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Judge awards families of loved ones left rotting in funeral home $950M, but getting paid may be another matter
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Approved, KXRM-TV, Local

Judge awards families of loved ones left rotting in funeral home $950M, but getting paid may be another matter

By Jesse Bedayn Associated Press, via Fox 21 News The Colorado funeral home owners who allegedly stored 190 decaying bodies and sent grieving families fake ashes were ordered by a judge to pay $950 million to the victims’ relatives in a civil case, the attorney announced Monday. The judgment is unlikely to be paid out since the owners have been in financial trouble for years, making it largely symbolic. The owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home, Jon and Carie Hallford, did not acknowledge the civil case or show up to hearings, said the attorney representing the families, Andrew Swan. The Hallfords, who own Return to Nature Funeral Home in Colorado Springs, about an hour south of Denver, face criminal charges in separate cases. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 21 NEWS
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Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang linked to brutal jewel heist in Denver
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang linked to brutal jewel heist in Denver

By Julian Resendiz | Fox 31 News Federal officials in El Paso have relinquished custody of an alleged Tren de Aragua gang member they say is linked to a violent June 24 jewelry store robbery in Denver. Homeland Security Investigations special agents in Las Cruces, New Mexico, last week turned over the suspect to Denver County Sheriff’s Department staff for transfer to Colorado. HSI said the man is a Venezuelan national, a member of the Tren de Aragua transnational criminal organization and a “suspect in the June 24 Denver jewelry heist.” The brutal robbery caught on video shows several young men posing as clients suddenly turn on the all-female staff and clients. The robbers are seen pulling out guns, pushing open an office door and pistol whipping two women who fall onto on the f...
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Conn’s HomePlus closing all stores nationwide, including six in Colorado
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Conn’s HomePlus closing all stores nationwide, including six in Colorado

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Some Coloradans might be able to find a great deal on furniture, appliances, electronics, bedding and more as Conn's HomePlus prepares to close all of its stores nationwide. In July, the retailer announced plans to close a little less than half of its locations as part of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Instead, it will shutter all 174 stores, eliminating about 4,000 jobs in 15 states. The top of the company's website on Tuesday displayed a "Going out of business sale" banner, boasting 30-50% off everything in store and on the website. Conn's HomePlus operates six locations in Colorado, a search of the website details. These include:7360 W. 52nd. Ave., Arvada.60 S. Abilene St., Aurora.340 N. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs.550 E. 102nd Ave...
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Council gives unanimous support to Denver’s plan to spend $3M on youth job program
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Council gives unanimous support to Denver’s plan to spend $3M on youth job program

By Alexander Edwards | Denver Gazette The Denver City Council on Monday agreed to spend $4 million in an attempt to curb youth violence and support the struggling city center. A $1.5 million contract with Denver Public Schools was doubled, and $1 million will be spent to hire a planning firm to update an area plan for downtown. The city has approved spending almost $5 million this year to keep Denver’s kids occupied during the summer months, and away from crime. The city will now spend $3 million on the Denver Youth Employment Program on top of Mayor Mike Johnston’s own YouthWorks effort which, broadly speaking, has the same goals. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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As sentencing approaches on four misdemeanors, ‘J6 Praying Grandma’ prepared for prison
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Approved, Colorado Springs Gazette, Local

As sentencing approaches on four misdemeanors, ‘J6 Praying Grandma’ prepared for prison

By Debbie Kelley | Colorado Springs Gazette Rebecca Lavrenz doesn’t want to go to prison, but for the past four months the 72-year-old great-grandmother, retired registered nurse and small-business owner in El Paso County has been steeling herself for that possibility. “I don’t think it’s right. I’m not happy about it. But I’d rather be in prison obeying God than be out doing what I want to do,” she said last week at her home in Falcon, east of Colorado Springs. After nearly 26 hours of deliberation over four days — considered lengthy and unusual for Jan. 6 defendants — a jury found Lavrenz guilty on April 4 of four misdemeanors she was charged with for entering the U.S. Capitol at the “Steal the Vote” rally on Jan. 6, 2021. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE...
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Two emerge to be selected by vacancy committee to appear on ballot as Democratic candidate for HD19
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Two emerge to be selected by vacancy committee to appear on ballot as Democratic candidate for HD19

By Marissa Ventrelli  | Colorado Politics A vacancy committee will meet on Thursday to select a candidate to replace Rep. Jennifer Parenti, D-Erie, in the House District 19 election. Parenti announced she was dropping out of the race last month.  In a letter announcing her departure, Parenti cited the prevalence of "personal agendas and special interests" in the legislature, which she said made it hard for her to maintain her sense of integrity.  Two candidates, Anil Pesaramelli and James Reed, are now vying to represent the Democratic Party in the November election. Pesaramelli, a software engineer at Kaiser Permanente, previously ran for the Boulder Valley School District School Board. Reed, an IT professional, also has experience on the board, having served ...
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La Junta names Patrick Comiskey as lone city manager finalist, will meet with City Council Aug. 8
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Approved, Local, Southeast Colorado (SECO) News

La Junta names Patrick Comiskey as lone city manager finalist, will meet with City Council Aug. 8

By Southeast Colorado (SECO) News Following an extensive search and interviews by the City Manager Selection Committee, the City of La Junta has named a finalist for the City Manager position. Patrick C. Comiskey is a seasoned municipal leader with extensive experience in city management and public administration. Over his distinguished career, he has managed diverse city operations and led transformative projects in multiple communities. As City Manager of Mount Dora, FL from 2021 to 2024, Patrick oversaw a city with a population of approximately 18,000 and an annual budget of $130 million.  READ THE FULL STORY AT SOUTHEAST COLORADO (SECO) NEWS
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Report: Kamala Harris names Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her VP running mate
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Approved, Fox News, National

Report: Kamala Harris names Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her VP running mate

By Paul Steinhauser , Brooke Singman , Chris Pandolfo | Fox News Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, on Tuesday named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate as she faces off against former President Trump in the 2024 election, according to the Associated Press. The naming of the 60-year-old Walz was not a shocker, as his name was instantly thought to be in contention in the two weeks since Harris succeeded President Biden as the party's standard-bearer. The 60-year-old Walz, a former congressman, is in his second term as governor of Minnesota, a state that Democrats have reliably won in presidential elections for decades but that the Trump campaign has aimed at flipping this cycle. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX NEWS
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Sold out: Trump will visit Aspen for fundraiser and you most likely can’t get a ticket
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Sold out: Trump will visit Aspen for fundraiser and you most likely can’t get a ticket

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Editor's note: This story was edited at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, to reflect new information correcting prior erroneous information concerning the Colorado GOP's relation to the Trump 47 Committee. The hardest ticket to get in Colorado this week -- and the most expensive -- will be a seat to be in attendance when former President Donald Trump returns to Colorado. He will address a crowd Saturday in Aspen, making his first campaign appearance since 2020, when he stumped for former U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner. A seat at the dinner for a couple will cost $25,000, while host levels for a couple cost $100,000 and $500,000. But, the invite on the Trump 47 Committee page indicates the event is sold out. The invite did not list a time or location f...
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U.S. marshals track down, arrest man in Florida wanted as suspect in unsolved Yuma County murder
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Approved, Local, U.S. Marshals Service

U.S. marshals track down, arrest man in Florida wanted as suspect in unsolved Yuma County murder

By U.S. Marshals Service A multi-agency manhunt for the fugitive homicide suspect wanted in connection to the disappearance and death of Britani Meek in Yuma, Colo., concluded Monday afternoon in Lake Placid, Fla.  Clifton Boggess, 62, is wanted by the Yuma (CO) Police Department in connection to the disappearance and death of Britani Meek. Meek was initially reported missing on October 25, 2023. During the course of the investigation, both Meek’s vehicle and her remains were discovered on a property located in rural Yuma County. On July 24, a warrant was issued charging Boggess with first-degree murder, felony tampering with a deceased body, second-degree kidnapping, second-degree motor vehicle theft, and third-degree assault. On July 25, the Yuma Police Department formally reque...
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