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Colorado Fire Departments Sound Alarm Over Staffing and Funding Shortfalls
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Fire Departments Sound Alarm Over Staffing and Funding Shortfalls

By Veronica Acosta | Denver7 LAKEWOOD, Colo. — A new statewide assessment found two-thirds of Colorado fire departments can't fund their full operations, and nearly 80% can't afford the equipment and staffing they say they need — a gap agencies like West Metro Fire Rescue say is now pushing them toward asking voters for more money. Colorado's fire departments are being asked to do more than ever, and a new state report shows most of them don't have the money to keep up. The 2026 Colorado Fire Service Needs Assessment, released this month by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC), surveyed 122 of the state's roughly 340 fire departments and found that two in three — 66.4% — say their current funding isn't enough to run all of their department's oper...
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New Colorado Gun Restrictions Slow Sales and Frustrate Lawful Buyers
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DENVER7, Approved, State

New Colorado Gun Restrictions Slow Sales and Frustrate Lawful Buyers

By: Danielle Kreutter | Denver7 Denver7's South Metro reporter Danielle Kreutter spoke to the manager at Englewood's The Shootist about the business impact of SB25-003. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Gun stores in Colorado are already seeing the impact of a new gun law that places new limits on certain semi-automatic weapons that went into effect at the beginning of this month. Business has been slow at The Shootist Gun Range in Englewood. It's a stark change compared to the record breaking sales they saw in the last few weeks. The new law makes it illegal to sell certain semi-automatic guns without the buyer first getting an eligibility card from a sheriff, then taking additional safety and education courses. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
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Federal Judge Blocks DOJ Bid for Colorado’s Unredacted Voter Rolls
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Federal Judge Blocks DOJ Bid for Colorado’s Unredacted Voter Rolls

By: Jessica Porter | Denver7 DENVER — A federal judge ruled the Trump administration cannot access Colorado's unredacted voter rolls, marking the Justice Department's 20th consecutive legal loss on the issue. U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer dismissed the case Monday, saying the DOJ did not have a valid purpose for obtaining the information and is not legally entitled to the records. The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again. "This is one more victory against an attempt to take control by Trump and the federal government over our nation's elections, and it's one more loss for Trump and the DOJ," Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
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Montezuma County Sheriff Declines to Enforce Colorado Gun Law Citing Constitution and Costs
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Montezuma County Sheriff Declines to Enforce Colorado Gun Law Citing Constitution and Costs

By: Robert Garrison | Denver7 CORTEZ, Colo. — Montezuma County Sheriff Steven Nowlin announced Monday that his office will not participate in a new Colorado gun law, citing funding, staffing and constitutional concerns. Senate Bill 25-003, which took effect Aug. 1, adds new requirements for purchasing certain semiautomatic firearms, including obtaining a five-year eligibility card from a local sheriff's office and completing an in-person safety course. “As a Colorado Sheriff, and every member of the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office, each of us has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Colorado, and perform the duties of the Office of Sheriff in Colorado by protecting those rights for all citizens in Montezum...
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Denver Street Takeover Ends Without Arrests Despite Dangerous Stunt Driving and Fireworks
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Uncategorized, Approved, DENVER7, Local

Denver Street Takeover Ends Without Arrests Despite Dangerous Stunt Driving and Fireworks

By: Kaylee Harter | Denver7 Video shows cars doing donuts, fireworks, and what appears to be something on fire at the intersection of Broadway and Mississippi. DENVER — No arrests were made, and no citations were issued after an "illegal street takeover" late Friday night and early Saturday morning, according to a Denver police spokesperson. Video captured by neighbors at the intersection of Broadway and Mississippi and shared with Denver7 shows cars doing donuts, fireworks, and what appears to be something on fire in the intersection. "The reckless driving and blocking of an intersection seen in the videos are incredibly dangerous and concerning," DPD spokesperson Doug Schepman said in an email to Denver7. One person who had posted video of the inciden...
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Sheridan Parents Launch Recall Effort Against School Board After Historic Teacher Strike
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Sheridan Parents Launch Recall Effort Against School Board After Historic Teacher Strike

By: Adria Iraheta | Denver7 Denver7's Aurora/Arapahoe County Reporter Adria Iraheta is following up after learning a group of educators and parents are submitting a recall petition targeting the Sheridan Board of Education. SHERIDAN, Colo. — Three months after Colorado's longest education strike in recent history, Sheridan School District parents are now leading an effort to recall the superintendent and board of education. Denver7 Aurora and Arapahoe County community reporter Adria Iraheta happened to run into the group of Sheridan parents and educators at the county administration building this week while working on a different story. The group was there to submit a petition with the elections division — an effort to recall Sheridan's superintendent and board of ed...
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Xcel Urges Coloradans To Shift Power Use During Summer Peak Hours
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Xcel Urges Coloradans To Shift Power Use During Summer Peak Hours

By: Ethan Carlson | Denver7 Xcel Energy's "Energy Action Days" ask customers to reduce usage between 4 and 8 p.m. on hot days, but some customers say the timing is inconvenient. DENVER – Xcel Energy customers in Colorado may have noticed text messages recently asking them to reduce their energy use during certain hours of the day. The utility calls these "Energy Action Days" - requests for customers to cut back on energy consumption between 4 and 8 p.m. when temperatures climb above 90 degrees, along with a variety of other grid conditions. Customers who do not reduce their usage during those hours will pay more for their energy, as part of Xcel’s Time of Use pricing policy. Andrew Holder, Xcel Energy Colorado's director of community relations, ...
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Former Jeffco Schools Security Guard Faces Dozens of Child Sex Crime Charges
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Former Jeffco Schools Security Guard Faces Dozens of Child Sex Crime Charges

By Óscar Contreras | Denver7 JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A former Jeffco Public Schools security guard arrested for child sex assault charges last month kept evidence of child sex abuse material for nearly 10 years before he was caught, according to an arrest affidavit in the case obtained by Denver7 over the weekend. Brian C. Richie, 67, was arrested June 22, 2026, by Longmont police on more than 30 charges, including felony sexual assault on a child from a position of trust, production and possession of child sexual abuse material, and invasion of privacy for sexual gratification. The investigation into Richie began in January of this year after a child disclosed “unsafe touching" by Richie to staff at Blue Sky Bridge child advocacy center following a school safety pre...
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Tragedy Strikes Eaton as Three Young Men Lose Their Lives in Rollover Crash
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Tragedy Strikes Eaton as Three Young Men Lose Their Lives in Rollover Crash

By: Stephanie Southey | Denver7 Eaton community mourns after crash kills 3 recent high school graduates. WELD COUNTY, Colo. — Three recent Eaton High School graduates were killed, and two others were injured in a single-vehicle rollover crash east of Ault in Weld County Saturday evening, according to the Colorado State Patrol. Investigators said a Chevrolet Tahoe was traveling at a high rate of speed west on Weld County Road 80 around 5:18 p.m. when it went off the road, lost control and rolled several times, ejecting all five occupants. Three men — a 19-year-old and 20-year-old from Eaton and a 19-year-old from Greeley — were pronounced dead at the scene, CSP said. The 20-year-old male driver from Wyoming was transported by air to a local hospital with...
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DOJ Challenges Colorado Law Granting In-State Tuition to Undocumented Students
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DENVER7, Approved, State

DOJ Challenges Colorado Law Granting In-State Tuition to Undocumented Students

By: Robert Garrison | Denver7 DENVER — The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Colorado, arguing that the state’s laws granting in-state tuition and certain financial aid benefits to undocumented students violate the Constitution. The complaint was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Denver. President Donald Trump’s DOJ claims in the suit that federal law prohibits states from giving postsecondary education benefits to people “not lawfully present” based on state residency unless the same benefits are available to all U.S. citizens regardless of where they live. “An alien who is not lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible based on residence within a State (or a political subdivision) for any postsecondary education benefit unless a ...
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