Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Grand Junction

New Analysis Examines Why Homelessness Is Concentrated in Mesa County
The Business Times, Approved, Local

New Analysis Examines Why Homelessness Is Concentrated in Mesa County

By Brandon Leuallen | The Business Times Why does Mesa County account for such a large share of Western Slope homelessness? As the Grand Junction City Council debated whether to amend city code to strengthen enforcement of the camping ordinance, questions about shelter capacity and the size of the local homeless population took on new importance. The shelter-capacity discussion is further complicated by the fact the shelter system serves more than just Mesa County residents. Many neighboring communities have either no shelter at all, only seasonal shelter options, or significantly fewer homeless services. The question of whether Mesa County is carrying a regional burden has also surfaced during Grand Junction City Council discussions. During a Nov. 19, 2025, m...
From coal transition to data centers: JOLT summit heads to Grand Junction
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

From coal transition to data centers: JOLT summit heads to Grand Junction

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Before JOLT became an annual summit, local leaders across Northwest Colorado were wrestling with a difficult question: What comes after coal? Now they’re holding their fourth summit, and this year’s program includes discussions on geothermal energy, data centers, critical minerals, electric cooperative power supplies, workforce development and Colorado River issues. "I don't think that with JOLT, the mission has changed," said Ray Beck, chairman of JOLT — Joint Organizations Leading Transition. "We're still trying to educate people on different sources of energy." Founded by local officials, educators and industry leaders, JOLT was created as Northwest Colorado communities searched for answers about economic transition and long-term op...
Polis Adds Big Game Hunters and Agricultural Leaders to Colorado Wildlife Commission
Sky-Hi News, Approved, State

Polis Adds Big Game Hunters and Agricultural Leaders to Colorado Wildlife Commission

By Ali Longwell | Sky-Hi News After Colorado Senators raised concerns with Gov. Jared Polis’ previous nominations for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, the governor has named three new appointees to the volunteer board tasked with guiding the state agency’s policies and regulations.  Polis announced the three appointments — in addition to reappointments for current commissioners, Gabriel Otero and Richard Reading — on Wednesday, June 3.  This included Dr. Peter Maguire, a veterinary neurologist in Grand Junction; Rebecca Niemiec, a tenured associate professor at Colorado State University’s Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources in Fort Collins; and Johnny Le Coq, who owns and lives on a ranch north of Silverthorne.  One of t...
Peters Release Day Arrives With Key Details Still Unknown
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Peters Release Day Arrives With Key Details Still Unknown

By Nancy Lofholm | The Colorado Sun Gov. Jared Polis commuted the former Mesa County clerk’s sentence last month, making her eligible for parole and setting off a national firestorm over her role in attempting to interfere with an election. Tina Peters is scheduled to be released from a state prison in Pueblo Monday after Gov. Jared Polis controversially commuted the former Mesa County clerk’s sentence last month, cutting it in half.Peters, 70, has been imprisoned since 2024 for election fraud and official misconduct after she snuck an outside election denier into the off-limits Mesa County Elections Division office so he could copy the hard drive from the county’s voting system. Sentenced to nine years in October 2024, Polis cut her prison time in half on May 15 and made h...
Nonprofit Builds Real Time Network To Monitor ICE In Western Colorado
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Nonprofit Builds Real Time Network To Monitor ICE In Western Colorado

By Jennifer Brown | The Colorado Sun Voces Unidas de las Montañas began as a political organization for Latinos. It pivoted when the federal immigration crackdown came to Colorado. CONFIRMADO. The Facebook post in Spanish is a community alarm for Colorado mountain towns along Interstate 70, a warning to stay alert because ICE is in action. Confirmed, it translates, a person was taken by ICE agents as he left the Mesa County Courthouse in Grand Junction at 10 a.m. May 1. Three days earlier: CONFIRMADO, a person with legal immigration status was taken by ICE agents from the parking lot of an apartment complex in Grand Junction.  And a few days before that: CONFIRMADO, federal immigration agents took a man from the Garfield County Jail in Glenwood Springs.  The warnings from Voc...
Wildlife Policy And Hunting Access To Take Center Stage At Grand Junction CPW Meeting
The Daily Record, Approved, State

Wildlife Policy And Hunting Access To Take Center Stage At Grand Junction CPW Meeting

By Brian Porter | The Daily Record Director Clellan recommends 3% increase to issued licenses; 257,000 participated in Big Game Draw. A briefing on prairie dog conservation, a keystone species to Fremont County, and an update to the gray wolf reintroduction will be shared when the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Commission meets May 6-7 at the Grand Junction Convention Center, 159 Main St., in Grand Junction. Frances Silva Blayney will officially become the newest Commission member – although she has already been serving – after her gubernatorial appointment to the Commission was upheld by the Colorado Senate last week. With the withdrawals of John Emerick and Chris Sichko from consideration, the Commission could be two members short when it convenes. ...
Why we started Mesa County Compass
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, Local, Top Stories

Why we started Mesa County Compass

By Ruth Kinnett and Lisa Fry | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In June 2023, we were sitting at a kitchen table watching headlines move faster than facts. A recall effort was underway against District 51 School Board member Andrea Haitz, and something didn’t sit right. We kept hearing fragments — social media posts, clipped quotes, secondhand outrage — but we couldn’t find the full conversation. So we decided to start one. Mesa County Compass began on June 10, 2023, during that recall effort. At the time, we believed the full truth had not been properly revealed and that Haitz was being unfairly accused of something she had not done. What started as a response to that moment grew into something larger — a platform dedicated to conversation, clarity, and giving p...
Human Trafficking Concerns Resurface as Epstein Files Cite Colorado Links
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Human Trafficking Concerns Resurface as Epstein Files Cite Colorado Links

By Rachael Wright | The Denver Gazette With the U.S. Department of Justice’s release of 3 million more files pertaining to convicted sex felon Jeffrey Epstein, multiple written mentions of alleged connections to Colorado towns and business owners have come to light. A word search of the documents for “Colorado” generates 1,485 hits, with inquiries for cities including Denver and Aspen generating several thousands more.  Chad McWhinney, a Colorado real estate developer and chairman and co-founder of Realberry, a Denver-based real estate organization, was referenced in an email exchange to Epstein on Nov. 1, 2014. Also included in the files was a pho...
SUV Hit D51 Wrestling Team Bus At Over 90 MPH In Lakewood
DENVER7, Approved, Local

SUV Hit D51 Wrestling Team Bus At Over 90 MPH In Lakewood

By Jeff Anastasio | Denver7 The SUV that slammed into a Mesa County School bus injuring members of a Grand Junction wrestling team was traveling over 90 mph, or 52 mph over the posted speed limit 2 seconds before the impact. LAKEWOOD, Colo. — The driver of an SUV that slammed into a Mesa County School bus carrying members of a Grand Junction wrestling team was traveling over 90 miles per hour, or 52 mph over the posted speed limit, 2 seconds before the impact, according to an arrest affidavit from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. The driver of the SUV, 22-year-old Andrew Logan Miller, from Denver, was hospitalized with injuries as a result of the December 6 crash and later arrested on a list of charges. There were 12 people, including 10 students and 2 ...
Angela Lema’s commitment keeps District 51 Schools grounded in results
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, Local, Top Stories

Angela Lema’s commitment keeps District 51 Schools grounded in results

By Sara Fletcher | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Angela Lema stands as the embodiment of principled leadership and steadfast commitment in her role as a District 51 school board Director. Her contributions have had a meaningful effect on District 51 families and staff, underpinned by her extensive experience as a trade school owner and active community member for nearly twenty years. Throughout her career, Angela has guided countless young adults into the valley’s workforce, fulfilling the roles of mentor, teacher, and respected business owner. Significant Committee Work and Project Oversight Among Angela’s notable achievements is her dedication to committee work, particularly her three-year involvement with the Owners, Architect, and Contractors Special Committee. She pa...

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