Tulo’s National Spotlight: While local baseball fans are more than familiar with the Colorado Rockies’ Troy Tulowitzki, the New York Times catches up the rest of the nation in a glowing report.

Rebuilding Oak at Fourteenth: After a fire caused major damage last week to the building that houses Oak at Fourteenth, Bryan Dayton is making plans to rebuild (Westword). The Boulder establishment made our “Ones to Watch” list in the most recent Best New Restaurants issue, as well as Food & Wine‘s Best New Bars.

Meet the New Dem Chair: Though Rick Palacio lost his bid to become Pueblo County clerk and recorder in 2006, it was really the jump-start his political career needed. Now, as the Democratic Party’s new chairman, he’s ready to go on the offensive (Pueblo Chieftain).

Masai’s Other Focus: The Denver Nuggets’ VP for basketball operations, Masai Ujiri, spent months grappling with the Carmelo Anthony saga. Now that it’s over, and his team is 7-2 since the trade, Ujiri has more time to focus on his other project: increasing basketball’s footprint in Africa (New York Times).

Frack Attack: As controversial hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, takes place in oil fields everywhere, including Colorado, the Environmental Protection Agency has finally begun looking at whether the process is harmful to public health and wildlife (Fort Collins Coloradoan).

Higher Ed: Colorado State University’s tuition for resident undergraduates is expected to rise by 20 percent this fall, but that won’t be enough to stave off layoffs (Fort Collins Coloradoan). Meanwhile, Jefferson County Public Schools faces $40 million in budget cuts, a situation that imperils jobs and will shutter two elementary schools (Denver Post).