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Denver Budget Cuts Cost City Over 1,100 Years of Experience
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Budget Cuts Cost City Over 1,100 Years of Experience

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette Last summer, the city of Denver lost nearly 160 employees as part of structured layoffs to help Denver Mayor Mike Johnston close a $250 million budget gap. But the city lost much more than just its employees. It lost more than 1,158 years of combined experience, according to analysis and reporting from Axios. Along with the loss of 265 years of experience among 30 employees, the city’s transportation department took the biggest hit, followed by planning and development, which lost 128 years of experience. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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DUI arrest tests public trust as Aurora councilman keeps safety oversight role
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

DUI arrest tests public trust as Aurora councilman keeps safety oversight role

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice When an elected official is arrested, the expectation is simple: the law should apply the same way it would to anyone else. But public office brings added scrutiny that doesn’t disappear once the legal process begins. Those questions are now front and center in Aurora following the DUI arrest of Rob Andrews, who serves on City Council and chairs the council’s Public Safety, Courts, and Civil Service Committee. Since the arrest, Andrews has leaned heavily on due process, saying there are “inconsistencies” in how the incident has been described during the January 26 Aurora City Council meeting. The police report, body-camera video, and official responses show what happened — and why the public debate has shifted....
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Massive Power Outage Leaves Nearly 200,000 Denver Area Residents in the Dark
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Massive Power Outage Leaves Nearly 200,000 Denver Area Residents in the Dark

By: Robert Garrison | Denver7 DENVER — A large power outage in the southeast area of the Denver metro on Sunday afternoon left nearly 200,000 people in the dark, affected airport operations, and 911 service in some areas. Xcel Energy said a transformer failure and the resulting equipment damage at one of its substations just before 3 p.m. Sunday was to blame for the outage that left more than 195,000 people without power. CORE Electric customers were also impacted. https://twitter.com/MaggieB_TV/status/2018186933889908989?s=20 READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
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Memo Shows Weak Oversight and Lack of Accountability in Cherry Creek Schools
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Memo Shows Weak Oversight and Lack of Accountability in Cherry Creek Schools

By Nicole C. Brambila | The Denver Gazette To avoid a conflict of interest, the wife of Cherry Creek Schools Superintendent Chris Smith — who resigned this week amid allegations of a toxic work environment — was supposed to report to Deputy Superintendent Jennifer Perry. In the wake of Smith’s resignation Wednesday, Perry was named interim superintendent. According to a Denver7 investigation, insiders said Smith and his wife, Chief Human Resource Officer Brenda Smith, had created a “toxic culture” — leaving employees with no recourse. A one-page memo dated May 9, 2022 from then Board President Kelly Bates outlined the arrangement. “In the event that the ability of either Christopher Smith or Brenda Smith to perform their professional duties, includin...
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Who is Rob Andrews? Questions grow around leadership, accountability and public trust
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, Local, Top Stories

Who is Rob Andrews? Questions grow around leadership, accountability and public trust

By Michael Hancock | Commentary, Undercurrent Substack Every election season, voters are introduced to a carefully curated version of the candidates seeking their trust. Titles are polished. Résumés are condensed. Claims are simplified into slogans. And too often, no one pauses to ask whether the story being told actually matches the public record. Think George Santos, the former New York Republican who was expelled from Congress for fabricating his background and misusing funds. Rob Andrews’ campaign narrative is a case in point. At a recent town hall, Andrews positioned himself as a metrics-driven CEO—a leader who builds organizations, measures outcomes, and delivers results. He emphasized his experience creating “several successful businesses,” presenti...
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Denver Enters Court Fight Over Federal Immigration Enforcement
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Enters Court Fight Over Federal Immigration Enforcement

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette The City of Denver has joined dozens of U.S. cities and counties in filing an amicus brief backing Minnesota’s legal action seeking to end “Operation Metro Surge” and the deployment of thousands of federal immigration agents to Minnesota. The brief supports Minnesota v. Noem, filed by the State of Minnesota in federal court on Jan. 12, which argues the increased presence of ICE and other federal agencies in the Twin Cities area is not based on an “urgent need for enhanced and aggressive immigration enforcement,” but rather “to cause chaos” and as punishment for state and local policy, a violation of the 10th Amendment. An amicus brief — or friend of the court brief — is a legal document that allows a party not name...
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Superintendent Exit Follows Reports of Toxic Culture in Cherry Creek Schools
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Superintendent Exit Follows Reports of Toxic Culture in Cherry Creek Schools

By: Tony Kovaleski, Joe Vaccarelli | Denver7 Chris Smith told principals and staff that he will retire. His last day is Friday. GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — Cherry Creek Schools Superintendent Chris Smith announced he would resign and retire on Wednesday, effective Jan. 30. A press release from the district states that Smith submitted a letter of resignation to the district’s board of directors, which was accepted during a meeting in executive session on Tuesday. Multiple sources tell Denver7 Investigates that Smith informed a group of principals and staff on a group call at around 1 p.m. Wednesday. An email to parents went out shortly thereafter. In the letter, Smith writes, “After thoughtful reflection and extensive conversations with my family and coll...
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Greenland Defense Ties Put Colorado at the Center of Arctic Security
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Colorado Politics, Approved, Commentary, Local

Greenland Defense Ties Put Colorado at the Center of Arctic Security

By Vince Bzdek | Commentary, Colorado Politics The conclusion to the dizzying odyssey over Greenland this week reminded me a little of the ending of the “Wizard of Oz.” If you recall, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Lion and the Tin Man finish a great and frightful quest only to discover they already had what they sought on the quest all along: brains, courage, heart, and the means to get back to Kansas. Similarly, President Trump has concluded that he can get what he wants out of Greenland through the security arrangements that already exist rather than buying or taking over the country. That’s because the United States and the Kingdom of Denmark (which includes Greenland as an autonomous territory) already share joint responsibility for the defense of the area. Th...
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Inside the Assessor’s Office: Why Greg Ketcham Is Running for Jefferson County Assessor
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

Inside the Assessor’s Office: Why Greg Ketcham Is Running for Jefferson County Assessor

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice For most Jefferson County residents, the assessor’s office only becomes visible when a valuation notice arrives in the mail. For Greg Ketcham, the office has been his professional home for more than eight years — and it’s the reason he decided to run for Jefferson County Assessor. Ketcham currently works in the county assessor’s office and has experience in both residential and commercial appraisal. He also previously worked at Jefferson County Open Space, helping build park infrastructure throughout the county. He describes his career path not as political, but practical — rooted in county service and hands-on work. “I really liked it because you get to interact with everybody in our county,” Ketcham said of h...
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PRCA Chooses Cheyenne Partnership Over Staying in Colorado Springs
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kdvr.com, Approved, Local

PRCA Chooses Cheyenne Partnership Over Staying in Colorado Springs

By Ashley Eberhardt | KDVR (COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) has announced that it will move from its current headquarters in Colorado Springs to Cheyenne, Wyoming. According to a press release from the PRCA, the Board of Directors has approved a “non-binding memorandum of understanding to seriously consider relocating the organization’s headquarters, along with the PRCA Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy, to Wyoming.” The PRCA said the move to Cheyenne would bring rodeo to a state where rodeo is recognized as the official sport. “The relocation represents a strategic move for the PRCA and underscores Wyoming’s deep-rooted connection to western heritage, rodeo and the cowboy way of life,” the PRCA said. Co...
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