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Denver, CO

‘Local-first’ online grocer PineMelon closes because of financial challenges

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‘Local-first’ online grocer PineMelon closes because of financial challenges


A startup grocery service that provided a pipeline from area farmers and producers to customers in metro Denver has ceased operations after deciding it could no longer make a go of it financially.

PineMelon started business in April 2022, billing itself as a “local-first” online and grocery delivery service. Working out of a 30,000-square-foot warehouse on the north side of Denver, PineMelon featured fruits, vegetables, meat, breads, desserts and prepared meals from clients across the Front Range and on the Western Slope.

PineMelon said suppliers included 400-plus local farmers and makers. The company said its mission was “to build a food system that is better for our environment, builds our community, provides healthier food, and allows local food makers to thrive.”

The online grocer also proved to be an avenue of commerce for area producers once farmers markets closed for the season.

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PineMelon CEO Alex Lee said in a statement Friday that the company was grateful to the local farmers, ranchers and producers who had worked with it and to the customers who took a chance “on a whole new way to shop for groceries.”

But despite efforts “to remedy our current financial situation,” PineMelon would halt all operations Sunday, Lee said. “At this time, we do not know if or when we will be able to resume operations.”

PineMelon said it filled orders for pickup Monday and planned to close out by 6 p.m.

Christopher Ford, PineMelion’s chief marketing officer, said in an email that the company tried to develop a sustainable business model that put more money in the hands of local farmers, didn’t require a subscription and didn’t outsource jobs to gig workers.

“Managing the costs associated with these values has proven challenging,” Ford said.

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Company officials said PineMelon wasn’t able to sustain the high level of scale needed to make its business model work. PineMelon had 43 full- and part-time employees.

“I think I was one of the first local farmers that they brought on,” said Ryan Ericson, owner of Well Fed Farmstead in Fort Collins.

Ericson grows 100 different varieties of vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs on about  2.5 acres in the city. He said he made between $500 and $1,000 a week in 2024 by selling his products to PineMelon.

“I don’t really have another wholesale outlet like PineMelon in this area,” Ericson said. “I have a lot of different markets that I sell to, which is very helpful in this case.”

Ericson said he will likely sell more of his products to retail outlets and might go to more farmers markets.

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“I thought PineMelon was really innovative,” Ericson said. “They seemed excited about expanding. I’m sad to see them go.”

Updated at May 13, 2025,  at 11:21 a.m. to correct the number of suppliers that PineMelon worked with.

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Denver, CO

Renovations begin at Denver’s Civic Center Park for the first time in 100 years

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Renovations begin at Denver’s Civic Center Park for the first time in 100 years



The first major renovations in Civic Center Park for the first time in 100 years began this week. The City of Denver wants to make the park more inviting for events and people while preserving the area’s history. 

Civic Center Park

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CBS


The park is a popular spot for concerts, protests, and festivals based on its central location in downtown Denver and also its large lawn space with flowers and concrete paths. 

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said the park is in need of a makeover while embracing its past. 

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Renovations began in Civic Center Park for the first time in 100 years. 

CBS

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“We are both custodians of the history of this place, and we are also caretakers of the future, which means we have to make sure that we make the investments like this to prepare this public space for the next 100 years of events,” said Johnston.  

Phase one of the renovations is expected to be complete by Summer 2027.

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An artist’s rendition of the renovations at Civic Center Park. 

City of Denver


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Denver, CO

Rain returns to Denver metro on Thursday; snow stays mostly in the higher terrain

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Rain returns to Denver metro on Thursday; snow stays mostly in the higher terrain


DENVER — We’re in for a quiet night ahead, staying mostly dry and mild. The waiting game begins as the next system approaches Colorado.

Clouds increase throughout Thursday with cooler afternoon highs in the low 50s.

A complex storm arrives, and with models disagreeing on the details, confidence remains low for snowfall in the metro.

Expect rain to move in first. Pockets of rain and snow are possible later, mainly across higher terrain and areas farther east.

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Rain returns Thursday; snow stays mostly in the higher terrain

On Friday morning, rain will continue for most of the metro and plains.

However, the Front Range mountains, foothills, and the Palmer Divide could see snow accumulation.

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Precipitation should taper off Friday afternoon as the system weakens and moves east.

Heading into the weekend, dry air returns with temperatures bouncing back to slightly above normal.

We should stay quiet through the weekend.

Denver7

DENVER WEATHER LINKS: Hourly forecast | Radars | Traffic | Weather Page | 24/7 Weather Stream

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Denver, CO

Adams County Veterans Memorial vandalized again, just hours after Veterans Day

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Adams County Veterans Memorial vandalized again, just hours after Veterans Day


DENVER (KDVR) — The Adams County Veterans Memorial, a place built for quiet reflection, was left damaged and vandalized just hours after residents gathered to celebrate Veterans Day.

County leaders say they’re frustrated, and crews are once again being forced to repair a monument that’s been targeted repeatedly since it opened.

The Adams County Veterans Memorial, designed to resemble the World War II battleship USS Colorado, had been covered in flowers earlier this month for Veterans Day.

“We do a great event every Veterans Day,” said Byron Fanning, Adams County’s director of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Arts. “You can take a flower and place it at our remembrance wall in honor of somebody that you want to honor that’s important to your life.”

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The morning after the holiday, Fanning said he discovered graffiti on the sidewalk, and a park bench soaked in paint. There was also damage to the plumbing system, which now needs to be pumped out.

Crews remove a bench from the Adams County Veterans Memorial after vandal dumped a bucket of paint on it. (Adams County)

“It really hurt my heart,” Fanning said.

Fanning described the graffiti as “gibberish” but said photos of it have been blurred while the sheriff’s office investigates.

Graffiti at Adams County Veterans Memorial. (Adams County)

Most of the cleanup work is already done. Crews removed graffiti that had been sprayed across the walkway and took out a bench for repairs after someone dumped a bucket of paint on it.

And it’s nothing crews aren’t used to. Fanning say this is the tenth time the memorial has been vandalized since it opened in 2023.

“Some of them are small, just a little graffiti on the railings or on some of the structures behind me,” Fanning said. “But some of them have been rather extensive.”

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Hoping to protect the memorial as a place to honor those who served, Fanning offered a simple plea to the public.

“Please stop,” he said. “Please show some respect for who this was built to honor, and for those veterans that mean so much to our community. You’re disrespecting them, and it’s not okay.”

Officials estimate the latest cleanup cost about $3,000. The county is working to install security cameras, and the sheriff’s office is increasing nighttime patrols in hopes of preventing future vandalism.

The county is also asking visitors to report any vandalism to law enforcement.

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