Franchise Opportunities in Denver, CO

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DENVER — Thunderstorms producing heavy rainfall and causing flash flooding are threatening parts of the Denver metro and the Front Range Sunday. A flood watch has been issued for the area until midnight.

A heavy rain threat may produce rainfall of 1 to 2 inches in as little as 45 minutes, with locally higher storm totals possible, according to the National Weather Service.

MORE: Today's forecast | Interactive radars | Live conditions

We're keeping an eye on conditions as these storms move into Colorado. Read the live updates below.

10:14 p.m. | CDOT RESPONSE TO FLOODING | When Denver7 inquired about Sunday evening's flooding, especially around I-70, CDOT responded with the following explanation:

Yes, flooding occurred in the Central 70 Project area. The Central 70 Project is still an active construction project. Our drainage network is not yet complete, though it is nearing completion. Once our drainage system is fully complete, the lowered section of I-70 where flooding happened this evening is expected to withstand a 100-year storm event. Every construction project runs the risk of flooding while it's in an interim phase. To help offset flooding from a system that is not yet complete, our contractor, Kiewit, is able to mobilize to help pump water out. The Central 70 Project is going to conduct a thorough investigation to determine what exactly caused the flooding this evening. Fortunately, as an active construction project, if there are any system failures we are able to go in and remediate any issues that occurred during this event. However, without conducting the investigation, we do not know if there was a system failure. We do know that 46th South Avenue is currently being constructed as a part of our Project between Brighton Boulevard and York Street above I-70, directly above where the flooding in the lowered section occurred. This section is not yet paved creating exceptionally muddy conditions that may have contributed to flooding. This is one area that we are going to be looking at during our investigation.

Safety is always CDOT's number one priority, we will do what it takes to help prevent something like this from happening again in the future.

10:02 p.m. | ROAD REOPEN | I-70 has reopened in both directions between York and Steele after it closed due to flooding.

9:51 p.m. | ROAD CLOSURE | Westbound lanes of US 6 are closed between CO 265 and CO 2 due to flooding.

9:40 p.m. | VIDEO SHOWS RESCUE OF CHILDREN | Eyewitness video sent to Denver7 showed children being rescued during Denver flooding on Sunday evening at 38th and Blake.

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9:19 p.m. | DENVER FIRE DEPARTMENT RESCUES | The Denver Fire Department said authorities have rescued the most people Sunday evening at I-70 and York. In total, 11 people were rescued from the vehicles, said Lt. JD Chism, public information officer with the DFD. Currently, crews are diverting cars away from that area.

In addition, DFD rescued eight people from 38th and Blake.

As of now, nobody has been significantly injured in the flooding, Chism said.

9:17 p.m. | ROAD CLOSURE | The Colorado Department of Transportation said two left lanes of eastbound I-70 are closed at Washington Street (exit 275A) due to flooding. (UPDATE, 9:57 p.m. — This roadway has reopened.)

9:17 p.m. | DRIVERS EXPLAIN I-70 FLOODING | A man named Christian said he was driving along I-70 when water suddenly went over his car near York Street.

"What the hell, you know? Like, what happened? I had no idea this had happened," he said.

He wasn't able to open his car door, so he escaped the flooding through the windows.

"But I'm OK right now," he said.

9:08 p.m. | UPDATE: FLASH FLOOD WARNING | The flash flood warning for Denver, Aurora and Commerce City has been extended until 10:15 p.m.

8:43 p.m. | UPDATE ON I-70 FLOODING | Water appears to be receding near the Brighton Boulevard exit off Interstate 70. Some drivers have been able to drive though the water as it starts to go down.

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8:20 p.m. | FLOODING ON I-70 | The Brighton Boulevard exit off Interstate 70 has flooded and multiple cars are disabled in the standing water. Traffic is at a standstill. A driver told Denver7 it was raining so hard, he couldn't see the flooding until it was too late.

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8:01 p.m. | FLASH FLOOD ADVISORY | The southeastern portion of the Cameron Peak burn area is under a flood advisory until 10 p.m. Minor flooding is possible.

7:24 p.m. | FLASH FLOOD WARNING | Southwestern Adams, northwestern Arapahoe and central Denver counties are under a flash flood warning until 9:15 p.m.

7:01 p.m. | FLOOD ADVISORY | Adams and Denver Counties are under a flood advisory until 8:15 p.m. Heavy rain is falling in north denver, western Aurora, Thornton, Westminister. Check the advisory from NWS Boulder.

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4:45 p.m. | DIA IMPACTS | There has been a total of 380 delays and 85 cancelations at Denver International Airport as of the time of this posting.

4:42 p.m. | NWS UPDATE | Thunderstorms with heavy rain are becoming more numerous across the northern Front Range. Flash flood threat expected to increase over the next few hours. Flood Watch remains in effect for the foothills, I-25 Corridor, and adjacent plains until Midnight.

4:02 p.m. | WEATHER WARNING | A flash flood warning was issued for east central Larimer County, including the Cameron Peak burn area, until 6:30 p.m. after thunderstorms producing heavy rain appeared on Doppler radar. Rainfall amounts of up to one inch per hour are possible in the warned area.

DENVER (Stacker) – As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a ’96 commencement address at Wellesley College, “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” If that’s the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.

It’s a place where students explore their interests, dive into extracurricular activities, finally get the freedom to choose their own classes, and prepare for college or the workplace. For many of these students and their families, public education is key: 48.1 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools in 2020; and there are almost 24,000 public high schools in the U.S., according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

For many anxious parents, getting their child into the best of these public high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to get into better school districts. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students.

Find out how the best high schools in the state stack up against each other, 7 of the 10 schools in the list are private schools. Stacker compiled a list of the best high schools in Colorado using rankings from Niche.

#10. Vail Mountain School (private)– Location: Vail– Enrollment: 432 (7:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

#9. Fairview High School (public)– District: Boulder Valley School District, CO– Enrollment: 2,131 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)

#8. Stargate Charter School (public)– District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools, CO– Enrollment: 1,421 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)

#7. Dawson School (private)– Location: Lafayette– Enrollment: 530 (7:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

#6. St. Mary’s Academy (private)– Location: Englewood– Enrollment: 681 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)

#5. Cherry Creek High School (public)– District: Cherry Creek School District, CO– Enrollment: 3,806 (21:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

#4. The Colorado Springs School (private)– Location: Colorado Springs– Enrollment: 300 (8:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

#3. Fountain Valley School (private)– Location: Colorado Springs– Enrollment: 241 (7:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

#2. Colorado Academy (private)– Location: Denver– Enrollment: 1,006 (6:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

#1. Kent Denver School (private)– Location: Englewood– Enrollment: 740 (8:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

Turbulent weather hit parts of the Front Range on Friday with flash flooding in the Cameron Peak fire scar, a tornado warning in Adams County and a landspout tornado touching down west of Denver International Airport.

A two- to three-foot surge of water was reported in Larimer County along Buckhorn Creek in the Cameron Peak fire area, according to the National Weather Service.

“Significant” flash flooding occurred along Buckhorn Creek with the water rushing downstream toward Masonville.

Significant flash flooding is occurring along Buckhorn Creek in Larimer County in vicinity of the Cameron Peak burn area! Reports of 2-3 foot surge of water. Will affect areas downstream toward Masonville.

Summary of existing Warning/Advisories. #COwx https://t.co/smTadJEDhG pic.twitter.com/XfnnsrsKXc

— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) August 5, 2022

A flash flood warning was posted for the area until 6:30 p.m., according to the weather service.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office issued an emergency warning for residents along Buckhorn Road and County Road 27, advising people to “pay close attention to the weather conditions and rising water.”

At about 3:15 p.m., the weather service issued a special weather statement about a possible landspout for Aurora, Centennial and Denver International Airport through 3:45 p.m.

A special weather statement has been issued for Aurora CO, Centennial CO and Denver Intl Airport CO until 3:45 PM MDT #COwx pic.twitter.com/djJdy9vwhP

— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) August 5, 2022

Landspout #2 of the day!

— Meteorologist Kody Wilson (@kodythewxguy) August 5, 2022

A landspout tornado touched down for about 7 minutes, west of the DIA, from 3:43 to 3:50 p.m., said Robert Koopmeiners, a meteorologist and spokesman with the weather service.

Landspouts are generally smaller and weaker than supercell tornadoes. There were no reports of damage.

This tornado warning does NOT include the DIA Terminal and Concourses. Threat area is just to the west of that. #COwx https://t.co/XEqLy7qSv3

— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) August 5, 2022

A tornado warning was issued for parts of Adams County and Denver at about the same time, the warning did not include Denver International Airport.

Meanwhile, Denver set a record high temperature for the date, August 5, on Friday when the mercury reached 101 degrees. The prior record was 99 set in 1877.

"My heart breaks at the thought of disappointing so many loyal customers," says Erin Markham, whose grandfather, Sam Badis, opened the Saucy Noodle at 727 South University Boulevard in 1964, coining the motto that's on the restaurant's awning today: "If you don't like garlic, go home."

But at the end of this week, the awning will be rolled up...and the Saucy Noodle will close for good at this spot. While Markham and her husband are looking for a new location for the longtime Italian eatery, they haven't had much luck. Meanwhile, regulars have been sharing their thoughts on the Westword Facebook post of the news. Says Elizabeth:

Nooooo! I love that place and have gone since I was a kid!

Adds Andrew:

That is sad to read. Been eating here for forty years!

Recalls Kim:

Best lasagna I ever had!!!!!

Responds Emily:

Literally the worst Italian in Denver. Olive Garden would be a better choice. Good riddance!

Observes Lisa:

Denver is losing all its independent restaurants to builders who want to build expensive cookie-cutter apartments with no parking. Very sad.

Replies Ronald:

Yup! Very corporate! And so sterile.

Concludes Dena:

This sucks. The Bonnie Brae Tavern, and now this. That whole block that made Bonnie Brae special will just be condos now. Hey, Saucy Noodle: There's been an empty Village Inn on Hampden and Dayton for like two years. Go check it out. Landlord must be desperate to rent it out.

Have you been to the Saucy Noodle lately? Where do you think it should go? What's your go-to Italian spot in Denver? Post a comment or share your thoughts at [email protected]

A Denver-based real estate firm that plans to build high-rise apartments in Topeka went about three weeks without its license to do business in Kansas, though that's now been restored.

That firm, Flywheel Fairlawn, LLC, forfeited its license effective July 15 because of its failure to file an annual report with the state in a timely manner, said information posted on the state's Business Entity Database.

The forfeiture came three days after Topeka's mayor and city council approved $24.5 million in taxable industrial revenue bonds for the company's project to build high-rise apartments at the site of a former Holiday Inn Holidome at 605 S.W. Fairlawn Road.

Flywheel Fairlawn's license remained forfeited as recently as Thursday, but had been restored as of Saturday, the business entity database said.

The Capital-Journal received no response to telephone and email messages it left this past week seeking a response from Denver-based Flywheel Capital, LLC, the parent company for Flywheel Fairlawn, LLC.

Topeka's city government, which has not yet committed to issuing the bonds for the project at the site of the former Holiday Inn Holidome, was aware of what happened to Flywheel Fairlawn, city communications director Gretchen Spiker confirmed Thursday.

At that point, the license hadn't yet been restored.

"The city has been in contact with Flywheel Fairlawn, LLC, and is reviewing its options," Spiker told The Capital-Journal. "The city wants the community to know there is no liability to the city for the Industrial Revenue Bonds."

Meanwhile, psychotherapist Sarah Bremer Parks, co-owner of a nearby business and building at 5315 S.W. 7th, told the Capital-Journal Thursday that Flywheel Fairlawn wasn't maintaining the former Holidome property at 605 S.W. Fairlawn Road.

"There's homeless people in there now," she said.

'Providing much-needed quality housing'

Hotels had been operated on the property for decades before Topeka's mayor and city council learned at a meeting in September 2020 that the property had recently been vacated.

They voted that evening to change zoning to enable Flywheel Fairlawn to use that property to provide "market rate, workforce housing” for 130 to 140 dwelling units of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.

The Denver Post reported in October 2021 one of the 50% partners in Flywheel Capital, Adam Hazlett, had filed a lawsuit against the other, Ben Hrouda, alleging he misappropriated investor funds and filed fraudulent tax returns.

Hrouda was then among those on hand as Topeka's mayor and council voted in November 2021 to issue $10 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds to help investors finance Flywheel Fairlawn's Topeka development, named "Fairlawn Acres."

In exchange for the bonds' issuance, Flywheel Fairlawn agreed to limit the monthly base rental rate to $550 for studio apartments and to $775 for one-bedroom units, while being allowed to impose increases amounting to as much as 5% annually.

Topeka's mayor and city council voted July 12 to approve another zoning change and to amend the IRB amount for the development to $24.5 million.

The bond issuance would pose no financial risk for the city. Investors would buy the bonds, which would be paid off using revenues brought in by the project. If the project defaulted, that would become an issue between the developers and the investors.

Flywheel Fairlawn plans to demolish the existing structures "and build two, four-story buildings containing approximately 220 new workforce apartments to meet Topeka’s attainable housing needs," said a document in the July 12 meeting's agenda packet.

"The project will cost approximately $24.5 million and will take 15 months to complete," the document said. "The project will include a top-of-the-market amenity package such as lounge, fitness center and laundry. This project will revitalize a vacant building while providing much needed quality housing in Topeka."

'The city can refuse to sign'

Flywheel Fairlawn's license to do business in Kansas was forfeited three days later, on July 15, according to the state.

"The city of Topeka was made aware of the issues with the LLC's status during its standard review process," Spiker said Thursday. "This review process is part of the city's due diligence before signing a performance agreement, which is a condition of the bond issue."

The city has not yet entered into a performance agreement with Flywheel Fairlawn for the project, she said.

"The city can refuse to sign the agreement and proceed with bond issuance until the company has corrected the issue," Spiker said Thursday.

A records check conducted two days later showed Flywheel Fairlawn's license had been restored.

'The fence is not secured and does not keep anyone out at all'

Meanwhile, Sarah Bremer Parks said Thursday that nobody has been taking care of the property since its former live-in manager, Michael Grant, moved away at least three months ago.

Parks said she works in private practice with her husband, Peter Parks, out of the building they co-own near the site of the proposed high-rise.

She keeps an eye on the former Holidome property, where she said people can easily gain entry and the doors to the buildings are unlocked.

"There are homeless people coming and going despite a fence that was put up about a month ago," Parks said. "The fence is not secured and does not keep anyone out at all."

A hole could be seen in that fence this past week.

The city doesn't have any comment at this time about Parks' assertions regarding the access and upkeep of the property, Spiker said.

Tim Hrenchir can be reached at [email protected] or 785-213-5934.