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Does Denver’s ‘affordable’ housing goal align with today’s market needs? Experts weigh in
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Does Denver’s ‘affordable’ housing goal align with today’s market needs? Experts weigh in

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette As Denver pushes for more "affordable" housing, experts wonder if the city's approach is sustainable and question whether it aligns with today's market needs. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's goal for 2025 to "preserve" or help in the development of more than 3,000 such units. Denver worked with developers last year to build 1,695 new units, preserve 649 existing ones and create 678 others through rental subsidies “to ensure affordability,” according to Department of Housing Stability (HOST) spokesperson Julia Marvin. “The challenge this year,” Marvin said, “lies in being creative with the funding we have. It’s important that we get creative in our solutions, both for funding and for execution.” READ FULL ARTICLE AT THE DENVER GAZETTE...
Strip clubs Diamond Cabaret and Rick’s Cabaret sue Denver Labor over wage theft investigation
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Strip clubs Diamond Cabaret and Rick’s Cabaret sue Denver Labor over wage theft investigation

By Christa Swanson | CBS Colorado Two Denver strip clubs accused of widespread wage theft are suing Denver Labor after they were ordered to pay back millions to their employees. Diamond Cabaret Denver and Rick's Cabaret Denver have filed a lawsuit to stop Denver Labor from enforcing its order demanding the businesses pay back more than 200 employees of the strip clubs. They also requested a gag order against Denver Labor due to what they say is the "dissemination of falsehoods against the clubs." READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Judge to decide whether Twitter missed rent in spat with Boulder landlord
Approved, Courthouse News Service, Local

Judge to decide whether Twitter missed rent in spat with Boulder landlord

By Amanda Pampuro  | Courthouse News Following five days of trial over a lease dispute between Twitter and a Colorado landlord, a Boulder judge requested the parties provide additional briefing before she determines who breached the agreement with the other. “If the rent was due on Dec. 1st, then Lot 2 prevails. If the rent was not due, X Corp. prevails,” summarized attorney Damien Zumbrennen on behalf of X, formerly known as Twitter. READ THE FULL STORY AT COURTHOUSE NEWS
10 months after hailstorm closed it, Rep. Boebert is demanding reopening of Yuma post office
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

10 months after hailstorm closed it, Rep. Boebert is demanding reopening of Yuma post office

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice On the Eastern Plains of Colorado, tornadic storms delivering high wind, hail and damage can be commonplace. Property can be damaged by multiple storms a year. While Adams and Weld counties are known to be the state's top targets for tornadoes, all of Eastern Colorado sits within "Tornado Alley," so coined by U.S. Air Force meteorologists. One of those storms about 10 months ago delivered large hail to Yuma, Colo., and resulted in the closure of the local post office. Some in Yuma recall hail being larger than a baseball and up to the size of a softball. U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Windsor, is pleading to get the post office reopened. "I am writing to address the ongoing closure of the Yuma Post Office, which has remainedinoperable due ...
Former City Councilman argues for greater transparency in Grand Junction’s election filing process
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Former City Councilman argues for greater transparency in Grand Junction’s election filing process

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Three days. That’s all the time a Grand Junction resident has to challenge a candidate’s petition. But there’s one problem: the public doesn’t even know when the clock starts ticking. The City of Grand Junction claims that residents can challenge election petitions, yet the necessary documents aren’t posted publicly and CORA requests take as long as the objection window itself.  Former Grand Junction City Councilman Kraig Andrews learned this firsthand after reading a Rocky Mountain Voice article that included redacted candidate filing petitions.  With his experience in local government and an eye for detail, Andrews noticed discrepancies that raised concerns about how the city reviews and certifies election ...
Denver 911 proposes double fees to improve response time, keep operations afloat
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Denver 911 proposes double fees to improve response time, keep operations afloat

By Deborah Grigsby | Colorado Politics Denver's public safety agency is pushing to roughly double the fee for 911 emergency services, arguing it's necessary to keep operations afloat and meet response time requirements.  The proposed fee hike — from $1.20 to $2.12 per month —  would apply to all residents who have a phone, whether landline or mobile, registered in the city.   “This change will allow us to maintain operations through the rest of 2025 and set us up for success in some of the infrastructure and staffing moves that we've been making over the last few years,” Dameron said. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
Long-term parking for United, fire trucks on Denver’s Council agenda
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Long-term parking for United, fire trucks on Denver’s Council agenda

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette Like the rest of Denver, United Airlines loves a good long-term parking spot. On Monday, the Denver City Council will consider a resolution for a 30-year ground lease for aircraft parking at Denver International Airport. This lease gets United 909,439 square feet of ground space at DIA to construct, operate and maintain, at its sole cost, an aircraft parking area for up to five wide-body or 20 narrow-body aircraft. According to city documents, rental payments will be charged at the current 2025 ground rent of $1.03 per square foot for an annual rate of $936,722.69. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Judge rejects Denver Public Schools’ attempt to block Trump ICE guidance
Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, Local, Top Stories

Judge rejects Denver Public Schools’ attempt to block Trump ICE guidance

By Melanie Asmar | Chalkbeat Colorado A federal judge on Friday rejected Denver Public Schools’ attempt to reinstate a federal policy that treated schools as “sensitive locations” where immigration enforcement should only take place if there is immediate danger to the public. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico said there is little practical difference between the prior policy, the last iteration of which was issued in 2021 under former President Biden, and a pair of memos issued by the Trump administration in January. “The concern was that there would be no limitations or no protections for schools, necessarily, under the new memo,” Domenico said in a ruling from the bench. “That is an overstatement. And the fact that there have been no actions on school property in the ...
In Covid-19 hangover, Colorado employers debate whether to require in-person work
Approved, DENVER7, Local, Top Stories

In Covid-19 hangover, Colorado employers debate whether to require in-person work

By Nicole Brady | Denver 7 News Five years since so many of us set up home offices during the COVID-19 pandemic, more employers are reevaluating remote and hybrid work arrangements. In February, Aurora City Council passed a resolution directing council-appointed city leaders to encourage full-time employees to work in person at least three days a week. A city council resolution states that in-person work “fosters collaboration, reduces isolation, and creates healthier boundaries between work and personal life.” The City of Denver and State of Colorado continue to allow hybrid work arrangements, despite downtown businesses owners saying economic activity has suffered. Governor Jared Polis’ office sent a statement to Denver7 saying its flexible work arrangement “helps the state recruit...
13-year-old brings gun on campus, threatens classmates at Grand Junction middle school
Approved, KKTV CBS 11, Local

13-year-old brings gun on campus, threatens classmates at Grand Junction middle school

By Lindsey Grewe | KKTV CBS 11 News A middle schooler is facing more than a dozen charges after Grand Junction police say he brought a gun to school and threatened classmates. Officers were called to Bookcliff Middle School Friday morning on reports of a student with a weapon who had been making threatening statements to other kids. The school was put on a shelter-in-place order while police investigated. “Officers quickly located the handgun and took the student into custody,” the police department said. READ THE FULL STORY AT KKTV CBS 11 NEWS