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Downtown Denver’s $570M recovery plan gets strong support from voters
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Downtown Denver’s $570M recovery plan gets strong support from voters

By Bernadette Berdychowski  | Colorado Politics Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s first major initiative toward reviving downtown from its pandemic downturn got strong support from eligible voters. More than 81% of voters chose to expand the Downtown Development Authority — created to fund Union Station’s 2014 restoration using tax-increment financing — to cover the rest of downtown Denver and generate nearly half-a-billion dollars for funding projects across the city core. “As cities across the country struggle to bring their downtown back to pre-pandemic levels, Denver has decided to face this seemingly unsolvable challenge head-on and bet on our cultural, civic, and economic core by passing 6A with more than 80% support,” Johnston said in a statement Wednesday. READ THE FULL...
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In Grand Junction, City Council debates role in homeless solution, problem shelter
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

In Grand Junction, City Council debates role in homeless solution, problem shelter

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice After months of appealing to the Grand Junction City Council to do something about the criminal element that has worsened since the Homeless Day Center was located in their neighborhood, business owners and downtown residents are beginning to see progress. At the City Council workshop on Nov. 4,  Interim City manager Andrea Phillips told the Council that they had held meetings with the public as directed by Council two weeks ago, that there were approximately 45 people in attendance and all the people that came to the meeting wanted the Day Center closed immediately. She said their concerns were valid and that there were concerns generally related to the location of the Day Center. More specific concerns included safety for ...
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Voters approve lodging taxes for child care in Montrose, along with La Plata, Grand counties
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, Local

Voters approve lodging taxes for child care in Montrose, along with La Plata, Grand counties

By Ann Schimke | Chalkbeat Colorado Voters in three western Colorado communities approved lodging tax measures in Tuesday’s election that will send money to efforts aimed at making child care more affordable and easier to find. The measures passed easily in La Plata and Grand counties and by a slimmer margin in the City of Montrose, according to unofficial election results. With Tuesday’s lodging tax victories, the three communities join about a dozen others in Colorado’s mountain resort regions where voters have agreed to allow some lodging tax proceeds to be used for child care efforts. Often, the funding is used to help families pay for child care or to boost wages for teachers. READ THE FULL STORY AT CHALKBEAT COLORADO
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Lawsuit alleges Estes Valley fire district violated open-meetings law
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Approved, BizWest, Local

Lawsuit alleges Estes Valley fire district violated open-meetings law

By BizWest The Estes Valley Voice, described as a “journalist-founded, locally owned digital newsroom”, has sued the Estes Valley Fire Protection District board of directors in Larimer District Court, alleging that it violated Colorado’s Open Records Act and open-meetings law by hiring Paul Capo as fire chief in a closed session on Oct. 9. According to the Estes Valley Voice, board members discussed Capo’s selection privately during an executive session, only later ratifying the decision in a public meeting without further public discussion. In a response to a Colorado Open Records Act request,  EVFPD board chair Ryan Bross told Patty Brown, the Voice’s editor and publisher, that “meeting protocol was determined by District legal counsel.” READ THE FULL...
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Denver changed the rules for homeless shelters this winter. This week is the debut
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Approved, Denverite, Local

Denver changed the rules for homeless shelters this winter. This week is the debut

By Paolo Zialcita | Denverite Subfreezing temperatures have reached Denver, prompting the city to activate three cold weather shelters on Monday. The National Weather Service is forecasting overnight lows in the mid-20s through the week. Denver saw its first snow of the season today, with chances for more on Wednesday and Thursday. In response, Denver will activate three emergency shelters across the city, offering round-the-clock services for people in need. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVERITE
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2 Tren de Aragua members arrested in Aurora, linked to Texas murder
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

2 Tren de Aragua members arrested in Aurora, linked to Texas murder

By Heather Willard | Fox31 News Two men who are allegedly members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were arrested by officials in Aurora in September for the August murder of Nilzuly Enrique Arneaud-Petit, 33, in Farmers Branch, Texas. Homeland Security Investigations reported on Nov. 1 that Carl Luis Zambrano-Bolivar, 26, and Jhonata Nahin Toro Gonzalez, 22, were arrested on Sept. 26 in Aurora by Denver’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations team. The arrests are connected to a third individual, 38-year-old Ehiker Morales Mendoza, who was arrested by federal law enforcement on Oct. 11 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX31 NEWS
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Here’s why Jeffco schools didn’t ask for a tax increase from voters this year
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, Local

Here’s why Jeffco schools didn’t ask for a tax increase from voters this year

By Yesenia Robles | Chalkbeat Colorado The Jeffco school district is one of only a few large Colorado districts that isn’t asking residents to vote for additional local revenue this election. The district is under financial strain and in the spring considered asking voters to approve a mill levy override this year, but consultants recommended putting it off. They pointed out the district has faced challenges when trying to pass tax requests, and homeowners are already struggling with a rise in property taxes. “There are many factors that would support an MLO, including a strong desire for higher teacher pay, but those supportive indicators are simply no match for voters’ current feelings against higher property tax rates,” consultants wrote in a presentation to the board. ...
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Data breach on Custer County computers alleged, which could include Dominion voting machines
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Approved, Local, Sangre de Cristo Sentinel

Data breach on Custer County computers alleged, which could include Dominion voting machines

By George Gramlich | Sangre de Cristo Sentinel Editor's Note: The following story was shared with the Rocky Mountain Voice by the Sangre de Cristo Sentinel. This article is being reprinted with their permission. In an unbelievable turn of events. It has been alleged by multiple sources, that a county employee, allegedly repeatedly hacked into a multitude of county computers, installed sophisticated “mirroring” software on them, and accessed via the spyware and possibly other methods (including flash drives) unknown amounts of confidential and extremely sensitive Custer County data (including emails). It is alleged that this has been going on for years! It is also reported that this employee allegedly accessed our supposedly protected Dominion voting machine! The employee has been ...
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Durango band teacher indicted on charges of sexual predator acts
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Durango band teacher indicted on charges of sexual predator acts

By Jen Schumann, Rocky Mountain Voice On July 23, 2024, a Durango teenager told police that an adult male approached them online. He offered to engage in sexual acts with the 16-year-old.  The Durango Police Department quickly identified the suspect as 28-year-old local Benjamin Smith using information from the minor. After a swift investigation, detectives obtained and executed a search warrant at Smith's home this morning, resulting in his arrest and booking for Sexual Exploitation of a Child on July 25. The Durango Police Department recently posted a press release on the indictment of Escalante Middle School band teacher Benjamin Smith. They also requested public assistance on the ongoing sexual predator investigation. Smith, once a teacher in a position of trust to D...
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Aurora Councilmembers Bergan, Jurinsky spar over vote to repeal employee tax
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Aurora Councilmembers Bergan, Jurinsky spar over vote to repeal employee tax

By Kyla Pearce | Colorado Politics Aurora City Council on Monday postponed a decision on whether to keep a tax on businesses after a loud dust-up between councilmembers.  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. In a study session earlier in October, Councilmember Francoise Bergan proposed keeping the occupational privilege tax to fund fire stations in the Blackstone and Southshore areas. READ MORE AT COLORADO POLITICS
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