Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Denver

Denver Mayor Rolls Out $100 Million Strategy to Boost Business and Revive Downtown
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Denver Mayor Rolls Out $100 Million Strategy to Boost Business and Revive Downtown

By Chierstin Roth | CBS Colorado Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has unveiled a $100 million, four-part plan to address everything from workforce development to low interest loans, and incentives for companies to move to the city. Thursday's press conference was held outside the original Snooze, a popular breakfast and brunch restaurant serving pancakes and mimosas. Snooze, which launched at its Ballpark Neighborhood location 20 years ago, is now a nationwide success. Its co-founder says it's opportunities like these that got his business off the ground. "We've got 70 restaurants now, 10 states, we have over 3,000 Snoozers working for us," said co-founder Adam Schlegal. They grew despite the odds. "Running a restaurant in Denver is actually harder than most...
Second Amendment Lawsuit Targets Denver Gun Ban and State Magazine Limits
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Second Amendment Lawsuit Targets Denver Gun Ban and State Magazine Limits

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette A lawsuit filed in federal court by three Denver residents and two gun rights groups aims to strike down the city’s “assault weapon” restrictions, along with bans on ammunition magazines holding 15 rounds or more. The complaint, filed on June 30 by Ray Elliott, Trevor Alley and Michael Vitco, along with the Firearms Policy Coalition and the Colorado State Shooting Association, an arm of the National Rifle Association, alleges Denver’s semiautomatic firearm ban is unconstitutional, as is its ban on 15-round or larger magazines. Naming the city government, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Attorney General Phil Weiser, Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director Armando Saldate III, Colorado State Patrol Chief Col. Matthew Packard and Denve...
Independent Candidate Launches Last Minute Bid for Colorado’s First Congressional District
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Independent Candidate Launches Last Minute Bid for Colorado’s First Congressional District

By Mark Samuelson | The Denver Gazette Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros’ surprising defeat of 15-term Congresswoman Diana DeGette may be creating a void within Denver’s voter base — and at least one latecomer is jumping into that gap, petitioning to get himself on the November ballot as an independent candidate. Dr. Shimon Blau told The Denver Gazette he spent the weekend stewing about the direction of the state’s politics following last week’s primary election and Kiros’ victory. On Monday, he carried out a frenzied exchange of phone calls with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office to obtain the right application. Late that afternoon, Blau said, he filed the paperwork to petition for valid signatures in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District. If he can come up with ...
Lawsuit Alleges DPS Violated Constitution With Race Based School Board Map
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Lawsuit Alleges DPS Violated Constitution With Race Based School Board Map

By: Nicole C. Brambila | The Denver Gazette A civil rights law firm based out of Virginia has filed a lawsuit against Denver Public Schools, alleging Colorado’s largest school district redrew its five district seats with an “illegal racial intent” that violates the Fifteenth Amendment. Filed in U.S. District Court by the Public Interest Legal Foundation, the lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief for alleged violations of the Fifteenth Amendment under the Voting Rights Act. “By DPS’ own admission — during the public hearing process — the school district lines were deliberately drawn to engineer racial outcomes in Districts 2 and 4,” the complaint alleges. “DPS intentionally and brazenly drew district boundaries to ensure Black and Latino racia...
Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros Puts DeGette’s Three Decades in Congress at Risk
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros Puts DeGette’s Three Decades in Congress at Risk

By: Colleen Slevin and Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun Kiros has tapped into the national discontent for incumbents among Democratic voters and parlayed her social media savviness into a campaign that has DeGette’s supporters incredibly nervous. 29-year-old democratic socialist is giving U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette her biggest challenge in the 30 years since she was first elected to represent Denver, appearing on the verge of pushing Colorado’s longest serving member of Congress out of Washington. Melat Kiros, who was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders last week, has tapped into the national discontent among Democratic voters toward incumbents and parlayed her social media savviness into a campaign that at the very least has DeGette’s supporters incre...
Eleven Indicted In Colorado Auto Theft Ring Linked To Mexican Cartels
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Eleven Indicted In Colorado Auto Theft Ring Linked To Mexican Cartels

By Matt Kyle | The Denver Gazette Eleven people who authorities said were part of a large metro Denver area car theft ring that shipped stolen cars to Mexico to be used by cartels have been indicted. The indictments — announced Monday by Attorney General Phil Weiser and Denver District Attorney John Walsh — were filed May 22. The alleged members worked together to steal vehicles from municipal airport parking lots, hotels and businesses across the Front Range, authorities said in a news release. The thefts are alleged to have taken place between July 2024 and January 2025. The thefts were mainly of full-sized pickup trucks, trailers and recreational vehicles. The thefts took place in Adams, Boulder, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties, as well as in De...
Super PACs Rush to Defend DeGette as Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros Gains Momentum
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Super PACs Rush to Defend DeGette as Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros Gains Momentum

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun The spending, most of it going toward ads attacking Melat Kiros, is the clearest sign yet that DeGette is at serious risk of being dislodged from Washington after nearly three decades. trio of super PACs is dumping $1.3 million, most of it from unknown sources, into the Democratic primary in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District in a last-minute effort to prevent longtime U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette from being unseated by political newcomer and Democratic socialist Melat Kiros. The spending, most of it going toward ads attacking Kiros, is the clearest sign yet that DeGette may be at serious risk of being dislodged from Washington after nearly three decades. Kiros, 29, is running as a liberal insurgent and is pitching vote...
Colorado Seniors Feel Heat as Xcel Seeks Double-Digit Rate Increase
DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Seniors Feel Heat as Xcel Seeks Double-Digit Rate Increase

By: Maggie Bryan | Denver7 Xcel Energy is proposing electric and gas rate increases that would raise the average customer's bill by about 10% as early as August. DENVER — Some Coloradans are facing tough decisions as they try to stay cool during this week's heat wave, especially those on fixed incomes. Jimmy Cano and his wife, who live in Aurora, received a free portable air conditioning unit Tuesday night thanks to local nonprofit Bright Leaf, an organization that provides food assistance and other resources for seniors in the City and County of Denver. "Usually right at this time, I would probably be sitting here dripping sweat," Cano said. He said the portable AC unit has been a game changer for them as their home does not have a central AC system. B...
Dark Money Groups Pour Millions Into Key Colorado Democratic Primary Battles
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Dark Money Groups Pour Millions Into Key Colorado Democratic Primary Battles

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun The dollars are aimed at helping more moderate candidates beat their more liberal opponents, including a handful of incumbents. It’s paying for ads and mailers in districts across the Denver area and one in the high country. About $2 million in untraceable money has flowed into a handful of Democratic statehouse primaries in recent weeks to help more moderate candidates beat their more liberal opponents, including several incumbents. The funds come from three nonprofits that don’t have to report their donors and are being routed through a convoluted web of eight state-level super PACs, some of which have names that appear aimed at deceiving people into thinking they are grassroots organizations. The dark money is paying for ads and ma...