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A political refugee in Colorado: The painful choice to leave my homeland
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories

A political refugee in Colorado: The painful choice to leave my homeland

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice After months of prayer, deliberation, and heartbreak, my wife and I have made the decision to leave Colorado. We’ve accepted an offer on our home in Castle Rock. For the first time in my life, I am saying goodbye to the state of my birth - the mountains where I learned to hike, the skyline I memorized as a child, the people and culture I have served, fought for, and loved.  This was not an easy decision. This is pain. This is grief. This is exile. But I am not moving for a job. I’m not moving for a change of scenery. I am leaving because Colorado has made it abundantly clear that I no longer have a voice in the government of my own state.  I am a political refugee. My family is being forced out, not by a singular...
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Personalized Learning Grows Through Colorado’s Microschools
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State, Approved, Complete Colorado

Personalized Learning Grows Through Colorado’s Microschools

By Ellie Carson | Complete Colorado With the Colorado school year quickly approaching, microschools present a promising revitalization of the one-room schoolhouse. Microschools are small learning communities typically serving less than 50 students, but which may have as many as 150. These schools are usually privately funded and launched by parents or educators to offer unique programs that address a specific need or demand in their communities. Low student-to-teacher ratios prioritize giving individual attention to each student. It is difficult to identify all microschools in Colorado due to their unconventional size. Estimates suggest there may be between 100-120 schools currently operating. One example is Highlands Micro School, which operates out of an old residence in Northwe...
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Colorado GOP Says Special Session Fell Short as Democrats Claim Progress
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State, Approved, DENVER7

Colorado GOP Says Special Session Fell Short as Democrats Claim Progress

By Colleen Slevin | Denver7 Governor Jared Polis is expected to address the remaining $500 million budget gap in a presentation to the Joint Budget Committee on Thursday. DENVER — Colorado's special legislative session ended on Tuesday after six days. The success of the session depends on which state lawmaker you ask. Governor Jared Polis called the session on Aug. 6 to address the state's $1.2 billion budget hole, which he said was created by tax changes made in President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Act (H.R.1). According to the governor and fellow Colorado Democrats, Colorado will collect less revenue than expected when lawmakers approved the state budget in May. Some of that $1.2 billion revenue loss was absorbed by the state education fund and the affordable housing fu...
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English skills, safety concerns fuel support for Trump’s visa pause
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Cowboy State Daily, Approved, State

English skills, safety concerns fuel support for Trump’s visa pause

By Clair McFarland | Cowboy State Daily The Wyoming Highway Patrol and the state’s largest advocate for truckers said Friday that they support the federal government’s sudden suspension of immigrant worker visas for commercial truck drivers. The Trump Administration paused the issuance of work visas for truckers on Thursday. The head of the Wyoming Highway Patrol said it’s a good move, if it’s being used to vet truckers better for their skills and regard for safety. The Wyoming Trucking Association supports the policy change.  The Wyoming Immigrant Advocacy Project’s leader, however, said it misses the mark – since there are recent signs of trucking companies overworking or otherwise taking advantage of immigrant truck drivers. Se...
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Colorado sees one of the nation’s largest drops in alcohol use
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Westword, Approved, State

Colorado sees one of the nation’s largest drops in alcohol use

By Thomas Mitchell | Westword Alcohol consumption has been on a steady decline across the country, and Colorado is near the top of that trend, according to a new analysis of data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Don't get it twisted: Substance-abuse counselors in Colorado still have a lot of work. Along with continuing to rank in the top ten for adults who drink, Colorado also outpaces national averages in daily cannabis use, and it has topped the country in cocaine use for two of the last three years. But slow motion is better than no motion. Alcohol Use on the Decline in Colorado Around 54 percent of Americans said they drank alcohol in a recent Gallup poll, the lowest reported number since the survey operation began trac...
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Colorado sees 20% drop in youth suicides year over year
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Fox31, Approved, State

Colorado sees 20% drop in youth suicides year over year

By Spencer Kristensen | Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) —The rate for youth suicide in Colorado is at its lowest since 2007, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Office of Suicide Prevention said in a press release on Monday morning. According to data from CDPHE, in 2024, there were 38 suicide deaths among youth between the ages of 10 and 18, resulting in a suicide rate of 5.85 deaths per 100,000 people between the ages of 10 and 18. The highest suicide rate occurred in 2020, when the rate was 12.91 deaths per 100,00 people between the ages of 10 and 18, a figure that represented 87 total suicide deaths that year. “The drop in youth suicides is encouraging, because we see that our shared efforts in communities across Colorado are indeed having a positive impact on ou...
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Fire Departments Across State Face Major Staffing And Equipment Shortfall
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State, Approved, kdvr.com

Fire Departments Across State Face Major Staffing And Equipment Shortfall

By Alliyah Sims | KDVR Fox 31 GOLDEN, Colo. (KDVR) — A new report from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control shows that fire departments across the state are facing significant staffing and equipment shortages. While every call for help begins the same with a 911 dispatcher, a fire crew and a quick response, behind the scenes, Colorado’s fire service says keeping up with the demand is getting more difficult. The new state report shows fire departments across Colorado say they need more than 1,100 career firefighters and just as many volunteers in the next two years. Departments also say they’ll need more than 700 fire trucks, apparatuses and more than $25 million in new gear to help keep firefighters safe. “It’s always the number of vacant positions that’s alw...
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Shots for Freedom: Colorado gun owners rally to push back against new restrictions
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Shots for Freedom: Colorado gun owners rally to push back against new restrictions

By Huey Laugesen | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice At a time when Colorado is at the forefront of the national war over the Second Amendment, it’s not enough to be indignant. We must be active.That’s why the Colorado State Shooting Association (CSSA) is proud to host the Shots for Freedom Range Weekend and Banquet, taking place in Colorado Springs September 20–21 at Magnum Shooting Center South. It’s more than just a celebration of firearm culture. It's a strategic stand for freedom.The weekend kicks off with a two-day range event, featuring leading firearm industry vendors from across the country. From machine gun and other firearm rentals, to top-tier manufactures, events for kids, and premium gun raffles, it’ll be an unforgettable time for Second Amendment supporters of every ...
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When Will the Call Come? One Man’s Wait and the Organ Crisis in America
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories

When Will the Call Come? One Man’s Wait and the Organ Crisis in America

RMV Staff | RMV NE CO Newsroom, Rocky Mountain Voice Pastor John Waters is still waiting for a life-saving call—a call he desperately hopes will arrive soon, bringing news of a donor match and a brighter tomorrow. Months earlier, his story touched the hearts of Rocky Mountain Voice readers, and the support continues. People from all backgrounds offered to help, with many signing up for potential liver donation. However, most were disqualified due to age, health issues, or a mismatch, leaving behind overwhelming generosity mixed with deep disappointment. Across the U.S., over 10,000 individuals await liver transplants, with an average of 17 dying daily while waiting for a donor. For John, these statistics are more than figures—they represent a relentless countdown. His doctors emph...
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Polis says Colorado isn’t a sanctuary state but the laws say otherwise
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The Gazette, Approved, Commentary, State

Polis says Colorado isn’t a sanctuary state but the laws say otherwise

By The Gazette editorial board | Commentary, The Gazette Gov. Jared Polis has distinguished himself in business and politics, yet he arguably missed his true calling — doing stand-up at a comedy club. He’d leave his audience in stitches. Case in point: His thigh-slapper the other day — about Colorado not being a sanctuary state. He had us rolling on the floor. We were laughing through our tears, of course, given the toll illegal immigration has taken here. But there’s no denying the governor is a hoot. He is in fact such a natural-born comic, his familiar, “Sanctuary? What sanctuary?” routine is uproarious even when delivered secondhand by his communications staff. “Colorado is not a sanctuary state,” Polis’ office deadpanned in a news release Thursday for our news affiliate Co...
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