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Colorado Bureau of Investigation launches public dashboard to track rape kit backlog
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Colorado Bureau of Investigation launches public dashboard to track rape kit backlog

By Óscar Contreras | Denver 7 News The Colorado Bureau of Investigation announced Tuesday it would start publicly tracking its progress to address a rape kit backlog exacerbated by an investigation into one its former forensic scientists accused of mishandling DNA evidence. “We acknowledge it is taking us too long to complete DNA cases. We are committed to an aggressive plan to bring this turnaround time down to our goal of 90 days as quickly as possible,” said CBI Director Schaefer in a statement announcing the creating of the public dashboard. “We understand the importance of timely processing of sexual assault kits and the impact this backlog has on survivors.” READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER 7 NEWS
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Western Colorado’s only psychiatric hospital to close
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Western Colorado’s only psychiatric hospital to close

By Katie Parkins | Denver 7 NEWS Western Colorado's only psychiatric hospital will be shutting down. West Springs Hospital in Grand Junction will cease its in-patient operations after March 10, the medical center announced on Facebook Monday. Outpatient services at Mind Springs Health will remain open. The West Springs Hospital has provided inpatient psychiatric care to the Western Slope for 20 years. However, according to a report in The Denver Post, the hospital faced financial issues and struggled to fill the facility's 48 licensed beds. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER 7 NEWS
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Highway signs on C-470 honor Kendrick Castillo, 2019 STEM School shooting hero
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Highway signs on C-470 honor Kendrick Castillo, 2019 STEM School shooting hero

By Jeff Anastasio | Denver 7 News Drivers on C-470 will notice a change to overhead highway signs to reflect the renaming of the former Lucent Boulevard to Kendrick Castillo Way, honoring the hero student who charged a gunman and ultimately lost his life during the 2019 STEM School shooting in Highlands Ranch. The highway signs are expected to be swapped out this week after Castillo’s family and officials unveiled Kendrick Castillo Way back in November. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER 7 NEWS
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Pet-inclusive housing bill, aiming to reduce income barriers for owners, assigned to committee
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Pet-inclusive housing bill, aiming to reduce income barriers for owners, assigned to committee

By Allie Jennerjahn | Denver 7 News A bill making its way through the state legislature aims to make sure no one has to choose between staying with their pet, or having a roof over their head. HB25-1207 would reduce barriers to pet-inclusive housing by mandating housing providers who get state subsidies to allow pets. It would also keep insurance companies from adding breed restrictions. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER 7 NEWS
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Pedestrian fatalities have surged in Colorado, AAA report finds
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Pedestrian fatalities have surged in Colorado, AAA report finds

By Sam Peña | Denver7 News After reaching a record low number of pedestrian deaths in 2009, a AAA study found that pedestrian deaths increased by over 80% across the United States. Colorado reached a record number of crash deaths in 2022, with 764 reported and 115 involving a pedestrian, according to CDOT. The number of fatal crashes was lower in 2024, with only 684 reported deaths, but 120 of those deadly crashes involved a pedestrian. While cars have become safer than ever — equipped with advanced features like collision avoidance systems — Skyler McKinley, the Regional Director of Public Affairs for AAA, argued that pedestrians are facing more dangers on the road. Pedestrian fatalities in Colorado increased by a staggering 161% over the last decade, prompting AAA to investigate...
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Jeffco Schools considering closure that would send students to Everitt M.S., Wheat Ridge H.S.
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Jeffco Schools considering closure that would send students to Everitt M.S., Wheat Ridge H.S.

By Nicole Brady | Denver 7 News Declining enrollment may soon claim another school in the Denver metro area. Jeffco Public Schools is hosting a series of community meetings to determine the future of Jefferson Junior/Senior High School in Edgewater. The district is proposing closing the school, which serves grades 7-12, starting in the 2026-2027 school year. Students would instead attend Everitt Middle School and Wheat Ridge High School. Jeffco Public Schools is proposing new uses for the building. District Chief of Staff Lisa Relou said, the district wants the community to come up with ideas to repurpose the school for career-focused programming. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER 7 NEWS
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Senate committee halts SB 44, the bill to increase fentanyl criminal penalties
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Senate committee halts SB 44, the bill to increase fentanyl criminal penalties

By Ryan Fish | Denver 7 News With a 4-3 vote, a bill that proposed harsher criminal penalties related to fentanyl was postponed indefinitely Monday night inside the Colorado Capitol after a lengthy hearing inside the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senate Bill 25-044 was introduced on Jan. 8, and its prime sponsors are Sen. Byron Pelton and Rep. Ryan Armagost. The bill aimed to increase the penalties for people accused of manufacturing, selling or distributing — or possession with intent to do so — anything that contained fentanyl, carfentanil or benzimidazole opiate. If passed, people accused of those crimes will face a Level 1 drug felony. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER 7 NEWS
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Flavored tobacco products could stay on Denver store shelves as opponents of the ban try to overturn it
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Flavored tobacco products could stay on Denver store shelves as opponents of the ban try to overturn it

By Maggy Wolanske | KMGH-TV Denver 7 News The push to sell flavored tobacco products in Denver continues even thoughDenver City Council voted 11-1to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products within city limits in December. Opponents of the ban are now trying to overturn this decision which would go into effect on March 18, 2025, by having voters instead decide on the measure in November. Owner of Myxed Up Creations Phil Guerin is fighting to keep flavored tobacco products on the shelves and inform the community of the impact this decision will have on small businesses. He worked with several others to file paperwork with the city clerk and recorder's office and received approval for the circulation of petitions. READ THE FULL STORY AT KMGH-TV DENVER 7 NEWS
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Denver church in need after Sunday morning fire resulted in $200k in damages
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Denver church in need after Sunday morning fire resulted in $200k in damages

By Sam Peña | KMGH-TV Denver 7 News A Denver church is looking to rebuild after a Sunday morning fire caused around $200,000 in damages. Lead pastor Daniel Jeong said the church wasn't just his place of work but also his home. Jeong said he was asleep in his office at Good News Denver Church, 2500 S. Sheridan Boulevard, when the fire broke out last week. Around 2:30 a.m., the pastor woke up to the smell of smoke and the sound of a fire alarm. “I opened my office door, and oh my goodness, so much smoke poured out," said Jeong. "I almost passed out.” READ THE FULL STORY AT KMGH-TV DENVER 7 NEWS
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King Soopers workers in Boulder, Broomfield, Denver and Parker authorize strike, more likely
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King Soopers workers in Boulder, Broomfield, Denver and Parker authorize strike, more likely

By Sydney Isenberg , Sam Peña | KMGH-TV Denver 7 News After two days of voting, King Soopers employees across Colorado have authorized a strike, the UFCW Local 7 announced late Thursday night. The vote comes after King Soopers and UFCW Local 7, which represents more than 10,000 King Soopers employees across the state, failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. The original contract expired at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 16. Prior to the contract expiration, Joe Kelley, the president of King Soopers/ City Market, told Denver7 he was doing everything he could to avoid a strike.' READ THE FULL STORY AT KMGH-TV DENVER 7 NEWS
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