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Author: Jen Schumann

From silence to the mic: Why young conservatives say CSU’s TPUSA event matters
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From silence to the mic: Why young conservatives say CSU’s TPUSA event matters

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Turning Point USA is bringing Charlie Kirk and the American Comeback Tour to Colorado State University (CSU) on Sept. 18. The chapter will host two events that day—a midday “Prove Me Wrong” debate session and an evening program at the Lory Student Center Ballrooms. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with priority seating for CSU students, though community members are also welcome. Registration is required and first come, first served. https://twitter.com/vlynstam/status/1960774930544669136 Vega Stamatien, now a TPUSA College Rockies field representative after serving as chapter president at the University of Northern Colorado, said the event is about bringing students together for honest conversation. “It’s no secret that we need more civil discourse...
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From farm kid to parliamentarian: Gregory Carlson launches Fremont County commissioner bid
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From farm kid to parliamentarian: Gregory Carlson launches Fremont County commissioner bid

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Gregory Carlson, a Fremont County native known nationally for his work as a parliamentarian, announced his candidacy for District 2 commissioner on Aug. 26 at the Republican meeting in Florence. “After prayerful consideration and the support of my family and friends, I am excited to announce my candidacy for County Commissioner,” Carlson shared in a media release. “Our local businesses, families and seniors are facing increasing pressure from rising costs. I am bringing my experience as a math teacher for 14 years and running my two successful businesses to unite community leaders, make life more affordable and bring prosperity to our community.” Gregory Carlson announces his candidacy for Fremont County Commissioner District 2 during the...
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Four candidates launch common-sense campaign for Douglas County school board
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Four candidates launch common-sense campaign for Douglas County school board

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Platform centers on academic excellence, parental rights, teacher support and protections for female athletes In Douglas County, a new slate calling itself Common Sense DCSD is stepping into the school board race. The group — Matt Smith, Keaton Gambill, Dede Kramer and Steve Vail — says the district’s future depends on keeping academics and safety at the forefront. They argue that balanced leadership has helped produce high test scores, a strong graduation rate and standout career training programs, and they want to carry that momentum forward. Smith, a former sheriff’s deputy, military veteran, global IT leader and father of a Douglas County student, said his goal is to keep the district centered on students.  “I’m running for school...
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Same week, same county, different response: Inside the Elk and Lee fires
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Same week, same county, different response: Inside the Elk and Lee fires

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Flames boiled the pond on Mike Clark’s ranch, scorched irrigated fields and melted fiberglass fence posts in minutes. On August 6, the Lee Fire came so fast friends were calling with warnings as his family scrambled to clear trees and pump water toward the house.  Just miles away on the Elk Fire side, air tankers and ground crews had been dropping water since early morning. Mike Clark is no stranger to high stakes. A fourth-generation Coloradan and CEO of Petrox Resources, he built his life and business in the same place he raised his children. For decades, Clark has run Petrox while also working the family’s ranch, a property he moved to more than 30 years ago for its open spaces, agricultural roots and the chance to raise his kids in a...
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Griswold rallies Indivisible activists with anti-Trump speech while overseeing Colorado elections
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Griswold rallies Indivisible activists with anti-Trump speech while overseeing Colorado elections

By Jen Schumann and Shaina Cole | Rocky Mountain Voice When Larimer County resident Phoebe McWilliams tuned into an Indivisible Colorado Zoom call on August 6, she expected to hear an update on election policy. Instead, she heard Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold accuse President Donald Trump of “abusing our legal system and undermining the Constitution almost every single day” and rally activists to “stop Trump in the courts, mobilize and beat MAGA.” “She should be neutral,” McWilliams said after listening to the call. “Because all people hear is her so-called professional opinion. She’s not neutral, and that should be a neutral position.” Griswold’s partisan rally cry Speaking to more than 400 attendees, Griswold accused Trump of pardoning January 6 defendants, disman...
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Six cities sue Colorado over zoning and parking laws as state stays silent
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Six cities sue Colorado over zoning and parking laws as state stays silent

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice “As of this writing we have not heard back from the State.” That’s how Greenwood Village Mayor George Lantz summed up the status of a lawsuit the six Front Range cities filed in May against the state of Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis, the Department of Local Affairs and its executive director, Maria De Cambra. The case targets two 2024 laws—HB 24-1313 and HB 24-1304—that, according to the cities, trample Colorado’s constitutional guarantee of Home Rule. The mayors say the fight is about constitutional rights, not political turf wars. “Contrary to some criticisms, the current fight is not based on party politics… Our residents deserve to have a voice about land use in their own communities and neighborhoods,” they wrote in a joint open July 14 let...
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The man Polis vowed to destroy: Kevin Kauffman’s final fight for truth and legacy
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The man Polis vowed to destroy: Kevin Kauffman’s final fight for truth and legacy

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice They tried to bury him. He’s still standing—with the paperwork to prove it. On his 50th birthday, Kevin Kauffman stood waist-deep in the waters off Eilat, Israel. His son handed him a sealed envelope his accountant asked him to deliver on this day. He opened it, read what was inside and stood in silence. It wasn’t just a numerical milestone in that envelope—it carried the weight of a life built by a self-made man. Kauffman had earned every cent the hard way, guided by mentors, not inheritance.  What he saw didn’t make him feel powerful. It made him reflect. “The achievement led me to a deeply felt realization—I had a responsibility to my family and my community,” Kauffman said. “So I started thinking about how to give some of it ba...
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Bled dry by the state: One oil company’s fight to survive ECMC’s war of attrition
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Bled dry by the state: One oil company’s fight to survive ECMC’s war of attrition

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice An oil company’s $7M cleanup plan became the state’s excuse to shut it down. Jeffrey Kauffman stood at the edge of an excavation site—not to check production, but to explain why there wasn’t any. There was no rig, no flaring, no signs of oil moving to market. Just a fenced-off hole in the earth—and a state agency that wouldn’t let them fill it back in. “This one’s cost between $200,000 and $300,000,” said Kauffman, who serves as KPK’s Chief Operating Officer. “We submitted clean soil results months ago. Still no approval to close it.” The site is one of roughly a dozen that KPK has excavated under orders from the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC). Some holes have remained open since early 2024. This one, the s...
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The Rule 211 gamble: How two towns used Colorado law to effectively shut down an oil company’s core assets
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The Rule 211 gamble: How two towns used Colorado law to effectively shut down an oil company’s core assets

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Buried wells, sworn affidavits and a state determined to make an example. This is the opening chapter of a three-part series on one oil and gas company’s final stand—and what the documents and data actually reveal. Start with the towns. Stay for the verdict. Start with the towns. Stay for the verdict. In September 2024, the cities of Dacono and Frederick uploaded a PDF to the Energy and Carbon Management Commission’s (ECMC) filing system. It was short, simple—and explosive. The two municipalities weren’t asking for a cleanup, a fine or a negotiated fix. They were asking the state to order the permanent plugging and abandonment of 45 wells operated by K.P. Kauffman Company (KPK). Their argument relied on Rule 211, a provision historically u...
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“We absolutely back the badge”: Mesa County defends deputy in federal suit
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“We absolutely back the badge”: Mesa County defends deputy in federal suit

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Mesa County is taking Colorado’s top political figures to court. On Tuesday, commissioners unanimously voted to authorize a federal lawsuit against Governor Jared Polis and Attorney General Phil Weiser over what they called “politically motivated litigation” targeting local law enforcement under a controversial new state law. The board’s action followed a detailed legal presentation from County Attorney Todd Starr and remarks from all three commissioners defending Sheriff Todd Rowell and other named deputies. “This action is necessary to protect the constitutional rights of our employees at the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office,” Starr said. “They’re  facing imminent threats of civil liability and penalties.” At issue is Senate Bill 276, which ...
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