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Judge sides with resident over developers in fire evacuation lawsuit, fight with El Paso County simmers on
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

Judge sides with resident over developers in fire evacuation lawsuit, fight with El Paso County simmers on

By Mary Shinn | The Gazette A 4th Judicial District judge recently sided with a resident asking El Paso County to uphold its own fire-safety standards along dead-end roads.  Hay Creek Valley resident Mike Cloutier sued the El Paso County commissioners earlier this year because they approved a proposal making way for 20 more high-end homes that take access off a dead-end road. Hay Creek Road, north of the Air Force Academy, already serves 80 existing residences hidden among the foothills. The county limits the number of homes along a dead-end road to 25 for safety in a fire evacuation.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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Biden-Harris admin to send an additional $725 million in military assistance to Ukraine
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Approved, National, The Post Millennial

Biden-Harris admin to send an additional $725 million in military assistance to Ukraine

By David Krayden | The Post Millennial The Biden-Harris administration is preparing to send an additional $725 million in military assistance to Ukraine that will include counter-drone systems and more of the controversial anti-personnel landmines that most countries around the world have outlawed as a weapon of war. The US was not a signatory of the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the anti-personnel landmines. The package will also reportedly include munitions for its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. Two US officials who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, would not confirm whether the armaments being supplied for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System were of the ATACMS class, but Ukraine has reportedly been pushing for more of t...
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Less than ‘1 person per square mile’ lives in Colorado’s ‘least-crowded’ county
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Approved, Local, Out There Colorado

Less than ‘1 person per square mile’ lives in Colorado’s ‘least-crowded’ county

By Spencer McKee | Out There Colorado Looking to live a life without much interruption in Colorado? Three of the state's counties have a population density of less than one resident per square mile – two of which are also home to some of the best (and most overlooked) outdoor recreation in the state. In terms of population density, three counties are home to fewer than a single resident per square mile – Kiowa with 0.8 people per square mile, Jackson with 0.85 people per square mile, and Hinsdale with 0.7 people per square mile. READ THE FULL STORY AT OUT THERE COLORADO
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Young families left behind in Grand Valley’s housing construction
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Approved, Local, The Business Times

Young families left behind in Grand Valley’s housing construction

By Brandon Leuallen | The Business Times Scarcity of affordable housing emerged as a key reason School District 51’s enrollment declined by 2,049 students in the past 5 years. The impact of that decline was center stage at two District 51 Board of Education meetings last week, during which the board voted unanimously to close three elementary schools at the end of the 2024-25 school year. District 51 demographer Shannon Bingham collected data that showed lack of affordable housing, especially starter homes, was one of the primary factors in an overall reduction of the Grand Valley’s school-age population. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE BUSINESS TIMES
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Texas Gov Abbott threatens to defund hospital over medicaid citizenship law dispute
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Approved, National, The Post Millennial

Texas Gov Abbott threatens to defund hospital over medicaid citizenship law dispute

By David Krayden | The Post Millennial Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) is threatening to defund a children’s hospital after a Houston doctor released a video on TikTok telling patients to ignore a new state law requiring they reveal their citizenship when getting treatment. Abbott issued an executive order that took effect on Nov. 1 requiring hospitals accepting Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Plan payments to ask patients if they are citizens of the US on intake forms. Cardiologist at Texas Children’s Hospital Dr. Tony Pastor who is also an assistant professor at the Baylor College of Medicine released a TikTok video that said it was not necessary for patients to answer the questions and over 1 million people watched the video before it was taken down. “So my proposal ...
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Fmr. Denver Mayor Hancock now a lobbyist for companies that made hundreds of millions during his tenure
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Approved, Denverite, Local

Fmr. Denver Mayor Hancock now a lobbyist for companies that made hundreds of millions during his tenure

By Kyle Harris | Denverite Former Mayor Michael Hancock has a new lobbying firm, Hancock Global, serving companies that do big business with the city.  He’s registered as a lobbyist in the City and County of Denver. While a few of his clients are obscure, many were major contractors on projects the Hancock administration oversaw, especially at the airport.  His clients have combined for hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts with the city, according to city data going back to 2017. Some have worked for the city for decades, long before Hancock took office. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVERITE
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Parks & Wildlife ‘aggressively pursuing’ coyote responsible for attacking 4-year-old
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Approved, KKTV CBS 11, State

Parks & Wildlife ‘aggressively pursuing’ coyote responsible for attacking 4-year-old

By Aaron Vitatoe | KKTV-TV CBS 11 Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials are “aggressively pursuing” a coyote they said attacked a 4-year-old girl on Thanksgiving. They said the attack happened late Thursday afternoon in northern Colorado Springs, in a neighborhood east of Monument Creek and I-25, near the Air Force Academy. According to CPW, witnesses told officials the girl was attacked when she and another child approached a coyote crouching behind a tree, thinking it was a dog. That’s when they said the coyote lunged at the girl, grabbing the back of her head, seriously injuring the girl. This resulted in an overnight stay at the hospital. READ THE FULL STORY AT KKTV-TV CBS 11
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Denver City Council revisits ban on flavored tobacco products; last one vetoed by Hancock in 2021
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Denver City Council revisits ban on flavored tobacco products; last one vetoed by Hancock in 2021

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News Denver City Council is once again eyeing a flavored nicotine ban, which supporters say would protect children in the metro area, according to council documents. In 2021, then-Denver Mayor Michael Hancock vetoed a measure passed by Denver City Council to ban flavored nicotine sales in the city. At the time, vape shop owners in Denver told FOX31 that the ban would impact over 90% of their inventory and likely put them out of business. However, proponents of the ban said it would have kept nicotine products out of the hands of underage users.' READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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Schumann: Understanding special districts. Where your tax dollars meet local decisions and why you should care
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Schumann: Understanding special districts. Where your tax dollars meet local decisions and why you should care

By Jen Schumann | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Coloradans, on average, will pay $540,680 in taxes over their lifetime.  Many politicians promise to limit taxes once elected. President Trump believes there is a way the U.S. can abolish federal taxes. Let's say the second Trump Administration does fix the $36 trillion national debt crisis, growing by $268 million each hour, and cuts federal taxes. There will still be state and local taxes to pay. Many local leaders elected through special district elections will set county and city tax rates. They make decisions on how to spend taxpayer dollars, having a huge impact on residents' lives. In Colorado, there are more than 3,000 special districts.  Special district elections in Colorado have low voter turnout. But...
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Residents at Aurora apartments see improvements but face buyout offers they say are too low to relocate
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Residents at Aurora apartments see improvements but face buyout offers they say are too low to relocate

By Michael Abeyta | CBS Colorado Earlier this year, the city of Aurora drew national attention because of gang activity at apartments owned by CBZ Management. Additional issues later came to light, including unsafe living conditions at several apartment complexes owned by CBZ. One of those was the Whispering Pines Apartments, which the city nearly shut down due to unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Now, things appear to be improving for residents. Aurelio, a resident who declined to provide his last name, lives at Whispering Pines. The complex is one of several formerly owned by CBZ that has been under receivership since the fall. He says he and his roommates like living there because it's affordable. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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