Howdy, Bucket Listers! It’s Bucket List Community News editor Toni Tresca. I’m writing the newsletter this week because our editorial intern is currently on her way to Moab (enjoy skydiving and the Arches, Kathryn!), and I’m pleased to announce that our new interns joined Bucket List on Monday. We’re thrilled to welcome nine talented young journalists to our editorial team and two students to our management team from CU Boulder, MSU Denver and Colorado College.
These reporters are eager to get started, so before we get into our weekly stories, I wanted to ask you all a question: What stories do you want to see our new team cover? At Bucket List, we pride ourselves on a strong hyperlocal focus, telling stories that other outlets might miss about the neighborhoods that make our state special. Have a news tip or community-based event you’d like to see covered? Send me a message at trescaanthony@gmail.com and don’t be surprised if one of our reporters follows up. Now, onto the news.
REI’s Biggest Sale Faces Boycott
REI’s annual anniversary sale begins today, Friday, May 15, but a nationwide boycott campaign is causing tensions inside Colorado stores. The REI union says the company has cut health care, retirement and other benefits while contract negotiations remain stalled. Meanwhile, some Colorado workers worry the boycott could hurt employees at all 11 of Colorado’s non-union stores more than corporate leadership. Reporter Linus Loughry spoke with workers, shoppers and union organizers about the complicated debate unfolding at REI.
DPS Budget Cuts Have Wide-Ranging Effects
The ongoing budget crunch at Denver Public Schools, which is expected to result in more school closures, is currently hitting individual classrooms and libraries. At Bradley International Elementary, longtime librarian Stacy Nishioka is losing her full-time position after two decades at the school in a wave of cuts to combat declining enrollment and tighter budgets. Reporter Daniella Prime-Morales investigates what happens when schools must choose between staffing, programs and student resources.
AI Is Already Changing Colorado Classrooms
Teachers across Colorado are trying to figure out how to handle artificial intelligence before students get even further ahead of them. Some educators say AI tools are helping students brainstorm and learn. Others say they are watching students turn in polished assignments they cannot explain. In this COLab story, originally published by KUNC, reporter Leigh Paterson examines how schools are balancing fears about cheating with the reality that AI is quickly becoming part of everyday education.
Denver Community Film Festival Returns
The second annual Denver Community Film Festival takes over the historic Elitch Theatre on May 21. The event will feature the documentary “Truth Be Told,” a behind-the-scenes look at how Colorado journalists report stories and build trust with their communities. Bucket List Community News is one of more than 60 participating neighborhood and media partners supporting the event. RSVP here. We’d love to see you there!
Stuff We Noticed
Homicides are up in Denver. Denver may not repeat last year’s historic decline in killings. As of Sunday, the city had recorded 18 homicides, four more than at the same point last year. The Denver Police Department notes that the city’s three-year homicide average remains lower overall, and nonfatal shootings and other violent crimes, including rape, robbery and aggravated assault, have also declined. Still, a recent string of killings in north Denver has left residents shaken and asking for more communication and a visible response from the city.
BoCo wants to use goats to prevent wildfires. Forget Smokey the Bear. Boulder County may be turning to goats. Boulder County Parks & Open Space issued a request for proposals for a “Weed and Wildfire Mitigation Goat Browsing Pilot 2026,” seeking a vendor to provide goats for weed control, fire mitigation and restoration work. It’s a very Colorado solution to a serious problem: using hungry animals to reduce vegetation that can fuel wildfires.
The Avs won a big playoff game in overtime. The Colorado Avalanche gave fans a reason to stay up late and yell at their televisions this week, pulling off a wild 4-3 overtime playoff win over the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday, May 13. The comeback kept Colorado’s postseason hopes alive and delivered exactly the kind of chaos fans both dread and love in May hockey.
Finally, the state’s 2025-2026 budget was signed into law last Friday. We’re excited because the budget includes a local news footnote that directs agencies and departments with marketing, advertising or public outreach funding to create plans that prioritize Colorado-based media. This means people will be able to more easily support the work of Bucket List and others in the local new ecosystem. We are proud to have been part of the work to make this happen, and we are ready to keep building from here. Thank you for reading, and enjoy your weekend!
Warmest Regards,
Toni Tresca
Editor/Bucket List Community News
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