Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Mesa County

Mesa County authorities arrest Caprock Academy employee for sexual exploitation of child charges
KJCT-TV ABC 8, Approved, Local

Mesa County authorities arrest Caprock Academy employee for sexual exploitation of child charges

By Kacie Sinton | KJCT News 8 GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - An employee of Caprock Academy is behind bars at the Mesa County Jail today after being arrested on the charge of sexual exploitation of a child. 45-year-old Shane Chatfield was reported to police on September 11, when the Grand Junction Police Department was informed that an adult man had allegedly sent inappropriate text messages to another adult man who had been pretending to be a child. Chatfield had also allegedly tried to arrange a meet-up, according to authorities. Chatfield appeared in custody over Zoom on September 17. The judge ordered a cash-only bond of $20,000. In addition to the bond, Chatfield is not allowed to use social media or dating apps or contact minors, and his electronic usage will be monitored. ...
“God’s timing, not mine”: Rose Pugliese on closing one chapter and trusting what comes next
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

“God’s timing, not mine”: Rose Pugliese on closing one chapter and trusting what comes next

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice  Rose Pugliese describes her resignation from the Colorado House as one of the hardest decisions of her life, shaped by prayer, sacrifice —  and the voices of her children. “I truly want to follow God’s path and I think part of God’s path for me now is making sure I prioritize my children,” she explained. For the House minority leader and single mom, that path now means stepping back from the Capitol and returning to Mesa County. Her choice, effective Sept. 15, came during a week she described as overwhelming — from the Evergreen school shooting to the assassination of Charlie Kirk to the grief of 9/11 remembrances.  What finally cut through the politics was a child’s honesty. “Mommy, we feel like you’re not OK, and we want you t...
Minority Leader Pugliese resigns from House: “I want more than anything to follow God’s path”
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Minority Leader Pugliese resigns from House: “I want more than anything to follow God’s path”

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Rocky Mountain Voice received a resignation letter late Sunday night from Rep. Rose Pugliese (El Paso County), announcing she will step down as Colorado House Minority Leader and from her District 14 seat effective Sept. 15. Pugliese, who rose to the top Republican leadership post in her first term after Mike Lynch’s 2024 resignation, wrote that her faith guided her decision. “If you wanted peace, you had to follow God’s path. I want more than anything to follow God’s path. I needed to understand what that path was for me in this time of my life,” she said. She explained that the message came during a homily after the special session, when she prayed for clarity. Her letter describes a painful end to that session. “The last day of Special Ses...
The Courage of a Calling
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

The Courage of a Calling

By Bobbie Daniel | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Twelve years ago, I made my first trip to Washington, D.C. I was expecting my third child at the time, and as I walked through the memorials, the words carved in stone seemed to speak directly to me. At the Jefferson Memorial, I knew I wasn’t alone. At the Lincoln Memorial, I sensed the weight of a calling I couldn’t yet name.  Their words reached across centuries with clarity and conviction, and I remember thinking: people don’t talk like this anymore. Yet something in my soul stirred. God was preparing me, though I didn’t yet know for what. In scripture, the callings of ordinary people are always marked by courage. Moses had to confront Pharaoh with only a staff in his hand. Esther risked her life to plead for her pe...
Public safety or politics? Mesa County sues Polis over sanctuary crackdown
The Daily Caller, Approved, State

Public safety or politics? Mesa County sues Polis over sanctuary crackdown

By Jason Hopkins | Daily Caller One of Colorado’s biggest counties is taking on the state’s “unconstitutional” sanctuary law after it was used to crack down on a sheriff’s deputy who helped federal immigration authorities. The Board of Mesa County Commissioners is moving forward with its lawsuit against a Democrat-led sanctuary law that prohibits local law enforcement in Colorado from sharing personal information about a foreign national with federal immigration authorities, the Daily Caller News Foundation confirmed. The lawsuit was filed after state officials sued a Mesa County sheriff’s deputy for helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and effectively forced him out of the job. “The Constitution makes clear that immigration is a federal responsibility, not something ...
Immigration arrest lawsuit dismissed against Mesa County deputy
Fox31, Approved, Local

Immigration arrest lawsuit dismissed against Mesa County deputy

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — A lawsuit filed against a Mesa County Sheriff’s Office deputy who may have shared information with federal agents that led to a 19-year-old Utah student’s arrest has been dropped. The case was filed by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office after Mesa County Deputy Andrew Zwinck allegedly shared details of a traffic stop in a group message that included members of Homeland Security Investigations, leading to the detention of Caroline Dias-Goncalves on June 5. Previous reporting: Mesa County Sheriff’s Office investigation finds ‘disturbing’ messages in drug chat Dias-Goncalves, 19, has no criminal record and was attending the University of Utah on a merit scholarship. In Colorado, local and state law enforcement and peace office...
Peters Claims First Amendment Rights Violated in Bond Denial
State, Approved, The Daily Sentinel

Peters Claims First Amendment Rights Violated in Bond Denial

By Sam Klomhaus | The Daily Sentinel Attorneys for former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters argued in a briefing filed Tuesday that Peters’ has been prosecuted in violation of her First Amendment right, and that a federal court is allowed to grant her request for bail pending appeal. The filing asks for Peters to be released from custody. She is serving a nine-year sentence at the La Vista Correctional Facility in Pueblo. Peters was convicted of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, one count of official misconduct and one count of failure to comply with the secretary of state, and sentenced to nine years of incarceration in October 2024 after she was accused of allowing an unauthorized person to enter a sec...
Sheriff’s Deputy Resigns Amid Colorado Law Enforcement Debate
Colorado Public Radio, Approved, Local

Sheriff’s Deputy Resigns Amid Colorado Law Enforcement Debate

By: Tom Hesse | Colorado Public Radio The Mesa County Sheriff’s Deputy who tipped off federal immigration officials about a college student’s immigration status has resigned. Alexander Zwinck had been placed on unpaid leave by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office for violating state law that limits what information local law enforcement can share with immigration officials. Zwinck pulled over 19-year-old Caroline Dias Goncalves in June for following a semi-truck too closely. During the stop, Zwinck alerted federal officials of her immigration status via a Signal chat intended for drug interdiction cases called “GJ Highway Hitters.” Dias Goncalves was born in Brazil. After Zwinck let her leave with a warning, she was stopped later down the road by federal agents. She was detained for t...
Hard work pays off: District 51 sees strong gains in statewide test scores
KKCO-TV Grand Junction, Approved, Local

Hard work pays off: District 51 sees strong gains in statewide test scores

By Gabriela Chay | KKCO 11 News GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) -The Colorado Department of Education released district-level CMAS and PSAT/SAT scores for the 2024-25 school year. District 51 saw strong academic gains in its test scores. According to D51, elementary students (Grades 3-5) are above state averages in five of six literacy and math CMAS categories. Middle schools (Grades 6-8) haven’t yet matched state levels in literacy and math, but D51 said they’re continuing to invest resources and support to help build momentum in the future. At the high school level, students met or exceeded the rest of the state in all literacy categories and three out of six math categories on the PSAT and SAT. “I’m super proud of our staff. We’ve had some challenges over the last few years, but t...
Colorado justice didn’t decide Tina Peters’ fate, it was the deep state
Joehoft.com, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado justice didn’t decide Tina Peters’ fate, it was the deep state

By Martel Maxim | JoeHoft.com There’s nothing more disgusting than a ‘Dirty Cop’ operating under the ‘Color of Law’, and the Deep State employs many of them.  The same goes for anyone elected or appointed into a position of power who secretly functions as a ‘Dirty Cop’, as they are betraying the people they are supposed to be serving. In Colorado, a Mafia-esque infiltration of criminals have largely taken over the government.  They hide behind a curtain of virtue, while destroying the beams that structurally support Colorado justice.  Their mission in Colorado is to portray the machine-based election system as a “Gold Standard” suitable for the nation, while they deceptively serve as the epicenter of manipulation for stealing the will of the people.  Their weapon ...