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What’s the starting pay for Pueblo police officers, firefighters and teachers?
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Approved, Local, The Pueblo Chieftain

What’s the starting pay for Pueblo police officers, firefighters and teachers?

By Justin Reutter | Pueblo Chieftain With a median rental price of $1,275 a month in Pueblo, starting salaries can be a major factor in recruiting and retaining vital positions in the Pueblo community. Here is a look at the starting salaries for police, firefighters, and teachers in Pueblo as of late 2024. The starting pay for a full-time Pueblo police patrol officer ranges from $71,470 to $87,185 annually with benefits, according to governmentjobs.com. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
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Aurora councilmembers press 3 candidates for council seat about economy, health, public safety
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Aurora councilmembers press 3 candidates for council seat about economy, health, public safety

By Kyla Pearce | Denver Gazette Aurora councilmembers interviewed three top candidates for a council vacancy Monday night, pressing them about health, policing and public safety. The three candidates are Danielle Lammon, a business owner and chair of the Citizens Advisory Budget Committee; Jonathan McMillan, director of Firearm-Related Harm and Violence Prevention Program Office at the Trailhead Institute; and, Amsalu Kassaw, a lieutenant at Aurora's Immigration and Customs Enforcement  processing center.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Denver auditor: City’s college scholarship program failed to implement almost all recommendations
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Denver auditor: City’s college scholarship program failed to implement almost all recommendations

By Deborah Grigsby | Denver Gazette via Colorado Politics More than a year after Denver auditors raised concerns about oversight, data management, and quality assurance with the city’s tax-funded college affordability program, a follow-up audit found that the Office of Children’s Affairs has failed to implement the bulk of recommended changes made in the original report. Of the original eight recommendations, auditors noted that Children's Affairs, which oversees the Prosperity Denver Fund program, had only partially implemented two but had not taken steps to address the risks the other six sought to resolve. Back in 2018, Denver voters approved a ballot measure known as Prosperity Denver, which called for a 0.08% sales tax — less than one cent on $10 — and would be distributed in...
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‘Operation Aurora is coming,’ Council member warns Aurora police chief, staff
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

‘Operation Aurora is coming,’ Council member warns Aurora police chief, staff

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News Aurora Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky spoke out in a November committee meeting to tell the police department, city council and city staff that President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan is “coming.” Jurinsky made the comments at a meeting of the Aurora City Council Public Safety, Courts and Civil Service Committee on Nov. 14, which she chairs. The committee meets monthly and will not meet again until 2025. Also at the meeting was new Aurora Police Department Chief Todd Chamberlain, who was asked if the police agency needed support and more aid from surrounding agencies, such as the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office or the National Guard. He said that is not needed and would be a demoralizing move for his staff. REASD THE FULL STOR...
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Colorado Springs man gets 23-year sentence on meth and fentanyl trafficking
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

Colorado Springs man gets 23-year sentence on meth and fentanyl trafficking

By The Gazette A traffic stop led to a major drug bust, and now a 23-year prison sentence for Colorado Springs resident Michael Hemersbach, 36.  Hemersbach pleaded guilty Nov. 7 in a Douglas County courtroom to possession with intent to manufacture or distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to manufacture or distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to manufacture or distribute cocaine and driving while impaired, according to a news release Monday from the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office.  Hemersback was pulled over by a Colorado State Patrol trooper, who noted his Chrysler 300 was repeatedly weaving while driving southbound on Interstate 25, near the Happy Canyon Road exit north of Castle Rock on July 13, 2023.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETT...
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Judge sides with resident over developers in fire evacuation lawsuit, fight with El Paso County simmers on
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

Judge sides with resident over developers in fire evacuation lawsuit, fight with El Paso County simmers on

By Mary Shinn | The Gazette A 4th Judicial District judge recently sided with a resident asking El Paso County to uphold its own fire-safety standards along dead-end roads.  Hay Creek Valley resident Mike Cloutier sued the El Paso County commissioners earlier this year because they approved a proposal making way for 20 more high-end homes that take access off a dead-end road. Hay Creek Road, north of the Air Force Academy, already serves 80 existing residences hidden among the foothills. The county limits the number of homes along a dead-end road to 25 for safety in a fire evacuation.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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Less than ‘1 person per square mile’ lives in Colorado’s ‘least-crowded’ county
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Approved, Local, Out There Colorado

Less than ‘1 person per square mile’ lives in Colorado’s ‘least-crowded’ county

By Spencer McKee | Out There Colorado Looking to live a life without much interruption in Colorado? Three of the state's counties have a population density of less than one resident per square mile – two of which are also home to some of the best (and most overlooked) outdoor recreation in the state. In terms of population density, three counties are home to fewer than a single resident per square mile – Kiowa with 0.8 people per square mile, Jackson with 0.85 people per square mile, and Hinsdale with 0.7 people per square mile. READ THE FULL STORY AT OUT THERE COLORADO
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Young families left behind in Grand Valley’s housing construction
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Approved, Local, The Business Times

Young families left behind in Grand Valley’s housing construction

By Brandon Leuallen | The Business Times Scarcity of affordable housing emerged as a key reason School District 51’s enrollment declined by 2,049 students in the past 5 years. The impact of that decline was center stage at two District 51 Board of Education meetings last week, during which the board voted unanimously to close three elementary schools at the end of the 2024-25 school year. District 51 demographer Shannon Bingham collected data that showed lack of affordable housing, especially starter homes, was one of the primary factors in an overall reduction of the Grand Valley’s school-age population. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE BUSINESS TIMES
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Fmr. Denver Mayor Hancock now a lobbyist for companies that made hundreds of millions during his tenure
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Approved, Denverite, Local

Fmr. Denver Mayor Hancock now a lobbyist for companies that made hundreds of millions during his tenure

By Kyle Harris | Denverite Former Mayor Michael Hancock has a new lobbying firm, Hancock Global, serving companies that do big business with the city.  He’s registered as a lobbyist in the City and County of Denver. While a few of his clients are obscure, many were major contractors on projects the Hancock administration oversaw, especially at the airport.  His clients have combined for hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts with the city, according to city data going back to 2017. Some have worked for the city for decades, long before Hancock took office. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVERITE
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Denver City Council revisits ban on flavored tobacco products; last one vetoed by Hancock in 2021
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Denver City Council revisits ban on flavored tobacco products; last one vetoed by Hancock in 2021

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News Denver City Council is once again eyeing a flavored nicotine ban, which supporters say would protect children in the metro area, according to council documents. In 2021, then-Denver Mayor Michael Hancock vetoed a measure passed by Denver City Council to ban flavored nicotine sales in the city. At the time, vape shop owners in Denver told FOX31 that the ban would impact over 90% of their inventory and likely put them out of business. However, proponents of the ban said it would have kept nicotine products out of the hands of underage users.' READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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