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Boebert steps in where Colorado failed: Black sludge in Morgan County drinking water
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Boebert steps in where Colorado failed: Black sludge in Morgan County drinking water

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado The plight of a tiny community in eastern Colorado will soon be the subject of a congressional hearing.  Colorado U.S. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is coming to the aid of a small water district in Morgan County, where toxic black sludge passes for drinking water.  The Prairie View Ranch Water District is 50 miles northeast of the Denver metro area, and it has been a colossal disaster 20 years in the making. Residents say without drinkable water, their homes are worthless.  Boebert -- who represents the residents in Washington D.C. -- is asking the House Appropriations Committee for a $5 million grant to help overhaul the water system.  Boebert is the first elected official willing to meet with the residents, se...
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Summit County Sheriff sues over denied funding, says commission broke staffing deal
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Summit County Sheriff sues over denied funding, says commission broke staffing deal

By Heather Willard | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons is suing the Summit County Board of County Commissioners after it filed a resolution that the sheriff says retroactively denies funding for staffing expenses. The sheriff said that the board had denied a supplemental budget and appropriation of $1.26 million for the sheriff’s office’s 2024 staffing expenses. The wages had been earned by staff, approved by the county manager and finance director, and paid through standard payroll, according to FitzSimons. “This legal action is necessary to protect my ability to fulfill the statutory responsibilities entrusted to me by the people of Summit County,” said Sheriff FitzSimons. “I remain hopeful these issues can be resolved amicably. As a three-te...
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‘No Kings’ protest defies Parker officials, will proceed despite security concerns
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

‘No Kings’ protest defies Parker officials, will proceed despite security concerns

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — After the town of Parker tried to cancel a “No Kings” protest due to the Parker Days Festival on Saturday, the event is taking place anyway. On Saturday, June 14, a group known as “No Kings” is planning a “nationwide day of defiance” against the Trump administration on President Donald Trump’s birthday. The group said during Trump’s birthday festivities, they’re planning on showing up around the country to say “no thrones, no crowns, no kings.” Protests will be held in Colorado and all over the country, including Parker, even after the town of Parker said it had to be canceled due to a scheduling conflict. The town said the Parker Days Festival, which is hosted by the Parker Chamber of Commerce, is a permitted event that takes place...
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Webb: A ‘yes’ vote for Home Rule is a vote for Douglas County’s future
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Approved, Commentary, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Webb: A ‘yes’ vote for Home Rule is a vote for Douglas County’s future

By Robin Webb | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice On June 24, 2025, Douglas County residents will have the opportunity to vote in a Special Election to decide whether to form a Home Rule Charter Commission and elect 21 commission members to draft a potential Home Rule Charter. As the leader of the Douglas County Republican Party, I believe this historic vote could pave the way for greater local control, flexibility, and self-governance, positioning Douglas County to address its unique needs more effectively. Here’s why voting “Yes” for Home Rule is the best choice for our county. What is Home Rule? Home Rule is a form of local governance that allows counties to create their own charter, essentially a local constitution, to define how the county is structured and governed....
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Graffiti, assaults and street blockades: Denver ‘ICE Out’ protest leads to 17 arrests
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Approved, DENVER7, Local

Graffiti, assaults and street blockades: Denver ‘ICE Out’ protest leads to 17 arrests

By Allie Jennerjahn | Denver7 DENVER — 17 people were arrested during protests in Denver Tuesday. "I want to be present and stand up to what I think is really wrong," Bonnie Lloyd from Broomfield said. Crowds gathered to protest against federal immigration enforcement and ICE raids, joining protests across the country — namely Los Angeles — to call for an end to detentions and deportations. "I'm doing my part as an American citizen and someone who loves our country to do what I can," Ellen Keckler from Conifer said. Denver police released the number of arrests and what they were for: Graffiti (3) Interference with Police Authority (1) Unlawful Throwing of Projectiles, Failure to Obey a Lawful Order (1) Obstruction of Streets, Failure to Obey a Lawful Order (7) ...
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Released and reloaded: Montrose bond records show cracks feeding Colorado’s criminal underworld
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Released and reloaded: Montrose bond records show cracks feeding Colorado’s criminal underworld

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice When a Montrose County woman was released on a $0 personal recognizance bond after skipping court in late 2023, it wasn’t her first time facing charges. It wouldn’t be her last either. Within nine months, she was arrested again – this time for second degree assault, harassment and criminal attempt. Her story is not an outlier. It is a warning. “There’s a revolving door with criminals or serious crime,” said Montrose County Sheriff Gene Lillard in a recent interview with RMV. “Last month we picked up one person five times – they were released on PR bond. There’s no consequences.” To illustrate how Colorado laws are contributing to rising crime and lawlessness, Sheriff Lillard prepared and shared a document showing just one small snapshot in ti...
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Activists protest deportations at Aurora ICE facility
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Activists protest deportations at Aurora ICE facility

By Vicente Arenas | Fox31 AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — A group of people marched late Monday to the GEO Group’s contract holding facility in Aurora, contracted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to show their solidarity with ICE protests in Los Angeles.  Several groups called for people to gather for what they called an emergency march and protest. The organizations made their way to the GEO ICE facility, a little less than a mile from the march’s starting point. That’s where they held a vigil for immigrants who have been detained, including activist Jeanette Vizguerra. Several different Colorado organizations say they want to call attention to the immigrants being detained in Los Angeles. Araseli, an Aurora resident, said her husband is detained in th...
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False claims, real consequences: Judge rejects activist’s First Amendment defense
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

False claims, real consequences: Judge rejects activist’s First Amendment defense

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice El Paso County judge rejects motion to dismiss defamation suit against Bernadette Guthrie, ruling that calling a school board member a “child predator” is not protected by the First Amendment. For more than a year, Derrick Wilburn – father, community leader and now an elected school board member – was publicly branded a “child predator” by a vocal district parent. The accusations, repeated at school board meetings, online and even in state legislative testimony, painted him as a man who preyed on children.  Wilburn filed a defamation lawsuit in December 2024, seeking accountability. And on April 29, a Colorado judge drew a legal line.  El Paso County District Court Judge Gregory Werner denied defendant Bernadette Guthrie’s motion...
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‘It’s not safe’: Lakewood residents push back on Denver’s growing homeless spillover
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

‘It’s not safe’: Lakewood residents push back on Denver’s growing homeless spillover

By Sage Kelley | Denver Gazette Rising homelessness in Lakewood sparks concern over lack of resources and public safety risks. Timothy Harris stood a block away from West Colfax Avenue in Lakewood, his items methodically packed in a cart, a tent propped up beside him.  Harris, who is homeless but originally from Mesa County, has lived in Lakewood after being in Denver for years. To him, Lakewood offers more safety and accessible open space. "Downtown Denver is kind of scary. It's a little intimidating," Harris said. "There are shootings and crime. But, back home, people freeze or get attacked by animals. There's a difference in death, but it weighs out the same." Chanel Lewis, a homeless woman who has been in the Denver metro area since 2002 and now lives in Lakewood, a...
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Burning Man event in Las Animas County cancelled over ‘non-consensual fentanyl drugging’ concerns
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Approved, KKTV CBS 11, Local

Burning Man event in Las Animas County cancelled over ‘non-consensual fentanyl drugging’ concerns

By Aaron Vitatoe | KKTV LAS ANIMAS COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - A suspected attempted drugging involving fentanyl forced the cancellation of a Burning Man event in southern Colorado. Apogaea is a Burning Man-sanctioned event held every June in Colorado, according to their website. Over the weekend, they were set to hold their event in Las Animas County near Trinidad. As the weekend kicked off, though the Apogaea Board of Directors instructed everyone to leave the event, and asked anyone on the way to turn around, for safety reasons. On Sunday, they confirmed the reason for the cancellation was suspected non-consensual drugging involving fentanyl. They said, luckily, no one was dosed or physically harmed at the event, and no one needed medical attention. According to a post on Fa...
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