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Lakewood sued by developer, as expected, over controversial new open space law
Approved, Local, Westword

Lakewood sued by developer, as expected, over controversial new open space law

By Catie Cheshire | Westword As members of Lakewood City Council predicted when they passed a controversial new open-space law last November, the City of Lakewood has been named in a suit claiming that the law is illegal and being applied unfairly to a planned development next to Belmar Park. In September, Lakewood residents successfully petitioned to eliminate the city’s option to allow developers to pay a fee to build parks instead of dedicating parkland for each development; the council had no choice but to either send the issue to a special election or turn the petition into law. As a result, every project must now dedicate 10.5 acres of parkland for every 1,000 people expected to live at a new Lakewood development. Kairoi Properties filed the lawsuit ...
Colorado Springs firefighters have been assigned to Zuma Beach in Malibu
Approved, Fox21, Local

Colorado Springs firefighters have been assigned to Zuma Beach in Malibu

By Dara Korn | KXRM-TV Fox 21 News The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) reported that crews deployed to assist with the fires in California have arrived and received their assignments on Sunday morning, Jan. 12. According to CSFD, crews have been assigned to Zuma Beach in Malibu for an initial attack on the fires. READ THE FULL STORY AT KXRM-TV FOX 21 NEWS
Lawsuit filed against town of Palmer Lake, officials over Buc-ee’s plan
Approved, gazette.com, Local

Lawsuit filed against town of Palmer Lake, officials over Buc-ee’s plan

By BRETT FORREST | The Gazette, via KOAA Several nonprofit organizations are suing the town of Palmer Lake, its mayor and other city officials over a controversial plan to annex land to open a Buc-ee's convenience store. The lawsuit, filed Friday, alleges a multitude of complaints including improper land annexation agreements, restriction of free speech and violation of open meeting laws for matters surrounding the development of the popular Texas-based chain, which opened its first Colorado location near Johnstown in 2024. Nonprofit Integrity Matters filed the suit along with Westside Watch, TriLakes Preservation, Inc, United Congregational Church, and other individuals and business owners in the Palmer Lake area. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
Passenger rail advocates push state to connect southern, western Colorado
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Passenger rail advocates push state to connect southern, western Colorado

By David O. Williams | Denver Gazette Passengers or petroleum products? That’s one of the key questions being bandied about in a renewed effort to revive part of the long-dormant Tennessee Pass rail line linking southern Colorado to the state’s Western Slope. As the Polis administration continues to focus almost exclusively on planning for passenger rail in the northern Front Range and through the northern mountains between Denver and Craig, some rail advocates, experts and elected officials are urging the state to study the out-of-service Union Pacific rail line between Pueblo and western Eagle County that last saw freight trains in 1997. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
DA George Brauchler launches new 23rd Judicial District with tough-on-crime approach
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

DA George Brauchler launches new 23rd Judicial District with tough-on-crime approach

By Olivia Young | CBS News For the first time in over 60 years, Colorado is getting a new Judicial District. The change will happen on Tuesday. For decades, the 18th Judicial District has encompassed Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties. As those communities grew, the district became the largest in the state. A political divide also emerged between left-leaning Arapahoe County and the other conservative communities. In 2020, a bipartisan effort in the state legislature split the district, leaving only Arapahoe County in the 18th Judicial District and creating a new district for the remaining counties, the state's 23rd. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Denver home prices are falling, but does that mean buying a house is affordable?
Approved, Local, Westword

Denver home prices are falling, but does that mean buying a house is affordable?

By Catie Cheshire | Westword Denver had the seventh-highest drop in home prices in 2024, according to Realtor.com. But that doesn’t necessarily mean buying a home in Denver is affordable. Though the median list price of a home in Denver was down 5.35 percent in December 2024 compared to December 2023, the median list price is still $577,350. Still, real estate experts are taking the news of the drop as another sign that markets are leveling out from pandemic-induced, skyrocketing prices. “Austin, Denver, Phoenix and Nashville were the darling markets of 2021 and 2022 and places where prices went wild,” says Joel Berner, Realtor.com senior economist. “Now, with more homes on the market, prices are returning to where they belong.” READ THE FULL STORY AT WESTWORD...
Bill McCartney, winningest Buffs football coach of all time, dead at 84
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Bill McCartney, winningest Buffs football coach of all time, dead at 84

By David Plati | CUBuffs.com Bill McCartney, one of the most visible and successful head coaches in all sports in the University of Colorado's 135-year athletic history, passed away peacefully here after a long illness shortly after 9 p.m. Friday evening with family members by his side.  He was 84. When "Mac" first set foot on the CU campus in Boulder in June 1982, little did he – or anyone – know at the time that just over a dozen years later he would retire as the winningest coach in CU football history. He orchestrated a turnaround with a program that had won just 14 games over the previous six seasons to one that claimed three Big Eight Conference titles and the 1990 consensus national championship. He is one of 11 with CU ties in the College Football Hall of Fame, as he was indu...
Inside DIA’s lost and found: Bags, electronics and even a bag of dried fish
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Inside DIA’s lost and found: Bags, electronics and even a bag of dried fish

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox 31 News  The lost and found at the Denver International Airport became home to thousands of misplaced items in 2024, holding anything from lost luggage to unusual items like a bag with dried fish. According to the lost and found team at DIA, the airport collects around 200 lost items each day, and only 30-40% of the items make it back to their owners. But what those misplaced items are is a mixed bag. The most common lost items at the airport are bags, electronics and wallets. The airport also collected 2,646 earbuds that were turned into lost and found throughout 2024. However, the airport ended up seeing much more than luggage at its lost and found. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Marshall Fire victim in Colorado loses childhood home in California wildfires
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Marshall Fire victim in Colorado loses childhood home in California wildfires

By Gabriela Vidal | CBS Colorado It can be hard to imagine experiencing the loss of one home from a wildfire, let alone two. Yet, that is exactly what Boulder resident Christian Maljian is facing right now, amid the ongoing wildfires in California.  "I'll miss all of it," said Christian.  Christian spoke with CBS Colorado as he FaceTimed his sister Natalie Maljian. She held up her phone to all of the wreckage of what was left of his childhood home in Altadena, California.  "We kind of knew it was already burned, so we had a day to prepare before we came," said Natalie.  READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO