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Man arrested at Buffalo, New York, border crossing on Arapahoe County warrants
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Man arrested at Buffalo, New York, border crossing on Arapahoe County warrants

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News Law enforcement reported this week that a 32-year-old man arrested at the Port of Buffalo, Peace Bridge border crossing on Tuesday was wanted for felony warrants out of Arapahoe County. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers first met the man after he made a wrong turn in a 2016 Nissan Altima onto the Peace Bridge. During the primary inspection, officers found that the vehicle had been reported stolen to the Chicago Police Department. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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Denver teachers’ union cost of living dispute heads to arbitration
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver teachers’ union cost of living dispute heads to arbitration

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette Denver Public Schools officials will face an arbitrator next month over a disputed 5.2% cost of living adjustment the teachers’ union officials said they are owed. A cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is intended to help employees keep up with inflation. Raises — which district officials appear to be conflating in their argument — are separate from a cost-of-living increase. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Developers have the go-ahead for new construction in northern Weld County after a three-year freeze
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Approved, Local, The Colorado Sun

Developers have the go-ahead for new construction in northern Weld County after a three-year freeze

By Shannon Mullane | The Colorado Sun Residents of northern Weld County might see new construction now that a local water district has given developers the go-ahead to request water services after a three-year hold. North Weld County Water District stopped real estate development in its tracks in 2021 when it announced a moratorium on tap sales and new requests for water amid the COVID-19 pandemic and a statewide housing craze. Developers’ projects stalled. A growing housing stock halted.  The district’s work began: They had to pull the reins to figure out if they even had enough capacity to serve everyone who wanted water, said Tad Stout, board president for the district. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Mesa County makes progress in eradicating Japanese beetle from Western Slope
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Mesa County makes progress in eradicating Japanese beetle from Western Slope

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Mesa County commissioners are breathing just a little bit easier after discovering that their efforts, combined with resources from the state and the community, are working to get rid of the Japanese beetle infestation on the Western Slope. The Japanese beetle was discovered in Mesa County in 2022.  The beetle is devastating to crops grown on the Western Slope, particularly the prized fruit crops that are sold all over the country. Through collaborative efforts with public and private groups, and strategic partnerships with state agricultural entities, Mesa County has made significant progress in protecting landscapes and agriculture from the Japanese beetle. This year, the fight against the beetle gained moment...
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Illegal immigrant surges in Denver have cost $356 million, study finds
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Illegal immigrant surges in Denver have cost $356 million, study finds

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette A new study estimated that the nearly 43,000 immigrants who have come to Denver over the past two years have cost $356 million. Conducted by the Common Sense Institute (CSI), the estimate examined the outlays by the city of Denver, as well as associated health care and education costs across the region. Founded in 2010, the institute is a nonprofit organization in Greenwood Village that conducts fiscal and economic research. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Denver spent $150 million in untracked expenses for homeless shelters, audit reveals
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Approved, Local, National Review

Denver spent $150 million in untracked expenses for homeless shelters, audit reveals

By David Zimmermann | National Review Denver paid nearly $150 million between January 2022 and March 2024 for non-migrant shelter-related expenses that a city department has not been tracking, a recent audit report found. Denver’s Department of Housing Stability has been unable to provide a comprehensive breakdown of an estimated $149.6 million in taxpayer funds spent in the two-year time frame, according to a 51-page audit published Thursday by the Denver Auditor’s Office. “Although we asked Housing Stability multiple times for documentation identifying all shelter-related expenses from Jan. 1, 2022, through March 31, 2024, the department was unable to provide this information,” the report states. READ THE FULL STORY AT NATIONAL REVIEW
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With 11% apartment vacancy rate, its a good time to be a renter in Denver
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Approved, Denverite, Local

With 11% apartment vacancy rate, its a good time to be a renter in Denver

By Sarah Mulholland | Denverite Most Denverites have probably noticed all the apartment buildings being built in recent years. It turns out that those buildings are taking a while to fill — and that’s good news for renters. The vacancy rate for apartments in the metro Denver area was 11 percent as of October, according to real estate data company CoStar. That’s roughly double the vacancy rate of a few years ago, according to CoStar, which also owns Apartments.com, one of the biggest online rental portals in the U.S.  READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVERITE
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Denver to activate emergency shelters for cold Thanksgiving weekend
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver to activate emergency shelters for cold Thanksgiving weekend

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette Denver is activating emergency shelters for five days starting Wednesday as cold weather is expected to blanket the region this Thanksgiving weekend. This week's emergency shelter operation is the longest so far this year. The city's cold weather plan provides additional shelter for people who are not in city shelters or third-party homeless units. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Colorado Springs City Council approves $941M budget for 2025, dipping into reserves to balance
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Colorado Springs City Council approves $941M budget for 2025, dipping into reserves to balance

By Brennen Kauffman | The Gazette Colorado Springs City Council gave the final approval Tuesday for the city's 2025 budget. The final budget covers $941 million in city expenses and revenue next year, including $438 million in spending for the city's general fund. Colorado Springs' budget has increased from the $900 million budget passed for 2024 but is still down from the billion dollar budget the city had in 2023. The new budget continues some of the reductions the city enacted last year to deal with financial crunches, including limiting new department spending and keeping several unfilled positions open. To balance the budget, the city will end up pulling $3.9 million from its reserves. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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In Grand Junction, scrutiny intensifies on Resource Center to address rising crime, other issues
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

In Grand Junction, scrutiny intensifies on Resource Center to address rising crime, other issues

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Once celebrated as one of the top 10 main streets in the U.S., Grand Junction’s downtown now faces turmoil. Business owners, frustrated with the nearby Resource Center, are cleaning up feces and needles and dealing with fires and property damage. Many are calling for the center to be relocated. The Resource Center opened on Dec. 11, 2023, providing food, shelter, hygiene and navigation services for the homeless. By October 2024, however, downtown business owners reported rising concerns about harassment, danger, property damage and filth. At the Nov. 20 meeting of City Council, business owners shared their frustrations.  “We've put in a new, almost $20,000 camera system since this Resource Center came in," business own...
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