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Bauer: What IS this new Community “Matanza” Celebration?
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Bauer: What IS this new Community “Matanza” Celebration?

By Shirley Bauer | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice With all the events in Hotchkiss, Colorado, on Saturday, May 10, chances are you may have heard of a new event—the second annual “Family, Faith, Freedom Fest Matanza Cook Off!” Hosted at the Fairgrounds by the Delta County Republican Party, this gathering was designed to bring people together to celebrate community, family, faith and freedom as well as Hispanic heritage and of course great food! Thanks to donors, prize money for the cook-off and pork for the contestants were provided. The idea for the event was from Arrhya Long, Vice Chair of the Delta GOP, whose heritage is part Hispanic. In collaboration with Leslie Parker, Chairwoman of the DCRCC; David Moran, PCP for Delta County GOP and HD54 Chairman; and Pastor Jo...
“Aptitude test for your rights?” Mesa County pushes back on SB3 in letter to the DOJ
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“Aptitude test for your rights?” Mesa County pushes back on SB3 in letter to the DOJ

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Would you need a perfect GPA to speak your mind or worship freely? Mesa County officials say Colorado’s new gun law is treating the Second Amendment that way – and they’ve asked the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene. In a three-page letter sent this month, the Mesa County Board of Commissioners urged federal authorities to investigate Senate Bill 25-003, calling it a “grotesque misuse of government power” that effectively imposes a discriminatory test on anyone wishing to lawfully own or carry a firearm. The law, which takes effect in August 2026, requires residents to complete state-approved firearms training, score 90% on a written exam and obtain conditional approval from their sheriff’s office every five years in order to receive or...
Denver Mayor Johnston walks back raises, braces city for cuts amid $50M budget gap
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Denver Mayor Johnston walks back raises, braces city for cuts amid $50M budget gap

By Deborah Grigsby | Denver Gazette Facing a shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston is expected to announce significant cuts to the city's budget at a news conference this morning. The city is facing a $50 million gap in this year's budget, while the projected deficit is $200 million next year, according to sources, who shared information with The Denver Gazette. The city blames an economic downturn, flat revenues and "growing government costs" as reasons for the deficit, according to sources.  To deal with the shortfall, Johnston is proposing furloughs and a hiring freeze, in addition to limiting discretionary spending and reducing and restructuring contracts. The furloughs will save the city $10 million this year, according to city estimat...
Hunter: Will you be the miracle Pastor John Waters needs?
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Hunter: Will you be the miracle Pastor John Waters needs?

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Across Colorado, churches gather each week to worship, pray, and walk in faith. From the Western Slope to the Eastern Plains, these communities share a simple but powerful calling—to love one another well. Today, that love has a chance to meet a real and urgent need. And today, that love has an urgent opportunity to shine. One of our own—John Waters, Worship Pastor at Elevating Life Church in Fort Morgan and a cherished beloved DJ on KFTM/Bob FM—is in critical need of a living liver transplant. John isn’t just a leader—he’s been a steady voice of hope. Whether preaching on Sundays or spinning tracks on the radio, he’s lifted hearts across Colorado and Nebraska. After a long and silent battle with liver disease, John’s health ha...
Livability plunge: Colorado Springs now ranks 406th in national report falling from top 5 spot
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Livability plunge: Colorado Springs now ranks 406th in national report falling from top 5 spot

By Paige Reynolds | KRDO COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – It’s a dramatic fall that has residents and city officials asking, what happened? Colorado Springs, ranked #3 in the nation just last year by U.S. News & World Report for "Best Places to Live, has plummeted to #406 in the latest release. The rankings, which consider factors like affordability, desirability and quality of life, are used nationwide as a snapshot of where people want to live and why. So why the drop? "Colorado Springs was in the top 16% for crime, which is not really a designation that you want to see when looking for a place to live," said Erika Giovanetti, Consumer Lending Analyst with U.S. News & World Report. According to Giovanetti, both violent and property crime rates are...
Analyst to reveal altered Arapahoe 2020 CVR at Tuesday Capitol press conference
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Analyst to reveal altered Arapahoe 2020 CVR at Tuesday Capitol press conference

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice A nationally recognized computer scientist will present what he says is direct evidence of vote data manipulation in Arapahoe County's 2020 election – and altered ballot records in a newly released 2025 file – at a May 27 press conference at the Colorado State Capitol. Dr. Walter Daugherity, a Harvard-trained expert in computer science and election auditing, is set to speak at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday on the west steps of the Capitol. According to a press release circulated Wednesday, Daugherity will walk the public through four exhibits that show what he describes as "a manipulated cast vote record" and evidence that votes were changed at the ballot level. The core claim: Two cast vote records, one election Cast vote records (CVRs) are...
Denver crisis grows while solutions stall: Family homelessness up 150% since 2022
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Denver crisis grows while solutions stall: Family homelessness up 150% since 2022

By Veronica Acosta | Denver7 DENVER — For nearly two years, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's administration has been working to find solutions to the city's homelessness crisis. According to the 2024 Point-in-Time Count, the number of families living on the street dropped last year. However, data from the Department of Housing Stability (HOST) shows the overall number of families experiencing homelessness has increased by 150% since 2022. During a presentation to the city's Safety, Housing, Education, and Homelessness Committee, Jeff Kositsky, the deputy director for HOST, said the family shelter waitlist increased 78% in the past year. He attributed the increase in families experiencing homelessness to a rise in eviction filings, a growing number of unhoused newcomers,...
Cargill and BBD show what private-sector solutions to housing really look like
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Cargill and BBD show what private-sector solutions to housing really look like

RMV Staff | RMV NE CO Newsroom, Rocky Mountain Voice As Colorado’s housing crisis continues to stretch families, employers, and communities thin, a powerful story of unity is rising from the plains of Northeastern Colorado. In Fort Morgan, a strategic partnership between global food giant Cargill and Brush-based contractor Building By Design (BBD) is addressing the problem with practical solutions that turn vision into reality, giving us all confidence in the project's success.  Together, they are not just building homes, they are building a brighter future, a beacon of hope for our community. “It’s a good example of how partnerships like Cargill, BBD, and other local businesses are stepping up to meet a need,” said Dr. Kevin “Doc” Lindell, Mayor of Fort Morgan. “Together, we...
Hate crime hoax trial continues with Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade on the stand
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Hate crime hoax trial continues with Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade on the stand

By Mackenzie Bodell | Denver Gazette DENVER • The openly emotional mayor of Colorado Springs was asked to testify Tuesday about the details of his 2023 mayoral campaign season before and after a hate crime “hoax.” In November, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Colorado announced that three individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury for “maliciously conveying false information about a threat made by means of fire” to draw support for the eventual mayoral race winner, Yemi Mobolade, who is Colorado Springs’ first elected Black mayor. The indictment alleged the crew staged a hate crime by defacing one of Mobolade’s campaign signs with a racial slur and placing a small burning cross in front in the early hours of April 23, 2023. Videos and photographs of the incident were sent in ...
‘Congressional inquiry’ triggers $250K legal tab for Denver’s sanctuary city stance
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‘Congressional inquiry’ triggers $250K legal tab for Denver’s sanctuary city stance

By Andrew Kenney | Denverite A high-powered Washington law firm helped Mayor Mike Johnston and the city prepare for a Congressional hearing. The legal bill is coming due for Denver's response to a congressional inquiry. The city recently received an invoice for $250,000 from Covington & Burling, the high-powered Washington law firm the city hired as it faced federal scrutiny over its immigration policies. The city has been represented by Dana Remus, who previously was the White House counsel for former president Joe Biden. The contract began Feb. 1 as Mayor Mike Johnston was preparing to testify before the Republican-led U.S. House Oversight Committee. Over the next two months, the city incurred $250,000 in legal fees with the firm, according to an invoice submitted...