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O’Reilly and Minary: What Douglas County’s Home Rule vote revealed—and how we move forward

11Jul

By Guest CommentaryNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Local, Top Stories

O’Reilly and Minary: What Douglas County’s Home Rule vote revealed—and how we move forward

By Chuck O'Reilly, Russ Minary | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Voters in Douglas County turned down the proposed Home Rule initiative by a wide margin—71% to 29%. But the result wasn’t simply a rejection of the idea itself. It also reflected deeper concerns about how the process unfolded and how residents were—or weren’t—brought into the conversation. It revealed how important transparency, timing and public trust are in shaping major decisions about the future of our county. As longtime Douglas County residents, we believe in responsive, local government. Home Rule can offer benefits when done right—but how we get there matters just as much as the destination. This election offered a case study in what happens when voters feel left out or rushed. Here are some of the maj...

Garbo: Sheriff Darren Weekly is the exception that proves the GOP’s problem

11Jul

By Guest CommentaryNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Local, Top Stories

Garbo: Sheriff Darren Weekly is the exception that proves the GOP’s problem

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In 2022, Darren Weekly wasn’t supposed to win. At least not according to the self-appointed gatekeepers of Republican purity in Douglas County. Branded a “RINO,” derided as “Tony 2.0,” and accused of being soft on Second Amendment rights due to the endorsement of outgoing Sheriff Tony Spurlock, Weekly was the target of aggressive intra-party attacks. The purist wing of the GOP put its full weight behind John Anderson, another outstanding, articulate, and Constitution-minded candidate whose campaign centered on resisting the Red Flag law and defending liberty. I was among Anderson’s vocal supporters - endorsing, donating, campaigning, and even hosting events on his behalf. But Weekly won. By just over one percentag...

Lightning-sparked fires top 1,600 acres overnight at Black Canyon National Park

11Jul

By External OutletNo Comments

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local

Lightning-sparked fires top 1,600 acres overnight at Black Canyon National Park

By Nick Smith | Denver Gazette Reaching 1,640 acres in size, the wildfires in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park continue to burn with no signs of containment after two lightning strikes sparked the blazes Thursday. Evacuations for the park remain Friday, and there is no estimated time for reopening, according to fire and incident information agency InciWeb. The agency stated in a late-night news release Thursday that dry, receptive fuel aided by warm temperatures and wind has made for great circumstances for the fire to burn quickly. Incident Management Team San Juan Team 8 took command of wildfire containment operations early Friday. Lori Rome, a spokesperson for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, said one fire started near the Kneeling Camel Overlook, and the other wa...

Jeffco Kids First: Court sides with defamer, silences truth in heartbreaking reversal

11Jul

By External OutletNo Comments

Jeffco Kids First, Approved, Commentary, Local

Jeffco Kids First: Court sides with defamer, silences truth in heartbreaking reversal

Lindsay Datko | Commentary, Jeffco Kids First The sharp sting of brutal injustice cuts deep, searing the soul. Your time spent reading this is my measure of justice, and for that, I am profoundly grateful. “In reviewing the record, the Court identifies instances of Defendants’ conduct that a trier of fact could find as clear and convincing evidence of their anger and hostility toward Plaintiffs to sufficiently show actual malice.” Judge Loewer On the afternoon of October 7, 2022, my phone lit up with text messages: “You need an attorney ASAP.” “Be prepared, there’s an article that just came out.” Everything went silent except the ringing in my ears as I read the article, the world spinning around me. I remember the exact square-footage of my kitchen I was standing in. With m...

Denver’s $800M bond plan sparks backlash over priorities, transparency

10Jul

By External OutletNo Comments

Denverite, Approved, Local

Denver’s $800M bond plan sparks backlash over priorities, transparency

By Paolo Zialcita | Denverite The package can still change significantly depending on actions from the mayor and Denver City Council. On Tuesday, we learned how the city plans to spend $800 million from a proposed new bond package. Members of the Vibrant Denver bond’s executive committee unveiled the project list after weeks of work to pare down ideas from city agencies, organizations and neighborhoods. The bond process was criticized by community members and city officials for being rushed and not properly incorporating public feedback — and Tuesday’s rollout drew a strong reaction, too, with some Denver City Council members implying they could vote to block the proposal. The package will go before voters in November, though the project list could ...

Western Slope river channel tests positive for invasive and ‘devastating’ zebra mussels—again

10Jul

By External OutletNo Comments

The Colorado Sun, Approved, Local

Western Slope river channel tests positive for invasive and ‘devastating’ zebra mussels—again

By Michael Booth | Colorado Sun New rounds of samples for the voracious creatures keep turning up positive, complicating containment The Colorado River is now officially “positive” for invasive zebra mussels in the latest failure of containment for the voracious species, after three new samples came up with larvae July 3, from between Glenwood Springs and Silt. The main stem Colorado River discoveries piled on top of a confirmed “large number” of adult zebra mussels in a private body of water in western Eagle County, and two more positive larvae tests, at Highline Lake and Mack Mesa Lake, both near the Utah border, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said Wednesday. Sampling was redoubled throughout June after tests found a single zebra mussel larvae, or veliger, in the Colorado...

Jeffco Kids First report reveals 33 staff misconduct cases in Jefferson County Schools

9Jul

By Shaina ColeNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories

Jeffco Kids First report reveals 33 staff misconduct cases in Jefferson County Schools

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice An alarming report released by Jeffco Kids First, a grassroots advocacy group led by teacher turned activist Lindsay Datko, has exposed 33 cases of sexual abuse and misconduct by staff in Jefferson County Public Schools since 2022. The article “33 Documented Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Cases in Jeffco Schools” presents a disturbing image of a district with systemic failures. The data reveals a pattern of misconduct going unreported to the Colorado Department of Education. The scope of abuse: 33 cases and counting Superintendent Tracy Dorland has received pushback regarding the handling of these incidents, with critics citing inadequate communication and insufficient safety protocols. The report documents six ar...

“They called us hateful”: Colorado parents see their story reflected in Supreme Court ruling

9Jul

By Jen SchumannNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories

“They called us hateful”: Colorado parents see their story reflected in Supreme Court ruling

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that public schools must allow parents to opt their children out of LGBTQ+ instruction that conflicts with their religious beliefs, BJ and Brecken Jones sat quietly in their living room—stunned, relieved and vindicated. “For years, we were treated like extremists for simply protecting our kids,” BJ said. “Now the Supreme Court says we were right all along.” For this Boulder County family, Mahmoud v. Taylor wasn’t just a legal case—it was a mirror. Reading the Court’s opinion, BJ and Brecken saw their own experience reflected almost line for line. What they didn’t expect was that their quiet effort to opt out—rejected by school officials, scorned by activists and ultimately buried in district archi...

Gilmartin: Attacks on John Adams Academy show what happens when excellence disrupts control

8Jul

By External OutletNo Comments

Colorado Politics, Approved, Commentary, Local

Gilmartin: Attacks on John Adams Academy show what happens when excellence disrupts control

By Kim Gilmartin | Commentary, Colorado Politics In response to a recent CoPo column about John Adams Academy Douglas County (JAADC), columnist Paula Noonan’s opinion piece is heavy on rhetoric and light on facts. As a co-founder of JAADC, I am compelled to correct the misinformation and misleading claims for the sake of the public, not the punditry. First, one of the core accusations, that JAADC’s curriculum is outdated, narrowly ideological and dismissive of modern disciplines like science and technology, could not be further from the truth. JAADC’s curriculum includes a full complement of science and math courses grounded in logic, inquiry and observation, which are foundational elements of the scientific method. Classical schools nationwide are not only producing though...

El Paso County sheriff transfers 19 illegal immigrant offenders to ICE

8Jul

By External OutletNo Comments

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local

El Paso County sheriff transfers 19 illegal immigrant offenders to ICE

By Aidan Hulting | Denver Gazette Nineteen people who the El Paso County Sheriff's Office says were in the country illegally, and have allegedly committed crimes in El Paso County, are now in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. This marks the second list the El Paso County Sheriff's Office has released this summer detailing its ongoing cooperation with ICE. “As part of our continued commitment to transparency, I am once again releasing a list of individuals and their associated criminal charges related to the safe and secure transfer of custody to our federal partners at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal. “We will continue to provide this information in a timely manner to demonstrate compliance with Colorad...

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O’Reilly and Minary: What Douglas County’s Home Rule vote revealed—and how we move forward

Garbo: Sheriff Darren Weekly is the exception that proves the GOP’s problem

Lightning-sparked fires top 1,600 acres overnight at Black Canyon National Park

Jeffco Kids First: Court sides with defamer, silences truth in heartbreaking reversal

Denver’s $800M bond plan sparks backlash over priorities, transparency

Western Slope river channel tests positive for invasive and ‘devastating’ zebra mussels—again

Jeffco Kids First report reveals 33 staff misconduct cases in Jefferson County Schools

“They called us hateful”: Colorado parents see their story reflected in Supreme Court ruling

Gilmartin: Attacks on John Adams Academy show what happens when excellence disrupts control

El Paso County sheriff transfers 19 illegal immigrant offenders to ICE

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