Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Post Independent

Money matters: Colorado lawmakers pass bill adding financial literacy to graduation requirements
No Comments
Approved, Post Independent, State

Money matters: Colorado lawmakers pass bill adding financial literacy to graduation requirements

By Andrea Teres-Martinez | Post Independent Colorado just became the 27th state to turn financial literacy courses into a graduation requirement after the bill passed the Senate with a vast majority vote on Wednesday.  The bipartisan bill’s third reading passed with 55 yes votes and 10 no — a noticeable uptick in support from when the bill was first introduced. House Bill 25-1192 requires that all Colorado high school students complete a personal finance literacy course at some point in their four years in order to graduate. High school graduation requirements and curriculum are traditionally set by local school districts, while academic standards are set by the state. However, the bill gives districts control over when and how the course is implemented so long as the...
Read More
CPW tracks four suspected wolf dens, ranchers brace for more uncertainty
No Comments
Approved, Post Independent, State

CPW tracks four suspected wolf dens, ranchers brace for more uncertainty

By Ali Longwell | Post Independent For wolves, the beginning of May signals the end of denning season.  While Colorado Parks and Wildlife is tracking up to four pairs of wolves that could be denning, none have been confirmed, according to Eric Odell, the agency’s wolf conservation program manager. “We are monitoring one to three to four pairs of animals that could be denning,” Odell said at the May 7 meeting for the agency’s commission.  The agency is “sussing out” these potential dens using data from the GPS collars that the majority of Colorado’s wolves are wearing.  “When we have followed a couple of animals that are paired, male-female pairs, and we lose contact with the female, potentially that means (she’s) underground, or she’s spent some time digging a...
Read More
City of Rifle blasts state for misusing severance tax dollars
No Comments
Approved, Local, Post Independent

City of Rifle blasts state for misusing severance tax dollars

By Katherine Tomanek | Post Independent A letter to state Sen. Marc Catlin and state Rep. Elizabeth Velasco has been prepared by the city staff of Rifle regarding the diversion of Local Government Severance Tax Funds to address budget shortfalls at the state government level.  The Local Government Severance Tax Fund was originally created to help support communities  impacted by resource extraction activities, like oil and gas, which sometimes leads to a “boom and bust” economy of those communities. The “bust” of that equation was to be offset by the Local Government Severance Tax Fund.  The city of Rifle relies on the Energy Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) for their projects. Some of these funds include $1 million for the R...
Read More
Campaign spending nears $4M on Prop. 127, Colorado’s ban on hunting cougars, bobcats, and lynx
No Comments
Approved, Post Independent, State

Campaign spending nears $4M on Prop. 127, Colorado’s ban on hunting cougars, bobcats, and lynx

By Ali Longwell  | Post Independent The two issue committees fighting over the initiative, which seeks to ban the hunting of mountain lions, bobcats and lynx in Colorado, have collectively spent around $3.8 million in the campaign so far. This is based on information filed with the Colorado Secretary of State as of Thursday, Oct. 24. There have been no additional expenditures reported by either group since Oct. 14, with the next filing deadline on Oct. 28.  Cats Aren’t Trophies, the citizen group that petitioned to get Proposition 127 on November’s ballot, has brought in slightly more funding and spent more than Colorado’s Wildlife Deserve Better, the main issue committee opposing the measure.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE POST INDEPENDENT
Read More
‘Lost Innocence’ tells story of accidental drug overdose by Sophia Larson, age 5
No Comments
Approved, Local, Post Independent

‘Lost Innocence’ tells story of accidental drug overdose by Sophia Larson, age 5

By Taylor Cramer | Post-Independent The life of 5-year-old Sophia Larson was tragically cut short on a winter night in 2019, leaving a father shattered and a community grieving. Five years later, father Alec Larson is hoping that a documentary chronicling the death of his daughter and the aftermath will help prevent other children from facing similar tragedy. “It was the worst day of my life and news that no parent should ever have to receive,” Alec Larson said. “It’s so easily preventable and should have never happened, and I’ve had to live with the reality that it happened to my daughter.” A documentary titled “Lost Innocence: The Story of Sophia Larson” is set to release next week, shedding light on the heartbreaking 2019 death. The film aims to not only recount Sophia’s tragic...
Read More
Garfield County sheriff’s deputies recovered 60 pounds of fentanyl-laced pills valued at $2.6M
No Comments
Approved, Local, Post Independent

Garfield County sheriff’s deputies recovered 60 pounds of fentanyl-laced pills valued at $2.6M

By The Post Independent A Phoenix woman and two accomplices were arrested following a drug seizure on Interstate 70 near Parachute on Wednesday according to a Garfield County Sheriff’s Office news release. Garfield County Sheriff’s deputies and members of the Special Problem Enforcement and Response (SPEAR) Task Force stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. During the stop, deputies found nearly 60 pounds of suspected counterfeit OxyContin pills. The pills are believed to contain fentanyl and have an estimated street value of $2.6 million. Investigators said this adds up to around 222,360 pills. Leslie Lopez-Rojas, 20, of Phoenix, was arrested on multiple charges, including importing a schedule II controlled substance into Colorado, which is a class 1 drug felony. Two other ind...
Read More
Tony May faces Garfield School Board recall; accused of bullying, other claims
No Comments
Approved, Local, Post Independent

Tony May faces Garfield School Board recall; accused of bullying, other claims

By Taylor Cramer  | The Post-Independent Former Garfield Re-2 School Board President Tony May is facing a recall election on Aug. 27. Last year, May led efforts to implement American Birthright Standards, which ultimately failed to gain approval from the board after facing significant resistance from community members and district personnel​. Organizers of the recall petition that followed accused May of bullying community members and Re-2 staff members, misusing his position and more. His opponent is Sott Bolitho, endorsed by the Coalition for Responsible Education in Re-2, who was profiled in the Post Independent and Citizen Telegram last week. May resigned as board president in December, aiming to reduce political tensions. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE POST-INDEPENDE...
Read More
Garfield County commissioners deny Carbondale’s funding request to assist in migrant response
No Comments
Approved, Local, Post Independent, Western Slope

Garfield County commissioners deny Carbondale’s funding request to assist in migrant response

By Taylor Cramer  | Post Independent In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, Garfield County Commissioners denied the town of Carbondale’s request for $50,000 in aid to support groups of recently arrived immigrants who have been relying on the town for temporary shelter since November.  Approximately 150 immigrants, mostly Venezuelans, arrived in Carbondale seeking shelter and employment. These newcomers, discovered living under the Carbondale entrance bridge and in various precarious situations on Nov. 4, were part of a larger group migration in search for stability in the face of economic and legal uncertainties. The town of Carbondale previously received $223,800 from a Department of Local Affairs grant and has been actively responding to the needs of these newcomers. This fun...
Read More