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Colorado man receives 24-year sentence for crash that killed mother, son
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Colorado man receives 24-year sentence for crash that killed mother, son

By Logan Smith | CBS Colorado Local News Colorado man receives 24-year sentence for crash that killed mother, son By Logan Smith | CBS Colorado A Broomfield man with five prior DUI arrests received a prison sentence Friday for his sixth offense, a crash last December which killed a mother and her teenage son.  A judge ordered Jose Menjivar, 38, to two dozen years in the Colorado Department of Corrections. Menjivar now heads to courtrooms in Denver and Boulder where he violated terms of his probation in two previous DUI cases.  On December 12, 2023, Menjivar's Toyota Tundra crossed double-yellow centerlines and sped past other southbound cars approaching the intersection of Main Street and Miramonte Boulevard in Broomfield. Menjivar was driving between 80 and...
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Casa Bonita’s employees are unionizing. What are they hoping to gain?
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Casa Bonita’s employees are unionizing. What are they hoping to gain?

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News Onstage and backstage workers of the oft-noted Denver restaurant Casa Bonita have voted unanimously to unionize with two unions: The Actors’ Equity Association and IATSE Local 7. The vote was publicized Friday, in an announcement that said about 80 restaurant workers had filed for an election in October to address issues that have been noticed as the iconic eatery grows. Workers specifically want improvements to safety, fair pay and clear communication with management. The entertainment workers (which include cliff divers, actors, puppeteers and magicians) said last month they were unionizing due to concerns ranging “from insufficient training to abusive patrons emboldened by alcohol.” READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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‘If you are a student who is undocumented or a family who is undocumented, we will take care of you,’ DPS board member says
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Approved, DENVER7, Local

‘If you are a student who is undocumented or a family who is undocumented, we will take care of you,’ DPS board member says

By Colette Bordelon | Denver 7 As President-Elect Donald Trump promises a mass deportation effort — starting in cities like Springfield, Ohio, and Aurora, Colorado — Denver Public Schools (DPS) leaders vow to protect their immigrant students. During a work session meeting on November 7, DPS Board of Education member Scott Esserman addressed the crowd, saying the board is committed to the safety and security of immigrant students. "If you are a student who is undocumented or a family who is undocumented, we will take care of you. That is our responsibility; we’re here to do that. I think it’s important that you hear that," Esserman said during the work session. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER 7
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Gas explosion, fire closes Parker restaurant with no injuries reported
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Gas explosion, fire closes Parker restaurant with no injuries reported

By Kasia Kerridge | Fox 31 News No one was injured after a gas explosion turned fire at a Parker restaurant. Around 1:10 p.m. Sunday, South Metro Fire Rescue responded to the Mr. Ramen restaurant near C-470 and Jordan Road. “There was a gas explosion inside of a business … and that there was active fire in the building,” said Connor Christian of South Metro Fire Rescue. “When firefighters arrived on scene, they found a heavy amount of smoke that was pouring out the front.” READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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Cañon City voted to build a new swimming pool, but not to fund it
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Approved, Local, The Colorado Sun

Cañon City voted to build a new swimming pool, but not to fund it

By Sue McMillin | The Colorado Sun When voters delivered a mixed decision on building a new pool in town, they created a dilemma: build it without the assurance of having the money to operate it or walk away from the project despite voters’ approval of the sales tax and debt to build it. There’s a hedge-your-bets option as well, which would slow the construction process so the district could go back to voters again to ask for funds to operate the pool before significant debt is incurred building it. The only option without financial risk is to bag the project.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Mayor lied in hate crime hoax probe, but DOJ refused to charge him, FBI official says
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Approved, Daily Wire, Local

Mayor lied in hate crime hoax probe, but DOJ refused to charge him, FBI official says

By  Luke Rosiak | The Daily Wire The FBI referred Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade for prosecution for making false statements related to a hate crime hoax intended to boost his candidacy, but the Department of Justice refused to pursue it for racial and political reasons, an FBI official told The Daily Wire. On Nov. 12 the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado announced that three of Mobolade’s supporters had been charged with writing the n-word on one of his campaign signs, erecting a burning cross in front of it, and sending video of the spectacle to the news media to turn out the black vote for Mobolade, an African immigrant. Mobolade, a left-wing candidate, went on to defeat a white Republican in a closely fought election in the conservative-leaning cit...
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Grandson of fallen World War II hero makes case for public memorial in Colorado Springs
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

Grandson of fallen World War II hero makes case for public memorial in Colorado Springs

By O'Dell Isaac | The Gazette An official proclamation declaring Dec. 7 as Pearl Harbor Day has been a longstanding tradition for the El Paso County Board of Commissioners. But Tuesday’s ceremonial reading, held during a board meeting at Centennial Hall, was a little different. Dave Griffin, the grandson of fallen World War II hero Daniel T. Griffin, flew in from his Washington home to hear the proclamation and to speak with the county commissioners about his yearslong passion project. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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Faced with possible school closures, Denver teachers seek clarity about their jobs
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, Local

Faced with possible school closures, Denver teachers seek clarity about their jobs

By Melanie Asmar | Chalkbeat Colorado At lunchtime meetings last week at Denver schools that may close or shrink, teachers were full of questions about their fate: Would educators at the closing schools be guaranteed jobs next year? Would they be able to follow their students to new schools? Unlike in 2023, when Denver Public Schools made a deal with the teachers union to guarantee educators at closing schools a one-year job at the schools that received their students, no such agreement exists now. With the Denver school board set to vote Thursday on whether to close or partially close 10 schools, many teachers are feeling uncertain. Students are, too. “I don’t think it’s right to close our school,” a fifth grader named Analizeth told school board members who visited Castro E...
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Douglas and Arapahoe counties open long-term care facility for homeless families
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Douglas and Arapahoe counties open long-term care facility for homeless families

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette Douglas and Arapahoe county officials on Wednesday celebrated the opening of a newly upgraded residential facility focused on helping homeless families. The care facility's mission includes serving families that entered through Douglas County’s homeless program. The long-term care facility is operated by Colorado nonprofit The Family Tree, an agency focused on working with domestic abuse, child abuse and family-related homeless cases. It's located in Aurora. The new residential care center for homeless families is called the GOALS facility, which stands for the "generational opportunities and achievement long-term success program." READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Two more elementaries to close in Western Slope district, school board unanimously decides
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Two more elementaries to close in Western Slope district, school board unanimously decides

By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice A special board meeting for Mesa County Valley School District 51 on Friday evening led to a 5-0 vote to close Clifton and Scenic Elementary Schools. The vote came after a presentation by demographer Shannon Bingham, and a discussion on the declining enrollment, demographic shifts and the district's finances. Shannon Bingham, the district's demographer, presented data detailing a decline in birth rates and a shift in housing. Both factors are causing reduced enrollment. “We are not getting student growth from the neighborhood. The numbers say that [enrollment] is going to continue to go down into the upper 20s,” Bingham explained. He pointed to projections of a 15-20% drop in kindergarten enrollment over the next five years. ...
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