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Douglas County School District narrowly approves charter school release amid heated debate
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Douglas County School District narrowly approves charter school release amid heated debate

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In a pivotal 4-3 vote on Tuesday night, the Douglas County School District board approved the release of the John Adams Academy charter school to apply for authorization through the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI). This decision, made possible by conservative members of the board, marks a significant milestone for school choice advocates in Douglas County and underscores the importance of empowering parents with diverse educational options. The debate surrounding this decision was passionate and highlighted a fundamental divide: should charter schools be confined to district oversight, or should they have the flexibility to pursue authorization through alternative pathways like CSI? For supporters of school choi...
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Gaines: Recalling drones of our own in Eastern Colorado and a ‘nothing to see here’ response
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Gaines: Recalling drones of our own in Eastern Colorado and a ‘nothing to see here’ response

By Cory Gaines | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Maintaining a healthy skepticism can be a challenge.  So many things these days are there to monetize your attention, and all too often the people generating the eye-catching content on social media (and sometimes in regular media) are none too picky about grabbing you without exaggerating or, sadly, making things up.   If you don't want to be fooled or led around by the nose, you're wise to keep your wits about you.  Watch for wild claims and remember that big claims need big evidence.  Take a second before reacting, open a new browser window, and then search for something you just read.  Go and read the primary source material for things people insist are true. There is a balance here, ...
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Hindawi: If American media will chill, Syria can be made great again
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Hindawi: If American media will chill, Syria can be made great again

By Salam Hindawi | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Every time I scan American news outlets, especially the right-wing ones featuring the latest news on Syria, I get split between laughing or crying because of their outrageous panic about the future of Syria’s minorities. In the next few paragraphs, I’ll make the case for why Americans need to take a chill pill and calm down regarding the impending political transition in my home country. For the record, I’m no woke lefty with purple hair and pronouns in his bio. Rather, I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum: a staunch believer in free speech, religious freedom, the Second Amendment, the free market, family values and the fact that we have two genders (i.e. no one is born in the ‘wrong body'.) But the amount of doom I’ve s...
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Grand Junction’s 7th Street plan may have city on course for head-on collision with constituents
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Grand Junction’s 7th Street plan may have city on course for head-on collision with constituents

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice As Grand Junction unveils its proposal to make major changes to 7th Street -- citing safety for pedestrians and bicyclists -- more than 200 people attended a meeting of City Council in person or virtually last week with about two-thirds of them vehemently opposed to the direction City Council seems determined to pursue. According to Jim Spehar, a former county commissioner and City Council member, two-thirds of those people were there to protest any more costly changes to Grand Junction roads. Spehar, in an op-ed to the local legacy newspaper, wrote that more than half of the people in attendance were still outraged over the “experimental pilot project” changes made to 4th and 5th Streets earlier in the year.  He advise...
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Devotional: We are all born to lead, with a servant mindset
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Devotional: We are all born to lead, with a servant mindset

By Drake Hunter | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Through the years, I’ve attended countless leadership training sessions, courses and workshops. Most start with the same bold statement: “All leaders are born leaders!” While I respect the enthusiasm behind this idea, my first reaction is, “Well, of course! What else would they be?” Every leader was indeed born — but the unspoken truth is that every person born carries the potential to be a leader. The problem is that this potential often needs to be recognized. Why? Because we seldom hear follow-ups like, “All people who are born can become great leaders,” if they are willing to humble themselves and align with the principles of effective leadership. When we hear "leadership," our minds may conjure images of directors, o...
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U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd ready to get to work on border security, immigration in Congress
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U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd ready to get to work on border security, immigration in Congress

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Since the moment Jeff Hurd was declared the winner of Colorado's 3rd District election to the U.S. House, he has been working on putting a finer point on the details of the campaign promises to the people in Southern and Western Colorado who elected him. He is actively thinking about legislation he can write and support, and bad legislation and bureaucratic systems that he can help eliminate that get in the way of prosperity and success for the people in the district, he says. During his campaign, Hurd promised he would work with other members of the Republican Caucus to secure the border. To that end, he has been reviewing legislative measures he could write and support that would promote border security. In additio...
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State Rep. Brandi Bradley is fundraising, but this time to spread Christmas cheer
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State Rep. Brandi Bradley is fundraising, but this time to spread Christmas cheer

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice  It’s a scene no parent wants to imagine: children sleeping on floors, wearing shoes three sizes too small or going without a warm coat during the winter.  Yet, for hundreds of children in Douglas County, this is a stark reality.  “We had more than 300 homeless or displaced kids in Douglas County last year,” state Rep. Brandi Bradley shares. “This isn’t because people are wasting money. It’s because they can’t afford the cost of living. The economy we’ve created through state-level decisions has put people in impossible situations.” Bradley, who represents District 39 in Douglas County, is driven to change that in ways that surpass her fight at the capitol. And she’s calling on her community to join her in sp...
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House Republicans announce committee assignments for 75th state legislative session
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House Republicans announce committee assignments for 75th state legislative session

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice A bench of Republicans offering diverse skill, experience and conservative values will serve Coloradans in the 75th session of the Colorado General Assembly, Minority Leader Rose Pugliese said Wednesday as she announced the party's committee assignments. “The House Republican caucus is proud to bring common-sense leadership and thoughtful solutions to the issues Coloradans care about most,” she said. “These assignments truly reflect the caucus’ commitment to increasing affordability, keeping Colorado families safe, and protecting taxpayers while providing strong leadership and expertise across all legislative areas." She joined Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter in announcing the committee assignments. “Our committee members bring a wealt...
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Illegal immigrants straining education and healthcare, Common Sense report finds
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Illegal immigrants straining education and healthcare, Common Sense report finds

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice  Illegal immigrants have targeted Denver as a key destination since late 2022. The rate of new arrivals may have decreased in 2024, but the fiscal impact on the city's finances, schools and healthcare systems has not. A recent report by the Common Sense Institute (CSI) shows the fiscal burden on Denver. It found that, as of November 2024, $79 million was spent on services for illegal immigrants. This figure represents about 8% of the city’s 2025 budget. These funds were allocated to a variety of essential services, including: Temporary shelter and housing assistance. Transportation and food distribution. Childcare and other support services. City officials initially projected spending of $180 million through 20...
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Sloan: Is the end of Assad the end of Obama foreign policy?
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Approved, Commentary, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

Sloan: Is the end of Assad the end of Obama foreign policy?

By Kelly Sloan | Contributing Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Few tears, if any, will be shed for the demise of the Assad regime in Syria, save perhaps a few in Moscow and Tehran. The rapid success of the Syrian rebels last weekend took most everyone by surprise, not just the Biden administration to whom any world event not thoroughly discoursed upon The View or plastered on the front page of the New York Times apparently comes as a surprise.  The fall of the Syrian regime is a strategic boon for the U.S.A., even though the U.S.A. had little, if anything, to do with bringing it about. The survival of the brutish, terror-sponsoring regime in Damascus was made possible only by the will and backing of Moscow and, later, Tehran. Syria was the Soviet Union’s key middle eastern pr...
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