Follow Freda: South Metro briefs from the June 25 Villager
Freda Miklin’s June 25 briefs cover water-tax grants, Centennial Stadium, the FirstBank-PNC change, and obituaries.
Freda Miklin ·
These items ran as Follow Freda news briefs in the June 25 print issue.
Sports betting and water
Since sports betting became legal in May 2020, the state has collected more than $154 million in taxes, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board has provided grants totaling $140 million to projects that preserve and conserve Colorado’s water. The executive director of the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado called sports betting “the next big public health crisis.”
Centennial Stadium / Denver Summit FC
Construction work at Centennial Stadium, home base of Colorado’s professional women’s soccer team, Denver Summit FC, is progressing. The official opening is planned for July 18, when the Summit will take on the Portland Thorns. The 20,000-square-foot elite performance center, situated on 43 acres, is being built as a partnership between the City of Centennial, Cherry Creek School District, and Common Spirit Health.
FirstBank to PNC
By the time readers saw the issue, all 82 branches of FirstBank in Colorado were to have been rebranded to PNC Bank after FirstBank Holding Company was acquired by Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank in January for $4.1 billion. Of FirstBank’s 2,500 Colorado employees, 777 were laid off; the paper said those people were offered an opportunity to fill open positions at the company, without saying where those jobs were located. After the merger, the new PNC Bank will be Colorado’s second largest, behind Wells Fargo.
Arapahoe County Coroner
Arapahoe County Coroner Dr. Kelly C. Lear, a board-certified physician in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and Forensic Pathology who began her career with that office two decades ago, is retiring effective June 30.
Lynn Bartels
Lynn Bartels, 69, a highly regarded Colorado political reporter for 22 years, lost her battle to glioblastoma on June 19. Bartels, who wrote for the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post, was known as being tenacious in her reporting and fiercely fair to Democrats and Republicans alike.
Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain announced that Robin Wise, President & CEO, will retire at the end of 2026, concluding a 35-year career with the organization.
Print source: The Villager, Vol. 44 No. 31, June 25, 2026, page 7. Issuu edition.