Good morning, Denver.

Denver’s Historic Five Points welcomed the new Cleo Parker Robinson Center for the Healing Arts on Jan.

30 with a ribbon-cutting and community events tied to the MLK holiday weekend. The 25,000 sqft facility connects the historic Shorter AME Church to modern spaces for dance, wellness and education.

Levitt Pavilion will host over 40 free concerts and community events from May through early October.

Notable debuts include Between Friends and Sunsquabi, and more acts will be announced as the season progresses.

Denver’s revered Flamenco artist René Heredia died Sunday afternoon in Lakewood at 87; he received his award at The Ridge Pinehurst last week — and will be honored at the Colorado Music Hall of Fame on April 8 at the Convention Center.

Denver Public Schools has asked for proposals to turn Columbian Elementary into a child care center and to convert International Academy at Harrington into a community center offering food, housing and after-school classes.

The district seeks bids by next week — it will also reveal teacher housing plans later.

Occidental Petroleum began drilling its experimental GLADE project in Weld County with a $9 million DOE-supported grant to test superdeep geothermal techniques.

The company is now assessing the project’s progress as it explores the potential for Colorado’s first geothermal power plant using fossil fuel methods & new geothermal innovation.

Gov Polis launched a statewide task force to fight a pine beetle outbreak affecting more than 7,000 acres along the Front Range, with measures including tax incentives for logging and test releases of checkered beetles (a method still under review) to protect forests and reduce wildfire risk.

Former University of Denver Chancellor Rebecca Chopp retired in 2019 after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis — a new FDA-approved blood test now shows she no longer displays the expected markers and she is advocating for improved diagnostics while enjoying a healthier lifestyle in Estes Park with her husband.

New affordable housing projects in Longmont and Denver offer spacious family units with on-site child care to ease high living costs.

Denver’s development will begin construction in late 2027 to expand housing options for families in need.