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Air Force Academy ending minor in diversity and inclusion
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The Center Square, Approved, Local

Air Force Academy ending minor in diversity and inclusion

By Tate Miller | The Center Square West Point Military Academy and the Air Force Academy have both ended their “Diversity and Inclusion Studies” minors. As late as Jan. 8, West Point, based in New York, offered its DEI minor, while as of Jan. 9 the Air Force Academy, based in Colorado, still offered its DEI minor, according to internet archives. Currently, a minor in “Diversity and Inclusion Studies” is no longer listed on either service academy’s website. Around the same time the DEI minors disappeared, President Donald Trump ended all DEI programs in federal agencies via an executive order. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE CENTER SQUARE
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Housing, homelessness, public safety among Denver mayor’s 2025 priorities
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Housing, homelessness, public safety among Denver mayor’s 2025 priorities

By Noah Festenstein | The Denver Gazette Painting a city gripped by worries over deportations, high cost of living and economic struggles, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Wednesday unveiled his goals for the year, saying he will focus on resolving familiar challenges — housing, homelessness and safety.   “I want to make sure people see how serious we know the stakes are," Johnston said at the newly upgraded Denver Central Library. “There are folks in the city today who are very, very afraid,” he said. “Whether that is worry about them or their family members being caught up in mass deportations, whether that is someone who is fighting hard to make sure they can still pay the rent this month, someone who's trying to keep their small business going and they're strugglin...
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Top Aurora police crime analyst faces nine counts of official misconduct: ‘I shouldn’t have done it’
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Top Aurora police crime analyst faces nine counts of official misconduct: ‘I shouldn’t have done it’

By Brian Maass | CBS Colorado The Aurora Police Department's top crime analyst, Frank Fredericks, 60, was charged this week with nine counts of official misconduct. In a phone call Wednesday evening, Fredericks admitted he used department computers for non-law enforcement purposes. "I ran a query on my husband to obtain a VIN on a vehicle that is in his name. Is it wrong, yes," said Fredericks. "I shouldn't have done it." Court records show the nine charges were filed Monday and stem from incidents between March 22, 2023, and April 29, 2024. Fredericks resigned from the Aurora Police Department June 17, 2024, after about 18 months on the job. He said he resigned due to a difference of opinion with APD command staff over an internal reorganization. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS ...
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RTD leadership sets new CEO goals for ridership and on-time service
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Approved, Local, The Colorado Sun

RTD leadership sets new CEO goals for ridership and on-time service

By Parker Yamasaki | The Colorado Sun The Regional Transportation District in Denver passed a set of amendments on Tuesday night that will push CEO Debra Johnson to improve on-time service and increase ridership. The agency responsible for Metro Denver’s rail and bus services has been trying to regain its footing after the pandemic slashed ridership and internal disputes surfaced. Public trust in the agency is also sinking, as demonstrated during the public comment portion of the meeting. People showed up in-person, online and through email to express their discontent with unpredictable wait times and unreliable customer service, and called out poor service on the E Line specifically, which runs southeast from downtown Denver to Lone Tree, and has been undergoing maintenance and s...
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Colorado Springs church vandalized for the fourth time in six months
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

Colorado Springs church vandalized for the fourth time in six months

By Debbie Kelley | The Gazette Emily Bond’s first thought when she got to work on Tuesday morning was, “Oh, no! We have to get another banner. Again.” Shortly before 8 p.m. Monday night, as members of the Out Loud Men’s Chorus were rehearsing inside First Congregational Church in downtown Colorado Springs, a neighbor’s video cam captured two cars pulling up, and six individuals jumping out and ripping down a large, rainbow-colored banner that for years has hung in the church portico. Oversized lettering on the banner reads: “A Just World for All.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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DEA arrests another alleged Tren de Aragua member in Denver
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

DEA arrests another alleged Tren de Aragua member in Denver

By Luige Del Puerto | The Denver Gazette Anti-narcotics agents have arrested a man suspected of being a member of the Venezuelan gang operating in metro Denver. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration provided few details of the arrest.  In a post on X on Wednesday, the agency said the arrest was made overnight.   The agency posted a video of the arrest, which showed a man in handcuffs being led into a law enforcement vehicle. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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New internal detective bureau allows RTD officers to now investigate crimes on district properties
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

New internal detective bureau allows RTD officers to now investigate crimes on district properties

By Jack Lowenstein | CBS Colorado RTD Police Department in Denver launched its new internal detective bureau on Tuesday, the Regional Transportation District shared in a press release. This is the first time in the agency's history it will be able to directly investigate crimes that take place on RTD properties.  According to the press release, Detective Lt. Fabian Rodriguez and Detective Brian Beary were promoted to the internal detective bureau on Jan. 26 from their previous roles as transit police officers. Combined, both detectives have 45 years of law enforcement experience. Then on Jan. 21, Detective Craig Tangeman was hired and joined the new internal bureau, bringing more than 26 years of law enforcement experience to RTD.    In the press release Rodriguez said h...
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Beef industry should enjoy profitable 2025, analyst tells Farm Show audience
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Akron News-Reporter, Approved, Local

Beef industry should enjoy profitable 2025, analyst tells Farm Show audience

By Jeff Rice | Akron News Reporter Don’t look for retail beef prices to come down any time soon. That was part of the message from an industry expert Tuesday at the Colorado Farm Show in Greeley. Tyler Cozzens, an economist for Livestock Marketing Information Center in Lakewood, told a small crowd of about 70 people that cattle prices finished strong in 2024 and look to remain strong throughout the coming year. That translates into higher prices in the local supermarket. “Retail beef prices will stay high, but demand is very strong,” Cozzens said. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE AKRON NEWS REPORTER
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Durango school board doubles down on DEI and keeps their LGBTQ+ and BLM flags raised
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Durango school board doubles down on DEI and keeps their LGBTQ+ and BLM flags raised

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice "Flags do not harm kids. Hateful words and hateful people harm children." This was the message delivered by Terry Kopack, a local parent, during the Jan. 28 Durango 9-R School Board meeting, where school board members voted unanimously to approve two resolutions supporting LGBTQIA2S+ and IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, and People of Color) students, staff and community members. A public comment session preceded the board’s vote, with all speakers voicing support for the proposed resolutions. The board limited public comments to 10 speakers, before moving into discussion and voting on the resolutions. Among those who spoke, one mother took direct aim at the Colorado GOP.  “I want the Colorado Republican Party to open their...
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Suspected TdA member seen in Aurora viral apartment video arrested in NYC
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Suspected TdA member seen in Aurora viral apartment video arrested in NYC

By Vicente Arenas | KDVR-TV Fox 31 News The arrest of a suspected Venezuelan gang member has been one of the most high-profile arrests in the case so far. The Department of Homeland Security’s new Secretary was on hand for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency action. Secretary Kristi Noem posted videos of her participation in the ICE operation that started at 3 a.m. ET Tuesday. “Dirtbags like this will continue to be removed from our streets,” Noem said in a video posted on X. READ THE FULL STORY AT KDVR-TV FOX 31 NEWS
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