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State Triggers Emergency Prison Measures Due to Overcrowding
The Gazette, Approved, State

State Triggers Emergency Prison Measures Due to Overcrowding

By Marissa Ventrelli | The Gazette Ongoing issues within the Colorado Department of Corrections have prompted the state to trigger its Prison Population Management Measures — a policy framework established in 2018 to address overcrowding. It marks the first time the measures have been put into effect. Under the law, the governor must implement the management measures if the state’s prison vacancy rate stays below 3% for 30 consecutive days, a threshold that was met on Aug. 16. The issue of overcrowding in the state correctional facilities has been a growing concern for months, with county sheriffs sounding the alarm in May over the shortage of prison beds, leading to increased strain on local jails. Facing a budget shortfall of over $1 billion, state lawmake...
Turning Point USA Names Erika Kirk CEO to Carry On Charlie Kirk’s Vision
National, Approved, Fox News

Turning Point USA Names Erika Kirk CEO to Carry On Charlie Kirk’s Vision

By Greg Norman | Fox News Turning Point USA says 'we will carry on' following Charlie Kirk's murder Turning Point USA announced Thursday it "unanimously elected" Charlie Kirk's widow Erika Kirk as the new CEO and chair of the board of the organization. "In prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his death," the organization said in a post on X. Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on Sept. 10 while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. "It was the honor of our lives to serve as board members at Charlie's side," Turning Point USA's current board said in a statement released Thursday. "Charlie prepared all of us for a moment like this one. He worked tirelessly to ensure Turning Point USA was built to survive...
Families Mourn After Experienced Hunters Found Dead In Colorado Wilderness
Local, Approved, The Colorado Sun

Families Mourn After Experienced Hunters Found Dead In Colorado Wilderness

By Tracy Ross | The Colorado Sun Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko went missing in Rio Grande National Forest a week ago. Porter’s aunt posted on a GoFundMe page that both were found deceased. Two elk hunters missing since Friday were found dead Thursday morning by Colorado search and rescue teams, according to Lynne Runkle, the aunt of Andrew Porter, one of the missing men. “It is with a broken heart and through tears that I give you this update,” Runkle posted on a GoFundMe page she had set up to pay for the search. “Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko have both been found deceased. Their bodies were discovered earlier today by Colorado Search and Rescue. I will provide another update tomorrow. Please keep Andrew’s and Ian‘s families in your thoughts and prayers.” Saguache County Search ...
The push to redefine beneficial use ignores 100 years of western water law
GregWalcher.com, Approved, Commentary, State

The push to redefine beneficial use ignores 100 years of western water law

By Greg Walcher | Commentary, GregWalcher.com Last week when some marauding teens bashed a mailbox with a bat, angry neighbors posted on nextdoor.com, “there needs to be a law against that.” Is that just an impulse reaction, or do they really not know there is a law against that. Since 1909, it has been a federal offense to tamper with, vandalize, deface, or destroy mailboxes, under penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. People often think things ought to be illegal that already are, that we should regulate things we already do, even that things ought to be defined that already are. I couldn’t help wondering how serious recent headlines were, announcing that several environmental industry groups had petitioned the Bureau of Reclamation to stop allowing water to be wast...
Safety or politics: Debate grows over Jeffco school resource officers
Fox31, Approved, Local

Safety or politics: Debate grows over Jeffco school resource officers

By: Spencer Kristensen, Brooke Williams | FOX31 Denver DENVER (KDVR) — On Wednesday morning, Jeffco Public Schools and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office released a joint statement addressing the community’s questions about the School Resource Officer program. “Our commitment to safety and security in Jeffco schools is unwavering,” Superintendent Tracy Dorland said in a press release. “Jeffco Public Schools does not employ SROs. Instead, through intergovernmental agreements, our local law enforcement partners, like JCSO, provide SROs to serve in our schools and our district now pays for half of this cost. We are proud of our strong partnership with law enforcement, including our shared commitment to a robust SRO program that supports our students and staff.” The school dis...
Four House Republicans block effort to censure Ilhan Omar over Charlie Kirk comments
Fox News, Approved, National

Four House Republicans block effort to censure Ilhan Omar over Charlie Kirk comments

By Elizabeth Elkind | Fox News House lawmakers voted to table the resolution before they could weigh the measure itself The House of Representatives voted along bipartisan lines on Wednesday to table a resolution to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., over comments about Charlie Kirk. Four House Republicans voted with Democrats to table the legislation, effectively blocking it from receiving its own House-wide vote. A vote to table is a procedural mechanism allowing House members to vote against consideration of a bill without having to vote on the bill itself. The measure was blocked in a narrow 214 to 213 vote. The four Republicans who voted to table the measure are Reps. Mike Flood, R-Neb., Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., and Cory Mills, R-Fla. McClintock...
Colorado Gas Stove Labeling Law Faces Court Challenge
State, Approved, DENVER7

Colorado Gas Stove Labeling Law Faces Court Challenge

By Anusha Roy | Denver7 DENVER — The debate over the gas stove inside your home is headed to court. Lawmakers passed a new Colorado law requiring safety labels on new gas stoves being sold. The law would require labels in both English and Spanish. Advocates say this would help people understand the impact of gas stoves on the air quality inside their homes. On the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) website, the agency shared: “There is evidence that particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, and methane can be released into indoor air from gas stoves.1" "According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air pollutants can build up to levels that may affect people’s health if the spa...
Law tied sheriff’s hands as violent suspect walked free in Weld County
Colorado Politics, Approved, Local

Law tied sheriff’s hands as violent suspect walked free in Weld County

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics eld County Sheriff Steve Reams says a 2024 law required him to release a man who had been charged with attempted murder stemming from an incident in Greeley earlier this year. According to Reams, 21-year-old Debisa Ephraim was arrested in April and charged with second-degree attempted murder following an altercation between him and another man that had been captured on video. The victim suffered a brain injury and spent a “substantial” amount of time in the hospital and rehabilitation, but Reams says he is now mostly recovered. Ephraim, a refugee from Tanzania who had a previous record of violent behavior, had been detained in the Weld County Jail for several months when his defense team asked the court to determine whether he was compet...
Education funds drained by bureaucrats while kids fall behind
New York Post, Approved, Commentary, National

Education funds drained by bureaucrats while kids fall behind

By Post Editorial Board | Commentary, New York Post If you think spending more money on America’s schools will lead to greater student achievement, guess again: A new analysis of 12,000-plus school districts shows just the opposite. Not only does more spending not correlate with better student performance, turns out it coincides with moderately worse performance. The public-policy watchdog Open the Books looked at payroll growth at 12,531 public-school districts from 2019 to 2023, and compared it to the percentage change in the district rankings on the National Assessment of Educational Progress exams, the gold standard for measuring reading and math proficiency of fourth and eighth graders. Guess what: The greater the payroll growth, the more...