Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Local

Concealed carry permits spike in Denver as new rules loom
No Comments
Approved, Axios Denver, Local

Concealed carry permits spike in Denver as new rules loom

By Esteban L. Hernandez | Axios Denver Obtaining a concealed carry permit in Denver, already home to some of the state's strictest gun laws, will soon require additional steps. The big picture: A state law taking effect July 1 will add new requirements for obtaining concealed carry licenses, including mandating eight hours of in-person instruction and passing a live-fire test, where a person must shoot a minimum of 50 rounds. Why it matters: The new law will add barriers for responsible gun owners, including costlier training for a permit type that's grown in popularity over the past five years, as Colorado's gun laws grow increasingly restrictive. Yes, but: The city's chief compliance officer, Mary Dulacki, tells us she doesn't presume the new req...
Read More
El Paso Commissioner Applegate: America’s space advantage depends on keeping command in Colorado
No Comments
Approved, Commentary, Local, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

El Paso Commissioner Applegate: America’s space advantage depends on keeping command in Colorado

By El Paso Commissioner Cory Applegate | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice As El Paso County’s Commissioner for District 4, I am committed to advancing our community’s interests, security, and prosperity. Among our top priorities is ensuring that U.S. Space Command remains headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs. This is not just a local issue—it’s a matter of national security and global leadership in space. Peterson Space Force Base, located right here in our district, has long been at the forefront of military space operations. Its proximity to critical defense assets like Schriever Space Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, and the Air Force Academy creates an unparalleled synergy. The integrated infrastructure and expertise in th...
Read More
Graphic email threat triggers closure of three Pueblo schools on Monday, sheriff investigating
No Comments
Approved, KOAA News, Local

Graphic email threat triggers closure of three Pueblo schools on Monday, sheriff investigating

By Ashleigh Quintana | KOAA News5 PUEBLO WEST — Parents, families, and staff in Pueblo School District 70 received an email from the school district that three separate schools will be closed due to threats. The following schools will be closed while the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office investigates the threats: Liberty Point International School District 70 Online Learning Academy, Pueblo West Campus Swallows Charter Academy On Monday, the sheriff's office "will be providing additional resources and will conduct checks at all District 70 campuses to help ensure student and staff safety," according to a representative from D70. According to the school district, there have been "reports of potential threats via multiple channels," but we have learned that the threats we...
Read More
Treta: Denver’s broken permitting system is driving up housing costs—and it’s time to fix it
No Comments
Commentary, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Treta: Denver’s broken permitting system is driving up housing costs—and it’s time to fix it

By Robert Treta | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice I’ve been designing and building homes in Denver for 28 years. I pulled my first permit in 1997—for a small room addition on a house. It took one day. One. That kind of efficiency used to be the norm. Permitting was straightforward, business-friendly, and a basic example of how local government should work. But over the past two decades, I’ve watched the city’s permit approval process become increasingly bloated, inefficient, and damaging—not just to builders like me, but to every Denverite who rents or buys a home. This problem isn’t new. Denver’s permit delays became a real issue as far back as 2007, when the wait time for a standard permit grew to four months. Now, in 2024, the average wait time is 385 days. That’s more t...
Read More
Operation Take Back America: Illegal immigrants charged after hauling 180K rounds of ammo into Colorado
No Comments
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local, National

Operation Take Back America: Illegal immigrants charged after hauling 180K rounds of ammo into Colorado

By Logan Smith | CBS News Colorado Two residents of Mexico were recently arrested in Colorado while transporting 180,000 rounds of large-caliber ammunition. They were pulled over after driving toward deputies and failing to dim their van's headlights.  Two Fremont County detectives were driving on State Highway 50 in Cañon City on March 26, according to a federal arrest affidavit. The van was coming in the opposite direction and left its headlights on the highest setting as it passed the deputies' vehicle. It is against Colorado state law for a driver to fail to dim his or her vehicle's headlights when there is oncoming traffic within 500 feet of it. The detectives followed the white GMC passenger van to a gas station and pulled in behind it.  Both men inside the van ...
Read More
Newly elected Grand Junction Councilman: Voters didn’t ask for bike lanes—they asked for essential services
No Comments
Approved, Local, The Daily Sentinel

Newly elected Grand Junction Councilman: Voters didn’t ask for bike lanes—they asked for essential services

By Sam Klomhaus | The Daily Sentinel Newly elected Grand Junction City Council member Robert Ballard wants to address changes on Fourth and Fifth streets and be a voice for outlying Grand Junction neighborhoods during his time on council. “Day one is we’re definitely going to be addressing Fourth and Fifth street,” Ballard said during an interview last week. “At least I’m going to be, I don’t know about the rest of the council, but that’s definitely going to be my main focus.” Ballard, who lives in Orchard Mesa and works at Alpine Bank, said a lot of people during the election have been asking for a pilot study on proposed changes to the roadway on Fourth and Fifth streets from Pitkin Avenue to North Avenue to be reversed. “We’re going to address that right out the gate, that’s...
Read More
Rep. Crank’s BLOC Act gains Mesa County’s support: “Align federal funds with public safety”
No Comments
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Rep. Crank’s BLOC Act gains Mesa County’s support: “Align federal funds with public safety”

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Mesa County commissioners want federal dollars tied to immigration enforcement—and they’re backing Rep. Jeff Crank’s bill to make it happen. During their April 15 administrative hearing, the Mesa County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a letter backing a federal immigration bill that would strip transportation funding from sanctuary jurisdictions that fail to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The letter, addressed to U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, voiced support for H.R. 1984—the Blocking Lawless Open Border Cities (BLOC) Act. The bill halts funding of federal transportation dollars going to cities and counties that refuse to notify ICE at least 48 hours before they release an illegal immigrant. Rep. ...
Read More
New data shows Denver’s inflation rising above national average
No Comments
Approved, Local, The Center Square

New data shows Denver’s inflation rising above national average

By Derek Draplin | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Inflation in the Denver metro area has outpaced the national average in recent months, according to new data. In February and March, prices in the area were up 0.22%, compared to 0.17% nationally, recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. “This has inverted the annual trend of national price growth outpacing Colorado,” the Common Sense Institute, a free-enterprise think tank, said in an analysis of the data. Over the last 12 months, prices went up 1.9% in Denver while nationally prices increased 2.4%. In February and March, costs went up for education and communications (5.34%), medical care (0.94%) and  housing (0.53%). Costs went down for recreation (-1.3%), transportation (-.1%) and food (-.1%).  ...
Read More