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Aurora firefighter breaks Colorado state record with almost 2,000-pound pumpkin
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Aurora firefighter breaks Colorado state record with almost 2,000-pound pumpkin

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox 31 News An Aurora firefighter’s side hobby resulted in a state record after he grew a 1,955-pound pumpkin in his backyard. Brad Bledsoe began his knack for growing pumpkins four years ago when he grew, what he thought was, a large pumpkin. After growing his first pumpkin in his home just north of Fort Collins, he took the 200-pound pumpkin to a contest, which turned out to be one of the smallest ones there. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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Study finds source of pollutants around Elyria Swansea neighborhood
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Study finds source of pollutants around Elyria Swansea neighborhood

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox 31 News A new study found the causes of pollution in the Elyria Swansea neighborhood near Commerce City, with two well-known facilities causing most of the pollution. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder looked into the neighborhood that is filled with manufacturing plants like the Suncor Energy oil refinery, the Robert W. Hite wastewater treatment plant, local industrial shops and major highways. While it’s referred to as a “heavily polluted urban area” in the study, some of these facilities are causing more pollution than others. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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King Soopers shooter Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa found guilty of murdering 10 in Boulder
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

King Soopers shooter Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa found guilty of murdering 10 in Boulder

By Jennifer McRae | CBS Colorado Jurors reached a verdict Monday afternoon in the Boulder grocery store shooting trial. The jury found Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa guilty of shooting and killing 10 people at the South Table Mesa King Soopers on March 22, 2021, in addition to guilty verdicts on dozens of other charges.  Jurors had to determine whether Alissa, the gunman who admitted to the shooting, was legally sane at the time of the attack. In addition to the guilty verdict on 10 counts of first-degree murder, the jury also found the gunman guilty on 38 counts of attempted first-degree murder, guilty of one count of assault in the first degree and guilty on six counts of possession of a large-capacity magazine during the commission of a felony.  READ THE FULL STOR...
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Devotional: What is the trunk of who you are?
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Approved, Commentary, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Devotional: What is the trunk of who you are?

By DRAKE HUNTER | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Living in the grandness of Colorado and traveling to the mountains often is like walking through a divine art gallery. Nature here doesn’t just sit still; it grabs you by the senses and shakes you awake. If you've ever bitten into a juicy Colorado Palisade peach, you know what I mean. That peach, sweet and perfect, didn’t just happen overnight. It started as a tiny seed, growing into a sturdy tree, nourished by the soil, rain and sun until it became something delightful — an actual work of art, and what a great picture of life itself. Think about it. That peach tree needed a solid trunk to support the weight of its branches and fruit. It couldn’t produce anything worth tasting, if its foundation were weak. The same goes for us. Li...
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Denver to consider $197M contract for Colfax transit project; total project cost is $280.5M
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver to consider $197M contract for Colfax transit project; total project cost is $280.5M

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette After postponing the matter last week, the Denver City Council on Monday will consider a $197.3 million contract for construction of a bus rapid transit system that would dramatically reshape the “longest commercial street in the country.” The contract with Kraemer North America would be for the East Colfax Avenue Bus Route Transportation (BRT) project, which will cost a total of $280.5 million, according to city estimates. Of that total, $150 million is funded by federal grants, $28.5 million from the Denver Regional Council of Governments, $14 million from the City of Aurora, $65 million from the Elevate Denver bond and $22.5 million from other sources. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Colorado Springs council to cast second vote on recreational marijuana ordinance Tuesday
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Colorado Springs council to cast second vote on recreational marijuana ordinance Tuesday

By BREEANNA JENT | The Gazette The Colorado Springs City Council is scheduled Tuesday to cast its second vote on a proposed ordinance that will likely prevent recreational cannabis sales throughout much of the city, a move some officials worry could circumvent residents' wishes. On Sept. 10, the council voted 7-2 in favor of an ordinance that will modify city code and preemptively prohibit marijuana facilities that sell recreational cannabis from operating within 1 mile of K-12 schools and residential child care and drug or alcohol treatment facilities. Many other Front Range governments do not regulate retail marijuana facility zoning as rigidly as Colorado Springs could under this rule. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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Mayor, supporters launch campaign for $100M sales tax hike for housing in Denver
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Mayor, supporters launch campaign for $100M sales tax hike for housing in Denver

By The Denver Gazette (via coloradopolitics.com) Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and supporters on Wednesday launched the campaign to ask Denver voters this November to increase the city's sales tax and generate $100 million for housing.  “In every neighborhood in Denver, people are grappling with the fear of not making rent or covering their mortgage,” Johnston said in a news release. “Seniors worry they may have to leave the homes where they’ve built their lives. The hardworking people who keep our city thriving — from teachers and nurses to restaurant workers and firefighters — are being pushed out of the city they love." Referring to the ballot proposal, Johnston said Measure 2R will help "preserve our city's diversity and ensure that housing remains affordable, atta...
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Garfield County sheriff’s deputies recovered 60 pounds of fentanyl-laced pills valued at $2.6M
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Approved, Local, Post Independent

Garfield County sheriff’s deputies recovered 60 pounds of fentanyl-laced pills valued at $2.6M

By The Post Independent A Phoenix woman and two accomplices were arrested following a drug seizure on Interstate 70 near Parachute on Wednesday according to a Garfield County Sheriff’s Office news release. Garfield County Sheriff’s deputies and members of the Special Problem Enforcement and Response (SPEAR) Task Force stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. During the stop, deputies found nearly 60 pounds of suspected counterfeit OxyContin pills. The pills are believed to contain fentanyl and have an estimated street value of $2.6 million. Investigators said this adds up to around 222,360 pills. Leslie Lopez-Rojas, 20, of Phoenix, was arrested on multiple charges, including importing a schedule II controlled substance into Colorado, which is a class 1 drug felony. Two other ind...
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100 license plate readers equals 100 arrests of suspects on varius charges, Denver police say
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

100 license plate readers equals 100 arrests of suspects on varius charges, Denver police say

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox 31 News License plate readers are continuing to be installed around Denver, and with almost 100 readers around the city, police have been able to arrest over 100 suspects on various criminal charges. The city’s plan to install over 100 license plate readers was announced in January as part of an initiative to crack down on auto theft. Since the installation, the Denver Police Department said there have already been success stories. Police released the Flock Safety Transparency Portal, which allows residents to see which law enforcement agencies have access to the data, prohibited uses of the information, what’s not detected and other information. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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Sengenberger: JeffCo’s politicized PTA hijacked by the left
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Approved, Commentary, gazette.com, Local

Sengenberger: JeffCo’s politicized PTA hijacked by the left

By Jimmy Sengenberger | Commentary, The Gazette When Jefferson County mom Carrie Mumma challenged the Colorado Parent-Teacher Association’s hardline stance on controversial legislation, she’d crossed a line. On X, Mumma shared and challenged testimony from Dawn Fritz, COPTA’s director of legislative engagement, supporting HB1039, a law blocking parents’ guaranteed right to know about their children’s gender identity and social transitions in school. Fritz accused Mumma of spreading “personal disapproval” and being culpable for malicious online attacks against her. She complained to Therese Rednor, president of the JeffCo district accountability committee (DAC) — where Fritz represents the PTA — claiming Mumma had violated the DAC Code of Conduct. READ THE FULL COMMENTARY AT THE...
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