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City leaders ask residents to help shape future of Colorado Springs parks
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

City leaders ask residents to help shape future of Colorado Springs parks

By Brennen Kauffman | Denver Gazette Colorado Springs wants residents to play a role in creating the master plan for the next decade of maintaining and expanding the city's park system. The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department announced the rollout of the 2026 Park System Master Plan on Friday morning at America the Beautiful Park. The planning process, with a tagline of "Building Community, Preserving Our Legacy," will create big picture goals for the park network. Parks and recreation leaders called for residents to get involved in the process by sharing how they use outdoor spaces and how the city should prioritize changes. "Together, we can ensure that our city remains a vibrant place for recreation, relaxation and community connection," said Glenn Carlson,&nb...
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Healing after the call: First responder speaks out after verdict in Alexa Bartell death
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Healing after the call: First responder speaks out after verdict in Alexa Bartell death

By Greg Nieto | Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — One of the very first people to respond to Alexa Bartell after a rock shattered her vehicle windshield spoke out in the wake of Friday’s guilty verdict in her murder trial. Nicole Bergeron was a firefighter and paramedic for North Metro Fire Rescue when she and her crew responded to the Jefferson County scene in April of 2023. A first responder for 21 years, Bergeron said they had little idea, at the time, what may have happened when they first arrived at Bartell’s vehicle. READ THE FULL STORY AT KDVR.COM
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Jail inmate escapes Pueblo County lockup, faces new charge two days before release
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Approved, Fox21, Local

Jail inmate escapes Pueblo County lockup, faces new charge two days before release

By Norishka Pachot | Fox21 (PUEBLO, Colo.) — The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search for an inmate trustee on Thursday, April 24, after he escaped the Pueblo County Jail while working. At around 8:20 p.m. on Thursday, 26-year-old Lucas Brown was working in the kitchen at the jail, and was with other kitchen trustees throwing out trash when he ‘suddenly ran away.’ Detention deputies supervising the trustees reported seeing Brown run west on 9th Street. A deputy ran after Brown but lost sight of him, and other deputies secured the remaining trustees in the jail and called the communications center to report the escape. Sheriff’s Patrol deputies, including two K9s and Pueblo Police officers, joined the search and located Brown near 7th and Greenwood Streets less than 35...
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ICE plans to double the number of jail beds in Denver due to increased arrests in Colorado
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local, State

ICE plans to double the number of jail beds in Denver due to increased arrests in Colorado

By Vicente Arenas | Fox 31 News DENVER (KDVR) — On any given day, even before sunrise, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents say they are on the streets preparing to make arrests in Denver. FOX31 had asked ICE for a ride-along so our crew could witness how agents make arrests. The agency granted that request and allowed FOX31 reporter Vicente Arenas and photographer Eugene Bergman to travel with them as they made arrests on Tuesday morning. Our crew first went to a pre-dawn briefing and a stakeout in Westminster. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX31 NEWS
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Turning Point USA launches at Valor Christian: Courage, character, and a little wild West spirit
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Turning Point USA launches at Valor Christian: Courage, character, and a little wild West spirit

By RMV Staff | Rocky Mountain Voice It was more than just another Tuesday morning at Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado—it was a full-on Turning Point. Nearly 50 students, faculty, and guests gathered for the official launch of Valor’s new Turning Point USA chapter, and let’s just say, the energy was more electric than a Bronco game on a Sunday afternoon. Gabby Reichardt, the Rockies High School Field Representative for Turning Point USA, called the launch a personal milestone. “I'm super proud to have a chapter at Valor as my alma mater and it was definitely a target school of mine for a long time.” She added, “Having a community surrounding the students who want to help support the chapter is really great. And that's definitely part of our broader high school ...
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Colorado law limits what voters can verify—and critics say that needs to change
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Approved, Local, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Colorado law limits what voters can verify—and critics say that needs to change

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Mesa County’s Ballot Verifier tool has been praised for giving residents unprecedented access to redacted ballot images and cast vote records. But for some longtime election integrity advocates, it’s only part of the solution. “This is a great step forward,” said Ed Arnos, a Mesa County resident and former lottery systems designer. “But it doesn’t verify the most important part—how the ballots were actually read.” This article is Part 3 of a three-part series on the Ballot Verifier: Mesa’s launch, Ada County’s pilot and the debate over election transparency laws. A philosophical divide Mesa County residents Tom Keenan and Ed Arnos have supported election transparency efforts for years. But both say the current syste...
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From critics to champions: How a ballot transparency tool won over Idaho voters—and inspired Mesa County
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Approved, Local, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

From critics to champions: How a ballot transparency tool won over Idaho voters—and inspired Mesa County

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice When Ada County launched a ballot audit tool built by a small independent company, no one knew what to expect. But what followed surprised even the clerk who helped shape it.  Election skeptics became supporters, recount demands dropped and voters started tracking their own ballots—sometimes using nothing more than a $2 bill. What began as a simple idea sketched on napkins between an Idaho election official and a civic-minded data entrepreneur would grow into a public-facing ballot verification platform now used by counties in multiple states, including Mesa County, Colorado. This article is Part 2 of a three-part series on the Ballot Verifier: Mesa’s launch, Ada County’s pilot and the debate over election transpa...
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Mesa County launches Ballot Verifier, giving voters unprecedented access to ballots
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Mesa County launches Ballot Verifier, giving voters unprecedented access to ballots

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Mesa County launched a first-of-its-kind ballot transparency tool last month, allowing residents to view redacted ballot images and corresponding cast vote records online—without filing a CORA request. Supporters say it could reshape public trust in elections. Others say it doesn’t go far enough. But one thing is certain: Mesa County is at the heart of a national battle over election integrity, and the Ballot Verifier came to fruition out of demand — and the innovation of an election stats company that wanted to answer to it. Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Bobbie Gross said the tool was made possible by an initial $30,000 investment to develop the system and redaction process. “I believe $20,000 every year to keep it goin...
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Denver council weighs $70M pitch for soccer stadium expected to bring $2.2B
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver council weighs $70M pitch for soccer stadium expected to bring $2.2B

By Deborah Grigsby | Denver Gazette As Denver's elected officials weigh a push for $70 million in spending along Interstate 25 and Broadway Avenue, economists and business leaders hope the buzz around the city’s new National Women’s Soccer League team rubs off on councilmembers who have pushed back on the project’s price tag. Supporters argued that the proposed stadium would serve as a major economic "jolt" to South Broadway, while councilmembers are worried about shrinking revenues and redirecting interest money originally slated for a slew of projects funded by a bond voters approved a few years ago.    City economists published a 19-page economic impact study last week, projecting that a 14,500-seat stadium and entertainment district could generate $2.2 billion in eco...
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Hall: A $250K farewell tour for Grand Junction city council’s ‘feckless foursome’
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Approved, Local, The Business Times

Hall: A $250K farewell tour for Grand Junction city council’s ‘feckless foursome’

By Craig Hall, Publisher/Owner | Commentary, The Business Times Oops, they did it again. That’s right, after being rejected outright in the latest, ill-timed, usually-low-voter-turnout-to-benefit-progressives, springtime elections, our city council once again generously served up another slice of cake while completely ignoring the voice of the people who screamed loudly on April 8, “We don’t want your ideas, follies or leadership anymore!” I’d say they have deaf ears, but that would imply they are at least attempting to listen to the people. Instead, in their alternative Grand Junction universe our Feckless Foursome of “Abe the Sausage King of Grand Junction (and if you don’t get the joke, this column won’t hit your reality either) Herman,” “Anna the Stout, confident progressiv...
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