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When watchdogs reached out, only two clerks answered: Colorado’s election crisis exposed
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories

When watchdogs reached out, only two clerks answered: Colorado’s election crisis exposed

By Bill Lehman, Heidi Ganahl | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado’s election system is facing a crisis of confidence, with voters increasingly skeptical due to incidents like Arapahoe County’s mishandled 2020 Cast Vote Record and the Secretary of State’s office leaking 600 BIOS passwords during the 2024 election. Leaking 600 BIOS passwords is the civic version of leaving the house key under the doormat and then posting a photo of the doormat. These failures, alongside persistent reports of irregularities, undermine the narrative that Colorado's elections are the “gold standard.”  Public trust continues to erode as evidence of vulnerabilities mounts, yet one county’s efforts illustrate how clerks can make important improvements—though systemic issues demand far broader...
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Homeless Crisis Deepens in Colorado Springs With 52 Percent Jump
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Local, Approved, The Gazette

Homeless Crisis Deepens in Colorado Springs With 52 Percent Jump

By Debbie Kelley | The Gazette A record-high spike of people living on the streets and in homeless shelters and supported housing programs in El Paso County is reflected in data released Monday from this year’s federally required Point-in-Time and Housing Inventory Count. The number of people countywide who described themselves as homeless on the night of Jan. 26 ballooned from 1,146 in 2024, to 1,745 people this year, according to the statistics presented by the survey administrator, Pikes Peak Continuum of Care, a group of service providers and other members. That’s a 52% increase year-over-year and tops the county’s 2018 record of 1,551. “This data should be interpreted with context and caution,” Becky Treece, chair of the governing board of the continuum of care said at a p...
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17 Colorado sheriffs to Polis: Fix inmate transfer crisis straining local jails
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denvergazette.com, Approved, State

17 Colorado sheriffs to Polis: Fix inmate transfer crisis straining local jails

By Marissa Ventrelli | Denver Gazette A coalition of 17 county sheriffs urged Gov. Jared Polis to resolve the Department of Corrections' backlog in inmate transfers and increase what the local officials described as the state's inadequate reimbursement rate for housing inmates in county jails. Current conditions are unsustainable according the group. In a letter signed by the sheriffs of El Paso, Douglas, Pueblo, and other counties, the group warned that prolonged delays in transferring of DOC-sentenced inmates from county jails into state custody, combined with what they called an "outdated and underfunded" per diem reimbursement rate, is creating a fiscal and public safety crisis.  "County jails were never designed — or funded — to house state inmates for extended periods,”...
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El Paso County sheriff transfers 19 illegal immigrant offenders to ICE
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denvergazette.com, Approved, Local

El Paso County sheriff transfers 19 illegal immigrant offenders to ICE

By Aidan Hulting | Denver Gazette Nineteen people who the El Paso County Sheriff's Office says were in the country illegally, and have allegedly committed crimes in El Paso County, are now in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. This marks the second list the El Paso County Sheriff's Office has released this summer detailing its ongoing cooperation with ICE. “As part of our continued commitment to transparency, I am once again releasing a list of individuals and their associated criminal charges related to the safe and secure transfer of custody to our federal partners at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal. “We will continue to provide this information in a timely manner to demonstrate compliance with Colorad...
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Bailey: Violent crime up 30% in Colorado, 28% in the Springs—why?
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denvergazette.com, Approved, State

Bailey: Violent crime up 30% in Colorado, 28% in the Springs—why?

By Tatiana Bailey | Commentary, Denver Gazette There’s been a lot of attention in the media regarding rising crime within Colorado Springs. As someone who works closely with public data, I always try to avoid sensationalism and instead ask: What’s driving this, and how do we compare to the U.S. and other cities? When you look at U.S. trends overall and specific comparison cities, there are, indeed, some alarming trends. Crime rates in the U.S. between 2018 and 2024 are virtually identical. However, the state of Colorado and the city of Colorado Springs have both seen double-digit increases in the rate of violent crimes per 100,000 population. Both our state and region’s violent crime rate have increased by roughly 30% while the U.S. rate is relatively steady increasing 2...
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Citizen sues Colorado Springs for ‘end run’ around TABOR in $40 million bond ordinance
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Fox21, Approved, Local

Citizen sues Colorado Springs for ‘end run’ around TABOR in $40 million bond ordinance

By Norishka Pachot | Fox21 (COLORADO SPRINGS) — A lawsuit has been filed in El Paso County District Court against the City of Colorado Springs and Mayor Yemi Mobolade over alleged TABOR and constitutional violations. The lawsuit by Preserve Pine Creek Village, LLC, alleges that the City violated multiple provisions of the Colorado Constitution, including the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), which requires voter approval before creating multi-year government debt. The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of a $40 million Private Activity Bond (PAB) issuance approved by the City Council on May 27. Tim Lewan, who lives in the Pine Creek Village area, says he donated to the legal fund because he’s been against the development of these apartments from the start. “We have been try...
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False claims, real consequences: Judge rejects activist’s First Amendment defense
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

False claims, real consequences: Judge rejects activist’s First Amendment defense

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice El Paso County judge rejects motion to dismiss defamation suit against Bernadette Guthrie, ruling that calling a school board member a “child predator” is not protected by the First Amendment. For more than a year, Derrick Wilburn – father, community leader and now an elected school board member – was publicly branded a “child predator” by a vocal district parent. The accusations, repeated at school board meetings, online and even in state legislative testimony, painted him as a man who preyed on children.  Wilburn filed a defamation lawsuit in December 2024, seeking accountability. And on April 29, a Colorado judge drew a legal line.  El Paso County District Court Judge Gregory Werner denied defendant Bernadette Guthrie’s motion...
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El Paso County defies state sanctuary push, gives deputies ICE powers
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

El Paso County defies state sanctuary push, gives deputies ICE powers

By Nick Smith | Denver Gazette On a day when the El Paso County Sheriff's Office announced the transfer of 16 people to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, its sheriff, Joe Roybal, said Tuesday he intends to enter an agreement that will give his deputies specified powers of an ICE agent. The 287(g) program authorizes ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform certain immigration officer functions under the agency's direction and supervision, according to the Immigration and Nationality Act.  The program has three models that local law enforcement agencies can enter into, each that gives the agency distinct powers. A spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office said they are not ready to comment on which model Roybal...
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Homeless camp tapping I-25 power cleared by Colorado Springs deputies—site continues to reappear
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Homeless camp tapping I-25 power cleared by Colorado Springs deputies—site continues to reappear

By Ashley Eberhardt | Fox31 COLORADO SPRINGS (KXRM) — On Tuesday, May 13, multiple law enforcement agencies cleared out a homeless encampment beneath Intestate 25 near Woodmen Road, where televisions, lighting and stereo equipment were found to be powered by illegally tapping into I-25’s light poles. According to a press release sent by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, its agency teamed up with the Colorado Springs Police Department and the Colorado Department of Transportation to help initiate a restoration project beneath I-25 just north of the Woodmen Road exit. EPSO said this location, where Pine Creek flows under the interstate, has been a frequent site for homeless encampments. “This encampment has been a persistent concern for the surrounding community, affecting res...
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