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Greg Lopez Puts People Over Parties in Unaffiliated Bid for Colorado Governor
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KJCT-TV ABC 8, Approved, State

Greg Lopez Puts People Over Parties in Unaffiliated Bid for Colorado Governor

By Brianna Chappie | KJCT The unaffiliated-party nominee spoke with KKCO prior to his campaign stop in Clifton for Saturday evening. GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - In KJCT’s continuing coverage of Colorado’s gubernatorial race, reporter Brianna Chappie spoke with unaffiliated-party nominee candidate, Greg Lopez, ahead of his campaign visit on Saturday. Lopez is an air force veteran, and seasoned politician— having served as mayor for the town of Parker, a Colorado Director for the Small Business Administration (SBA) and recently as a House Representative for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District. But now, instead of running as a Republican, Lopez is unaffiliated. “I didn’t leave the Republican party because all Republicans are bad or the Democrats are a...
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Former Durango Teacher Gets 40 Years For Sex Crimes Against 37 Teenage Boys
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Former Durango Teacher Gets 40 Years For Sex Crimes Against 37 Teenage Boys

By Logan Smith | CBS Colorado A former Durango middle school teacher who obtained sexual images from more than three dozen teenage boys by pretending to be a 16-year-old girl on social media was sentenced last week to four decades in prison.  Benjamin Smith was sentenced in a Denver federal courtroom Tuesday. The judge ordered lifetime supervision, too, once Smith is released from prison.  Smith, 30, posed as "Kristin" on Snapchat under the username "MTNCHICK69," according to evidence presented by federal prosecutors. Behind that identity, Smith reached out to boys in the Durango area as young as 12. He started conversations, sent out photos of a naked girl, then asked the boys to send back photos of themselves in return, prosecutors stated. Smith ...
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Socialist Surge Raises Alarm Among Denver Business Leaders
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Fox News, Approved, State

Socialist Surge Raises Alarm Among Denver Business Leaders

By Kristine Parks, Julia Bonavita and Nikolas Lanum | Fox News Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce President JJ Ament worries more regulations will hurt small businesses. Affordability was a top concern among voters who helped launch democratic socialist congressional candidate Melat Kiros to victory in Denver's Democratic primary in June over 15-term incumbent Diana DeGette.  But as democratic socialists gain momentum in Colorado, business owners are grappling with how their progressive policies may collide with the actual costs of running a business in Denver. "With DSA specifically, I think that, too many times, the rhetoric sounds great until it meets the economic realities," J.J. Ament, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber o...
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Former Weld County IT Worker Sentenced After Downloading Child Abuse Videos From Police
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Former Weld County IT Worker Sentenced After Downloading Child Abuse Videos From Police

By: Logan Smith | CBS Colorado A former employee with the City of Greeley's Information Technology Department was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections after he removed hard drives from the Greeley Police Department.  The hard drives contained child sexual abuse material, also known as CSAM, which Jacob Schmidt downloaded to his phone, according to a press release from the Weld County District Attorney's Office. The videos were police department evidence which Schmidt was not authorized to access.  Schmidt was arrested on June 11, 2025, after investigators with the Weld County Sheriff's Office received several tips about Schmidt having CSAM on his phone, according to the DA's press release. Those investigators were able to ...
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Denver Street Takeover Ends Without Arrests Despite Dangerous Stunt Driving and Fireworks
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Uncategorized, Approved, DENVER7, Local

Denver Street Takeover Ends Without Arrests Despite Dangerous Stunt Driving and Fireworks

By: Kaylee Harter | Denver7 Video shows cars doing donuts, fireworks, and what appears to be something on fire at the intersection of Broadway and Mississippi. DENVER — No arrests were made, and no citations were issued after an "illegal street takeover" late Friday night and early Saturday morning, according to a Denver police spokesperson. Video captured by neighbors at the intersection of Broadway and Mississippi and shared with Denver7 shows cars doing donuts, fireworks, and what appears to be something on fire in the intersection. "The reckless driving and blocking of an intersection seen in the videos are incredibly dangerous and concerning," DPD spokesperson Doug Schepman said in an email to Denver7. One person who had posted video of the inciden...
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Larimer County DA Blasts PR Bond for Fugitive Facing Child Sex Crime Charges
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Larimer County DA Blasts PR Bond for Fugitive Facing Child Sex Crime Charges

By Dillon Thomas | CBS Colorado A Northern Colorado district attorney is accusing a magistrate of putting local children and others at risk after she released a fugitive on a personal recognizance bond. The fugitive was wanted for creating and possessing child sexual abuse material out of Wyoming. John Smallbone of Converse County, Wyoming, was originally arrested on 72 counts related to creating and possessing child sexual abuse material. According to prosecutors, he posted a $250,000 bond in Wyoming but failed to appear for his next court hearing, forfeiting the bond and becoming a fugitive. John Smallbone Larimer County After authorities located Smallbone in Larimer County, he was arrested on the Wyoming warrant while awaiting extradition.  "There is ...
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Colorado Strengthens Criminal Investigations With New Social Media Warrant Law
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Strengthens Criminal Investigations With New Social Media Warrant Law

By: Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics A law requiring social media platforms to respond to search warrants within 72 hours goes into effect on Aug. 12. Senate Bill 011 also requires platforms to create a staffed hotline for Colorado law enforcement agencies to contact regarding pending search warrants. The bill is a pared-down version of last year’sSenate Bill 086, which also included provisions related to violations of social media policies and minor users. While the bill passed through both the House and the Senate, Gov. Jared Polis vetoed the legislation, expressing worries about requiring social media companies to enforce state laws and about the measure’s data-collection requirements. The Senate voted to override the veto, but efforts sta...
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Denver Among America’s Riskiest Vacation Cities
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KYGO, Approved, Local

Denver Among America’s Riskiest Vacation Cities

By Shawn Patrick | 98.5 KYGO If you’ve ever parked your car on a Denver street and returned to find the window smashed and your backpack gone, congratulations: You are a data point. Denver has been named the fourth-riskiest vacation destination in the United States for property crime, according to a new analysis by home security company Vivint using FBI data from summer 2024. The Mile High City logged 401 property crimes per 100,000 residents during peak summer travel season, putting it behind only Honolulu (442), Seattle (415) and Philadelphia (408) among 25 popular U.S. vacation cities studied. That rate is nearly three times higher than Park City, Utah, which topped the safest list at just 136 per 100,000. The ranking is driven by three categories: burglary, la...
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Avon Opens Public Debate After Vandals Target Police Camera Network
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Avon Opens Public Debate After Vandals Target Police Camera Network

By Spencer Wilson | CBS Colorado A discussion over privacy, policing and public safety technology is taking center stage in Avon after three police cameras were vandalized earlier this month. That includes two speed enforcement cameras and one Flock license plate reader. The acts of vandalism happened during the early morning hours of July 18, when someone cut down or damaged camera poles and stole two of the devices. It resulted in more than $76,000 in damage and replacement costs, according to documents prepared for Tuesday night's Avon Town Council meeting. Police said they are actively investigating the felony vandalism and theft. The vandalism also ignited a much larger conversation online after the Avon Police Department's Facebook post about the damage...
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Polis Celebrates Education Gains But Healthcare Access, Crime And Budget Challenges Remain
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Polis Celebrates Education Gains But Healthcare Access, Crime And Budget Challenges Remain

By Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette Colorado officials said they have something to celebrate this week, in addition to the state’s sesquicentennial birthday on Saturday. U.S. News & World Report on Tuesday gave Colorado its top ranking for education efforts from pre-K to postsecondary, though it didn’t fare well in other areas, such as health access and crime. Gov. Jared Polis celebrated the announcement with a trip to the Farrell B. Howell ECE-8 School in east Denver.  U.S. News & World Report issued its annual best states rankings on Tuesday. Colorado earned its first place in education based on “increases in associate degree completion and attainment rates, as well as substantial growth in preschool enrollment enabled by the Colorado...
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