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In Rifle, police officer initiates city discussion of obscured license plates, ‘huge problem’ of inoperable vehicles
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Western Slope

In Rifle, police officer initiates city discussion of obscured license plates, ‘huge problem’ of inoperable vehicles

An inquiry by Rifle police officer Kallie McCain to the municipal court led Wednesday to a full discussion on the appearance of license plates and vehicles by the City Council. At issue is obscured plates and the process by which police officers face additional workload writing citations to both municipal and county courts for the violation. The state’s statute on the display of license plates was not included in Rifle’s Model Traffic Code – a statute at least one member of City Council finds to be vague. By adding the language of the state statute to the local code, officers could write the ticket and potentially others into one court, said Municipal Court Clerk Kathy Pototsky, avoiding the need to appear in separate courts. It would be a $25 citation. “Most officers would write ...
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Denver Zoo to open 570-acre conservation preserve in Weld County
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Approved, BizWest, Local, Northern Colorado

Denver Zoo to open 570-acre conservation preserve in Weld County

By Dallas Heltzell | BizWest WELD COUNTY — The Denver Zoo will expand its operations onto the Lembke Family Preserve, a donated 570-acre tract east of Greeley in Weld County, the zoo announced Thursday. Conversations between the family and the zoo began about 18 months ago, said Bob Lembke, president of United Water and Sanitation District and a Weld County ranch owner. “I’ve always been a big fan of the zoo and came to the conclusion that this made sense,” Lembke told BizWest. “I signed the documents for the donation last December.” The gift was made, he said, because “Denver Zoo has been part of our family tradition since the late 1950s. Both Carol and I loved visiting the old zoo of our childhood, and we took our kids there many times. It’s always a special family outing. Wi...
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Vehicle window-washing by unskilled migrants in Denver raises safety concerns
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Approved, Downtown Denver, Local, thelobby-co.com

Vehicle window-washing by unskilled migrants in Denver raises safety concerns

By The Lobby The influx of Venezuelan migrants in Denver, who have taken to washing windshields of stopped cars at busy intersections, is raising concerns about safety and the city's sanctuary policies. Tens of thousands of migrants in the city, facing ongoing delays in obtaining government work permits, have resorted to working in teams, cleaning vehicles waiting at intersections in exchange for cash. While some see this as reminiscent of their home countries, critics argue that it highlights the flaws in U.S. border policies and Denver's burdensome sanctuary city strategy. Yoli Casas, the executive director of the nonprofit migrant support group ViVe Wellness, compares the sight of window washers to her origins in Venezuela. She says that in South America, such as Venezuela, Col...
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‘It shouldn’t be free’: In Grand Junction, EV owners will pay at city-owned charging stations
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Western Slope

‘It shouldn’t be free’: In Grand Junction, EV owners will pay at city-owned charging stations

‘The majority of the power is coming from coal,’ City Councilman Cody Kennedy says Electric vehicle operators will no longer have a free ride from the City of Grand Junction. City Council unanimously supported the implementation of a fee structure Wednesday, similar to fees implemented by some other local governments to cover public expenses related to charging stations. “I used one of the EV charging apps and there are 40 some odd places in town where you can charge for free,” said City Councilman Scott Beilfuss, also indicating he didn’t support a free-use structure. The proposed rates are comparable to what a gas or diesel-powered vehicle owner might expect to pay for metered parking, City Manager Greg Caton said. “There is a significant amount of public investment in thi...
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Lakewood residents want transparency from City Council over migrant housing concerns
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Approved, Denver Metro, Local, thelobby-co.com

Lakewood residents want transparency from City Council over migrant housing concerns

By The Lobby An emergency community meeting in Lakewood on Tuesday night brought hundreds of concerned citizens together to address the potential for the city to become a sanctuary for migrants. The meeting, organized by the group Lakewood Concerned Citizens, saw an overwhelming turnout, with attendees filling the meeting room and spilling into the parking lot. However, the meeting was not without controversy, as a last-minute location change raised questions about transparency. Initially, the meeting was scheduled to take place at a Lakewood school, but the permit was changed under the group Lakewood Concerned Citizens. This sudden alteration raised eyebrows among residents who were seeking clarification on the city council's stance on housing migrants. Concern over Lakewo...
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Denver Public Schools Under Scrutiny for Alleged Racial Discrimination Against White Students
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Approved, Denver Metro, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver Public Schools Under Scrutiny for Alleged Racial Discrimination Against White Students

By Nicole C. Brambila | The Gazette The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has opened two discrimination complaints filed against Denver Public Schools’ use of race in selecting committee members to evaluate the district’s "discipline matrix" and in deciding which students can take math extension courses. The complaints, filed by the Mountain States Legal Foundation in November and September, respectively, alleged that the district gives preferential treatment to persons of color and inferred that its use of the word "diverse" is a veiled reference to considering race and people's gender identity.    Will Trachman, general counsel for Mountain States Legal Foundation, said the district cannot discriminate against White students or individuals who iden...
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Aurora council votes to fill homeless service provider funding gaps at quarterly workshop
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Approved, Denver Metro, denvergazette.com, Local

Aurora council votes to fill homeless service provider funding gaps at quarterly workshop

By Kyla Pearce | The Gazette While Aurora's councilmembers held differing opinions on how to handle dollars for homeless service providers, they eventually agreed to allocate federal money to several organizations, bringing a few of them to flat funding. The councilmembers, however, entirely cut funding to the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. Aurora's policymaking body earlier delayed a decision on funding homeless service providers. The debate about city funding for homeless service providers has been going on since city staffers recommended last year that the council cut or limit funds to several organizations that provide services to homeless people in Aurora following a dip in the local government's revenues. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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denvergazette.com, El Paso County, Local

Mayor says government must care for migrants arriving in Colorado Springs

By Breeanna Jent | The Gazette Mayor Yemi Mobolade on Friday called on President Joe Biden and federal partners to help ensure a surge of undocumented immigrants crossing the country's southern border does not become a 'crisis' in Colorado Springs. "Immigration is a federal responsibility. It's not in the city's purview but because we have not taken care of the crisis at our southern border, it's meeting our city. I do call on the president of the United States and federal partners to help us to ensure that this crisis doesn't impact our city," Mobolade said from his downtown office during an afternoon broadcast on Facebook Live. Mobolade took to social media on Friday to reiterate Colorado Springs is not a designated sanctuary community and reassured viewers there is not currentl...
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Ordinance banning homeless encampment sweeps during frigid weather vetoed by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston
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denvergazette.com, Downtown Denver, Local

Ordinance banning homeless encampment sweeps during frigid weather vetoed by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston

By Noah Festenstein | The Gazette Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Friday vetoed an ordinance approved by the City Council that would have banned homeless encampment sweeps during frigid temperatures, arguing it contravenes the city's camping ban.   Already, the councilmembers who sponsored the ordinance intend to bring it back before the council on Feb. 12, a move that signaled their attention to override the mayor's veto.  In Johnston's first veto since taking office in July, the mayor's office said the proposal "would make it more difficult for the city to help people experiencing homelessness get inside during cold, unsafe conditions." "Though well-intentioned, this legislation would restrict the city’s ability to do this life-saving work for approximately four ...
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Homeless Advocates Protest Denver Mayor’s Veto
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Approved, Denver Metro, Downtown Denver, Local, thelobby-co.com

Homeless Advocates Protest Denver Mayor’s Veto

By The Lobby Denver's homeless advocates gathered outside the City and County Building on Saturday morning to express their dissatisfaction with Mayor Mike Johnston's decision to veto a bill that would have prohibited homeless sweeps in freezing temperatures. Despite the frigid conditions, about a dozen members of Housekeys Action Network (HAND) showed up to voice their opposition to the mayor's announcement. The City Council Ordinance 23-1960, introduced in December, aimed to amend the municipal code to prevent various city agencies from clearing homeless encampments when temperatures dropped to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. However, on February 2, Mayor Johnston vetoed the "No Freezing Sweeps" ordinance, which had been passed by the Denver City Council with a narrow 7-6 vote. ...
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