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Cherry Creek Schools Face Scrutiny After 14 Contracts Signed Improperly
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Cherry Creek Schools Face Scrutiny After 14 Contracts Signed Improperly

By Natalie Chuck | Denver7 Revelation comes just months after the former superintendent resigned and his wife, the head of human resources, was place on administrative leave amid an ongoing investigation. GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — Denver7 Investigates has learned that 14 employment contracts, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, were signed improperly in the Cherry Creek School District. The revelation comes after one parent and district alum filed an open records request to see an interim superintendent's contract. "I wanted to see what the terms of his contract were," parent Molly Lamar told Denver7 Investigates. The contract for Toby Arritola, who was previously the district's executive director of strategic initiatives, was signed Feb. 2...
Denver $178M Homeless Initiative Faces Scrutiny Over Missing Funds
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Denver $178M Homeless Initiative Faces Scrutiny Over Missing Funds

By Tyler Melito | Denver7 In a report released Thursday, the City of Denver's auditor's office said the initiative by the mayor had underreported expenses and was "insufficiently planned." DENVER - The Denver mayor’s office and the city auditor’s office are in sharp disagreement over the findings of the latest audit on All In Mile High, the city’s homelessness initiative. Mayor Mike Johnston launched All In Mile High in 2024 with the ambitious goal of ending unsheltered homelessness in Denver by the end of 2026. The report released Thursday by City Auditor Timothy O'Brien's office credits the program with reducing unsheltered homelessness by 45% since 2023 — but that same report sharply criticizes the initiative’s financial transparency, planning and equi...
Homan Says ICE Will Step In As TSA Staffing Crisis Grows
DENVER7, Approved, National

Homan Says ICE Will Step In As TSA Staffing Crisis Grows

By Gage Jackson | Denver7 Since the partial government shutdown began more than a month ago, about 10% of TSA’s 50,000 security agents have called off work, leading to long lines at airports. U.S. border czar Tom Homan said Sunday that he has been tasked with deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to U.S. airports as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continues to struggle with staffing shortages due to the ongoing partial government shutdown. Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Homan said the federal immigration agents won't replace TSA agents but can help with security and ease their workload. He added that the primary focus will be on "airports where the longest waits are." "We’re simply there to help TSA do t...
Colorado Budget Gap Swells To $1.5 Billion As Lawmakers Brace For Cuts
DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Budget Gap Swells To $1.5 Billion As Lawmakers Brace For Cuts

By Nick Coltrain | Denver7 New forecasts set the stage for the final push on the state budget. DENVER — The fiscal picture for Colorado’s state government has somehow gotten even murkier — and potentially much worse. Lawmakers walked into Thursday’s key economic forecasts pessimistic about what the reports would tell them about the state budget. They walked out of it with one forecast warning they now needed to close a $1.5 billion deficit in the next week or so, an increase over the $1 billion prediction from just a few days earlier. That does not account for some cuts the committee has proposed but not yet finalized. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
Legal Battle Erupts Over NCAR Shutdown And Federal Authority
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Legal Battle Erupts Over NCAR Shutdown And Federal Authority

By Óscar Contreras | Denver7 Consortium alleges NCAR dismantling is "collateral damage" for Colorado’s refusal to bow down to the Trump administration and its demands to end mail-in voting and release Tina Peters from prison. DENVER — A consortium of more than 100 colleges and universities filed a lawsuit Monday against their federal partners, alleging the dismantling of Boulder’s National Center for Atmospheric Research by the Trump administration is illegal and part of a “campaign of retaliation” against the state of Colorado. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court of Colorado by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research against the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies and its leaders, alleges the dismantling of NCAR is motivated by t...
JBS Labor Dispute in Greeley Could Complicate Beef Markets Beyond Colorado
DENVER7, Approved, Local

JBS Labor Dispute in Greeley Could Complicate Beef Markets Beyond Colorado

By Jessica Porter | Denver7 The plant which processes up to 6,000 heads of cattle per day will impact the beef supply chain. GREELEY, Colo. — The impact of the JBS meatpacking plant strike on consumer beef prices is imperceptible in the short term, but the long-term impact is more complicated. About 3,800 workers at JBS Beef in Greeley walked off the job Monday as the union claimed the company retaliated against workers and committed unfair labor practices. The beef production facility processes between 5,000 and 6,000 head of cattle per day. “In the short term, the impact of the consumer level is probably pretty small, negligible, maybe not even present whatsoever, but if this continues, supply and demand will play out, and it's almost unavoi...
Democrats Sound Alarm Over “Secret” ICE Facilities Publicly Listed Online
Uncategorized, Approved, DENVER7, State

Democrats Sound Alarm Over “Secret” ICE Facilities Publicly Listed Online

By: Natalie Chuck | Denver7 Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen is joining the chorus of Democratic leaders demanding answers from ICE. DENVER — Several Democratic politicians in Colorado are sounding the alarm over what they call "secret" ICE facilities after an online news outlet published an article last week. But are they really a secret? On Wednesday, Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen took to multiple social media platforms, expressing her concerns over "secret ICE holding cells." In her posts, Rep. Pettersen attributed her claims to the Colorado Times Recorder, which posted an article saying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained people for weeks at a time in "secretive" facilities. The Recorder's article was written an...
High Winds Trigger Powerline Safety Measures in Boulder County
DENVER7, Approved, Local

High Winds Trigger Powerline Safety Measures in Boulder County

By: Tyler Melito | Denver7 Several projects in Boulder are underway to move power lines underground — a move residents Denver7 spoke with say they welcome. BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — High winds predicted for Thursday are prompting proactive measures by energy providers like Xcel. The company plans to implement an enhanced powerline safety setting — making lines more sensitive and automatically shut off power if something hits the line — on Thursday in several counties to allow power to remain in service with additional sensitivity protections in place. But Xcel and the City of Boulder are working on a long-term solution amid community pushback on public safety power shutoffs. Part of that includes continuing to bury power lines; 60% of the city's power lines...
Castle Rock Woman Sentenced To Three Years For Casting Fraudulent Ballots
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Castle Rock Woman Sentenced To Three Years For Casting Fraudulent Ballots

By Robert Garrison | Denver7 CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — A Douglas County judge gave a 62-year-old woman convicted of voter fraud the maximum sentence allowed under Colorado law, the 23rd Judicial District announced Monday. Elizabeth Ann Davis was sentenced to three years in prison after a jury last year convicted her of submitting fraudulent ballots in the 2022 General Election. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
DPS Board Hears Divided Testimony On Proposed Immigration Safe Zone Policy
DENVER7, Approved, Local

DPS Board Hears Divided Testimony On Proposed Immigration Safe Zone Policy

By Tyler Melito | Denver7 The proposed policy aims to make schools, bus stops and school events 'safe zones' from ICE. DENVER, Colo. - As tensions rise between ICE agents and communities across the country, Colorado's largest school district is considering a new policy that they say will protect students. The board is proposing a policy that would create safe zones at all district-managed and charter school properties — including school buildings, grounds, bus stops, school transportation and school-sponsored events — for students families and employees. On Thursday, the community had the chance to weigh in. "Protect and defend our immigrant students, parents, families, community members and employees, ensuring they are safe, valued, respected and ...