Rocky Mountain Voice

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Ballpark Denver General Improvement District funded by residents to keep community safe, clean
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Ballpark Denver General Improvement District funded by residents to keep community safe, clean

By Chierstin Susel | CBS Colorado The Ballpark Denver General Improvement District became the fifth improvement district in Denver when it was established through a special election back in November 2024. Nearly 90% of the district's homeowners and residents chose to tax themselves in order to make the area they live and work in safer and cleaner. Starting Monday, a team of more than a dozen ambassadors in orange and burgundy will be walking around the Ballpark District, which includes Coors Field and spans a total of 40 blocks.  READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Sandhill cranes arrive in Colorado, untouched by bird flu that killed 2,000 in Indiana
Approved, gazette.com, Local

Sandhill cranes arrive in Colorado, untouched by bird flu that killed 2,000 in Indiana

By Mary Shinn | The Gazette Before the sun illuminated the San Luis Valley, the quiet of the pre-dawn stillness was broken by a symphony of calls. As the stars faded into the first hints of light, thousands of sandhill cranes took their place in the sky, silhouetted by hues of pink, orange and gold. The birds emerged from barley fields and steaming wetlands at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
Future of lunar missions built in Colorado are uncertain, for now
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Future of lunar missions built in Colorado are uncertain, for now

By Bernadette Berdychowski | Denver Gazette In a mission control center in Arvada, Lunar Outpost CEO Justin Cyrus was in “game mode” gearing up for Thursday’s big lunar landing day. “I don’t really celebrate until the job’s done,” he said during a ceremony Wednesday to debut the new mission control facility. The Golden-based company founded in 2017 built a rover onboard Intuitive Machine’s Athena lander to explore the moon’s south pole and execute a symbolic first commercial sale of lunar regolith — the material making up the moon’s surface. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Colorado Democrats want to raise tax obligation, keep TABOR refund to pay for school meals
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado Democrats want to raise tax obligation, keep TABOR refund to pay for school meals

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Colorado Democrats want to increase the tax obligation of Coloradans earning at least $300,000 and allow the state to keep dollars due to be refunded to residents under two ballot proposals they say would fix a $50 million deficit in a program meant to provide free meals to all students.      If the ballot measures succeed, taxpayers under this income bracket will pay an average of $385 more in tax obligations for individuals and $570 for joint filers.  The proposals would generate about $107 million a year.    READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
Richard Holtorf, retired Army colonel, former state House whip and cattle rancher, will seek Colorado GOP chair
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Richard Holtorf, retired Army colonel, former state House whip and cattle rancher, will seek Colorado GOP chair

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice Richard Holtorf, a former state representative and the chairman of the Washington County Republican Party, announced Saturday in an exclusive interview with Rocky Mountain Voice his intention to seek the chairmanship of the Colorado Republican Party. "As a longtime Republican in the state of Colorado, knowing the dire straights the party is in due to a failed strategic plan by previous leadership and the enormous infighting because of that," Holtorf said, "and analyzing the field of candidates, I felt Colorado Republicans deserved the best candidate possible." After attending Akron High School in a small Eastern Colorado town where he still resides, some would argue Holtorf had three successful careers, and this could be his fourth. He ser...
ICE says Tren de Aragua Venezuelan gang members have been arrested in El Paso County
Approved, KRDO.COM, Local, Top Stories

ICE says Tren de Aragua Venezuelan gang members have been arrested in El Paso County

By Tyler Dumas | KRDO-TV This week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) notified the El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPCSO) that they have located, identified, and arrested several suspected Tren de Aragua (TDA) Venezuelan gang members in El Paso County, the sheriff's office said. Sheriff Joseph Roybal announced in February that the EPCSO would be collaborating with ICE and assisting with criminal investigations and arrests. READ THE FULL STORY AT KRDO-TV
Liberty-loving Rep. Ken DeGraaf has a ‘calculated’ approach to lawmaking that prioritizes freedom
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Liberty-loving Rep. Ken DeGraaf has a ‘calculated’ approach to lawmaking that prioritizes freedom

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Ken DeGraaf laughed in response. Loud and unapologetic. The question? Whether he considered himself the "apex predator" of liberty in Colorado politics. "I’m not sure about ‘apex predator,’" DeGraaf said, still chuckling. "I’m just voting the way the Constitution tells me to. That’s really all there is to it. If that puts me at the top of the food chain, then I think that says more about the state of our legislature than it does about me." In a Democrat-controlled government, where individual liberty is often an afterthought, the El Paso County Republican's unwavering constitutional approach makes him stand out, even among his own party. The Liberty Scorecard is one source which attempts to measure legislators. In t...
Delta, Mesa Co. deputies disrupt drug distribution activities in Western Colorado
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Delta, Mesa Co. deputies disrupt drug distribution activities in Western Colorado

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Drug dealers in Western Colorado had some serious disruption in their “business model” last week, when Western Slope law enforcement agencies from both Delta and Mesa counties intercepted and seized large amounts of illegal drugs being transported through their counties. As a result of interaction with police, four suspects were arrested on charges related to possession and distribution of illegal narcotics. According to Delta County Sheriff Mark Taylor, deputies in his department seized 1,500 fentanyl pills, 12 grams of ecstasy pills, 454 grams of methamphetamine, 50 grams of powdered fentanyl, and 21 grams of carfentanyl (an extremely potent opioid that is more powerful than fentanyl, and used as an elephant sedative....
Businessman Steve Sundberg seeking re-election in Aurora’s Ward 2
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Businessman Steve Sundberg seeking re-election in Aurora’s Ward 2

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice Around Aurora, some just call him the "one with the beard." Steve Sundberg is a soft-spoken member of the Aurora City Council and serves as mayor pro-tem. He's known to shun the limelight, but more than the beard is a reason he's an easily recognized figure around town. “Having operated a restaurant in Aurora for 28 years and, as the owner the past few, you learnquickly about listening to people and investing in your customers,” Sundberg said. “That’s really what drove my business and my interest in serving these same individuals and families on City Council." Sundberg has announced his intention to seek another four-year term in City Council Ward 2. His priorities have been two-fold: unifying the diverse population of Aurora, and publi...
Sengenberger: CU regent & pot purveyor Wanda James — under scrutiny
Approved, Commentary, gazette.com

Sengenberger: CU regent & pot purveyor Wanda James — under scrutiny

By Jimmy Sengenberger | Commentary, The Gazette Did CU Regent and marijuana retailer Wanda James break Board of Regents policies and state law to advance her own business interests — at the expense of the institution she’s sworn to serve? That’s the question at the heart of a legal memorandum to the board’s leadership. It regards James’ crusade to terminate a public health education program mandated by the Legislature and funded with $4 million in marijuana tax revenue. In 2021, lawmakers directed CU’s School of Public Health to research high-potency THC and educate the public about its impact on the developing brain and mental health. CU’s researchers systematically reviewed over 60,000 scientific articles showing how today’s high-potency marijuana can affect youth under 25 and p...