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Denver schools’ Super Alex Marrero uses NDAs to prevent employees from speaking out
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver schools’ Super Alex Marrero uses NDAs to prevent employees from speaking out

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette Denver Public Schools — under Superintendent Alex Marrero — has offered severance packages to employees only if they are willing to sign a confidentiality agreement that prohibits them from speaking about their experiences in the district for three years after their employment. The explosive revelation came Monday night during the time the board of education has set aside for monthly public comment. Will Jones, the former executive director of communications, said he was dismissed by Marrero in February after nearly nine years with the district. Jones was hired under previous Superintendent Tom Boasberg. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Funeral home owners, found with nearly 200 decomposing bodies, now charged with COVID fraud
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Approved, Fox News, Local

Funeral home owners, found with nearly 200 decomposing bodies, now charged with COVID fraud

By Greg Wehner |  FOX News A Colorado Springs, Colorado couple who authorities claim abandoned nearly 200 bodies in a building infested with maggots and flies, faces additional charges after allegedly spending more than $880,000 in COVID relief funds on vacations, cosmetic surgery and other personal expenses. Jon Hallford and his wife, Carie Hallford, owned the Back to Nature Funeral Home in Colorado Springs and had been facing 190 counts of abuse of a corpse, five counts of theft, four counts of money laundering and over 50 counts of forgery. An indictment unsealed on Monday alleged the Hallfords used $882,300 in COVID pandemic relief funds to buy items for themselves, including cars, dinners, cryptocurrency and tuition for their child. READ THE FULL STORY AT FO...
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Man given maximum sentence for killing of K-9 Graffit, other crimes
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Approved, denvergazette.com, First Judicial District, Local

Man given maximum sentence for killing of K-9 Graffit, other crimes

By First Judicial District Eduardo Armando Romero was given the maximum sentence of 12 years in prison for killing Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) K-9 Graffit and other related crimes from the February 2023 incident. Romero pleaded guilty earlier this year and, as a result, faced 8-12 years in prison. Romero received a total of 12 years to be served consecutively to the sentence Romero is already serving for similar crimes he committed in Denver. At today’s sentencing, the resounding message was that K9 Graffit, who was the most experienced and trained dog on JCSO’s team, was not just a dog. Deputies from JCSO spoke and submitted letters describing the profound impact that Graffit’s death has had on them, detailing what he meant to each of them and to the JCSO family. ...
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Nine buildings involved in Saturday fire in Denver neighborhood
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Nine buildings involved in Saturday fire in Denver neighborhood

By Samantha Jarpe | FOX 31 Denver The Denver Fire Department responded to a two-alarm fire that displaced a family Saturday afternoon. As of 2 p.m., the fire was completely out. The fire occurred in a northwest Denver neighborhood, near 39th Avenue and Clay Street. One firefighter was evaluated for smoke inhalation, but no civilians were injured. The firefighter returned to work after being evaluated, according to the Denver Fire Department. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX31 KDVR-TV DENVER
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Littleton parents confront school board after bus aide caught on camera hitting boy with autism
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Approved, DENVER7, Local

Littleton parents confront school board after bus aide caught on camera hitting boy with autism

By Claire Lavezzorio | Denver 7 LITTLETON, Colo. — More than a dozen parents confronted the Littleton Public Schools Board of Education Thursday night, pushing for change after a school bus paraprofessional was caught on camera hitting a boy with autism. There were tears shed and one father even called on LPS Superintendent Todd Lambert to resign. Parent Blake McBride told the board he was contacted by law enforcement who told him his child was a victim of the alleged abuse by Kiarra Jones. According to an arrest warrant for Jones filed on April 4, she is facing a charge of crimes against an at-risk adult or juvenile (third-degree assault) and crimes against an at-risk adult or juvenile causing injury. She was arrested on April 5 and released on a $5,000 bond. This is...
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Denver City Council approves $3.1M to convert hotel rooms into supportive housing
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Denver City Council approves $3.1M to convert hotel rooms into supportive housing

By Alex Edwards | Colorado Politics The Denver City Council unanimously approved a funding agreement worth $3.1 million to assist the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless with rehabilitating 107 hotel rooms into studio apartments.  The rooms being rehabilitated sit within the former Clarion Hotel at 200 W. 48th Ave. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless will add services geared towards assisting homeless people and those at risk of becoming homeless. Once completed, the property will be known as Renewal Village. The Clarion Hotel is the third hotel the city has converted to a shelter as part of an ongoing strategy to address homelessness in Denver. The city's Department of Housing Stability (HOST) has worked to convert other hotels, located at 3737 Quebec St. and 3500 Park A...
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‘Letter to the American Church’ documentary to show at Cover4 Theater on Sunday
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Approved, fortmorgantimes.com, Local

‘Letter to the American Church’ documentary to show at Cover4 Theater on Sunday

By Robin Northrup | The Fort Morgan Times A thought-provoking and powerful documentary, “Letter to the American Church,” is set to capture audiences at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday at the Cover4 Theater in Fort Morgan. The event, sponsored by Elevating Life Church and Rocky Mountain Voice, is free and will have two showings. The film, directed by New York Times best-selling author Eric Metaxas, delves into the haunting parallels between the church during the early days of Nazi Germany and the contemporary American church. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE FORT MORGAN TIMES
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‘How much are we spending on it?’: Denver auditor reviewing costs of city’s homeless shelters
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Approved, Local, Westword

‘How much are we spending on it?’: Denver auditor reviewing costs of city’s homeless shelters

Chris Perez | Westword An audit of Denver's shelter system and how much the city is actually spending on housing the homeless is in full swing, according to the Denver Auditor's Office, which hopes to have things wrapped up by late July or early August. "I don't know if they've ever been audited. I know they haven't been audited since I've been the auditor," says Tim O'Brien, who was elected to the independent post in 2015. "One of the biggest questions is, how much are we spending on it?" Last week, the City of Denver made headlines after it was revealed during a Denver City Council Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness committee meeting focusing on House1000 financials that officials had only spent $10.3 million of the $46 million they expected to spend on the homeles...
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Mesa County’s Scott Thompson named Surveyor of the Year
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Approved, Local, Mesa County, Rocky Mountain Voice

Mesa County’s Scott Thompson named Surveyor of the Year

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff Scott Thompson, elected in 2019 as Mesa County's surveyor and re-elected in 2023, has been named this year's "Surveyor of the Year" by the Professional Land Surveyors of Colorado. The honor is presented annually to a professional who has demonstrated excellence in land surveying and has made significant contributions to the profession and community, a Mesa County press release reads. The award was presented to Thompson at a special ceremony on March 27, at the Rocky Mountain Surveyors Summit in Westminster, Colo. "It is an honor to receive the Surveyor of the Year award from the Professional Land Surveyors of Colorado," Thompson said. "To be a land surveyor is to be a steward of accuracy and a chronicler of the Earth beneath our feet, ensuring the int...
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El Paso County to consider suing state of Colorado over ‘unconstitutional’ immigration laws
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Approved, Colorado Springs Gazette, Local

El Paso County to consider suing state of Colorado over ‘unconstitutional’ immigration laws

Breeanna Jent | Colorado Springs Gazette El Paso County could join a lawsuit against the state of Colorado, challenging laws that stop local governments from cooperating with the federal government in certain matters of immigration. The Board of El Paso County Commissioners at its regular meeting Tuesday will consider a resolution authorizing litigation against the state. If approved, the county would officially object to two state bills passed in 2019 and 2023 that prohibit local law enforcement, including the El Paso County sheriff, from arresting or detaining individuals based on a civil immigration detainer. The laws also prohibit probation officers from providing migrants' identifying information to federal authorities, and ended the ability for local law enforcement to enter...
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