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Ganahl: Is the Pueblo mayor on a Republican revenge tour?
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Approved, Commentary, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Ganahl: Is the Pueblo mayor on a Republican revenge tour?

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Pueblo, Colorado, has become the backdrop for a politically charged controversy involving Republican Mayor Heather Graham and Pueblo conservatives.  Graham’s election to mayor over incumbent Democrat Nick Gradisar was a shock in 2023.  After decades of Democratic rule, conservatives celebrated a new direction in their beloved city.  The celebration didn’t last long.  Mayor Graham’s relationship with the Republican Party has soured significantly since her primary election. Feeling betrayed by Republican leaders who supported other candidates in her primary election, Graham has taken several steps that suggest a personal vendetta against the party, and conservatives in her city. Her most striking move came yester...
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Denver’s homeless population grew, despite tens of millions in spending to solve it
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver’s homeless population grew, despite tens of millions in spending to solve it

By Denver Gazette Staff via Colorado Politics Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's administration on Monday touted a "milestone" in his campaign against homelessness — the city has moved 2,000 homeless people to temporary shelters since he took office last year.  Johnston made it a priority to move 1,000 homeless people off of the city's streets and into hotel-turned shelters and "micro-communities" by the end of 2024. He vowed to bring another 1,000 people into shelters by the end of 2025. The mayor's office said that latest goal has also now been achieved.   READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Denver teachers demanding cost-of-living increase in order to live in city
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver teachers demanding cost-of-living increase in order to live in city

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette Collette Simkins — a theater and visual arts teacher at West High School — works two extra part-time jobs just to live in the Cap Hill neighborhood near the campus she has taught at for three years. “I think it’s important to live in the community in which my students live,” said Simkins, 29. She — and the nearly 4,000 educators that the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) represents — was counting on a full cost-of-living increase this school year. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Perry Park neighbors concerned over high radium levels in their drinking water in Colorado
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Perry Park neighbors concerned over high radium levels in their drinking water in Colorado

By Olivia Young | CBS Colorado Neighbors in a Douglas County community are worried about the safety of their drinking water. It's happening in Perry Park, an unincorporated community west of Larkspur, which is home to natural red rock formations. The area's geology is naturally rich in minerals, including radium. Radium is a radioactive metal and has been linked to cancer. However, it is naturally occurring and the EPA allows small levels in drinking water. But a sample taken from Perry Park's water back in August was more than twice that limit. Perry Park neighbors are thirsty for answers, after receiving a notice in early October from the Perry Park Water and Sanitation District, stating that radium levels in their water are three to four times higher than normal. R...
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Lawsuit dismissed to remove road tax extension from Colorado Springs ballot
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

Lawsuit dismissed to remove road tax extension from Colorado Springs ballot

By Breeanna Jent | The Gazette An El Paso County District Court judge this month dismissed a lawsuit that sought to remove the so-called 2C road tax question from Colorado Springs' November ballot. Douglas Bruce, the author of Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights amendment, filed a three-page civil lawsuit against the city of Colorado Springs in late September, alleging the city violated TABOR requirements a dozen times in its approved ballot language for  ballot issue 2C that asks to extend a dedicated sales tax for local road maintenance. On Nov. 5, voters will ultimately decide whether to extend the current 0.57% temporary sales and use tax for the next 10 years, from 2026 through the end of 2035. The 2C tax equates to 5.7 cents on every $10 purchase. The current tax is schedul...
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Northern Colorado ag workers meet with Sen. Hickenlooper to discuss avian flu
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Northern Colorado ag workers meet with Sen. Hickenlooper to discuss avian flu

By Dillon Thomas | CBS Colorado Avian flu continues to impact agriculture workers and their operations, causing some companies in Northern Colorado to spend millions of dollars to combat further spread.  On Monday morning, local agriculture leaders, experts and more gathered with Sen. John Hickenlooper to discuss how the avian flu continues to impact Northern Colorado and beyond. "We have seen an outbreak of this rapidly transmitted poultry virus," Hickenlooper said. While meeting with the panel at a Colorado State University facility, Hickenlooper learned the avian flu not only causes birds to get sick, but also humans and more. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Montrose City Council to hear second reading of camping ban
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Approved, KKCO-TV Grand Junction, Local

Montrose City Council to hear second reading of camping ban

By Kyran Nigro | WesternSlopeNow.com Montrose City Council is currently working on an ordinance to ban overnight camping in their public spaces and parks. The city council already had its first reading of the ordinance last week, and the second will take place Tuesday, Oct. 29 before taking a vote to make it an official policy. READ THE FULL STORY AT WESTERNSLOPENOW.COM
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Devotional: Life’s enigma is a call to true wisdom
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Devotional: Life’s enigma is a call to true wisdom

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice What do all humans have in common? Death, time, and chance. Yet, we can also say life, eternity, and choice! Regardless of perspective, life is undeniably an enigma — a paradox much like trying to catch a cloud or a wisp of smoke. Attempting to grasp it often transforms it into something entirely different. However, if we can glimpse this mystery, many certainties of life come into focus, allowing us to enjoy each day and expect goodness—not just sometimes, but always. The Hebrew word for enigma, "Hevel," appears 38 times in the Bible, particularly in the wisdom literature. Often translated as vanity or meaningless, it reflects life's fleeting, elusive nature. Yet, understanding "Hevel" beyond a Western lens reveals profound truth...
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Denver City Council to consider $9.5 million in spending for healthy food for kids, rental assistance
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

Denver City Council to consider $9.5 million in spending for healthy food for kids, rental assistance

By Alexander Edwards | The Gazette The Denver City Council has a busy schedule for Monday’s meeting and will consider millions in spending on healthy food access for children and rental assistance. The agenda for Monday’s meeting includes just over 40 resolutions for the council to approve, question or amend and 15 bills being introduced or that are on final consideration. There's also several required public hearings — including two for the Ball Arena Redevelopment project, an ambitious undertaking that will dramatically change what is currently several massive parking lots in the heart of Denver. In total, the city will consider spending more than $5 million across eight contracts and one bill — with two contracts totaling over $1 million — to provide money for the Healthy Food...
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TABOR refund amounts announced for 2025, based on income
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local, State

TABOR refund amounts announced for 2025, based on income

By Heather Willard | FOX31 Just days after announcing there would be TABOR refunds for Colorado residents in 2025, the state has announced how much money each Coloradan household can expect to receive. TABOR, or the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, is an amendment to the state constitution that limits how much revenue Colorado governments can retain and requires that Colorado residents vote to approve any tax increases. The overages are refunded to Colorado taxpayers. In an audit released on Oct. 14, the Colorado Office of the State Auditor said the state has $1.4 billion in excess revenue, which translates into TABOR refunds. This is a fair bit lower than what was collected during the 2023 tax year when the state reported it was returning some $3.28 billion to Colorado t...
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