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VanWinkle Ranch Vows to Rebuild and Stay Put After Wildfire
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Local, Approved, The Daily Sentinel

VanWinkle Ranch Vows to Rebuild and Stay Put After Wildfire

By Jace DiCola | The Daily Sentinel Less than two weeks ago, Colorado Politics reported that the VanWinkle family, known for their local cattle ranch and statewide agricultural advocacy, was considering selling their operation. VanWinkle Ranch co-owner Janie Van-Winkle told The Daily Sentinel this week that a full exit from the industry was never a consideration. Rather, the family was considering a move to more “ag-friendly” states, like Kansas or Nebraska. Then, the Turner Gulch Fire sparked. Just a few days after, it spread onto nearly half of the VanWinkle’s land leased through the U.S. Forest Service — a 39,000-acre parcel the family has cared for since Van-Winkle’s great-grandfather.“ The fire has made us realize that we need to be here, and we need to be a part of puttin...
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Denver City Council Rejects Ranked Choice Voting in Narrow Vote
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Local, Approved, Axios Denver

Denver City Council Rejects Ranked Choice Voting in Narrow Vote

By Esteban L. Hernandez | Axios Denver The way Denver elects its mayors, city council members and other local officials is staying put for now. The latest: The Denver City Council voted 7-6 Monday night to reject putting a measure on the November ballot that would changed the city's municipal elections to a ranked choice voting method. The system lets voters rank multiple candidates in order of preference. Why it matters: The move could have reshaped how candidates campaign — and how voters choose — for Denver's top offices. State of play: Supporters said the new system would have increased voter turnout, save money and boost candidate engagement. The other side: Councilmember Kevin Flynn led opposition on the voting method. Flynn pointe...
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As businesses flee downtown Denver, Johnston points to falling homicide rate
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories

As businesses flee downtown Denver, Johnston points to falling homicide rate

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Mayor Mike Johnston has been pointing to a 44% drop in homicides in the first half of 2025, calling it proof his crime plan is making a difference. The figure is a sharp improvement from last year, but it’s recent and doesn’t show where things stood before the pandemic. In the city’s core, the gains are harder to find. A report from the Common Sense Institute shows murders in District 6, the downtown police district, have risen 133% since 2020. Aggravated assaults, drug crimes, public disorder, and larceny are also up. While some neighborhoods have seen improvement, downtown has not kept up the same pace. Citywide Gains, Downtown Losses Data from DenverCrimes.com shows citywide violent crime down more than 30% from last...
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Colorado Springs leaders weigh in as pastors’ political speech could expand
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The Gazette, Approved, Local

Colorado Springs leaders weigh in as pastors’ political speech could expand

By Debbie Kelley | The Gazette A recent proposed settlement in a federal court case out of Texas that would change how churches intersect with politics has become what supporters call restoring free speech rights and opponents call breaching the separation of church and state. If the filing by the Internal Revenue Service stands in a 2024 lawsuit that several religious groups brought against the IRS, churches and other houses of worship would be allowed to endorse political candidates from the pulpit during religious services without danger of losing their tax-exempt status. Reactions from pastors and politicians are mixed. The Rev. Steve Holt, founder and senior pastor of The Road Church, a large nondenominational congregation in Colorado Springs, supports the idea and said he...
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University of Colorado Faces Labor Complaint from Medical Residents
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Local, Approved, The Colorado Sun

University of Colorado Faces Labor Complaint from Medical Residents

By John Ingold | The Colorado Sun The University of Colorado Housestaff Association, which represents medical and surgical residents and fellows, has filed a complaint with state labor officials. The organization that represents doctors-in-training at the University of Colorado has filed a complaint with state labor officials alleging that the school retaliated against it over its quest for collective bargaining rights. The organization, the CU Housestaff Association, says the university broke off long-running discussions on a document that would have codified the Housestaff Association’s relationship with the university after the association announced its unionization goal. It says the university also excluded it from meetings, blocked it from organizing activities and ended t...
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A Highland Ranch student’s final act of courage becomes a case for sainthood
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The Gazette, Approved, Local

A Highland Ranch student’s final act of courage becomes a case for sainthood

By By Debbie Kelley | The Gazette Many hailed 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo as a hero for trying to stop a shooter at his charter school just a few weeks before he was to graduate in May 2019. But did the STEM School Highlands Ranch senior live a life of “heroic virtue,” before it was tragically ended by a gunman, who also injured eight people? Two priests at St. Mark Catholic Church in Highlands Ranch, which is part of the Diocese of Colorado Springs, believe so. And six years after Castillo was murdered, they’ve initiated a process that they hope will end with worldwide public recognition of how saintly his selfless actions were. Rushing at the shooter and giving other kids time to move away from the gunfire — which was credited with preventing more fatalities — ...
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ExxonMobil and Suncor to U.S. Supreme Court: Stop Boulder and San Miguel Co. climate change lawsuit
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Denver Business Journal, Approved, Local

ExxonMobil and Suncor to U.S. Supreme Court: Stop Boulder and San Miguel Co. climate change lawsuit

By Jackson Guilfoil | Denver Business Journal Story Highlights • ExxonMobil and Suncor petition Supreme Court to dismiss climate lawsuit. • Colorado Supreme Court allowed lawsuit to proceed in state court. • At issue is whether climate change impacts should be federal or state matter. Two oil and gas titans are again asking the U.S. Supreme Court t...
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Meeker self-evacuates as Elk and Lee fires surge past 75,000 acres
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denvergazette.com, Approved, Local

Meeker self-evacuates as Elk and Lee fires surge past 75,000 acres

By Michael Braithwaite | Denver Gazette The town of Meeker has been self-evacuated as the nearby Elk and Lee fires surpassed 75,000 combined acres Thursday. Both started by lightning earlier this week, the twin fires have drastically grown in size over the past several days. On Tuesday, the Lee Fire was estimated to be 7,750 acres and the Elk Fire at 13,025, according to a Facebook post from the Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office. Just four days later, the Lee Fire has grown to nearly 61,000 acres and the Elk Fire to 14,236, the office said. Officials have attributed the significant growth to the fire's interior being filled in, though crews have not yet reached any containment on either fire. The blazes' growth has threatened both the town of Meeker and the Highway 64 cor...
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Going Nuclear: DIA Explores Modular Reactor to Meet Growing Demand
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Fox31, Approved, Local

Going Nuclear: DIA Explores Modular Reactor to Meet Growing Demand

By Heather Willard | Denver (KDVR) Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver International Airport is soliciting proposals for a feasibility study regarding the possibility of a small modular reactor, which is a type of nuclear reactor, on the campus. DIA said Wednesday that the project would help benefit its goal of becoming the world’s greenest airport and also be energy independent. The study is projected to cost up to $1.25 million and will take upward of a year to complete. “Denver leads with bold ideas, and our vision for the future of our airport is no exception,” said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston in DIA’s announcement on Wednesday. “As we work to make DEN the greenest airport in the world, we must explore every innovative solution available to meet the demands of a growing city and ...
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Charges Dropped as Predator Found Incompetent in Aurora Playground Attempt
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Local, Approved, kdvr.com

Charges Dropped as Predator Found Incompetent in Aurora Playground Attempt

By Hanna Powers | KDVR Fox 31 ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — A registered sex offender accused of attempting to kidnap a child from a playground will not face prosecution after a judge dismissed the case due to a finding of permanent incompetence. Carmen Galligan — previously known as Solomon — was charged in connection with an attempted kidnapping at Black Forest Hills Elementary in April 2024. According to police, Galligan targeted multiple children who were playing outside, sparking panic among parents and neighbors. But in court Thursday, a judge dismissed the case after doctors at Fort Logan State Hospital determined Galligan has a chronic mental condition and will never be competent to stand trial. “This is a case where the victims expressed great fear at what happened t...
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