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Garfield County commissioners deny Carbondale’s funding request to assist in migrant response
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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...
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Mesa County is not illegal immigrant sanctuary, commissioners declare in letter, resolution
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Western Slope

Mesa County is not illegal immigrant sanctuary, commissioners declare in letter, resolution

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice The solution to Denver’s illegal immigrant crisis cannot be transferring responsibility to other municipalities and governments, Mesa County commissioners said Tuesday. Commissioners have passed a resolution and written a letter to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, clarifying Mesa County as a non-sanctuary county. “We appreciate Denver's efforts to address the complex and sensitive immigration issues, but we must be clear and communicate Mesa County's inability to extend aid,” the letter reads. “Our decision stems not from a lack of empathy or understanding, but from fiscal responsibility and the constraints and challenges we face within our jurisdiction.” Mesa County’s resources are strained by an estimated population of 2,300 homeless, a popul...
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Mesa County jail population at lowest level since 2016
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Approved, Grand Junction Sentinel, Local, Western Slope

Mesa County jail population at lowest level since 2016

By SAM KLOMHAUS | Grand Junction Sentinel Daniel Harmon knew he had to get help when he woke up in the Mesa County Detention Center’s booking area not knowing how he got there. ”I passed out one time, and I ended up getting arrested. It was the blacking out until I came in the jail, not knowing exactly how long I had been laying in booking, and then I woke up and I was like ‘wow, this is something I need to change,’ “ Harmon said. Harmon, a 39-year-old inmate, participates in a substance abuse program under the jail’s behavioral and mental health services program. ”My main problem was drugs and alcohol,” Harmon said. “I used quite often and I never really truly asked for help, and when I did, one of the first things that was offered was the JBBS (Jail Based Behavioral Health Se...
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Every household required to own a gun in small southwestern Colorado town
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Approved, Local, The Washington Post, Western Slope

Every household required to own a gun in small southwestern Colorado town

By Lauren Loftus | Washington Post NUCLA, Colo. — Driving north on U.S. 141 in southwestern Colorado, the road descends from red rock plateau into a wind-blown expanse of bedraggled shrubs and hardy desert trees called Paradox Valley. Passing only the occasional deer, the two-lane highway eventually ends at the intersection of the Dolores River. Just beyond its muddy bank lies the tiny town of Nucla. The area’s once booming uranium mine has long been shuttered, while the halls of Nucla High School echo with the sounds of only a few dozen students. Main Street is dotted with boarded-up buildings and deserted after sunset. With a poverty rate of nearly 20 percent, it’s clear Nucla is in need of jobs, an economic boon that remains out of reach. But there is at least one thi...
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In Rifle, police officer initiates city discussion of obscured license plates, ‘huge problem’ of inoperable vehicles
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Western Slope

In Rifle, police officer initiates city discussion of obscured license plates, ‘huge problem’ of inoperable vehicles

An inquiry by Rifle police officer Kallie McCain to the municipal court led Wednesday to a full discussion on the appearance of license plates and vehicles by the City Council. At issue is obscured plates and the process by which police officers face additional workload writing citations to both municipal and county courts for the violation. The state’s statute on the display of license plates was not included in Rifle’s Model Traffic Code – a statute at least one member of City Council finds to be vague. By adding the language of the state statute to the local code, officers could write the ticket and potentially others into one court, said Municipal Court Clerk Kathy Pototsky, avoiding the need to appear in separate courts. It would be a $25 citation. “Most officers would write ...
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‘It shouldn’t be free’: In Grand Junction, EV owners will pay at city-owned charging stations
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Western Slope

‘It shouldn’t be free’: In Grand Junction, EV owners will pay at city-owned charging stations

‘The majority of the power is coming from coal,’ City Councilman Cody Kennedy says Electric vehicle operators will no longer have a free ride from the City of Grand Junction. City Council unanimously supported the implementation of a fee structure Wednesday, similar to fees implemented by some other local governments to cover public expenses related to charging stations. “I used one of the EV charging apps and there are 40 some odd places in town where you can charge for free,” said City Councilman Scott Beilfuss, also indicating he didn’t support a free-use structure. The proposed rates are comparable to what a gas or diesel-powered vehicle owner might expect to pay for metered parking, City Manager Greg Caton said. “There is a significant amount of public investment in thi...
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State Sen. Perry Will Moves from State Legislature to a County Commissioner Race
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Approved, Local, thelobby-co.com, Western Slope

State Sen. Perry Will Moves from State Legislature to a County Commissioner Race

SOURCE: THELOBBY-CO.COM State Senator Perry Will announced his decision to step down from the state legislature and run for a position on the Garfield County Board of County Commissioners. The move comes as Will’s decision adds him to a competitive race following the retirement of longtime county commissioner John Martin. With the departure of Martin from the county commissioner position, the race to fill the vacancy has attracted several candidates. Among them, Silt resident Caleb Waller is the only other Republican who has filed to run for the county commissioner seat. Additionally, Democrats Caitlin Carey and Doug Salg have entered the race, highlighting the increasing political diversity in Garfield County. Garfield County, once a stronghold of conservative values, has rec...
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Map released showing where Colorado wolves roamed
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local, Western Slope

Map released showing where Colorado wolves roamed

By Luige Del Puerto | SOURCE: DENVER GAZETTE Colorado wildlife officials on Wednesday published a map showing where wolves have roamed in the past month, but it does not pinpoint where the animals are in real time. To protect the wolves, officials said they won't release specific GPS data. The administration of Gov. Jared Polis produced the map on the day legislators grilled wildlife officials over what policymakers described as communication failures and problems tied to the release of wolves in Grand and Summit counties last month.  During a hearing, lawmakers said the state mishandled communications, destroying trust with ranchers and landowners. They said those ranchers and land owners are now saying they will no longer work with the state's wildlife division on conser...
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Colorado lawmakers put pressure on wildlife officials to help ranchers protect livestock from wolves
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local, Western Slope

Colorado lawmakers put pressure on wildlife officials to help ranchers protect livestock from wolves

By Marianne Goodland | SOURCE: COLORADO POLITICS After losing more than a dozen livestock and four cattle dogs to wolf attacks, Jackson County rancher Don Gittleson is getting help from lawmakers, who asked wildlife officials to immediately reconsider their decision denying a request to remove the depredating animals from the area.  Gittleson said repeated pleas to Colorado Parks and Wildlife to deal with these wolves have been ignored, other telling him to employ "non-lethal" methods to scare the wolves off. These methods have not worked, Gittleson said. Now, state lawmakers are stepping into the fray. State Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, and House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, penned a letter to CPW Director Jeff Davis on Monday, chastising the agency for failing to ...
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“I forced Lauren Bobert to Change Districts”: Meet the Libertarian Running for Congress in CD 3, James Wiley
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Approved, freestatecolorado.com, Local, State, Western Slope

“I forced Lauren Bobert to Change Districts”: Meet the Libertarian Running for Congress in CD 3, James Wiley

By Brandon Wark | SOURCE: FREE STATE COLORADO James Wiley is marching for peace. Not only is he marching around the State Capitol in Denver, but he will be marching to Washington DC if he wins his Congressional campaign. James, a local pro-liberty activist is running as a Libertarian for Congress in CD 3. James was running against Lauren Boebert before she switched districts because in part, Boebert refused to sign the Libertarian Party of Colorado’s Pledge for Pro-Liberty Republicans. He is still committed to ensuring that the Republican nominee supports pro-liberty positions and is not going to drop out of the race until there is a signer to the Libertarian Party of Colorado’s Pledge. In this interview, James explains how he became a pro-liberty activist, why he decided...
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