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‘Operation Aurora is coming,’ Council member warns Aurora police chief, staff
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

‘Operation Aurora is coming,’ Council member warns Aurora police chief, staff

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News Aurora Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky spoke out in a November committee meeting to tell the police department, city council and city staff that President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan is “coming.” Jurinsky made the comments at a meeting of the Aurora City Council Public Safety, Courts and Civil Service Committee on Nov. 14, which she chairs. The committee meets monthly and will not meet again until 2025. Also at the meeting was new Aurora Police Department Chief Todd Chamberlain, who was asked if the police agency needed support and more aid from surrounding agencies, such as the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office or the National Guard. He said that is not needed and would be a demoralizing move for his staff. REASD THE FULL STOR...
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Colorado Springs man gets 23-year sentence on meth and fentanyl trafficking
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

Colorado Springs man gets 23-year sentence on meth and fentanyl trafficking

By The Gazette A traffic stop led to a major drug bust, and now a 23-year prison sentence for Colorado Springs resident Michael Hemersbach, 36.  Hemersbach pleaded guilty Nov. 7 in a Douglas County courtroom to possession with intent to manufacture or distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to manufacture or distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to manufacture or distribute cocaine and driving while impaired, according to a news release Monday from the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office.  Hemersback was pulled over by a Colorado State Patrol trooper, who noted his Chrysler 300 was repeatedly weaving while driving southbound on Interstate 25, near the Happy Canyon Road exit north of Castle Rock on July 13, 2023.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETT...
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Judge sides with resident over developers in fire evacuation lawsuit, fight with El Paso County simmers on
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

Judge sides with resident over developers in fire evacuation lawsuit, fight with El Paso County simmers on

By Mary Shinn | The Gazette A 4th Judicial District judge recently sided with a resident asking El Paso County to uphold its own fire-safety standards along dead-end roads.  Hay Creek Valley resident Mike Cloutier sued the El Paso County commissioners earlier this year because they approved a proposal making way for 20 more high-end homes that take access off a dead-end road. Hay Creek Road, north of the Air Force Academy, already serves 80 existing residences hidden among the foothills. The county limits the number of homes along a dead-end road to 25 for safety in a fire evacuation.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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Less than ‘1 person per square mile’ lives in Colorado’s ‘least-crowded’ county
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Approved, Local, Out There Colorado

Less than ‘1 person per square mile’ lives in Colorado’s ‘least-crowded’ county

By Spencer McKee | Out There Colorado Looking to live a life without much interruption in Colorado? Three of the state's counties have a population density of less than one resident per square mile – two of which are also home to some of the best (and most overlooked) outdoor recreation in the state. In terms of population density, three counties are home to fewer than a single resident per square mile – Kiowa with 0.8 people per square mile, Jackson with 0.85 people per square mile, and Hinsdale with 0.7 people per square mile. READ THE FULL STORY AT OUT THERE COLORADO
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Young families left behind in Grand Valley’s housing construction
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Approved, Local, The Business Times

Young families left behind in Grand Valley’s housing construction

By Brandon Leuallen | The Business Times Scarcity of affordable housing emerged as a key reason School District 51’s enrollment declined by 2,049 students in the past 5 years. The impact of that decline was center stage at two District 51 Board of Education meetings last week, during which the board voted unanimously to close three elementary schools at the end of the 2024-25 school year. District 51 demographer Shannon Bingham collected data that showed lack of affordable housing, especially starter homes, was one of the primary factors in an overall reduction of the Grand Valley’s school-age population. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE BUSINESS TIMES
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Fmr. Denver Mayor Hancock now a lobbyist for companies that made hundreds of millions during his tenure
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Approved, Denverite, Local

Fmr. Denver Mayor Hancock now a lobbyist for companies that made hundreds of millions during his tenure

By Kyle Harris | Denverite Former Mayor Michael Hancock has a new lobbying firm, Hancock Global, serving companies that do big business with the city.  He’s registered as a lobbyist in the City and County of Denver. While a few of his clients are obscure, many were major contractors on projects the Hancock administration oversaw, especially at the airport.  His clients have combined for hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts with the city, according to city data going back to 2017. Some have worked for the city for decades, long before Hancock took office. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVERITE
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Denver City Council revisits ban on flavored tobacco products; last one vetoed by Hancock in 2021
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Denver City Council revisits ban on flavored tobacco products; last one vetoed by Hancock in 2021

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News Denver City Council is once again eyeing a flavored nicotine ban, which supporters say would protect children in the metro area, according to council documents. In 2021, then-Denver Mayor Michael Hancock vetoed a measure passed by Denver City Council to ban flavored nicotine sales in the city. At the time, vape shop owners in Denver told FOX31 that the ban would impact over 90% of their inventory and likely put them out of business. However, proponents of the ban said it would have kept nicotine products out of the hands of underage users.' READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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Residents at Aurora apartments see improvements but face buyout offers they say are too low to relocate
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Residents at Aurora apartments see improvements but face buyout offers they say are too low to relocate

By Michael Abeyta | CBS Colorado Earlier this year, the city of Aurora drew national attention because of gang activity at apartments owned by CBZ Management. Additional issues later came to light, including unsafe living conditions at several apartment complexes owned by CBZ. One of those was the Whispering Pines Apartments, which the city nearly shut down due to unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Now, things appear to be improving for residents. Aurelio, a resident who declined to provide his last name, lives at Whispering Pines. The complex is one of several formerly owned by CBZ that has been under receivership since the fall. He says he and his roommates like living there because it's affordable. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Finalists Kassaw, Lammon and McMillan being interviewed for seat by Aurora councilmembers
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Finalists Kassaw, Lammon and McMillan being interviewed for seat by Aurora councilmembers

By Kyla Pearce | Denver Gazette Aurora city councilmembers will interview three top candidates for an open council seat on Monday, a process that will take about two-and-a-half hours and will be open to the public via livestream. Dustin Zvonek, the city's previous mayor pro tem, announced his early departure from his position on the council in October, opening up a seat on the 11-person body. The council received a total of 34 applications for the position and, at the last council meeting, chose three final candidates: Amsalu Kassaw, Danielle Lammon and Jonathan McMillan. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Woman guilty of trafficking drugs from Colorado to Wyoming reservation
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Woman guilty of trafficking drugs from Colorado to Wyoming reservation

By Logan Smith | CBS Colorado A Wyoming man and a Colorado woman who were tracked down a year ago outside the Wind River Indian Reservation were both recently sentenced for their roles in supplying and selling drugs to Native American tribes there.  Dusty Harris, 42, of Casper, Wyo., and Thelma Faber, 45, of Greeley, were pulled over in a car near Shoshoni, Wyo., in November 2023. This, after state criminal investigators and detectives from Fremont County (Wyo.) Sheriff's Office determined Harris previously sold controlled substances to enrolled members of the Eastern Shoshone and/or Northern Arapaho tribes living on or around the reservation. They also learned Harris was making another delivery from Colorado.  READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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