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Medical college to be added as state expands health care programs at four schools to combat worker shortage
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Medical college to be added as state expands health care programs at four schools to combat worker shortage

By Erica Breunlin | Colorado Sun Gov. Jared Polis and a bipartisan group of Colorado lawmakers plan to dramatically expand health care education programs at higher education institutions across the state to combat persistent workforce shortages in health care fields, including by creating a new medical college at the University of Northern Colorado that will graduate about 150 medical professionals a year. Polis joined lawmakers and leaders from higher education schools Monday afternoon at Denver’s Auraria campus to announce plans to boost opportunities for students wanting to pursue careers in health care fields.  Along with a new medical college at UNC in Greeley, the state will build on health care programming at Metro State University in Denver, Colorado State University ...
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In barber shop chat, Rep. Holtorf finds more reason to call for Republican unity
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

In barber shop chat, Rep. Holtorf finds more reason to call for Republican unity

When he removed his cowboy hat and sat down in the barber’s chair in a shop in Denver, Eastern Colorado rancher Richard Holtorf could not have known he was about to have a meaningful discussion on the present state of Colorado. The House District 63 representative had visited the barber shop before – preferring it as a traditional barber shop, replete with a barber pole – but this time was different. “The barber, she asked me where I was from, originally,” Holtorf recalls. “I told her Akron, on the Eastern Plains.” He works a 4,000-head family cattle ranch there, residing in a house overlooking his mother’s home on the property. Holtorf was likely poised for a quiz on how he got from Akron to Denver, and just what he was doing in that moment sitting in a Denver barber shop. Ins...
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The week ahead at the Colorado Capitol: A glance at hearings and events of note
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

The week ahead at the Colorado Capitol: A glance at hearings and events of note

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Here are legislative committee hearings and other events of note for the week ahead for the Colorado General Assembly. Committee schedules are subject to change. Schedules for both the House and Senate can change at any time. This website is the best resource for keeping up with daily activities.  Options for public testimony during committee hearings can be found here.  Regulations for remote testimony by the public can be found here. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Presidential primary ballots will start being mailed to Colorado voters today. Here’s what to know.
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Presidential primary ballots will start being mailed to Colorado voters today. Here’s what to know.

By Sandra Fish | Colorado Sun Ballots will start being mailed to voters today for Colorado’s March 5 presidential primary, listing options from former Republican President Donald Trump on the GOP ballot to “noncommitted delegate” on the Democratic ballot. But votes for some of the candidates listed might not count. Four of the seven Republican presidential candidates on Colorado’s Republican presidential primary ballot have ended their campaigns, though none have notified the Secretary of State’s Office they are no longer in Colorado’s contest. And the U.S. Supreme Court could rule that Trump isn’t eligible to be on Colorado’s ballot because of his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. The court heard arguments in that case last week, and the justices appeared ...
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Sheriffs back bill on migrant law enforcement
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Approved, KXRM-TV, State

Sheriffs back bill on migrant law enforcement

By Rachel Saurer | KXRM-TV (SOUTHERN COLORADO) — Sheriffs across Southern Colorado came together to address the growing immigration crisis in the state. As of Thursday, Feb. 8, about 10 sheriffs have backed HB 24-1128, which would reverse two laws — HB 19-1124, and HB 23-1100, which prevent Colorado law enforcement agencies, such as the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) and Teller County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO), from working with federal partners, such as U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE), to uphold the laws of the constitution, and collaborate efforts to arrest, detain and deport undocumented residents. “The only federal agency the state of Colorado prevents me from working with is ICE. I ask the question, why is that?” said Sheriff Joe Roybal of ...
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Officers, staff walk out at prison in JeffCo in pursuit of higher wages
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Approved, Denver Metro, kdvr.com, Local

Officers, staff walk out at prison in JeffCo in pursuit of higher wages

By Heather Willard | KDVR-TV DENVER (KDVR) — Around a dozen correctional officers at a federal prison in Colorado walked out Thursday over claims of low staffing and pay and held a picket to foster support. According to staff at the Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood, correctional officers say they are short-staffed and forced to work overtime hours. They also said non-officers will sometimes be put on duty as officers, which is dangerous for all involved. AFGE Local 709, which oversees the Council of Prison Locals #33, released 12 points to share the workers’ perspectives. The main sticking point is the prison is currently short nearly 50 positions, and over half of those open positions are for correctional officers, according to the union. Members of the union said t...
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Denver cuts services in response to the migrant crisis that’s costing the city $180 million
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Approved, Denver Metro, Local, The Colorado Sun

Denver cuts services in response to the migrant crisis that’s costing the city $180 million

By Jennifer Brown | Colorado Sun Denver will cut hours at recreation centers, end in-person vehicle registration renewals and eliminate spring flower beds to save $5 million this year, a response to the migrant crisis that is expected to cost the city $180 million.  Mayor Mike Johnston on Friday blasted Congress for failing this week to pass a $118.3 billion bill aimed at stopping the flow of illegal entry at the southern border and making it easier for migrants who enter legally to get work permits.  About 40,000 migrants, mostly from Venezuela, have arrived in Denver over the past year, and more than 3,500 are living in city-funded hotel rooms. Thousands took bus rides to other American cities after arriving in Denver, and an unknown number are trying to stay in the ci...
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Every household required to own a gun in small southwestern Colorado town
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Approved, Local, The Washington Post, Western Slope

Every household required to own a gun in small southwestern Colorado town

By Lauren Loftus | Washington Post NUCLA, Colo. — Driving north on U.S. 141 in southwestern Colorado, the road descends from red rock plateau into a wind-blown expanse of bedraggled shrubs and hardy desert trees called Paradox Valley. Passing only the occasional deer, the two-lane highway eventually ends at the intersection of the Dolores River. Just beyond its muddy bank lies the tiny town of Nucla. The area’s once booming uranium mine has long been shuttered, while the halls of Nucla High School echo with the sounds of only a few dozen students. Main Street is dotted with boarded-up buildings and deserted after sunset. With a poverty rate of nearly 20 percent, it’s clear Nucla is in need of jobs, an economic boon that remains out of reach. But there is at least one thi...
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Historic ghost town in eastern Weld County may have chance to become National Park Service location
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Approved, Eastern Plains, Local, Out There Colorado

Historic ghost town in eastern Weld County may have chance to become National Park Service location

By Tamera Twitty | Out There Colorado The historic ghost town of Dearfield, located roughly 24 miles east of Greeley and 70 miles northeast from Denver, could become Colorado's next national park if the U.S. Department of the Interior can prove its national significance.  Founded in 1910, the homestead was once the largest black homesteading settlement in Colorado, attracting African-Americans from across Jim Crow-era America. Its estimated that at its peak, the town was home to around 700 people from 35 states.  The community was devastated by the Dust Bowl, which was ultimately the catalyst to its current ghost town status.  Late last year, U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper introduced the Dearfield Study Act. The act calls f...
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Jason Batchelor now is Aurora’s permanent city manager at $330,000
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Approved, Denver Metro, Local, The Sentinel

Jason Batchelor now is Aurora’s permanent city manager at $330,000

By Max Levy | The Sentinel AURORA | Having finally shed his “deputy” and “interim” titles, Aurora City Manager Jason Batchelor said Wednesday that he’s focused on filling job openings and planning for Aurora’s future with the help of city lawmakers and employees. “There’s always things that, as an organization, we can improve on,” Batchelor said Feb. 7. “I’m just trying to continue the good work that we do day in and day out.” Aurora’s city manager oversees the day-to-day operations of the city as well as the hiring and firing of most city employees. They are also responsible for making sure the policy decisions of Aurora’s City Council are carried out by the rest of the city. Wednesday marked 10 months to the day since Batchelor took over as the city’s top administrator —...
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