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Protesters gather outside ICE in Aurora after immigration activist Jeanette Vizguerra reportedly taken into custody
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Protesters gather outside ICE in Aurora after immigration activist Jeanette Vizguerra reportedly taken into custody

By Jennifer McRae | CBS Colorado Protesters gathered outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Aurora early Tuesday morning on reports that immigration activist Jeanette Vizguerra was taken into custody. Vizguerra was reportedly taken into custody by federal agents on Monday morning.  Vizguerra has been considered a voice for the immigrant community for more than two decades. Vizguerra came to the United States, without proper documentation to stay, from Mexico City in 1997. Demonstrators outside the ICE facility told CBS News Colorado that Vizguerra was taken into custody by federal agents outside her place of employment on Monday morning. Vizguerra's family has claimed that she was taken into ICE custody. CBS News Colorado is awaiting confirmation from ICE abou...
Sengenberger: An ‘erosion of trust’ in Jeffco schools leadership
Approved, Colorado Springs Gazette, Commentary, Local

Sengenberger: An ‘erosion of trust’ in Jeffco schools leadership

By Jimmy Sengenberger | Colorado Springs Gazette When Jefferson County Schools fired Chief of Schools David Weiss in December after learning he was being investigated for child pornography, the district spiraled into crisis mode. The situation deteriorated after Weiss died by suicide over New Year’s, with families learning about the allegations through media reports. Recently obtained text messages now reveal a district in disarray — defensive, self-focused, and scrambling behind the scenes while keeping parents in the dark. Dozens of pages of text exchanges, uncovered by the parent group Jeffco Kids First through open records requests, expose frantic damage control after Weiss’s termination — skirting open meetings laws by often grouping two board members with district leaders. T...
Editorial: Aurora’s blueprint for Colorado’s crime fight
Approved, Commentary, gazette.com, Local

Editorial: Aurora’s blueprint for Colorado’s crime fight

By The Gazette editorial board For two years running — 2022 and 2023 — Colorado bore the dubious distinction of the nation’s highest auto-theft rate. Coloradans stood a better chance of having to walk home from a dinner date or ride-share to work than did motorists even in California or New York. At root of Colorado’s woes was our state’s notoriously soft-on-crime Legislature. In 2021, lawmakers had reduced a range of criminal penalties to misdemeanors, including for stealing vehicles valued under $2,000. It was practically an invitation to auto theft — and an insult to motorists of modest means. An auto thief was let off with a slap on the wrist for stealing what likely was the only transportation for someone too poor to afford a another vehicle. Under fire for yet again favorin...
Mesa County Republican Women’s Lincoln Day Dinner to Feature Congresswoman Harriet Hageman
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Mesa County Republican Women’s Lincoln Day Dinner to Feature Congresswoman Harriet Hageman

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff GRAND JUNCTION, CO – The Mesa County Republican Women (MCRW) are set to host their highly anticipated Lincoln Day Dinner on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the Clifton Community Center. This year’s keynote speaker is none other than Congresswoman Harriet Hageman, Wyoming’s sole representative in the U.S. House and a staunch advocate for conservative values and policies. Congresswoman Hageman, known for her commitment to constitutional rights and government accountability, recently co-sponsored a bill aimed at permanently relocating the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) headquarters to Grand Junction—a move widely supported by Western conservatives who believe in local governance over federal overreach. Joining her at the ...
Ganahl: Smears and fearmongering—The fight for John Adams Academy and school choice in Douglas County
Approved, Commentary, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Ganahl: Smears and fearmongering—The fight for John Adams Academy and school choice in Douglas County

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In Douglas County, Colorado, a battle over education choice is brewing as efforts to open a new classical charter school, the John Adams Academy, face fierce opposition. Spearheading the initiative is Ellie Reynolds, a Sterling Ranch resident and mom, and Kim Gilmartin, a seasoned advocate for school choice, who has helped launch multiple classical charter schools across the state.   However, the journey to establish this school in Sterling Ranch, a rapidly growing community with no existing school, has been met with aggressive and, at times, deeply personal hostility. The John Adams Academy, modeled after three successful classical charter schools in California, aims to provide an American classical leadership education...
Denver’s large building electrification rules updated
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver’s large building electrification rules updated

By Scott Weiser | Denver Gazette Deadline extensions are among changes to help ease the burden of switch from natural gas Denver’s regulations requiring electrification of all buildings larger than 25,000 square feet has drawn controversy since they were implemented in 2021, especially from businesses and building owners. But relief may be on the horizon as city officials are re-writing the rules after soliciting public input and pushing compliance deadlines farther into the future. While the Energize Denver Building Performance Policy sets energy-saving targets for buildings 25,000 square feet and larger, building owners and industry representatives say the policies are forcing a switch from natural gas to full electrification in violation of federal law. According to the c...
GJ City Council considers impact-fee consequences
Approved, Local, The Business Times

GJ City Council considers impact-fee consequences

By The Business Times The Grand Junction City Council convened March 5 to participate in a second reading of proposed impact-fee increases, a topic that has sparked significant debate among council members, city staff and community stakeholders. The meeting included public comments from a variety of  residents, city advisory board members and industry representatives. Community Development director Tamara Allen, provided an overview of the study and of some recently proposed concessions, including increasing the rollout timeline to three years and changing the calculations for transportation fees to represent the costs per mile prior to the new Transportation Engineering Design Standards completed in 2023. READ MORE AT THEBUSINESSTIMES.COM
Colorado crime and Aurora’s experience with auto theft  
Approved, Common Sense Institute, Local

Colorado crime and Aurora’s experience with auto theft  

By Common Sense Institute Colorado’s crime rate is not back to its pre-pandemic level. Both local and state authorities are currently attempting to find policy solutions.  Some localities have created policies and procedures that go beyond state guidelines in an effort to control crime. The City of Aurora implemented mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for auto theft in 2022, for example, the year that Colorado’s and Aurora’s auto theft rates were highest. This policy led to a decrease in the auto theft rate in the city beyond what was seen statewide. In 2023, state lawmakers tried to address auto theft with passage of SB23-097. This bill did not implement mandatory minimum sentences, but instead made it a felony to commit auto theft regardless of the value of the vehicle. T...
Rio Blanco County hires deputy trained to investigate livestock depredation
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Rio Blanco County hires deputy trained to investigate livestock depredation

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Responding to concerns of livestock growers and community members, and to assist in investigating livestock depredations that occur in Rio Blanco County, commissioners have authorized the sheriff’s office to hire their first Animal and Livestock Conflict Investigator. Some have voiced concerns that, to receive compensation for livestock killed by wolves, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) must confirm the kill was caused by a wolf. When a rancher finds a dead animal, they are instructed to call CPW to investigate. Sometimes CPW could not come out to the ranch or grazing allotment for a day or two. In the meantime, other wild animals and birds were coming to the carcass and changing the “scene of the crime,” making it mor...
More than 50 seniors need help after explosion in Denver
Approved, Denverite, Local

More than 50 seniors need help after explosion in Denver

By Haylee May | Denverite Ten people were injured and at least 50 more were displaced by an explosion at Eastern Star Masonic Retirement Campus. Dozens of residents were displaced from their homes after a construction crew dug into a power line at the Eastern Star Masonic Retirement Campus Wednesday, apparently triggering an explosion and fire.  No one has died as a result of their injuries from the explosion, the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner told Denverite on Thursday. Denver Fire Department Capt. Luis Cedillo said 10 people were transported with injuries to various hospitals, but did not have an update on anyone’s identity or condition as of Thursday afternoon. Fire officials previously said eight people were transported, but that number grew on Wednes...

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