Colorado
Kroger-Albertsons Merger Trial Concludes in Colorado; Decision Expected Soon | PYMNTS.com
Following a rigorous four-week trial, the highly anticipated $24.6 billion merger proposal between Kroger and Albertsons—the two largest grocery chains in Colorado—now rests in the hands of Denver District Court Judge Andrew Luxen. The upcoming ruling is expected to set a critical precedent for antitrust law and could have sweeping effects beyond Colorado.
In February, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a lawsuit to prevent the merger, alleging it would infringe on state antitrust laws and pose “substantial harm” to both consumers and grocery workers across the state. According to Colorado News, Weiser’s office has voiced concerns that the deal could consolidate grocery options to an unhealthy extent, particularly affecting rural and mountain communities that already have limited access to food retail.
The core of the legal clash centers on Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons, a move the grocery giant has justified as a necessary strategy to compete against large national retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Amazon, which have steadily increased their footprint in the grocery sector. Matt Wolf, an attorney representing Kroger, argued that the merger would result in benefits for Colorado shoppers, including “lower prices, higher pay for union and non-union associates alike, and cleaner, better-stocked stores for hundreds of thousands of Coloradans.”
“While Walmart and Costco and Amazon might be pleased with the state’s efforts today, grocery shoppers in Colorado will pay more and get less if the state has its way,” Wolf said during the closing arguments.
Kroger, headquartered in Ohio, and Albertsons, based in Idaho, collectively operate nearly 5,000 grocery locations across the U.S. and view this merger as a crucial countermeasure to the massive scale of retail giants outside the traditional grocery sphere. However, labor unions, consumer advocates, and Weiser’s team caution that further consolidation could lead to diminished competition, thereby raising prices, reducing wages, and eroding worker bargaining power.
Per Colorado News, one of the contentious points in court was the proposed divestiture plan by Kroger and Albertsons. To alleviate antitrust concerns, the companies have offered to sell 579 stores, including 91 Safeway stores in Colorado, to C&S Wholesale Grocers, a New Hampshire-based company with limited retail experience. C&S, primarily a wholesaler with just 23 grocery stores nationally, would be tasked with maintaining competition in markets where Kroger and Albertsons currently operate.
Colorado’s Grocery Workers Unite to Oppose $24.6 Billion Supermarket Merge
Critics argue that C&S lacks the capacity to stand up to the dominant Kroger-Albertsons combination, drawing comparisons to the ill-fated 2015 divestiture following Albertsons’ merger with Safeway. In that instance, the Haggen grocery chain acquired 168 stores but quickly went bankrupt, leading to the eventual reacquisition of many of these locations by Albertsons.
State attorney Arthur Biller voiced strong opposition to the divestiture plan, claiming C&S would be a “weaker competitor” unable to fulfill the critical role of maintaining competition. Biller cited testimony suggesting that up to 85 of the 91 divested stores in Colorado could be at risk of closing if the merger proceeds, a scenario that would further reduce grocery options in the state.
“It is in Kroger’s interest to have the weakest possible divestiture plan,” Biller argued, adding that the merger is less about competition with Amazon or Costco than it is about “eliminating Albertsons from the market and replacing it with a far inferior competitor.”
The lawsuit and trial followed a yearlong investigation by Weiser’s office, which included over a dozen listening sessions across Colorado. Concerns were particularly high in mountain towns and rural areas, where residents fear the loss of one of their few grocery options could result in higher prices and travel distances for essentials. The outcome of this trial could also have ripple effects nationally, influencing how similar mergers are handled in an era marked by rising concerns over corporate consolidation.
Source: Colorado News
Colorado
Families, care providers navigate cuts to Colorado’s Community Connector program | Rocky Mountain PBS
“Typically, between me and my husband, there are no breaks. We have to constantly ask each other to change him and feed him and shower him. I always worry about the future if Elli has to leave and not get help anymore,” said Dina Katan, Batikha’s mother. “The free time is good for my mental health. For me, when Elli comes here and helps, I have time to do things that usually I am not able to do.”
Other parents are concerned that the reduction in hours will make it harder to find care providers. Becky Houle of Greeley is the mother of Hadley, a 13-year-old diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, a rare neurogenetic disorder that causes significant developmental delays and little to no speech.
Hadley used to qualify for 10 Community Connector hours a week and is now down to five, Houle said. With those hours, she previously played unified basketball, went to the park and interacted with others and participated in running errands with her caretaker.
“I worry that the person that provides some of that caregiving role for her won’t be able to commit with such few hours,” Houle said. “I like Hadley to have interactions without us being there, so she can feel like a teenager.”
Tom Dermody, chief budget and policy analyst for Colorado’s JBC, said spending on Community Connector services has risen substantially over the past six fiscal years.
Dermody said that as the program, which started in 2014, has become more popular, costs have ballooned. He said participation in the Community Connector service has increased by 510% since fiscal year 2018-2019, and that annual spending has risen from about $5 million in fiscal year 2018–2019 to more than $66 million in fiscal year 2025–2026.
To cut costs, the JBC not only capped annual hours for the service, but also revised the rules to narrow what qualifies as Community Connector hours. Jane said this makes it harder to consistently reach the five-hour weekly allotment.
“When these changes were made, I did our usual Community Connect on Sunday. After I worked my shift, I noticed that I couldn’t clock in or out because my shift was removed from the app,” Jane said.
After sending an email to her employer, her agency told her that what she did — taking her Batikha to a gas station and showing him how to ask an associate how to find a product — does not qualify under the new Community Connector rules.
Under the updated rules, Community Connector hours must be tied to activities in the community that align with a person’s care plan and build skills or participation, such as volunteering, attending enrichment classes or going to the library alongside peers without disabilities.
The state has excluded simple supervision, passive outings and activities typically considered a parent’s responsibility from qualifying for Community Connector hours. Providers must now clearly document how each hour supports a specific goal.
“It’s unfair that they cut those hours for these kids and they are very strict about how we use those hours,” Katan said. “The new requirements are very specific and not inclusive of high needs kids like Taym.”
Batikha requires full support whenever he goes out, Jane said, and the stricter requirements make it harder to plan weekly community trips.
“He needs hygiene changes. He needs to be fed every two hours. And he can’t be fed anywhere. I want to give him privacy for his feeding,” Jane said.
She now plans to split her five Community Connector hours over the course of a week instead of providing them all on Sundays, as she previously did.
“I care about him and I love my clients so much, so I’m definitely going to stay,” Jane said. “His parents need the time to be able to watch a movie and not worry about if their son is okay.”
Women’s Lacrosse
May 14, 2026
Final minute, full 2OT from Northwestern-Colorado lacrosse quarterfinal marathon
May 14, 2026
Watch the full regulation finish and both OT periods from Northwestern and Colorado’s battle in the quarterfinals of the 2026 NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament.
Watch: Fort Collins boys relay team sprinting to school records
The Fort Collins high school boys relay runners are sprinting to school records with their sights set on a team state championship this season.
LAKEWOOD — One of the most anticipated events in Colorado high school sports is back on the track.
The annual Colorado high school track and field state championship meet returns May 14-16 for the 2026 edition.
It kicks off May 14 as the Centennial State’s top leapers, runners, jumpers, sprinters, vaulters and throwers take over Lakewood’s JeffCo Stadium.
More than 100 Fort Collins-area athletes across four different classifications have qualified for the state meet.
Follow here for day one live state track & field updates from local athletes, plus some notable scores and results for Northern Colorado and statewide competitors.
This has the potential to be a massive state meet for the Fort Collins area.
Our top local sprinters and relay teams account for more than 40 top-two seeds in their events, while there are field contenders galore and several distance runners in the mix.
— Chris Abshire
It’s a busy year for Fort Collins-area athletes down at state track, with over 100 athletes qualifying from nine local schools.
Fort Collins High School leads the way with eighteen individual qualifiers and seven relay sqauds, but there’s plenty of representation across schools and events.
— Chris Abshire
Here are all the May 14 running finals at the 2026 Colorado state track & field championships:
- 8:20-8:35 a.m.: 5A boys/girls 3,200 meters
- 10:00-10:50 a.m.: 4A and 5A boys/girls 4×800 relays
- 11:00-11:30 a.m.: 4A/5A Special Olympics/Paralympics 100 dashes
- Noon: 4A/5A Special Olympics/Paralympic 200 dashes
- 2:20-2:45 p.m.: Special Olympics/Paralympic 3A/2A/1A 100 and 200 dashes
- 4:00-5:00 p.m.: 3A and 2A boys/girls 4×800 relays
- 5:00-5:35 p.m.: 1A boys/girls 3,200 meters
- 6:00-6:15 p.m.: 3A boys/girls 3200 meters
— Chris Abshire
Here are all the May 14 field finals at the 2026 Colorado state track & field championships:
8:30 A.M.
- 5A girls pole vault and discus
- 5A boys long jump
- 4A girls high jump and shot put
- 4A boys triple jump
11/11:30 A.M.
- 5A boys pole vault and discus
- 5A girls long jump
- 4A boys high jump and shot put
- 4A girls triple jump
1:30/2:00/2:30 P.M.
- 3A boys triple jump
- 3A girls pole vault and discus
- 2A boys high jump
- 2A girls long jump and shot put
4/5 P.M.
- 3A boys high jump
- 3A girls triple jump
- 1A girls pole vault and discus
- 1A boys long jump and shot put
— Chris Abshire
Since the calendar hit 2000, there have been many remarkable achievements from local athletes at the Colorado state track & field meet.
From throws domination to Ray Bozmans’ sprint sweep or multiple sister acts, here are 15 of the best Fort Collins-area performances in the new millennium.
Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.
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