Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Local

ACLU claims Aurora police may have ‘exceeded their authority’ in working with ICE
No Comments
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

ACLU claims Aurora police may have ‘exceeded their authority’ in working with ICE

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado is speaking out about the ongoing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement action in Aurora that led to 16 people detained in December. ICE was involved with the investigation of an armed apartment invasion on Dec. 16 and 17 at The Edge at Lowry apartment complex in Aurora where 19 people were initially detained, but ultimately 16 were arrested. Aurora police said the incident began when two Venezuelan individuals were accosted by a large group of armed individuals and forced into an apartment unit. There, the group allegedly tied them up, beat them, pistol-whipped them and stabbed the male victim. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Read More
Colorado family hopes murder suspect will reveal location of man missing for 25 years
No Comments
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Colorado family hopes murder suspect will reveal location of man missing for 25 years

By Logan Smith | CBS Colorado He played Santa Claus during the holidays and hand-delivered gifts to local children. He drove teenage royalty in the high school's homecoming parades with his rebuilt classic cars. He picked up broken down motorists and fixed their cars.  But his body has never been found.  Dale Williams was presumably murdered by a childhood friend 25 years ago.  His willingness to help others appears to have contributed to his disappearance. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Read More
District 11 ends decades-old contract with teacher union in effort to deliver for students, families
No Comments
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

District 11 ends decades-old contract with teacher union in effort to deliver for students, families

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice The District 11 School Board has decided against renewing its master agreement with the local teacher union — the Colorado Springs Education Association (CSEA). The CSEA is a branch of the Colorado Education Association (CEA), an affiliate of the largest teacher union – the National Education Association (NEA).  District 11 President Dr. Parth Melpakam described it as a move to empower nimble governance and improve student outcomes: “Without the master agreement, it just gives us a lot more flexibility to address some of our persistent challenges and change the narrative of a district that was becoming irrelevant in the landscape of Colorado Springs.”  “The agreement was a layer of complexity that limited our ability t...
Read More
Aurora’s mayor questions why Tren de Aragua impacts have been felt less in Denver
No Comments
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Aurora’s mayor questions why Tren de Aragua impacts have been felt less in Denver

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News At the same time that the ACLU of Colorado is investigating the Aurora Police Department’s cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Aurora’s mayor is asking Denver’s mayor for clarity on how and why the migrant population spread to Aurora. Specifically, Mayor Mike Coffman wants to know why the ongoing Tren de Aragua gang activity has been largely tied to Aurora when busloads of migrants were sent to Denver from Texas last year. Denver reported over 42,000 migrants, mainly from Central and South America, were sheltered by the city between Jan. 2023 and July 2024. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Read More
In four days, wintry weather has canceled 250 flights, delayed 2,820 more at DIA
No Comments
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

In four days, wintry weather has canceled 250 flights, delayed 2,820 more at DIA

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice A four-day snow event in Denver and areas east of the Continental Divide has done more than dump some badly-needed moisture on half the state. It has greatly affected air travel. As of Tuesday mid-morning, there have been 2,820 flights delayed and 250 flights canceled since the beginning of the snow event on Saturday, according to Flight Aware. There has been some amount of snow accumulation each day. The heaviest cancelation day was Sunday, with 106; the heaviest day for delays was Saturday, with 1,119. Flight Aware breaks delays and cancelations related to an airport into outbound (departure) and inbound (arrival). There have been 113 outbound cancelations and 1,634 delayed outbound flights since Saturday. The most affected carier was...
Read More
Grocery chains and union workers temporarily extend contract negotiations
No Comments
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Grocery chains and union workers temporarily extend contract negotiations

By Christa Swanson | CBS Colorado Contracts for union employees at King Soopers and City Market have been extended almost two weeks in a stopgap measure while negotiations continue. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 President Kim Cordova and the bargaining committee met with representatives from the grocery chains on Jan 3, one day before their contracts were set to expire. The bargaining committee said they accepted an offer to continue negotiation on Jan. 15-16 and a short extension of contracts. Those contracts are now set to expire on Jan. 16. The union said it continues to have concerns about chronic understaffing in the stores and the ability to protect seniority in the scheduling and vacation processes. They also expressed the desire to share in the company's ...
Read More
Colfax grocery store owner fed up with frequent shoplifters in the area
No Comments
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Colfax grocery store owner fed up with frequent shoplifters in the area

By Nate Belt | Fox 31 News A grocery store owner on Colfax is fed up with recurring thefts from his shop, including a repeat offender he’s looking to identify through images from his security camera. Pete Marczyk opened the first Marczyk Fine Foods in 2002, now with two locations here in Denver. At his location on East Colfax, Marczyk said shoplifting is on the rise and his store isn’t the only one on the block that’s been hit. “It’s kind of like mice in a house,” said Marczyk. “If you see one, you know you have more.” READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Read More
‘Praying Grandma,’ convicted of misdemeanors in J9 breach, plans to deny Trump pardon, if offered
No Comments
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

‘Praying Grandma,’ convicted of misdemeanors in J9 breach, plans to deny Trump pardon, if offered

By Debbie Kelley | Denver Gazette, via The Gazette Colorado Springs-area resident Rebecca Lavrenz, who was found guilty last year on four federal misdemeanor charges related to the United States Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021, while demonstrators protested the 2020 presidential election results, says she will deny a pardon should President-elect Donald J. Trump offer such a deal to her after he takes office on Jan. 20. The reason? Lavrenz, who became known on social media as the “J6 Praying Grandma,” has appealed her case and, should the Washington, D.C. appellate court agree that she is not liable for the $103,000 fine levied because she was acting under rights allowed by the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment, Lavrenz says the decision would be precedent-setting. But a pardon w...
Read More
How millions in tax money has failed to deliver a change to Denver’s mental and behavioral health needs
No Comments
Approved, Colorado Public Radio, Local

How millions in tax money has failed to deliver a change to Denver’s mental and behavioral health needs

By Ben Markus | CPR News The campaign’s premise was simple: For nothing more than a modest sales tax increase, Denver could create a $45 million-a-year stream of grants to nonprofit mental health and drug treatment programs. “This initiative will give us the capacity to get everybody who needs help into a place where they can get the help that they need,” said Dr. Carl Clark, the president and CEO of WellPower, a large Denver community mental health provider.  “It's the type of thing that is a gamechanger.” Voters enthusiastically bought into the concept. And after six years and more than $170 million in tax dollars granted, a year-long review by CPR News found that the game has indeed changed, but perhaps not in the ways supporters and voters envisioned. READ THE FULL ...
Read More
Former, acting U.S. attorneys for Colorado will lead Denver District Attorney’s Office
No Comments
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Former, acting U.S. attorneys for Colorado will lead Denver District Attorney’s Office

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News The Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado has announced plans for a new job just months after he assumed leadership of the federal office. Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Matthew Kirsch is resigning from the federal office effective Jan. 25. Kirsch has been tapped by former U.S. Attorney John Walsh, who was elected to be Denver’s next District Attorney, to be the First Assistant District Attorney in Denver. Kirsch took over as Colorado’s chief federal law enforcement officer in June after then-U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan submitted his resignation in May. According to his biography on the U.S. Department of Justice website, Kirsch became an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 1999 and had held the title of Acting U.S. A...
Read More