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Aurora lawmakers vote to go forward with repealing employee tax on businesses
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Aurora lawmakers vote to go forward with repealing employee tax on businesses

By Kyla Pearce | Denver Gazette Aurora lawmakers on Monday night decided to keep a promise made to businesses that they would repeal the occupational privilege tax, which taxes businesses for each employee. The decision came after a series of meetings during which councilmembers went back and forth on the issue and ended up in arguments with each other over whether they should keep the promise, made last year, or go back on it and keep the tax to fund new fire stations.  The occupational privilege tax collects $4 monthly from companies for each employee. Employers and employees split the dues, paying $2 respectively. The tax began in 1986 to support street maintenance, police and fire services. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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‘Something needs to be done’: Smash-and-grab burglaries on the rise
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

‘Something needs to be done’: Smash-and-grab burglaries on the rise

By Karen Morfitt | CBS Colorado Law enforcement agencies are seeing a spike in smash-and-grab burglaries across the northern part of the Denver metro area and up into Northern Colorado. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office is looking for what they are calling the Panda Bandit. Investigators say three young suspects, one dressed in a panda costume, burglarized a gas station in Superior and took vape products. In Greeley, a clothing store is asking for help after thieves drove through their front window. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Did Middle Park sell $1 billion of water for 10 bucks?
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Approved, Local, The Colorado Sun

Did Middle Park sell $1 billion of water for 10 bucks?

By Michael Booth | The Colorado Sun Since Dwight Eisenhower was president, tiny Middle Park Water Conservancy District has hoarded a precious gem: 20,000 acre-feet of water rights on Troublesome Creek, near Kremmling, and the authority to build a dam for it.  In October, Middle Park gave its treasure to a private rancher. For $10.   The Middle Park district, which primarily serves ranchers and hay growers in Grand and Summit counties, has only a few hundred thousand dollars of revenue each year, and no ability to raise potentially tens of millions of dollars for environmental permitting and hundreds of millions for construction, the district’s attorney said.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Western Colorado school board votes to close one elementary school, two more could shutter
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Western Colorado school board votes to close one elementary school, two more could shutter

By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice It was an emotional night at the Mesa County Valley District 51 school board meeting on Nov. 19, as more than 50 public commenters packed a seven-hour session that stretched past midnight. Parents, students, teachers and community members voiced their concerns about the proposed closure of Scenic, Nisley and Clifton Elementary Schools. "No one wants to be in a situation where they are having to close schools," Superintendent Dr. Brian Hill said. "It will never feel good, but it is the situation we find ourselves in."  Hill detailed the data-driven approach used to identify schools for closure. He highlighted the Elementary Declining Enrollment Committee’s criteria, which included building adequacy, enrollment and transportatio...
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Colorado Buffaloes superfan Miss Peggy celebrates her 100th birthday with Deion Sanders
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Colorado Buffaloes superfan Miss Peggy celebrates her 100th birthday with Deion Sanders

By Jesse Sarles | CBS Colorado Colorado Buffaloes head football Coach Deion Sanders brought a special guest with him to his weekly news conference in Boulder -- Peggy Coppom, who is known better by her nickname "Miss Peggy." Coppom is a CU athletics superfan who is turning 100 on Tuesday.  Sanders has become tight with Coppom and has even dedicated this season to getting the new centenarian to a bowl game. "Which bowl do you want to go to?" Sanders inquired. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Law enforcement on the hunt for ‘panda bandits’ in Boulder County
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Approved, Local, Out There Colorado

Law enforcement on the hunt for ‘panda bandits’ in Boulder County

By Spencer McKee | Out There Colorado The Boulder County Sheriff's Office is working to solve a string of 'smash and grab' burglaries that are said to have taken place at a gas station in Superior involving the theft of tobacco and vaping products. Suspects in the case have been dubbed the 'Panda Bandits,' thanks to one person donning a panda costume while committing alleged crimes. According to authorities, suspects are alleged to have used rocks to smash a door or window for entry at the gas station located at 1603 Coalton Road, with two burglarizations occurring in the early morning hours of November 2 and a third occurring on November 10. READ THE FULL STORY AT OUT THERE COLORADO
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Morgan County dairywoman Mary Kraft energizes dairy organization
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Approved, Local, thefencepost.com

Morgan County dairywoman Mary Kraft energizes dairy organization

By Amy G. Hadachek   | The Fence Post Fourth-generation dairy farmer Mary Kraft who built Quail Ridge Dairy from the ground up near Fort Morgan was just re-elected Dairy Management Inc. board vice chair, an organization overseeing their nationwide marketing plan. Kraft resides in rural northeast Colorado with her husband Chris, son Stratton and daughter Jordan. “While each state and region can make unique adaptations to the program, DMI’s template helps dairy farmers’ funds reach as far as possible by each area not re-creating the wheel,” Mary Kraft said. She was first elected DMI vice chair in November 2023. She is also board chair for DairyMAX conducting marketing and educating through the checkoff program funded by dairy farmers from Montana to Texas. DairyMAX works with programs ...
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Gaines: Colorado newsrooms promote left-wing ‘civic engagement’
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Approved, Commentary, completecolorado.com, Local

Gaines: Colorado newsrooms promote left-wing ‘civic engagement’

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Complete Colorado Wanting to support your community and get civically engaged?  Do you also like warm cookies?  I suppose the Venn Diagram for these two things would likely show a lot of overlap.  I’m right there in the middle anyway. In what is surely a startling coincidence–how could it be otherwise?–two articles appeared within 5 days of each other in Colorado Public Radio and the Colorado Sun.  The former ostensibly telling people how to get involved in their communities, and the latter a glowing profile of a nonprofit focused on civic engagement.  Both, of course, have at their center the group Warm Cookies of the Revolution.  Friendly and homey name, no? READ THE FULL COMMENTARY AT COMPLETE COLORADO
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Three finalists picked from pool of 34 for Aurora’s open seat on City Council
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Three finalists picked from pool of 34 for Aurora’s open seat on City Council

By Kyla Pearce | Denver Gazette, via Colorado Politics Aurora councilmembers on Monday picked three candidates to interview for the open at-large position on the council. The interviews will happen in early December. Dustin Zvonek, the city's previous mayor pro tem, announced his early departure from his position from the council in October, opening up a seat on the 11-person body. The council received a total of 34 applications for the position. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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City of Fountain to increase budget for street resurfacing projects through 2027
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Approved, KOAA News, Local

City of Fountain to increase budget for street resurfacing projects through 2027

By Maggie Bryan | KOAA-TV NBC 5 The City of Fountain plans to increase its budget for street resurfacing projects by at least 10% each year until 2027, according to its 2025-2027 Strategic Plan approved on Tuesday. Improving transportation infrastructure is one of the city's top four priorities in the plan, along with boosting communication with the public, supporting local businesses, and enhancing water and electric security. Fountain City Councilmember Jennifer Herzberg said the city's current roads are poor and residential roads need the most help. READ THE FULL STORY AT KOAA-TV NBC 5
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