Millennium Falcon replica built by a Castle Rock man sold at auction for $350,000 on May 4, also known as Star Wars Day. (See Details)

➤ The Space Race 5K, a new run-and-walk race hosted by the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, will take place Sunday. (More)

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