Rocky Mountain Voice

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Science-based wildlife conservation supported by passage of CWEPA resolution
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Science-based wildlife conservation supported by passage of CWEPA resolution

By Rocky Mountain Voice A resolution has been passed by the Colorado Wildlife Employees Protective Association (CWEPA) supporting science-based wildlife conservation aligned with the mission of Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the principles of wildlife conservation in North America, a press release received by Rocky Mountain Voice reads. Founded in 1947, CWEPA includes a membership estimated at 200 wildlife officers, biologists, wildlife technicians, aquatics staff, administrative assistants and education and outreach personnel "deeply committed to the conservation and management of Colorado’s diverse wildlife resources," the press release reads. The resolution serves to reaffirm the mission to advance the ability of employees to safeguard wildlife resources of Colorado for the benef...
On Western Slope, opioid crisis continues and sheriffs say it is leading to mental health, crime
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

On Western Slope, opioid crisis continues and sheriffs say it is leading to mental health, crime

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell and Delta County Sheriff Mark Taylor have had  a constant battle fighting the opioid crisis in their counties since 2017, when it first started impacting western Colorado. MESA COUNTY When opioids first appeared as fentanyl on the Western Slope in 2017-18, each pill cost $18. Now, because of increases in the supply, they are $2 a pill.  "Fentanyl is a 45-minute high, and we see people taking up to 40 pills a day. It makes zombies out of people in our community,” Rowell said. In Mesa County, according to Rowell, law enforcement and first responders have had to administer Narcan - a medication that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose - 114 times in the last year. “That’s one person every t...
Commentary: Pueblo’s Democratic Party faces $2 million campaign finance scandal
Approved, Commentary, Local

Commentary: Pueblo’s Democratic Party faces $2 million campaign finance scandal

By Rocky Mountain Voice | Commentary The Pueblo Democratic Party is at the center of a significant campaign finance scandal, following a complaint that has exposed years of financial misconduct. While the statute of limitations may cap their liability at $25,000, the total violations could exceed $2 million if all infractions were accounted. The revelations suggest that the party has evaded financial reporting laws for more than a decade, raising serious questions about accountability. The complaint targets the financial activities of the Pueblo County Democratic Central Committee, which operates as an ancillary entity to the Pueblo Democratic Party. Colorado law, specifically Article XXVIII of the State Constitution and 1-45-108 C.R.S., requires transparency in campaign finance r...
A rare comet has been spotted in Colorado. Here’s how to see it before it is gone for 80,000 years.
Approved, kdvr.com, State

A rare comet has been spotted in Colorado. Here’s how to see it before it is gone for 80,000 years.

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox 31 News On Sunday night, people across Colorado spotted a rare comet that only comes every 80,000 years. Luckily, there’s still time to see it. According to NASA, the comet was discovered in 2023 at China’s Tsuchinshan Observatory and on an ATLAS telescope in South Africa, eventually getting the name Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. While the comet was first documented last year, it is believed to be very old. NASA said it came from the Oort Cloud, which lies beyond Pluto. After the comet travels within 44 million miles of Earth, it won’t return for another 80,000 years — and that’s assuming it survives the trip. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Voting guide: See the responses by State Board of Education candidates to questions
Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, State

Voting guide: See the responses by State Board of Education candidates to questions

By Melanie Asmar | Chalkbeat Colorado Four seats on Colorado’s nine-member State Board of Education are up for election on Nov. 5. The election is unlikely to change the board majority, which is currently held by Democrats, but it could narrow that majority and change the board’s dynamics. The State Board of Education holds schools and school districts accountable for student test scores, hears appeals when school districts reject charter school applications, and sets standards for what students should learn and what schools should teach. One at-large seat on the board represents the entire state. The other eight seats represent Colorado’s eight congressional districts. The seats representing Congressional Districts 2, 3, 4, and 8 are up for election this year. The ...
Daniel: Leave wildlife management to CPW, vote no on Prop. 127
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Daniel: Leave wildlife management to CPW, vote no on Prop. 127

By Bobbie Daniel | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Proposition 127, currently under debate in Colorado, aims to impose a blanket ban on hunting mountain lions, bobcats and lynx. However, it is important to clarify some of the misleading claims surrounding this measure. First, lynx are federally-protected and are not at risk of being hunted in Colorado. Additionally, “trophy” hunting is already illegal in the state. Although the proposition may appear to promote wildlife preservation, it disregards the critical role that Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) plays in maintaining balanced ecosystems and safeguarding rural communities. This isn’t just a hunting ban—it restricts CPW’s ability to manage these species effectively under the guise of wildlife protection. If passed, the ...
5th District debate between Crank, Gassen is Tuesday, hosted by Gazette, KOAA
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

5th District debate between Crank, Gassen is Tuesday, hosted by Gazette, KOAA

By The Rocky Mountain Voice Republican Jeff Crank and Democrat River Gassen will meet Tuesday in a 5th District debate hosted by the Colorado Springs Gazette and KOAA-TV NBC 5 in coordination with the El Pomar Foundation. The winner of the race will replace U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn in the U.S. House of Representatives at the end of his term. The debate will take place from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Penrose House Garden Pavilion, 1661 Mesa Ave. in Colorado Springs. More detail on the debate is available at The Gazette or KOAA-TV NBC 5.
Ballots have been mailed to Colorado voters. Here’s when to expect yours.
Approved, kdvr.com, State

Ballots have been mailed to Colorado voters. Here’s when to expect yours.

By Brooke Williams | Fox 31 News Election Day is just a few weeks away, and ballots are officially being mailed out to voters in Colorado. Every registered voter in the state will receive a ballot in the mail, regardless if the voter chooses to mail in their ballot, return it to a drop box or vote in person on Election Day on Nov. 5. Starting on Friday, county clerks across the state are mailing out ballots through Oct. 18, and they are expected to arrive in voter mailboxes 15 to 20 days before the election. REASD THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Resolution claims Denver placed illegals in Aurora without notice, would begin investigation
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Resolution claims Denver placed illegals in Aurora without notice, would begin investigation

By Kyla Pearce | Denver Gazette A resolution under consideration by the Aurora City Council charges that Denver moved immigrants into Aurora without telling city officials. If approved, the resolution will launch an investigation into the claim. Sponsored by City Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky, the resolution directs the city manager to provide a list of city organizations that have received funding to aid immigrants, including federal and state funding, as well as dollars from the City and County of Denver. Aurora officials will weigh the proposal a few days after former President Donald Trump blasted the Biden administration’s handling of illegal immigration, which he said contributed to the Venezuelan gang problem in Colorado’s third-most populous city. READ THE FUL...
Safeway would be owned in state by two companies post merger, neither would be Albertsons
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Safeway would be owned in state by two companies post merger, neither would be Albertsons

By Tamara Chuang and Olivia Prentzel | The Colorado Sun If the supermarket megamerger goes through as proposed, Safeway stores in Colorado would be owned by two companies. Neither would be the current owner Albertsons, which would fade into acquirer and King Soopers parent, Kroger Co. But while Kroger plans to take over 14 Safeways, the other 89 in the state would find a new owner in C&S Wholesale Grocer, a wholesale distributor that aspires to become a major grocery chain. And don’t forget there are two Albertsons in Pueblo and Durango that C&S plans to buy as part of the divestiture and conversion to Safeway. But C&S won’t own the Safeway brand — just a license to use the name in Colorado and Arizona for three years. Kroger plans to keep the other Safeway stores it’s...