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Aurora Congregation Under Review Following Reports Of Homeless Exploitation Scheme
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Aurora Congregation Under Review Following Reports Of Homeless Exploitation Scheme

By: David Migoya | The Denver Gazette Two regional Seventh-day Adventist conferences that oversee the activities of its member churches across several states have launched inquiries into an Aurora-based congregation tied to a Medicaid operation that exploited the homeless. The Rocky Mountain Conference and the Central States Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist church — based in Denver and Kansas City, Kansas, respectively, and representing about 150 congregations in six states — said revelations that a newly created Aurora church was part of that enterprise were troubling. A Denver Gazette investigation into “The Program” showed how the Maranatha Indonesian-American Seventh-day Adventist Church was connected to a home-health agency that over three years collec...
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Colorado’s New Semiautomatic Firearm Law Takes Effect Aug. 1
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado’s New Semiautomatic Firearm Law Takes Effect Aug. 1

By Marissa Ventrelli | The Denver Gazette A Colorado law passed in 2025 established new requirements for individuals planning to purchase semiautomatic weapons. Here’s what residents should know before Senate Bill 003 goes into effect on Aug. 1. From a ban to a training course For decades, advocates have been pushing for a ban on semiautomatic weapons with detachable magazines, which they have described as “assault weapons,” though efforts escalated following the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. After the 2012 movie theater shooting in Aurora, the Colorado legislature passed House Bill 1224, which prohibited the sale, transfer and possession of ammunition magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds. However, some advocates wanted mor...
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Polis Warns Socialism Could Destroy Colorado
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Polis Warns Socialism Could Destroy Colorado

By: The Denver Gazette | The Denver Gazette The ideological divide within the Colorado Democratic Party once more burst into the open on Wednesday when Gov. Jared Polis responded to a legislator’s criticism by referencing Zimbabwe’s socialist experiment. “Thanks to socialism, the average Zimbabwean became a trillionaire,” the governor posted on X, using his personal account, referring to the oft-repeated sarcastic jab at the African nation, which experienced one of the worst inflationary arcs in history under Robert Mugabe. Polis was responding to Rep. Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins, who said the governor is scared of socialists because of his wealth. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Douglas County Replaces Flock Cameras With $22.8 Million Axon Public Safety System
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Douglas County Replaces Flock Cameras With $22.8 Million Axon Public Safety System

By: Nicholas Fogleman | The Denver Gazette The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is abandoning the controversial Flock Safety camera system, joining a growing number of Colorado law enforcement agencies that have raised concerns about data privacy and ownership. The Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a nearly $22.8 million contract with public safety technology company Axon that will replace the county’s network of Flock Safety license plate reader cameras and add a countywide drone response system. The package includes 100 Axon Outpost license plate reader cameras, replacing the county’s existing 50 Flock cameras, as well as a network of “first responder drones” stationed throughout the county. Officials said the technology will improve emergency res...
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Utilities Push Record $9.2 Billion In New Rate Increases During Second Quarter
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, National

Utilities Push Record $9.2 Billion In New Rate Increases During Second Quarter

By Scott Weiser | The Denver Gazette Colorado had no requests last quarter Electric and gas utilities sought a record $9.2 billion in rate increases nationwide during the second quarter, according to a new analysis by the consumer advocacy organization PowerLines, as utilities continue seeking billions for grid upgrades, reliability improvements and growing electricity demand. The filings would affect more than 56 million customers and push this year’s total requested rate increases to $18.6 billion, the consumer advocacy group said. Colorado was largely absent from the report’s tally of second-quarter rate requests because Xcel Energy’s major electric rate case was already pending before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. The utility originally so...
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New History Exhibit Explores the Triumphs Trials and Transformation of Colorado
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

New History Exhibit Explores the Triumphs Trials and Transformation of Colorado

By Nicole C. Brambila | The Denver Gazette After three and a half years in Colorado, I knew the state had mountains and sunshine. What I didn’t know was how often Colorado has reinvented itself. Or why Colorado is the way it is. After a 90-minute tour with Katherine Mercier — a historian who developed the “38th Star” exhibition at the History Colorado Center — I began to understand the why. Colorado celebrates its 150th anniversary as a state on Aug. 1. I’ve always thought of Colorado as a blue state. But that wasn’t the case in the years before statehood. Politicians viewed Colorado through a very different lens — as a place more likely to send Republicans to Congress and the White House. This political reality shaped Colorado’s long ...
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Rye Evacuations Continue As Aspen Acres Fire Nears 100,000 Acres
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Rye Evacuations Continue As Aspen Acres Fire Nears 100,000 Acres

By: Savannah Eller and Nick Smith | The Denver Gazette The wait has no end in sight for evacuated residents of Rye, near where the Aspen Acres fire continues to burn in rough, tinder-dry terrain to the west. While about 6,400 people have been able to return to communities like Colorado City, Wetmore and Beulah, Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero told attendees at a community meeting Tuesday night that conditions were not yet safe for an additional 3,000 displaced people. “I wish I had the answer,” he said. The problem, explained Brad Washa, operations section chief with the Alaska Complex Incident Management Team, is fuel and weather. He said the part of the fire burning near St. Charles Peak is finding extremely receptive fuel in Engelman spruce trees, many of ...
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Disaster Declaration Issued as Routt County Wildfires Threaten Communities
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Disaster Declaration Issued as Routt County Wildfires Threaten Communities

By: Eugene Buchanan | The Denver Gazette Kris and Jenn Shea of Steamboat Springs were lucky. When the evacuation orders came for their home near the new “Green Ridge Fire” — which erupted near Stagecoach Reservoir, about 15 miles south of Steamboat, on Sunday at 1:45 p.m. and quickly spread to 94.3 acres by that evening — they were both out of town. Jenn was in Buena Vista, and Kris was fishing in Florida. But their friends were there to rally support and grab their belongings.  Fortunately, it didn’t come to that as the order was soon rescinded. But for Kris, it was touch-and-go with the fire spotting just a mile or two away.  “It was pretty surreal,” said Kris, who owns Cruiser’s Sub Shop. “I was in the middle of the Gulf and felt a little handcuffed. My wi...
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False Bomb Threat Forces Evacuation of 4,000 From Water World
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

False Bomb Threat Forces Evacuation of 4,000 From Water World

By: Matt Kyle | The Denver Gazette Water World in Federal Heights was evacuated Saturday due to a false bomb threat. A spokesperson for Water World said the park received the “unverified threat” via a phone call. The spokesperson said the park was safely evacuated by 12:10 p.m. Federal Heights police said the call came in before noon. Commander Jason Schlenker said the caller had a robotic voice and alluded that there was a bomb in the park, 9NEWS reported. Police are now working to identify the caller. By about 4 p.m. that the park was secure and that there was no credible threat found in the park, police said. The park will be open as usual on Sunday. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Cherry Creek Schools Spent $114K On Outside Counsel During Superintendent Scandal
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Cherry Creek Schools Spent $114K On Outside Counsel During Superintendent Scandal

By: Nicole C. Brambila | The Denver Gazette The Cherry Creek School District paid $114,000 to hire outside counsel to provide the Board of Education with legal advice as it navigated the allegations that were swirling around the former superintendent. Fisher Phillips invoices obtained through a Colorado Open Records Act request show the district paid $114,191.50 from March through June. Roughly a third of the cost — or $40,000 — was paid to Steve Welchert. Welchert is a Democratic political consultant who specializes in strategic planning, political lobbying and crisis management. Following the Jan. 27 executive session to discuss former Superintendent Chris Smith’s mid-year evaluation in which he abruptly resigned, the board hired Jane Waterman-Joyc...
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