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Passenger rail advocates push state to connect southern, western Colorado
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Passenger rail advocates push state to connect southern, western Colorado

By David O. Williams | Denver Gazette Passengers or petroleum products? That’s one of the key questions being bandied about in a renewed effort to revive part of the long-dormant Tennessee Pass rail line linking southern Colorado to the state’s Western Slope. As the Polis administration continues to focus almost exclusively on planning for passenger rail in the northern Front Range and through the northern mountains between Denver and Craig, some rail advocates, experts and elected officials are urging the state to study the out-of-service Union Pacific rail line between Pueblo and western Eagle County that last saw freight trains in 1997. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
DA George Brauchler launches new 23rd Judicial District with tough-on-crime approach
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

DA George Brauchler launches new 23rd Judicial District with tough-on-crime approach

By Olivia Young | CBS News For the first time in over 60 years, Colorado is getting a new Judicial District. The change will happen on Tuesday. For decades, the 18th Judicial District has encompassed Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties. As those communities grew, the district became the largest in the state. A political divide also emerged between left-leaning Arapahoe County and the other conservative communities. In 2020, a bipartisan effort in the state legislature split the district, leaving only Arapahoe County in the 18th Judicial District and creating a new district for the remaining counties, the state's 23rd. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Denver home prices are falling, but does that mean buying a house is affordable?
Approved, Local, Westword

Denver home prices are falling, but does that mean buying a house is affordable?

By Catie Cheshire | Westword Denver had the seventh-highest drop in home prices in 2024, according to Realtor.com. But that doesn’t necessarily mean buying a home in Denver is affordable. Though the median list price of a home in Denver was down 5.35 percent in December 2024 compared to December 2023, the median list price is still $577,350. Still, real estate experts are taking the news of the drop as another sign that markets are leveling out from pandemic-induced, skyrocketing prices. “Austin, Denver, Phoenix and Nashville were the darling markets of 2021 and 2022 and places where prices went wild,” says Joel Berner, Realtor.com senior economist. “Now, with more homes on the market, prices are returning to where they belong.” READ THE FULL STORY AT WESTWORD...
Bill McCartney, winningest Buffs football coach of all time, dead at 84
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Bill McCartney, winningest Buffs football coach of all time, dead at 84

By David Plati | CUBuffs.com Bill McCartney, one of the most visible and successful head coaches in all sports in the University of Colorado's 135-year athletic history, passed away peacefully here after a long illness shortly after 9 p.m. Friday evening with family members by his side.  He was 84. When "Mac" first set foot on the CU campus in Boulder in June 1982, little did he – or anyone – know at the time that just over a dozen years later he would retire as the winningest coach in CU football history. He orchestrated a turnaround with a program that had won just 14 games over the previous six seasons to one that claimed three Big Eight Conference titles and the 1990 consensus national championship. He is one of 11 with CU ties in the College Football Hall of Fame, as he was indu...
Inside DIA’s lost and found: Bags, electronics and even a bag of dried fish
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Inside DIA’s lost and found: Bags, electronics and even a bag of dried fish

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox 31 News  The lost and found at the Denver International Airport became home to thousands of misplaced items in 2024, holding anything from lost luggage to unusual items like a bag with dried fish. According to the lost and found team at DIA, the airport collects around 200 lost items each day, and only 30-40% of the items make it back to their owners. But what those misplaced items are is a mixed bag. The most common lost items at the airport are bags, electronics and wallets. The airport also collected 2,646 earbuds that were turned into lost and found throughout 2024. However, the airport ended up seeing much more than luggage at its lost and found. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Marshall Fire victim in Colorado loses childhood home in California wildfires
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Marshall Fire victim in Colorado loses childhood home in California wildfires

By Gabriela Vidal | CBS Colorado It can be hard to imagine experiencing the loss of one home from a wildfire, let alone two. Yet, that is exactly what Boulder resident Christian Maljian is facing right now, amid the ongoing wildfires in California.  "I'll miss all of it," said Christian.  Christian spoke with CBS Colorado as he FaceTimed his sister Natalie Maljian. She held up her phone to all of the wreckage of what was left of his childhood home in Altadena, California.  "We kind of knew it was already burned, so we had a day to prepare before we came," said Natalie.  READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Man who dragged Brighton officer with car sentenced to decades in prison
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Man who dragged Brighton officer with car sentenced to decades in prison

By Janet Oravetz  | Denver Gazette, via 9News A man who injured a Brighton Police Department officer when he attempted to drive away to avoid being arrested was sentenced Wednesday morning to 20 years in prison. Robert Trujillo, 51, pleaded guilty in September to first-degree assault related to the August 2023 incident at Overland Trail Middle School. On Aug. 16, 2023, officers responded to the school after learning that Trujillo, who was wanted on a felony domestic violence warrant was sitting in a car at the school. Officers arrived and one parked in front of Trujillo's vehicle and a second parked behind him. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Horse rescued after falling into icy pond in Northern Colorado
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Horse rescued after falling into icy pond in Northern Colorado

By Jennifer McRae | CBS Colorado Fire crews with Loveland Fire Authority rescued a horse that had fallen into an icy pond in Northern Colorado. Crews rushed to the pond on South County Road 13 on Thursday where a horse found a way through the fence and onto a frozen pond.  Firefighters said the pond could not support the horse's weight and ended up in the icy waters in the middle of the pond. The horse could not get back to shore.  Firefighters donned ice rescue suits and broke apart the ice using axes and sledgehammers. Eventually, they were able to walk the horse to shore after clearing a path.  READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Colorado Springs native explores abandoned places in award-winning podcast
Approved, gazette.com, Local

Colorado Springs native explores abandoned places in award-winning podcast

By Jennifer Mulson | The Gazette Anemoia is one of Blake Pfeil’s favorite words. Author John Koenig coined the unofficial English word, which means a longing for a time or place you’ve never known, in his 2021 book, “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows,” a collection of words he dreamed up for emotions not described in English. It’s an apt word for Pfeil, a Colorado Springs native, who explores abandoned spaces around the globe in his award-winning “Abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.” Season three launched a week ago. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other streaming services, as well as blakepfeil.com/audio. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE