Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: La Junta

CPW Commission Rejects Public Comment Restrictions in Narrow 6-to-5 Vote
Colorado West News Magazine, Approved, State

CPW Commission Rejects Public Comment Restrictions in Narrow 6-to-5 Vote

By Brian Porter | Colorado West News Magazine LA JUNTA, Colo. – It’s the dysfunction of the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Commission, and not the public, causing marathon meetings that derail agendas, Commissioner Dallas May said Wednesday. He successfully opposed a plan by Chairman Jay Tutchton that would have significantly changed public commenting during the two-day meeting at Otero College in La Junta, minimizing the perspective of public officials and not absolutely guaranteeing anyone the opportunity to comment. “Our elected representatives speak for thousands of constituents,” May said, supporting an existing policy which allows them priority in sequence and for added time of five minutes. An example is Merrit Linke, who spoke to the Commission in July. H...
Millions of Gallons of Untreated Sewage Spill Into Arkansas River Near Pueblo
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Millions of Gallons of Untreated Sewage Spill Into Arkansas River Near Pueblo

By Chierstin Roth | CBS Colorado More than four million gallons of untreated sewage containing harmful bacteria were dumped into the Arkansas River in Pueblo this week. While officials are working to mitigate any potential impacts from the contamination in Pueblo and communities downstream, some residents are concerned for their health.  "We walked earlier today from the City Park all the way to Runyon for a good two-hour walk, and the whole entire time we were walking, you could just smell it," said Nicoel Candelario.  Candelario and her friend Romy walked around Pueblo for hours Sunday, mostly along the Arkansas River. "A few times, I kept looking at it," said Candelario. "I'm like, this doesn't look like our water, you know. And like people have the...
Colorado Counties Push Back as CPW Rules Could Silence Local Voices
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Counties Push Back as CPW Rules Could Silence Local Voices

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics The September meeting of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission will feature newly revised public‑comment rules — changes introduced by chair Jay Tutchton of Bent County, who announced them without first discussing the revisions publicly with the rest of the commission. Tutchton set forth the new rules as follows: The general public comment agenda item will be set at 60 minutes.  Virtual and in-person commenters will be called at random, replacing the previous first-come, first-served system of signing up and prioritizing in-person first opportunities.  The Commission will hear commenters in a two-thirds split, allowing only a third of the speakers to come from the online platform. Priority, in terms of receiving a...
ICE expansion in Colorado draws fire as private prison firms compete for contracts
CBS Colorado, Approved, State

ICE expansion in Colorado draws fire as private prison firms compete for contracts

By Anna Alejo | CBS Colorado Just days after the passage of President Trump's budget bill allocating $45 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to expand detention facilities, the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado made public documents submitted by private prison operators seeking to sign contracts with the federal government. The ACLU says the government provided the documents in response to its lawsuit filed in April. The Trump administration says it plans to build capacity for 100,000 ICE detention beds nationwide. Locations offered for new ICE detention centers in Colorado include Walsenberg, Colorado Springs, Hudson, and La Junta. "We sued the federal government because they were hiding these documents about their intent to expand ICE detention in Colorado...
Vandalism in rural La Junta floods park, causes damages; Leads needed on suspect
Approved, KXRM-TV, Local

Vandalism in rural La Junta floods park, causes damages; Leads needed on suspect

By Norishka Pachot | Fox 21 News La Junta Parks and Recreation is looking for any information after recent instances of vandalism at city parks. Parks and Recreation reported via Facebook there were multiple instances of vandalism, littering, and damage at City Park and the Brick and Tile park. La Junta Fire Department Chief Brad Davidson told FOX21 News the damages were discovered Monday morning, Sept. 16. Davidson said they believe the person responsible started at La Junta City Park, where they broke the valve off a sprinkler valve box, causing extensive flooding of the park. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 21 NEWS
La Junta names Patrick Comiskey as lone city manager finalist, will meet with City Council Aug. 8
Approved, Local, Southeast Colorado (SECO) News

La Junta names Patrick Comiskey as lone city manager finalist, will meet with City Council Aug. 8

By Southeast Colorado (SECO) News Following an extensive search and interviews by the City Manager Selection Committee, the City of La Junta has named a finalist for the City Manager position. Patrick C. Comiskey is a seasoned municipal leader with extensive experience in city management and public administration. Over his distinguished career, he has managed diverse city operations and led transformative projects in multiple communities. As City Manager of Mount Dora, FL from 2021 to 2024, Patrick oversaw a city with a population of approximately 18,000 and an annual budget of $130 million.  READ THE FULL STORY AT SOUTHEAST COLORADO (SECO) NEWS