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O’Dea: Prop 130 enables us to ensure Colorado community safety
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Commentary, State

O’Dea: Prop 130 enables us to ensure Colorado community safety

By Joe O'Dea, Colorado Politics Our police officers are the cornerstone of our community’s safety. These men and women, who protect us every day, risk not only their lives, but the well-being of their families to serve us. Yet, it has become increasingly difficult to find individuals willing to make such sacrifices, and departments throughout the state are struggling to recruit and retain qualified officers. For these officers, not only are the risks high, but the rewards remain low. The average Colorado police officer’s salary is roughly $60,000, according to Zip Recruiter. And as the number of police per capita continues to fall, the danger they face rises. In fact, violent and property crime rates still remain higher than they were before the pandemic. For those ...
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Ballot measure 1A would allow Colorado’s Jefferson County to keep $30 million in tax revenue it knowingly overcollected
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Ballot measure 1A would allow Colorado’s Jefferson County to keep $30 million in tax revenue it knowingly overcollected

By Shaun Boyd, CBS Colorado For the third time in five years, Jefferson County is asking voters to permanently remove caps that limit how much tax revenue the Colorado county can keep and spend, including a new cap just put in place by the state legislature two months ago. "We would be the first in Colorado to have no cap, and they're trying to say it's not a tax increase," says Natalie Menten, who is leading the "No on 1A" effort. While Jeffco says 1A is a "revenue retention" measure to fund infrastructure and public safety, Menten says, not only would taxpayers forfeit all future refunds from the county, but $30.5 million in property tax revenue from 2023 that Jeffco deliberately overcollected. "They took our money. They're holding it, earning interest on it, k...
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Aurora lawmakers postpone vote to repeal employee tax
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Aurora lawmakers postpone vote to repeal employee tax

By Kyla Pearce, Denver Gazette via Colorado Politics Aurora City Council on Monday postponed a decision on whether to keep a tax on businesses after a loud dust-up between councilmembers.  The occupational privilege tax collects $4 monthly from companies for each employee. Employers and employees split the dues, paying $2 respectively. The tax began in 1986 to support street maintenance, police and fire services. In a study session earlier in October, Councilmember Francoise Bergan proposed keeping the occupational privilege tax to fund fire stations in the Blackstone and Southshore areas. She made the proposal, she said, after hearing concerns from residents about the lack of fire stations in the areas, telling a story about a resident who may have died due to a long resp...
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Denver will use these criteria to decide which schools to close for low enrollment
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, Local

Denver will use these criteria to decide which schools to close for low enrollment

By Melanie Asmar | Chalkbeat Colorado How many seats are filled and whether the neighborhood is experiencing declining enrollment are the first two criteria that Denver Public Schools staff will consider when deciding which schools should be recommended for closure. That’s according to a methodology released Monday night, a week and a half before Superintendent Alex Marrero is expected to make school closure recommendations on Nov. 7. The school board is set to vote on those recommendations two weeks later, on Nov. 21. District officials have not indicated how many schools will be closed or consolidated. The board directed Marrero to close schools to address declining enrollment. Although DPS enrollment is up 2% this year due to an influx of migrant students, officials said t...
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Colorado Airbnb host faces $16K in damages after suspected migrant gang members ‘destroy’ property
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Approved, Fox News, State

Colorado Airbnb host faces $16K in damages after suspected migrant gang members ‘destroy’ property

By Taylor Penley  | Fox News Cigarette butts, gum, cans, empty bottles and bags of drugs littered an Airbnb property hidden away in the Colorado mountains after one guest's brief stay turned into a longstanding problem brought on by suspected gang-related chaos, leaving host Karen Martiz facing thousands of dollars in repairs while the property remains damaged and temporarily useless.   "I have put all my energy and love into this property to make it beautiful for my guests. It's a beautiful place. Everybody loved it. We have been hosting for two years and this was the first time that I showed up here and my house was completely destroyed. I couldn't believe it," Martiz told Fox News early Wednesday. The property located in Evergreen, west of Denver, is marked as a "no-s...
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USPS closes trash cans in Colorado Springs post offices to prevent election material theft
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

USPS closes trash cans in Colorado Springs post offices to prevent election material theft

By Brennen Kauffman | The Gazette United States Postal Service has closed trash cans inside several post offices around Colorado Springs to prevent election materials from being stolen. The post offices on Fountain Boulevard, S 8th Street and Uintah Street had taped over the front of their trash cans to prevent them from being used. At the post office on Pikes Peak Avenue and South 25th Street, trash cans were entirely removed from the lobby areas. Paper signs posted around the Cheyenne Mountain facility asked customers to "Please discard any/all mail at home." The signs were attributed to USPS Management and dated to Thursday. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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$2M federal grant awarded to help prevent youth violence in Aurora
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

$2M federal grant awarded to help prevent youth violence in Aurora

By Tori Mason | CBS Colorado A $2 million grant will help the city of Aurora's efforts to reduce youth violence. The money was awarded by the Department of Justice's Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative, a federal investment in local programs. Standing Against Violence Every Day, or SAVE, is Aurora's violence-reduction strategy that focuses on teens and young adults who are at high risk for violent victimization and offending.  The program uses proactive measures to address the root causes of youth violence.  READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Nonprofit helping veterans, first responders cope with PTSD with time in Colorado outdoors
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Nonprofit helping veterans, first responders cope with PTSD with time in Colorado outdoors

By Jeremy Hubbard | Fox 31 News A group of veterans and first responders from all over the country are in Colorado, hoping to heal their wounds with the help of nature, and a new non-profit dedicated to helping those suffering from PTSD. Mountain Valor Foundation launched its new initiative at a kick-off event last Thursday at the VFW in Sheridan. The founder got the idea when a good friend needed a helping hand. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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Ballot drop-off and polling locations in Colorado
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Approved, Fox21, State

Ballot drop-off and polling locations in Colorado

By Sarah Ferguson | Fox 21 News Election Day 2024 is right around the corner and many voters have already filled out and mailed in or dropped off their ballots ahead of next Tuesday, Nov. 5. On Tuesday, all ballots must be received by the county clerk by 7 p.m. and there are several locations across Colorado where voters can either drop off their ballots or vote in person. On the Colorado Secretary of State’s website, people can search polling and drop box locations in their area by simply typing in their address. Once complete, voters are taken to a map of county locations where additional information is available including; days of the week and hours each location is open, suggested routes, along with details regarding registration, election rules, and ballot information. REA...
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Colorado Republicans call for Griswold’s resignation amid security breach
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Colorado Republicans call for Griswold’s resignation amid security breach

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice In response to the recent leak of election system passwords by Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office, Colorado House Republicans issued a call for her resignation. The statement came shortly after Griswold acknowledged the incident, which she described as a “partial” leak involving passwords for some voting components, adding that her office is actively investigating. Minority Leader Pugliese questioned the extent of Griswold’s oversight, stating, “Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s reckless disregard for professional standards and consistent lack of transparency has threatened trust in our democratic system by causing doubt in the security of our election process.” Pugliese called for Griswold’s resignation, emphasizing, “The people of Colo...
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