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Beezley: July 4, 1776 was one perfect moment—for liberty and for mankind
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

Beezley: July 4, 1776 was one perfect moment—for liberty and for mankind

By Don Beezley | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice After thousands of years of struggle through oppression and tyranny, there was one perfect moment in human history on a hot, summer day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: July 4, 1776. On that date the Second American Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of the thirteen United States of America–the American Declaration of Independence.  The crowning achievement of the Enlightenment in a one-page document. The Declaration of Independence represents the one moment in history when we got it right. One perfect moment derived from a morally perfect vision. The words on that parchment may fade with time, but its immortal ideas amplify and reverberate through the annals of time: We hold these truths to be sel...
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Garbo: America’s $16.4 billion wake-up call—the largest healthcare fraud in U.S. history
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Garbo: America’s $16.4 billion wake-up call—the largest healthcare fraud in U.S. history

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice The United States has just witnessed the largest healthcare fraud takedown in its history. Over 324 individuals - including 96 licensed medical professionals - stand accused of orchestrating and profiting from a sprawling $16.4 billion scheme that defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and the American taxpayer.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxp69sQDnlk This is not a bureaucratic misstep or clerical oversight. It is ideological rot - a moral collapse within a system trusted to care for the sick, the elderly, and the most vulnerable. Let’s begin with what is encouraging: this takedown required skill, intelligence, courage, and the mobilization of federal and state law enforcement at scale. Agents, prosecutors, analysts, an...
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Released, rearrested and now accused again: Roybal-Smith case ignites parole reform debate
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Released, rearrested and now accused again: Roybal-Smith case ignites parole reform debate

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Denver Police arrested 38-year-old Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith early Monday morning, July 1, following the death of his cellmate at the Downtown Denver Detention Center. The alleged homicide came just hours after Roybal-Smith was jailed on unrelated charges—less than a day after two Aurora stabbings. Roybal-Smith’s criminal history spans nearly two decades and includes convictions for assault, felony menacing, DUI-related vehicular assault, and obtaining controlled substances by fraud. He’s also faced repeated parole violations and multiple arrests involving weapons. Despite this record, he was granted early release in 2023. Denver Police said deputies found an unresponsive man in a shared jail cell around 2:15 a.m. Monday. Off...
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Garbo: The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ is an all-or-nothing bet on reshaping America
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Garbo: The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ is an all-or-nothing bet on reshaping America

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Political Analysis, Rocky Mountain Voice The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” introduced in the House as HR 1, represents one of the most sweeping legislative proposals in recent political history. Spanning hundreds of pages and touching nearly every corner of federal governance, it combines tax reform, healthcare restructuring, social policy shifts, and regulatory rollback into a single omnibus package. This article provides a nonpartisan, objective analysis of the bill's major provisions and potential consequences. The intent is not to promote or condemn HR 1, but to inform readers - citizens, policymakers, and professionals - about its complex and far-reaching components. CORE THEMES OF THE BILL HR 1 aims to reshape the federal government's fiscal, regula...
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“A deadline without a plan”: how rural Colorado is building the energy future the state won’t
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“A deadline without a plan”: how rural Colorado is building the energy future the state won’t

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice In May 2023, Gov. Jared Polis signed HB 23‑1247, directing the Colorado Energy Office to study advanced energy solutions — from nuclear and geothermal to long-duration storage — in regions facing coal-plant closures like Craig Station. The law included $50,000 from the Just Transition Fund and federal support to study firm energy options in northwest Colorado. Within months, coal facilities began closing across the state—including Craig Station, now set to shutter by 2028. While studies are underway, comprehensive transition plans are still being reviewed. Facing job losses and shrinking tax bases, rural communities are taking charge. “There’s a closing schedule—but no roadmap,” said Matt Solomon, project manager for the Northwest Colorado En...
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Pastor Bob: Careful, Major—you serve at the pleasure of the President
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Pastor Bob: Careful, Major—you serve at the pleasure of the President

By Rev. Robert Babcox | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In a recent op-ed in the New York Times, a U.S. Army Major vehemently disagreed with President Trump’s order to remove transgender individuals from military service. He noted that as an evangelical conservative Christian, most wouldn’t expect him to disagree with the order. He’s right—evangelical conservative Christians would never support something so far left. The Major added that he loves people and wants them treated with respect.  To that point, I agree.  But if you truly love someone and they are suffering from an obvious mental illness, you get them the help they need. You don’t put them in high-stress, traumatic jobs where their condition may worsen. Before anyone asks where I get the experience...
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Armagost to Step Down: What His Departure Means for House District 64
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Armagost to Step Down: What His Departure Means for House District 64

By RMV Staff | Rocky Mountain Voice In a move that marks the end of an era for one of the most outspoken conservatives in the Colorado legislature, House Minority Whip Ryan Armagost announced Monday that he will officially resign his seat in House District 64, effective September 1. A former sheriff’s deputy, gun rights advocate, and steady voice against progressive overreach, Armagost cited personal and professional reasons for his departure. “As difficult as this decision is, it comes at a time when I must prioritize my life, health, and happiness,” he said in a written statement. The lawmaker has accepted a job opportunity in Arizona, where he also plans to relocate his firearms training business and join the board of a national Second Amendment advocacy group. But for those wa...
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Union demands vs. rural realities: Safeway strike spreads to Fort Morgan
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Union demands vs. rural realities: Safeway strike spreads to Fort Morgan

Harvey Baker, Citizen Journalist | RMV NE CO Newsroom, Rocky Mountain Voice Safeway employees in Fort Morgan join push for healthcare security and accountability in corporate dealings Safeway employees in Fort Morgan are now part of an expanding labor walkout unfolding across Colorado, as union members demand greater transparency, long-term healthcare funding, and accountability from one of the nation’s largest grocery chains. The ongoing strike, led by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7, began June 15 and now spans at least ten locations statewide. Cities impacted include Estes Park, Fountain, Pueblo, Castle Rock, Brighton, Grand Junction, Littleton, Lone Tree, a major distribution center in Denver, and most recently, Fort Morgan. The Fort Morgan store was force...
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Devotional: When your worldview wears on you like sagging pants
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Devotional: When your worldview wears on you like sagging pants

By Pastor Drake Hunter | Commentary, NE CO Newsroom, Rocky Mountain Voice We are now into our series, The Belt of Truth. In the introduction, we learned that trust is the foundation needed to build it, and that only comes through truth. Additionally, we covered the various aspects we will explore throughout this series: subjective, objective, normative, absolute, and applied truth. Let’s dive into subjective truth to keep the series moving. Shall we?    I used to think sagging pants were just a phase… until I became a youth pastor. It started at home with my oldest son, Joshua, who is now 36, but was 15 at the time. I’ll never forget the day he shuffled into the room with his pants hanging on for dear life, no belt in sight—just a whole lot of confidence and a look ...
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Hunter: ‘Real people doing real things’—NoCo Legislative Wrap-Up rallies the grassroots
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Hunter: ‘Real people doing real things’—NoCo Legislative Wrap-Up rallies the grassroots

Drake Hunter | Commentary, RMV NE CO Newsroom, Rocky Mountain Voice Last night’s Northeast Colorado Legislative Wrap-Up at Rez Church in Loveland wasn’t just a review of bills and budgets—it was, for many of us, a clear-eyed call to civic action. Several hundred attendees gathered to hear from elected officials representing Colorado’s northeastern counties, including a few rising voices in the state’s Republican ranks. Among them were Reps. Ryan Gonzalez and Carlos Barron, two principled young leaders quickly gaining traction with voters across Colorado. The event was thoughtfully organized by NoCo Wrap-Up, marking its inaugural year. Well-coordinated and engaging, it was also refreshingly focused on substance over spectacle. It set a high bar and laid the foundation for what many...
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