Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Approved

From $6B to $950M: Denver’s ‘Vibrant’ bond trims housing while boosting cultural projects and road funding
No Comments
Denverite, Approved, Local

From $6B to $950M: Denver’s ‘Vibrant’ bond trims housing while boosting cultural projects and road funding

By Kyle Harris, Andrew Kenney | Denverite The Denver City Council made final changes to the debt proposal, which is likely heading to voters this November. Denver City Council members made tens of millions of dollars of changes to the Vibrant Denver bond proposal on Monday night. The council added funding for traffic calming measures for two major avenues, but reduced funding for affordable housing. The final package also includes more funding for an American Indian Cultural Embassy. The proposal would ask Denver voters this November to approve $950 million of debt funding for nearly 60 infrastructure projects, ranging from rebuilding bridges to building new parks and maintaining cultural attractions. On Monday, city leaders added: $15 million in funding for an Amer...
Read More
What schools won’t say: The furry behavior Colorado families keep reporting
No Comments
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories

What schools won’t say: The furry behavior Colorado families keep reporting

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Rumors about students dressing as animals and disrupting classrooms have circulated throughout Colorado for years, sparking political fights, school board blowback and media denials. Some say the “furries in schools” narrative is a hoax pushed by conservative figures. But school records, parent testimony and disciplinary documents tell a more complicated story. First signs: When parents spoke up and were ignored The saga gained momentum in 2022 when more than two dozen parents in Jefferson County bombarded school officials with concerns. Darlene Edwards, a mother whose 14-year-old autistic son attended a local middle school, told CBS Colorado her son returned home upset, describing classmates in animal costumes scratching,...
Read More
Gaines: Subsidies save some—but in reality, they’re just wealth transfers
No Comments
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Gaines: Subsidies save some—but in reality, they’re just wealth transfers

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Let me start with a couple non-contiguous quotes from the article linked at bottom. “'By better using the heat beneath our feet to help us, we are leading the nation in innovative clean energy technologies that save Coloradans money, and protect our air quality. Investing in Geothermal heating technology increases energy reliability and serves as a low-cost energy source,' Polis said." “'Geothermal heating technology plays a huge role in helping Colorado reduce emissions from homes and buildings while saving Coloradans money on heating and cooling costs,' said CEO Executive Director Will Toor. 'It’s exciting to see so many innovative geothermal initiatives being made possible due to Colorado’s investment in this technolo...
Read More
Wolverines Set for Reintroduction in to Aspen Mountains Despite Public Concerns
No Comments
Local, Approved, The Aspen Times

Wolverines Set for Reintroduction in to Aspen Mountains Despite Public Concerns

By River Stingray | The Aspen Times The Aspen area has been included in one of three general release zones for the reintroduction of wolverines into the state, according to preliminary information from Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s developing plan. The “central zone” will cover Aspen to Gunnison. The other two general release zones that have been identified are the “northern zone,” including the areas near Rocky Mountain National Park, and the “southern zone,” including the San Juans between Montrose and Durango. “Colorado is especially well suited to help address (wolverine) conservation concerns,” said Colorado State University graduate student Kaitlyn Reed at one of the many virtual educational events she’s been running as a project partner with CSU’s Center for Human Carnivore...
Read More
Trump Defends Religious Rights of Federal Workers With New Guidance
No Comments
National, Approved, Fox News

Trump Defends Religious Rights of Federal Workers With New Guidance

By Brooke Singman | Fox News OPM Director Kupor issued a memo ensuring federal workers can display Bibles, crucifixes, or mezuzahs on their desks; and more FIRST ON FOX: Federal agencies are now required to protect religious expression in the workplace, according to a new government-wide memo obtained by Fox News Digital on Monday—marking one of the most sweeping moves in decades to defend faith and freedoms in the civil service. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Monday sent guidance to federal agencies across the Trump administration, detailing the new requirements, which ensure federal workers can display Bibles, crucifixes, or mezuzahs on their desks; pray in groups while off-duty; invite colleagues to church; and speak about their religious beliefs, even to the ...
Read More
Homeless Crisis Deepens in Colorado Springs With 52 Percent Jump
No Comments
Local, Approved, The Gazette

Homeless Crisis Deepens in Colorado Springs With 52 Percent Jump

By Debbie Kelley | The Gazette A record-high spike of people living on the streets and in homeless shelters and supported housing programs in El Paso County is reflected in data released Monday from this year’s federally required Point-in-Time and Housing Inventory Count. The number of people countywide who described themselves as homeless on the night of Jan. 26 ballooned from 1,146 in 2024, to 1,745 people this year, according to the statistics presented by the survey administrator, Pikes Peak Continuum of Care, a group of service providers and other members. That’s a 52% increase year-over-year and tops the county’s 2018 record of 1,551. “This data should be interpreted with context and caution,” Becky Treece, chair of the governing board of the continuum of care said at a p...
Read More
Daniel: The state’s mandates, your money—and why counties are saying “Enough”
No Comments
Top Stories, Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Daniel: The state’s mandates, your money—and why counties are saying “Enough”

By Bobbie Daniel | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Imagine walking into a restaurant, and before you even look at the menu, someone else orders for the whole table. They choose the most expensive items, add dessert, and go for top-shelf drinks—and when the check comes, they quietly slide it over to you.  That, in a nutshell, is what the State of Colorado is doing to counties.  Every year, new laws and regulations roll out of the Capitol with noble names and lofty goals. But when it comes time to pay for them, the state shrugs and walks away—leaving counties, and local taxpayers, to foot the bill. It’s called an unfunded mandate, and it’s become one of the biggest threats to responsible government in Colorado.  In Mesa County, we’ve always believed in balan...
Read More
Hundreds to Be Laid Off as Denver’s Progressive Agenda Faces $200M Deficit
No Comments
Local, Approved, kdvr.com

Hundreds to Be Laid Off as Denver’s Progressive Agenda Faces $200M Deficit

By Heather Willard | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — Denver city and county employees will see layoff notifications during the week of Aug. 18, according to the mayor’s office, which cited budget woes. “These are not easy days, and these are not easy decisions,” wrote Mayor Mike Johnston to the city and county employees in a letter sent Tuesday. “Every role in this city matters, and every person in those roles has contributed to our city in meaningful ways.” The number of impacted employees was not shared. In May, the Denver Mayor’s Office said that city employees would experience furloughs in the face of a $50 million revenue gap and $200 million deficit. He also noted that the city had seen a 0.3% revenue growth, which is far below the previous 5% growth seen by the city before...
Read More
Federal Climate Authority Faces Reckoning in EPA Overhaul
No Comments
National, Approved, The Epoch Times

Federal Climate Authority Faces Reckoning in EPA Overhaul

By T.J. Muscaro and Jackson Richman | The Epoch Times According to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, repealing these findings would be ’the largest deregulatory action in the history of America.’ The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 29 proposed a repeal of its long-standing “endangerment findings” of a connection between individual motor vehicle emissions and changes in the climate, according to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. It would repeal $1 trillion in regulations, saving $54 billion per year, according to the EPA. The repeal would “end 16 years of uncertainty for automakers and American consumers,” Zeldin said at an auto dealership in Indiana. “In our work so far, many stakeholders have told me that the Obama and Biden EPAs twisted the law, ignored precedent...
Read More
Tsunami Waves Reach US Shores After Massive Russian Earthquake
No Comments
National, Approved, Fox News

Tsunami Waves Reach US Shores After Massive Russian Earthquake

Covered by: Elizabeth Pritchett, Christina Shaw, Landon Mion, Alex Nitzberg, Bradford Betz, and Greg Norman | Fox News The entire U.S. West Coast was facing a tsunami threat after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake erupted off Russia's eastern coast on Tuesday. A tsunami warning was issued in Hawaii, Northern California and in Alaska, prompting thousands to evacuate to higher ground. People were also been warned to remain off beaches from Southern California to southern Alaska due to potential impacts. Damage and minor injuries reported in Russia following earthquake and tsunami This image shows the aftermath of a tsunami hitting the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk in the Kuril Islands of Russia on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Scienc...
Read More