Capital Field Notes: A Do-nothing Congress? Well, Pretty Close

Two well-known Denver restaurants opened at Denver International Airport last week, adding to what has become a hefty list of Colorado concepts. The openings come just a few months after two other familiar eateries and a coffee shop got on board at DIA. Related: Why your favorite DIA restaurant is different from its brick-and-mortar location Mister Oso, which features Mexican and other Latin American dishes is now open in Concourse C, along with Bar Dough, an upscale Italian restaurant.

At least seven young people in Colorado youth detention centers were hospitalized following overdose-related emergency calls this year, including three teens who required life-saving naloxone at a Colorado Springs facility on the same day over the summer. The Colorado Department of Human Services declined to provide The Denver Post with any information about overdoses at the state’s youth detention facilities, citing child privacy laws.

A single food truck running for eight hours on a gas-powered generator is like burning 83 pounds of coal when it comes to releasing carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases that contributes to climate change and dirties Colorado’s air. Multiply that one food truck by the 10 that set up at a typical farmers market on a summer weekend in metro Denver, and an event aimed at promoting a more sustainable planet might just be doing more harm than good. But installing equipment to eliminate the air pollution created by gas generators is expensive. That’s why Colorado’s Regional Air Quality Council is rolling out a new program it calls Engines Off for Food Trucks, which will grant up to $20,000 to help food truck owners buy power systems that run on electricity to operate their refrigerators, coffee bean grinders, griddles and microwaves. It’s one of two new programs from the council aimed at reducing air pollution along the Front Range. Alex Maloof, who owns the Cafe Alejandro coffee truck in Boulder, received one of the first grants to buy a $16,000 Joule Case battery. “One of the things I wanted to do was be silent and more environmentally conscious,” Maloof said. But when he started the food truck 15 months ago, he couldn’t afford the Joule Case battery, so he used a gas generator. “I hated it every single day, every single time I used it,” he said.

Sleepless, scary nights and diaper duty changed Nolan Jones. For that, he is forever thankful. “Kamryn changed my life,” the Rockies outfielder said. “The love I feel for her is unexplainable. Now, she’s starting to reciprocate with her smiles and her laughs. It’s the best thing I’ve ever experienced.” The birth of Jones’ first child, followed by her health scare and recovery, gave Jones a precious gift. Perspective. “My own parents (Tom and Regina) sacrificed so much for me, and I could not ask for anything more,” Jones said.

Oklahoma State (3-8, 0-8 Big 12) at Colorado (8-3, 6-2) When/where: 10 a.m. Friday/Folsom Field TV/Radio: ABC/850 KOA BetMGM Line: CU -17, 65.5 over/under Weather: 42 degrees, partly cloudy Series History: CU leads 24-20-1; Buffs have lost three straight Three storylines Still got a chance: After last week’s letdown loss to Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium in which the Buffs were out-muscled up front, CU lost control of its destiny to make the Big 12 championship game, and thus the College Football Playoff.

Utah State (4-7, 3-3 Mountain West) at Colorado State (7-4, 5-1) When/where: 1:30 p.m. Friday/Canvas Stadium TV/Radio: FS1/99.1 FM BetMGM Line: CSU -6, 58.5 over/under Weather: 42 degrees, sunny Series History: CSU leads 39-38-2, but has lost five straight Three storylines Rams’ chance at title game: CSU lost control of its destiny to make the Mountain West championship game with last week’s loss at Fresno State in which a 21-point halftime deficit was too much to overcome.