A New Tax Haven: Douglas Bruce, the granddaddy of Colorado’s TABOR amendment, has a new mug shot to add to his gallery of choices to use as the poster boy of taxpayers’ rights. The former state legislator and El Paso County commissioner, who failed in his bid last week for Colorado Springs City Council, has been indicted for failing to pay income taxes (CSIndy), in part stemming from a real estate loan (Inside Real Estate News). Bruce, who will long be remembered by journalists for kicking a newspaper photographer while in the Legislature (Denver Post), is looking at six years in the clinker and $500,000 in fines (New York Times).

Road Reversal: Just eight games into the 2011 season and the Rockies are already starting to reverse their woeful road record from last year. They took three of four from the Pittsburgh Pirates (Denver Post) and are a game and a half ahead in the National League West (MLB.com). Colorado’s 13th place stadium attendance (Denver Business Journal) will see a celeb boost this week from First Lady Michelle Obama and Jessica Simpson (7News).

Fire Updates: Several fires are raging across the state today, including one just east of Las Animas in southeastern Colorado that’s consumed more than 7,000 acres, forcing the brief evacuation of the town of Hasty. The fire broke into three separate blazes Sunday with one 75 percent contained, another 90 percent contained, and a third not contained as of last night (Pueblo Chieftan). In northern Colorado, Larimer County officials claimed the Crystal Fire 90 percent contained as of Sunday morning, and the total number of homes destroyed was reduced from 15 to 13 (Coloradoan). That’s no consolation to those trying to cope with the loss of memories and money (Coloradoan), something the victims of Boulder’s Fourmile Fire know too well (Daily Camera).

An Arts Renaissance? There’s an unexpected collective investment in arts building in Colorado (Denver Post). From Denver and Grand Lake to Creede and Fort Collins—and two separate art centers in Douglas County—infrastructure in the sector is on the rise. Perhaps that investment will expand to the Arvada Festival Playhouse, a 106-seat venue that owner Charley Ault Jr. says he’s too old to maintain himself (Denver Post).

Cougar Crossing: Robin Blazak caught some heat from fellow Aspenites for setting her movie Cougar Hunting in the chic mountain town, and she doesn’t expect everyone in town to approve when the film hits select theaters April 22. Blazak calls the flick a cross between Dumb and Dumber and American Pie (Denver Post). From about 30 minutes up the road, Carbondale native Jennifer Marshall got her big acting break over the weekend in an episode of FBI: Criminal Pursuit. The 1998 Roaring Fork High School graduate hopes the role—one in a string of acting gigs she’s landed since leaving the U.S. Navy several years ago—leads to bigger ones in the future (Glenwood Springs Post Independent).