Tulo's National Spotlight: While local baseball fans are more than familiar with the Colorado Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki, the New York Times [1] 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 [2], Bryan Dayton is making plans to rebuild (Westword [3]). The Boulder establishment made our "Ones to Watch" list in the most recent Best New Restaurants [4] issue, as well as Food & Wine [5]'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 [6]).

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 [7]).

Frack Attack: As controversial hydraulic fracturing [8], 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 [9]).

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 [10]). Meanwhile, Jefferson County Public Schools faces $40 million in budget cuts, a situation that imperils jobs and will shutter two elementary schools (Denver Post [11]).