Local

Colorado gives $8 million tax credit to fuel “clean iron” plant in Jefferson County

The Colorado Sun, Approved, Local / / , , , ,

A Boulder company with a patented method to take most of the carbon emissions out of the energy-intensive iron and steelmaking process will use $8 million from the inaugural state industrial tax credit to build a manufacturing plant in Jefferson County, officials said Tuesday. 

The patented process produces “clean” industrial iron at the temperature of a cup of coffee, rather than the 1,200-degree Fahrenheit furnaces traditionally used in iron and steelmaking, according to Electrasteel Inc, known as Electra. Currently employing more than 130 people, Electra uses an electrochemical process and hopes to cut 30% or more of the carbon emissions from traditional production.

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114 laid off from federal energy lab in Golden as Biden-era programs face scrutiny

kdvr.com, Approved, Local, National / / , , , , , , , ,

DENVER (KDVR) — On Monday, 114 employees of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory were “involuntarily separated” from the agency.

The mass layoff was confirmed in an email from an NREL spokesperson, who said NREL is dealing with “a complex financial and operational landscape shaped by the issuance of stop work orders from federal agencies, new federal directives, and budgetary shifts.”

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Northeast Colorado judge resigns after allegations of undisclosed ties to former client

Local, Approved, Colorado Politics / / , , , , ,

A judge from northeastern Colorado resigned at the end of Wednesday, and, in doing so, admitted to allegations that he used his position to aid a friend in her court case and did not disclose his personal connection in other cases involving that friend.

District Court Judge Justin B. Haenlein presided in the 13th Judicial District of Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Washington, Yuma and Kit Carson counties. He had been off the bench since the Colorado Supreme Court suspended him in November, pending a disciplinary investigation.

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Members left in the dark: LPEA board spends big while margins shrink and bills climb

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories / / , , , ,

When La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) members open their May power bills, most will see the effects of a 7.72% rate increase that quietly took effect April 1. While LPEA’s board says the hike is needed to cover infrastructure and supply costs, many members are beginning to ask harder questions – not just about what they’re paying, but about how their cooperative is being run.

Members left in the dark: LPEA board spends big while margins shrink and bills climb Read More »

Judge overrules Elizabeth School District, forces return of books parents objected to

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local / / , , , , , , ,

An Elbert County school district confirmed on Friday to a federal judge that it has restored 19 restricted books to library shelves after she found the school board likely violated the First Amendment rights of students and authors by removing the titles for ideological reasons.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit declined to suspend, or stay, a preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney. Previously, Sweeney ordered the Elizabeth School District to return the restricted books to libraries, and she set a specific date of April 5. The 10th Circuit put that order temporarily on hold while it took an initial look at the case, before ultimately deciding against intervention.

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Downtown Denver’s 16th Street Mall still mostly empty despite taxpayer-funded revitalization

kdvr.com, Approved, Local / / , , ,

DENVER (KDVR) — According to a new annual report, the 16th Street Mall is still struggling to fill vacancies, and it’s also dealing with decreased foot traffic.

This has been a spot that has struggled to keep businesses for several years, but as construction wraps up by the end of May, representatives at the Downtown Denver Partnership remain optimistic.

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Trump prioritizes Venezuelan gang crackdown, while Colorado and other sanctuary states resist

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local, National, State / / , , , , , ,

As millions of immigrants fleeing the economic and political chaos in Venezuela used social media to navigate the journey north, Tren de Aragua (TdA) operatives embedded in their ranks and exploited these same platforms — particularly WhatsApp — to coordinate extortion, smuggling and violence.

Trump prioritizes Venezuelan gang crackdown, while Colorado and other sanctuary states resist Read More »

Michelle Chandler stopped a predator — and uncovered victims who may never know

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, State, Top Stories / / , , , , , ,

On May 11, 2024, at Nordstrom Rack in Lakewood, Colorado, Michelle Chandler caught a man filming her inside a women’s fitting room. She didn’t freeze or panic. Instead, she confronted him, pinned him to the ground and held him until help arrived – or so she thought. 

What happened next wasn’t the swift arrival of justice. It was abandonment: by store employees, by security and later, by a system more concerned with procedure than protection.

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Cole: Illegal driving, rising costs, and scarce patrols—welcome to Denver’s roads

Commentary, Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories / / , , , , , , , ,

Each afternoon, my three-mile commute home in Denver’s metro area is a nerve-wrecking ordeal. Drivers speed through stop signs, ignore red lights, or stop inexplicably at unmarked intersections. Cars swerve across lanes, straddle the center line, or disrupt four-way stops. 

Vehicles without plates, with expired tags, or overdue permits are all too common. 

As a single-income earner with only liability insurance, I dread a crash with an uninsured driver. 

One accident could destroy my car—my lifeline to work and rent.

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Six Colorado Springs nightclubs under police investigation for years, public just finding out

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local / / , , ,

Six nightclubs around Colorado Springs have been investigated for potential illegal activity since 2022, according to Colorado Springs police.

Police said New Havana Bar and Grill off North Academy Boulevard, an unnamed after-hours club on Palmer Park Boulevard, and La Terraza on South Circle Drive were all shut down through the public nuisance process.

Police said Babilonia Bar and Grill on East Platte Avenue, Nova Nightclub on South Nevada Avenue and El Huracán on South Academy Boulevard were evicted by their property owners.

Six Colorado Springs nightclubs under police investigation for years, public just finding out Read More »