Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Local

Denver City Council revisits ban on flavored tobacco products; last one vetoed by Hancock in 2021
No Comments
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
Read More
Residents at Aurora apartments see improvements but face buyout offers they say are too low to relocate
No Comments
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Residents at Aurora apartments see improvements but face buyout offers they say are too low to relocate

By Michael Abeyta | CBS Colorado Earlier this year, the city of Aurora drew national attention because of gang activity at apartments owned by CBZ Management. Additional issues later came to light, including unsafe living conditions at several apartment complexes owned by CBZ. One of those was the Whispering Pines Apartments, which the city nearly shut down due to unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Now, things appear to be improving for residents. Aurelio, a resident who declined to provide his last name, lives at Whispering Pines. The complex is one of several formerly owned by CBZ that has been under receivership since the fall. He says he and his roommates like living there because it's affordable. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Read More
Finalists Kassaw, Lammon and McMillan being interviewed for seat by Aurora councilmembers
No Comments
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Finalists Kassaw, Lammon and McMillan being interviewed for seat by Aurora councilmembers

By Kyla Pearce | Denver Gazette Aurora city councilmembers will interview three top candidates for an open council seat on Monday, a process that will take about two-and-a-half hours and will be open to the public via livestream. Dustin Zvonek, the city's previous mayor pro tem, announced his early departure from his position on the council in October, opening up a seat on the 11-person body. The council received a total of 34 applications for the position and, at the last council meeting, chose three final candidates: Amsalu Kassaw, Danielle Lammon and Jonathan McMillan. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Read More
Woman guilty of trafficking drugs from Colorado to Wyoming reservation
No Comments
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Woman guilty of trafficking drugs from Colorado to Wyoming reservation

By Logan Smith | CBS Colorado A Wyoming man and a Colorado woman who were tracked down a year ago outside the Wind River Indian Reservation were both recently sentenced for their roles in supplying and selling drugs to Native American tribes there.  Dusty Harris, 42, of Casper, Wyo., and Thelma Faber, 45, of Greeley, were pulled over in a car near Shoshoni, Wyo., in November 2023. This, after state criminal investigators and detectives from Fremont County (Wyo.) Sheriff's Office determined Harris previously sold controlled substances to enrolled members of the Eastern Shoshone and/or Northern Arapaho tribes living on or around the reservation. They also learned Harris was making another delivery from Colorado.  READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Read More
Man arrested at Buffalo, New York, border crossing on Arapahoe County warrants
No Comments
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Man arrested at Buffalo, New York, border crossing on Arapahoe County warrants

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News Law enforcement reported this week that a 32-year-old man arrested at the Port of Buffalo, Peace Bridge border crossing on Tuesday was wanted for felony warrants out of Arapahoe County. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers first met the man after he made a wrong turn in a 2016 Nissan Altima onto the Peace Bridge. During the primary inspection, officers found that the vehicle had been reported stolen to the Chicago Police Department. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Read More
Denver teachers’ union cost of living dispute heads to arbitration
No Comments
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver teachers’ union cost of living dispute heads to arbitration

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette Denver Public Schools officials will face an arbitrator next month over a disputed 5.2% cost of living adjustment the teachers’ union officials said they are owed. A cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is intended to help employees keep up with inflation. Raises — which district officials appear to be conflating in their argument — are separate from a cost-of-living increase. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Read More
Developers have the go-ahead for new construction in northern Weld County after a three-year freeze
No Comments
Approved, Local, The Colorado Sun

Developers have the go-ahead for new construction in northern Weld County after a three-year freeze

By Shannon Mullane | The Colorado Sun Residents of northern Weld County might see new construction now that a local water district has given developers the go-ahead to request water services after a three-year hold. North Weld County Water District stopped real estate development in its tracks in 2021 when it announced a moratorium on tap sales and new requests for water amid the COVID-19 pandemic and a statewide housing craze. Developers’ projects stalled. A growing housing stock halted.  The district’s work began: They had to pull the reins to figure out if they even had enough capacity to serve everyone who wanted water, said Tad Stout, board president for the district. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
Read More
Mesa County makes progress in eradicating Japanese beetle from Western Slope
No Comments
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Mesa County makes progress in eradicating Japanese beetle from Western Slope

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Mesa County commissioners are breathing just a little bit easier after discovering that their efforts, combined with resources from the state and the community, are working to get rid of the Japanese beetle infestation on the Western Slope. The Japanese beetle was discovered in Mesa County in 2022.  The beetle is devastating to crops grown on the Western Slope, particularly the prized fruit crops that are sold all over the country. Through collaborative efforts with public and private groups, and strategic partnerships with state agricultural entities, Mesa County has made significant progress in protecting landscapes and agriculture from the Japanese beetle. This year, the fight against the beetle gained moment...
Read More
Illegal immigrant surges in Denver have cost $356 million, study finds
No Comments
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Illegal immigrant surges in Denver have cost $356 million, study finds

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette A new study estimated that the nearly 43,000 immigrants who have come to Denver over the past two years have cost $356 million. Conducted by the Common Sense Institute (CSI), the estimate examined the outlays by the city of Denver, as well as associated health care and education costs across the region. Founded in 2010, the institute is a nonprofit organization in Greenwood Village that conducts fiscal and economic research. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Read More
Denver spent $150 million in untracked expenses for homeless shelters, audit reveals
No Comments
Approved, Local, National Review

Denver spent $150 million in untracked expenses for homeless shelters, audit reveals

By David Zimmermann | National Review Denver paid nearly $150 million between January 2022 and March 2024 for non-migrant shelter-related expenses that a city department has not been tracking, a recent audit report found. Denver’s Department of Housing Stability has been unable to provide a comprehensive breakdown of an estimated $149.6 million in taxpayer funds spent in the two-year time frame, according to a 51-page audit published Thursday by the Denver Auditor’s Office. “Although we asked Housing Stability multiple times for documentation identifying all shelter-related expenses from Jan. 1, 2022, through March 31, 2024, the department was unable to provide this information,” the report states. READ THE FULL STORY AT NATIONAL REVIEW
Read More