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How millions in tax money has failed to deliver a change to Denver’s mental and behavioral health needs
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Approved, Colorado Public Radio, Local

How millions in tax money has failed to deliver a change to Denver’s mental and behavioral health needs

By Ben Markus | CPR News The campaign’s premise was simple: For nothing more than a modest sales tax increase, Denver could create a $45 million-a-year stream of grants to nonprofit mental health and drug treatment programs. “This initiative will give us the capacity to get everybody who needs help into a place where they can get the help that they need,” said Dr. Carl Clark, the president and CEO of WellPower, a large Denver community mental health provider.  “It's the type of thing that is a gamechanger.” Voters enthusiastically bought into the concept. And after six years and more than $170 million in tax dollars granted, a year-long review by CPR News found that the game has indeed changed, but perhaps not in the ways supporters and voters envisioned. READ THE FULL ...
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Caldara: Progressive press needs a dose of ideological diversity
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Approved, Commentary, completecolorado.com

Caldara: Progressive press needs a dose of ideological diversity

By Jon Caldara | Commentary, Complete Colorado I am told over and over that the greatest quality reporters can have is curiosity. Then why aren’t journalists even slightly curious about why they lost their credibility from their customers? In 1976, 72% of Americans had a “great deal of trust and confidence in the mass media” to report the news “fully, accurately and fairly” according to that year’s Gallup survey. By 2024 that number plummeted to 31%. Congrats honored members of the press. You’re trusted less than Congress. READ THE FULL COMMENTARY AT COMPLETE COLORADO Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the c...
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Aurora VA is under federal investigation for serving expired food to veterans
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Approved, State, TheRooster.com

Aurora VA is under federal investigation for serving expired food to veterans

By Anton Sawyer | TheRooster.com As of this article’s publication date, the VA hospital located in Aurora Colorado is under federal investigation for serving expired/unsafe food in their cafeteria and coffee shop. Between the evidence that was collected by former employee Ralph Robb that fueled the investigation by the US Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the fact that someone was hospitalized with a food-borne illness in August 2024, it seems these concerns are warranted. During this winter season, I reached out to Robb and both current and former employees of the Veterans Canteen Services (VCS) subsidiary that is in charge of all the food served to the general public—including veterans, doctors, and other caregivers—to find out what’s really g...
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Gaines: You, too, can file a campaign finance complaint against someone
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Gaines: You, too, can file a campaign finance complaint against someone

By Cory Gaines | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice You may not have known this before, but you have the ability to accuse someone in this state of a campaign finance law violation.  You don’t have to be a witness at a trial.  In fact, once you make the accusation, you are essentially out of the process.  You will get notifications from the secretary of state’s office about the progress of the complaint, but you don’t do anything other than swear out a complaint.   You also don’t have to have an intimate knowledge of campaign finance law.  I’m not urging you to make wild, uneducated accusations here, but you don’t need to be a lawyer or an expert.  Many of the rules around campaign finance are pretty straightforward, thus finding violations d...
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Former, acting U.S. attorneys for Colorado will lead Denver District Attorney’s Office
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Former, acting U.S. attorneys for Colorado will lead Denver District Attorney’s Office

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News The Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado has announced plans for a new job just months after he assumed leadership of the federal office. Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Matthew Kirsch is resigning from the federal office effective Jan. 25. Kirsch has been tapped by former U.S. Attorney John Walsh, who was elected to be Denver’s next District Attorney, to be the First Assistant District Attorney in Denver. Kirsch took over as Colorado’s chief federal law enforcement officer in June after then-U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan submitted his resignation in May. According to his biography on the U.S. Department of Justice website, Kirsch became an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 1999 and had held the title of Acting U.S. A...
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Douglas Co. authorities investigate dog poisoning in Castle Pines neighborhood
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

Douglas Co. authorities investigate dog poisoning in Castle Pines neighborhood

By Noah Festenstein | The Gazette, via the Denver Gazette The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and animal law enforcement officers are investigating a recent incident where a dog ingested rodent poison while walking through a Castle Pines neighborhood, according to a news release Sunday. Authorities called the incident accidental, saying the poison, was legally dispensed in the Tapestry Hills neighborhood. It is unclear what the dog’s condition is Sunday after ingesting a poison pellet. Douglas County Animal Law Enforcement Sgt. Bryanna Munns says animal law enforcement officers are working to determine whether there is still cause for concern within the neighborhood. Investigators are “working to determine the exact number of tablets that would have come in the package that the in...
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There will be an enormous amount to watch in 75th state legislative session
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Approved, State, The Sum & Substance

There will be an enormous amount to watch in 75th state legislative session

By Ed Sealover | The Sum & Substance In terms of resets, Colorado’s November legislative election results were negligible compared to what happened nationally. Republicans flipped three districts in the 65-member state House but still face a 21-seat disadvantage. Democrats’ 23-12 Senate margin is unchanged. Yet, with the 75th General Assembly scheduled to open Wednesday, everyone from business groups to labor leaders and from environmental activists to construction-defect-reform advocates are approaching this 120-day session with a new fervor. Some are reacting to the shifting makeup of party bases nationally, others to Colorado’s downward spiral in economic-competitiveness rankings. The common theme, though, is an urgency for change from all parts of the political...
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Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez is first Democrat to launch bid for Colorado secretary of state
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez is first Democrat to launch bid for Colorado secretary of state

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez, a Democrat, launched a bid Monday to become Colorado’s secretary of state.  Gonzalez is the first major Democrat to jump into the 2026 contest that will determine who will be the state’s top election official. A handful of other prominent Democrats are expected to run for the job, too. “Voting is the way we express hope,” Gonzalez said in a written statement announcing her candidacy. “The way we show love for our community. The way we make our voices heard. I promise to safeguard Coloradans’ access to the ballot box and to fight for secure elections that work for every Colorado voter.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Denver schools Supt. Marrero sets goals to lift test scores, focus on staff retention
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, Local

Denver schools Supt. Marrero sets goals to lift test scores, focus on staff retention

By Melanie Asmar | Chalkbeat Colorado Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero has far fewer performance goals this school year. But the goals he does have are more ambitious, he said last month. For example, Marrero wants the share of Denver students in grades 3-8 who meet or exceed expectations on the state literacy test to increase from 40% to 42%. His goal last year was for that percentage to increase by just 1 percentage point. Marrero’s targets, which the school board unanimously approved at a meeting last month, might be more ambitious. But the district still isn’t on track to meet the academic goals he laid out in Denver Public Schools’ strategic plan in 2022. READ THE FULL STORY AT CHALKBEAT COLORADO
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Green Beret who died in Cybertruck explosion had not exhibited concerning behaviors, Army officials say
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

Green Beret who died in Cybertruck explosion had not exhibited concerning behaviors, Army officials say

By The Gazette The Green Beret who shot himself and blew up a Cybertruck in Las Vegas on Wednesday displayed no concerning behavior prior to the bombing, according to Army public affairs. Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger was on personal leave when he rented a Cybertruck in Colorado and drove to Las Vegas. There, the truck — laden with fireworks and camping fuel — exploded. Investigators say Livelsberger had no animosity toward President-elect Donald Trump, despite blowing the truck up outside one of his hotels. Police say he had post-traumatic stress disorder. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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