Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Infrastructure

Billions in Marijuana Taxes and Crumbling Roads Sparks Online Fight Between Polis and DeSantis
Complete Colorado, Approved, State

Billions in Marijuana Taxes and Crumbling Roads Sparks Online Fight Between Polis and DeSantis

By: Savana Kascak | Complete Colorado DENVER–An online beef erupted between Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Wednesday evening on X (previously Twitter) over legalized marijuana and Colorado’s poor road conditions. In a thread of posts, the Florida governor said Colorado’s declining marijuana taxes have not helped alleviate anything for the state, rather the recent decrease in marijuana sales is due to a surge in the black market caused by high taxes on legal weed. The claims led Governor Polis to jump in the conversation, defending his record. The battle at the keyboard started from a post made by Florida’s Voice, highlighting a survey saying a majority of Floridians want the right to vote on marijuana legalization themselves, “not have...
Denver Voters Approve $935 Million Bond, Expanding City Debt and Mayor’s Agenda
kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Denver Voters Approve $935 Million Bond, Expanding City Debt and Mayor’s Agenda

By: Phil Rankin | KDVR FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — Mayor Mike Johnston has declared victory on the $935 million Vibrant Denver bond package, Ballot Issues 2A-2E in Election 2025. Voters are being asked to approve funding for projects spread across five areas: 2A: $441M for transportation and mobility 2B: $175M for parks and recreation 2C: $30M for health and human services 2D: $244M for city infrastructure and facilities 2E: $59M for housing and shelters READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT KDVR FOX31
Colorado Town Begins Recovery as Pagosa Springs Reopens After Major Flooding
CBS News, Approved, Local

Colorado Town Begins Recovery as Pagosa Springs Reopens After Major Flooding

By: Austen Erblat | CBS News Evacuations have been lifted and U.S. Highway 160 has reopened in Pagosa Springs after what officials in southern Colorado described as "extreme flooding conditions." Mandatory evacuations were ordered late Saturday night after the San Juan River more than doubled its average flow. "After a thorough inspection, the Highway 160 bridge at First Street has been declared safe and is now fully open to regular traffic," the town wrote in a Facebook post Sunday, just after 8 a.m. "However, standing water and debris remain in various areas, posing ongoing safety risks. As a precaution, all parks and the surrounding downtown areas along the San Juan River will remain temporarily closed to the public. Authorities urge all residents and visitors to avoid these ar...
Logan County Families Fear Foreclosure as Water System Fails
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Logan County Families Fear Foreclosure as Water System Fails

By Jaclyn Allen | Denver7 Sage Pointe residents told Denver7 Investigates their fight is part of a bigger rural infrastructure problem. STERLING, Colo. — Just west of Sterling, Colorado, the Sage Pointe neighborhood is in crisis. Families say their private water and sewer system is failing, and they are being asked to foot a skyrocketing bill. “There’s roughly 90 plus homes here,” Jason Sanders told Denver7 Investigates. “We had no awareness of it, no disclosure of it, but now we’re having to front the bill.” Sanders said his family was never informed that the community operates on its own well water and septic system when he purchased his home in 2023. That system is currently under a state cease-and-desist order due to past code violations. Heather Gage, secretary for b...
FAA Blames DIA Flight Delays on Air Traffic Controller Shortage
kdvr.com, Approved, National

FAA Blames DIA Flight Delays on Air Traffic Controller Shortage

By Heather Willard | KDVR FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — Staffing issues have hit the skies above Denver as U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the government shutdown is adding extra weight to air traffic controllers’ already high-stress jobs. Duffy visited air traffic controllers before speaking to the media at Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday. The airport is under a similar ground delay as Denver International Airport, with both advisories stating that staffing was causing the delays. Duffy said that there has been a small uptick in sick calls from controllers, and that if that gets worse during a prolonged federal government shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration will have to reduce the number of flights taking off and landing, which would create further ...
China’s covert SIM farms exposed: Federal agents uncover nationwide spy network
tHE bLAZE, Approved, National

China’s covert SIM farms exposed: Federal agents uncover nationwide spy network

By Steve Baker & Joseph M. Hanneman | Blaze Media Millions of linked SIM cards carry out surveillance, target leaders for harm, and should be considered ‘acts of war.’ The discovery of SIM farms that threatened cellular networks in New York City is only the tip of a massive nationwide network run by the Chinese Communist government that poses an immediate threat to critical American infrastructure and has led to terrorist acts including hoax SWAT raids at the homes of national leaders, Blaze News has learned. Sources in the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. intelligence community said these SIM card networks were operating in the United States as early as 2004. They have proliferated exponentially since President Donald J. Trump was re-elected to the presidency in N...
Feds Need Different Approach to Colorado River
GregWalcher.com, Approved, Commentary, State

Feds Need Different Approach to Colorado River

By Greg Walcher | Commentary, GregWalcher.com This month’s withdrawal of President Trump’s nominee to head the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) provides an opportunity, not just for a new nominee but for a new approach to the whole Colorado River management mess. It is an opportunity the White House and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum should take very seriously. The nominee’s withdrawal, due to the skepticism of Upper Basin senators, highlighted the deteriorating relationship between BOR and the states. In fact, BOR under Trump has thus far taken essentially the same tack as under Presidents Obama and Biden, namely threatening the states – including those in the Upper Basin – with a federal takeover if they don’t produce an “acceptable” plan to reduce their use of water. As negotiations...
When did the Upper and Lower Basin of the Colorado River become a thing?
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

When did the Upper and Lower Basin of the Colorado River become a thing?

By Steve Harris | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice And other insights from the 1922 Colorado River Compact negotiations Though I was not in attendance in 1922 (don’t laugh), the minutes of the negotiations are very thorough. At the first Commission meeting starting on January 30, 1922, the negotiations were centered on separating the Colorado River flow by the potential for irrigated lands in each state. Reclamation—only about 20 years old at the time—had made surveys of the potential irrigated lands in each state. The acreages are listed in the minutes of the first meeting. Miss the first piece? Read: “Harris Water Time” and the Colorado River Compact’s century of lessons Colorado River Commission delegates meet in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1922. Secretary of Commerce...
Can Colorado local or state governments be held liable for car damage from potholes?
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Can Colorado local or state governments be held liable for car damage from potholes?

BY TYLER HICKMAN | THE COLORADO SUN A road crew can repair a pothole in 30 minutes or less, at the cost of about $60 per square yard, officials say Yes. Colorado local and state governments can be forced to pay for car damage resulting from dangerous road conditions, including potholes. Anyone whose vehicle is damaged by a pothole on a public road can file a claim with the state, county or city that manages the property. Public entities can only be held responsible if they were previously notified of the pothole and had the resources for repairs and sufficient time to fix it, but didn’t.  After damage occurs, drivers have 182 days to file a claim, though it’s rare for claimants to be paid out. A 2024 news report revealed that of 1,300 pothole damage claims filed with th...
RTD requests additional $1.6 billion in funding for rail expansion project
Fox31, Approved, Local

RTD requests additional $1.6 billion in funding for rail expansion project

BY Jared Dean | FOX 31 NEWS DENVER (KDVR) — Over 20 years ago, voters approved RTD’s expansion program, the largest in the nation. 113 miles of both commuter and light rail systems, 78 rail transit stations, and 18 miles of rapid bus transit were set to hit the metro. “We have a lot of challenges in terms of completing the program in a shorter period of time. And I know everybody’s anxious about it, but we really do need other sources of revenue in order for us to kind of be able to complete it in a reasonable amount of time,” senior manager for transit-oriented communities for RTD Bill Sirois said. Major hits to the economy and a massive decline in ridership have made funding the project nearly impossible. RTD is now asking for $1.6 billion to get the project done by 20...