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Pinyon Avenue homicide victim identified
Approved, Local, Westernslopenow.com

Pinyon Avenue homicide victim identified

By Ryn Lewis | Westernslopenow.com The Mesa County Coroner’s Office has identified the human head and hands found in January by the new owner of a recently sold home at 2988 Pinyon Avenue. Officials have identified the victim of the Pinyon Avenue homicide case as Amanda Leariel Overstreet, a resident of both the Grand Junction and Harris County, Texas areas. Overstreet was the biological daughter of the previous homeowner and was believed to be about 16 years old at the time of her disappearance; she had not been seen or heard from since April 2005. Officials say there is no record that she was ever reported missing. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE WESTERN SLOPE NOW
1 dead, 23 rescued at Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek after equipment malfunction
Approved, gazette.com, Local

1 dead, 23 rescued at Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek after equipment malfunction

By Shawn Fleetwood | The Gazette One person died, four were injured and 23 rescued after an equipment malfunction during a tour Thursday of the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, according to the Teller County Sheriff's Office.  By 7:15 p.m., the 12 who had remained trapped for close to seven hours at the bottom of the tourist mine on the east side of town wrapped up their 1,000-foot ascent to the surface after workers fixed a broken elevator. Eleven others were rescued shortly after the issue happened at 500 feet.  The Sheriff’s Office received a report shortly after noon that an elevator transporting visitors at the mine had malfunctioned and stopped at the midway point, said Jason Mikesell, the Teller County sheriff. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE...
Adams County mourns loss of off-duty Colorado deputy struck and killed by car in Fort Lupton
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Adams County mourns loss of off-duty Colorado deputy struck and killed by car in Fort Lupton

By Jesse Sarles | CBS Colorado A veteran Colorado deputy who appears to have been struck by a car when he was off-duty died after the collision. It happened late Tuesday night in Fort Lupton on Highway 52 near Purman Avenue. The victim was Deputy Joshua Tapia who worked for Adams County. He had also worked until recently as a firefighter in Fort Lupton. Fort Lupton police said the driver whose car apparently struck the deputy stopped, called 911 and tried to provide medical aid. But Tapia was pronounced dead after first responders took him to the hospital. According to the Adams County Sheriff's Office, "Deputy Tapia was a cherished husband, father, friend, and dedicated deputy who devoted over 25 years of service to the Adams County Sheriff's Office." The office wrote that his "d...
Ochsner: No on Arapahoe County 1A; keep taxpayer protections in place
Approved, Commentary, completecolorado.com, Local

Ochsner: No on Arapahoe County 1A; keep taxpayer protections in place

By Brian Ochsner | Commentary, Complete Colorado As an Arapahoe County resident, I’ll  be voting no on Ballot Issue 1A, a measure to permanently remove taxpayer protections in place under Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR. Let me explain. TABOR is a constitutional amendment that, among other things, limits the growth of local government spending to a reasonable annual rate based on inflation and local economic growth. Overcollected revenue must be returned to taxpayers unless voters give permission to exceed those limits. Issue 1A would allow the county government to keep and spend revenue that would otherwise be refunded in perpetuity.  County officials wont say it, but that amounts to a tax hike. It’s how big government advocates try to spin the abili...
Aurora police, local law enforcement agencies prepare for Trump visit
Approved, gazette.com, Local

Aurora police, local law enforcement agencies prepare for Trump visit

By Kyla Pearce | The Gazette Aurora police have begun preparing for former President Donald Trump's visit to the city Friday, though security details are scant. Trump is scheduled to speak at 1 p.m. on Friday at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center near Denver International Airport. He will be visiting Colorado amid heightened concerns over security following two attempts on his life.  Aurora Police Department spokesperson Matthew Longshore said the department cannot give details about their preparations for the Friday rally. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
Denver’s 7A: What you need to know about RTD’s request to keep all its sales tax revenue
Approved, Local, The Colorado Sun

Denver’s 7A: What you need to know about RTD’s request to keep all its sales tax revenue

By Michael Booth | The Colorado Sun Metro Denver-area voters will decide Nov. 5 whether the Regional Transportation District can continue to keep all of its sales tax revenue in coming years, even when a strong economy pushes revenue up above caps set in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.  The so-called “de-Brucing,” named after TABOR author Douglas Bruce, is a common request from local taxing agencies.  In RTD’s case, a “yes” vote on 7A would not raise the current dedicated RTD sales tax, but would allow RTD to keep projected revenue about $50 million to $60 million a year above the TABOR cap instead of refunding that amount to millions of taxpayers.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
Colorado’s mountain lion hunting ban ballot measure faces Douglas County opposition
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Colorado’s mountain lion hunting ban ballot measure faces Douglas County opposition

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette A large Colorado county scattered with open space has voiced opposition to a state ballot measure proposed to outright ban the hunting of large mammal cat species. As the November election nears, Douglas County Commissioners on Tuesday passed a resolution condemning a state ballot measure prohibiting the hunting of mountain lions, bobcats, or lynx. If the Proposition 127 measure is approved by Colorado voters in November, then hunting those species of animals would become a criminal offense — misdemeanor. The proposal also helps eliminate large cat hunting “big game” damage claims made with Colorado Parks & Wildlife. The proposition mentions trophy hunting, but that is already prohibited for these species. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENV...
School board leaders in Southern Colorado campaign against local marijuana measures
Approved, gazette.com, Local

School board leaders in Southern Colorado campaign against local marijuana measures

By Eric Young | The Gazette Elected officials from across the Colorado Springs region are lending their voices to a campaign opposing recreational marijuana sales in the city.  On Sunday, an unknown number of El Paso County voters received a mass text message from Colorado Springs School District 11 Board President Parth Melpakam calling for their vote on a pair of recreational marijuana measures.  The message was accompanied by a video featuring Melpakam, Academy District 20 Board President Aaron Salt and School District 49 Board President Lori Thompson. In both messages, the board leaders urged recipients to vote "yes" on ballot question 2D and "no" on ballot question 300. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
In Arvada, some opposed to plan to convert charter school into homeless center
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

In Arvada, some opposed to plan to convert charter school into homeless center

By Alan Gionet | CBS Colorado Dozens of people attended an Arvada City Council meeting Monday night to voice their opposition to the possibility of a Homeless Navigation Center in the 4900 block of West 60th Avenue. The city purchased a building that formerly housed the Early College of Arvada charter school in May for $6.3 million. In the months since city leaders have begun to look at using it for homeless services. Among the possibilities is a homeless navigation center for people looking to climb out of their circumstances. "I feel like things are being pushed down my throat on this one," said resident Steve Martinson outside his home on West 60th Avenue. He worried about the value of his home, which is directly across the street from the site. READ THE FULL STORY...
City cleanup, homelessness, public safety top Colorado Springs’ mayor’s budget priorities
Approved, KOAA News, Local

City cleanup, homelessness, public safety top Colorado Springs’ mayor’s budget priorities

By Shawn Shanle | NBC 5 KOAA-TV Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade revealed his top priorities for the city Monday as he presented the proposed city budget for 2025. The top priorities for the City of Colorado Springs are the following: public safety city cleanup addressing homelessness As for public safety, some of the items included in the proposal are adding 20 police officers and giving all police and fire employees a 2% raise. READ THE FULL STORY AT NBC 5 KOAA-TV