Big changes for D-11 schools; Depot remodel includes restaurants; Tradition revived

All the news you can use in a bite-sized format Hi {NAME}, Hello Tuesday! Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers will be among the special guests at [Colorado Springs School District 11]( community-wide school kickoff Thursday. The event will be from 1 to 3 p.m. at The Broadmoor World Arena, 3185 Venetucci Blvd. The program includes the launch of D-11’s new strategic direction and brand identity. The public is invited. Polis also is scheduled to tour Pikes Peak Community College’s new Center for Healthcare Education & Simulation, at 1850 Cypress Center Drive. While it's hard to believe for some people, classes are starting this week for many more schools in the Pikes Peak region. [Click here]( to see the list of area start dates. In unrelated news, today is National Night Out Day, National Root Beer Float Day, National Fresh Breath Day and National Wiggle Your Toes Day. Without further ado, here are 5 things worth sharing today. 1. Former Gov. John Hickenlooper has left the door open a crack to running against Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, even while insisting he's fully committed to pursuing the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. In an interview Sunday on satellite radio, Hickenlooper said he would "be a fool" to continue running for president if his standing in the polls doesn't improve. [Read more...]( 2. The old train depot at 10 S. Sierra Madre St., former home to the Guisepe's restaurant, in Colorado Springs is getting some love. The almost 14,000-square-foot space will be renovated into three restaurants and a lounge. Concepts have been nailed down, but exact names of each establishment have not been set in stone. An area at the north end of the building will become a burger bar, with an attached lounge. The middle area lobby and ticket counters will become a sandwich shop open for breakfast and lunch. [Read more...]( 3. Five of seven shootings involving Colorado Springs police officers this year ended in fatalities, including Saturday's shooting that led to the death of 19-year-old De'von Bailey and protest Monday. [Read more...]( 4. There’s a revival of an age-old tradition going on in Colorado: pressing apples into tangy, fizzy, delicious hard cider. It’s one of the fastest-growing beverages in popularity in the state. It was even the topic of a recent workshop held in Denver by Slow Food Nations, a global network of local communities that works to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions. [Read more...]( 5. The Air Force Academy could soon witness the launching of twin athletic careers in the Twin Cities. As Austin Cutting tries to make the Minnesota Vikings roster as the first long snapper ever drafted by the NFL franchise, pitcher Griffin Jax is storming toward a role with the Minnesota Twins. [Read more...]( Photo of the day - Emotions were high on Monday when a protest that started at City Hall and ended at CSPD Police Operations Center turned hostile.. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette) [See the full gallery here.]( Thank you for reading! If you like this newsletter and want to support it, forward this email to a friend. If you’re seeing this newsletter for the first time, [you can subscribe here]( free. No spam. Unsubscribe whenever you want.  Jerry Herman Jerry Herman is The Gazette's digital director. He's a graduate of Minnesota State-Moorhead. Twitter - @coloherman Email - jerry.herman@gazette.com [Subscribe to this Newsletter!]( The Colorado Springs Gazette, L.L.C. | 100 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Suite 100, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 [Unsubscribe {EMAIL}]( [Update Profile]( | [Our Privacy Policy]( | [About Constant Contact]( Sent by noreply@gazette.com