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End of an era marked at Colorado Springs’ Martin Drake Power Plant
Approved, KXRM-TV, Local

End of an era marked at Colorado Springs’ Martin Drake Power Plant

By Austin Sack | Fox 21 Colorado Springs After less than two years of demolition work, the former Martin Drake Power Plant (Drake) has been taken to ground level, marking a dramatic change in the city’s skyline for the first time in 100 years. Community leaders are celebrating the milestone while looking toward a cleaner and more sustainable future. “There’s been thousands and thousands of our community members that have worked at this plant over the last hundred years, spent holidays, their nights, their weekends, did everything they could to make sure that we had reliable generations,” said Travas Deal, Chief Executive Officer at Colorado Springs Utilities (Springs Utilities). “We always want to celebrate what this plant did for this great city and now we want to celebrate what’...
‘We will hunt them down, we will find them, we will arrest them and we’ll deport them’
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‘We will hunt them down, we will find them, we will arrest them and we’ll deport them’

By Alliyah Sims | Fox 31 News As more and more videos begin to surface showing alleged gang violence at Aurora apartment complexes, it’s putting people across the Denver metro area on high alert. FOX31 spoke to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston about how city leaders are ready to address those issues. Johnston said the Denver Police Department has already been working with federal, state and other local agencies because they have been made aware of the problem early on. He said while there has been no evidence of Denver apartments being “taken over” by a Venezuelan gang, they are providing a heavier police presence in areas that have risks. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31
Todd Hollenbeck’s employment contract as county administrator approved
Approved, Local, Mesa County, Mesa County News

Todd Hollenbeck’s employment contract as county administrator approved

By Mesa County News During the Aug. 27 public hearing, the commissioners approved Todd Hollenbeck’s employment contract as Mesa County Administrator — Hollenbeck will take the helm on Jan. 4, 2025. “Todd has a diverse set of experiences that make him tailor-made for this position,” said Commissioner Cody Davis. “He served Mesa County in criminal justice, public works, regional transportation, public health as the interim health director, and administration in his current role as Deputy County Administrator — it would be hard to find someone with a more diverse portfolio of experiences, coupled with his deep institutional knowledge and strong working relationships within our community.”  READ THE FULL STORY AT MESA COUNTY NEWS
Colorado Springs’ Randy Royal named IAFC Fire Chief of the Year
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Colorado Springs’ Randy Royal named IAFC Fire Chief of the Year

By Austin Sack | Fox 21 Colorado Springs At the core of the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) is a group of people who love to serve the city, but every group needs a strong leader. The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) has selected CSFD Fire Chief Randy Royal as the Career 2024 Fire Chief of the Year. Chief Royal was awarded the honor on Aug. 14 at the 2024 Fire-Rescue International Conference in Dallas, Texas. Since 1996, the International Fire Chief of the Year award has recognized one volunteer and one career fire chief for their leadership, innovation, professional development, integrity, public service, and contributions to the fire service on an international level. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 21 COLORADO SPRINGS
Pine Canyon development will ’cause true impacts’, Castle Rock asks residents to weigh in
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Pine Canyon development will ’cause true impacts’, Castle Rock asks residents to weigh in

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News The town of Castle Rock is opposing a new development that’s been proposed and the town is encouraging residents to weigh in on the plan. The Pine Canyon project is an urban-level development “in the heart of Castle Rock,” which would take over 530 acres of unincorporated Douglas County and add over 4,500 residents to the area. The acreage is nestled between The Woodlands neighborhood, Metzler Ranch and Red Hawk. According to Castle Rock, the area is “completely surrounded” by the town. “It is not possible to develop this property without causing true impacts to the Town of Castle Rock’s community and infrastructure,” Castle Rock’s Director of Development Tara Vargish and senior planner Sandy Vossler said in a letter to Douglas County’s c...
Wave of Hope Learning Centers to open Greeley location for homeschool families 
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Wave of Hope Learning Centers to open Greeley location for homeschool families 

By Morgan Mckenzie | Greeley Tribune The Wave of Hope Learning Centers has opened enrollment for its Greeley site for a unique educational enrichment partnership with homeschool families. The Wave of Hope Learning Centers, an educational nonprofit, supports homeschooled families with a learning cooperative experience and enrichment program, according to Tonya Van Beber, executive director of Wave of Hope Learning Centers. The center uses hands-on experience, problem-solving, creativity, ethical leadership and more to showcase what Weld County has to offer for students’ bright futures. “This is a phenomenal place to live,” Van Beber said. “I’ve been all over the world, and this is definitely my home. And I’d love to be able to give back to it.” READ THE FULL STORY AT GREELEY TRI...
Rent on the rise: Report shows annual increase in Denver
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Rent on the rise: Report shows annual increase in Denver

By Spencer Kristensen | KDVR Data released from the rental website Zumper has revealed that the price of rent is increasing nationally. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment has increased by 1.6% across the U.S. with a median price of $1,534. While two-bedroom apartments have jumped up by 2.7% and cost $1,915. Locally, no Colorado city appeared in the top 20 cities in this list, with Denver missing out coming in at the 21st spot. Denver had a median one-bedroom price of $1,850 which is a 1.6% uptick in price from last year and two-bedroom median prices at $2,470, which was also a 1.6% increase. Only three Colorado cities could be found in the top 100 cities: Denver ranked 21, Aurora ranked 34, and Colorado Springs ranked 68. READ THE FULL STORY AT KDVR
Colorado school district considers bond measure, levy override for facility improvements and higher salaries
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Colorado school district considers bond measure, levy override for facility improvements and higher salaries

By Gabriela Vidal | CBS Colorado At the Future Forward Campus at Washington Square, students like senior Xitlaly Villalobos are sparking their creative side. "You learn skills that you never thought you would learn, especially with welding," Villalobos said. Villalobos splits her time between Northglenn High School and the Future Forward Campus, where she takes welding and crime scene investigation courses, among a variety of other career and technical education programs offered through the campus. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
DIA in ‘final phase’ of construction, but finished look will take years
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DIA in ‘final phase’ of construction, but finished look will take years

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox 31 News The Denver International Airport is undergoing some renovations, including one major project that has left the airport under construction since 2018. While the project is in its final stages, there are still a few more years to go. DIA has been working on one major project for over three years: The Great Hall Project — a plan that aims to accommodate the airport’s growing size. While it might feel like there has been construction inside the airport for a long time, many visible parts of the project should wrap up within the next year, according to DIA spokesperson Michael Konopasek. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Coloradans upset as slowdowns and speed restrictions continue on RTD light rail lines
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Coloradans upset as slowdowns and speed restrictions continue on RTD light rail lines

By Ashley Portillo | CBS Colorado It has been a long, frustrating summer for riders on RTD's light rail system, with multiple disruptive repair projects underway. The mass transportation system is undergoing a construction blitz, trying to make up for years of delayed maintenance in one summer. There is still no timeline for when the repairs will be finished. Currently, there are four different areas where the track is in such rough shape that trains have to slow down to just 10 miles per hour. These include slow zones on the D, E, H, and R lines. The delays have had a cascading effect on the light rail system all summer. Those who regularly travel to and from the southern part of the metro area have been heavily impacted. Most of the D line, which provides service to Littleton, i...