Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Public safety

Denver’s Spending Grew 60% in a Decade, But Revenues and Population Lagged Far Behind
Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

Denver’s Spending Grew 60% in a Decade, But Revenues and Population Lagged Far Behind

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Denver’s budget has grown sharply over the past ten years, far faster than its population and its ability to bring in tax dollars. A new analysis from the Common Sense Institute shows inflation-adjusted spending per resident rose about 60 percent since 2015. During that period, revenues grew more slowly, at about 40 percent, while the city’s population increased by less than 7 percent. The mismatch is why Denver now faces a projected $250 million gap over the next two years, even as officials push a $950 million bond proposal for housing, roads, and other projects. Spending Priorities Have Shifted Where the money goes has changed dramatically. Construction and infrastructure costs have ballooned, climbing more than elev...
When Justice Becomes Partisan, Freedom Dies
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

When Justice Becomes Partisan, Freedom Dies

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Picture, for a moment, a reversal of roles. Suppose a radical on the right assassinated one of the most visible voices on the left in front of live cameras. Imagine if, after that horror, crowds of conservatives cheered, called for more, and excused the violence as justified. Picture further attacks - one shouting slogans, another storming a newsroom, a sniper targeting a Planned Parenthood clinic - and all of them part of an ongoing pattern.  Would there be any question how the left would react? Their calls for action would be immediate, sweeping, and relentless. This thought experiment matters because it exposes a double standard. Violence should not be judged by the ideology of the perpetrator. Violence is viole...
Colorado teens hailed as heroes after Evergreen High School shooting
Axios Denver, Approved, Local

Colorado teens hailed as heroes after Evergreen High School shooting

By Alayna Alvarez | Axios Denver The two teenage boys wounded in the Sept. 10 Evergreen High School shooting were injured while trying to stop the alleged gunman and save other students' lives, according to new details from authorities. The big picture: The revelations highlight their bravery in the middle of a nine-minute attack that left two students hospitalized and the suspected shooter dead. The latest: Authorities on Thursday said the second victim was a 14-year-old boy, whose family has yet to release his name. The other victim, identified earlier this month, is 18-year-old Matthew Silverstone. Zoom in: The younger teen's family said he and a friend confronted the assailant face-to-face before the 14-year-old was shot at close...
FBI Says Michigan Church Shooting Was Targeted Attack Leaving Four Dead
Just The News, Approved, National

FBI Says Michigan Church Shooting Was Targeted Attack Leaving Four Dead

By Nicholas Ballasy | Just the News Multiple victims have been injured in a shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on Sunday, according to police. The FBI called a gunman's assault on a Mormon church in Michigan on Sunday a "targeted attack" as the death toll rose to four as more victims were found in the charred remains of the chapel. Police said eight were also wounded when 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford rammed his car into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Mich., then opened gunfire and set fires. Sanford, a former Marine who served in Iraq, was killed during a gunfight with officers, Police Chief William Reyne said. Reyne did not specify a motive at a news conference on Sunday evening. The FBI ...
Bomb Squad Called After Suspicious Device Forces School Closures in Brush
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Bomb Squad Called After Suspicious Device Forces School Closures in Brush

By Allie Jennerjahn | Denver7 The Greeley Bomb Squad will be on campus early Monday morning to remove the device. BRUSH, Colo. — A "suspicious device" has closed down Brush School District, and an investigation is underway Monday morning. The Greeley Bomb Squad will be on campus early Monday morning to remove the device. Until that happened, no staff or students were allowed on campus. "This means there will be no classes for any grade level on Monday. All staff should not report to work, and all athletic practices and on-site events scheduled for Monday are cancelled. School facilities will be closed to the public," Superintendent Marsha Cody said in a statement on the district website. Later Monday, the Brush School District posted an update to Facebook that...
Adams County’s “unprecedented” pet surge: Five hoarding probes push shelter past 540 animals
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Adams County’s “unprecedented” pet surge: Five hoarding probes push shelter past 540 animals

By Adria Iraheta | Denver7 The Riverdale Animal Shelter has received mass intakes from five investigations in the past two months. Denver7 spoke with shelter officials about how you can help. BRIGHTON, Colo. — The Riverdale Animal Shelter in Brighton is looking to the community for support after receiving hundreds of animals from multiple hoarding cases over the past two months. On Wednesday alone, the shelter took in more than 100 animals from a home in the 14600 block of Umpire Street in unincorporated Adams County as part of an animal cruelty investigation. No arrests have been made, according to Sergeant Shea Haney with the Adams County Sheriff's Office. “Upon execution of the search warrant, they seized about 101 animals from the property," Haney told Denver7. "Sugar glide...
Cherry Creek State Park crime surge prompts overnight closure for non-campers
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Cherry Creek State Park crime surge prompts overnight closure for non-campers

By Robert Garrison | Denver7 Local residents say the park’s condition has worsened CHERRY CREEK STATE PARK, Colo. — Park officials said that an increase in crime and large parties has led to the decision to close Cherry Creek State Park overnight. A Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson stated that park rangers have observed an increase in after-dark, unpermitted parties in the park. CPW said these gatherings have led to an increase in vandalism, trash, and noise violations within the park. Due to these concerns, park rangers said the state park will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The only visitors allowed in the park during this time are campers, who must present their camping reservations to gain entry. Local residents say the park’s condition has worsened, and ...
Trump closes commercial trucking loophole after deadly crashes involving illegal immigrant drivers
The Daily Signal, Approved, National

Trump closes commercial trucking loophole after deadly crashes involving illegal immigrant drivers

By Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell | The Daily Signal Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced a plan Friday to prevent illegal aliens from driving commercial trucks in the United States. “The process for issuing [commercial drivers’ licenses] is absolutely 100% broken,” Duffy said at a press conference. “It has become a threat to public safety, and it is a national emergency that requires action right. https://twitter.com/TheElizMitchell/status/1971572076030152982 The announcement comes after an illegal alien truck driver killed three people in a Florida traffic crash while making an illegal U-turn. He apparently was not able to understand the street signs. California had issued the commercial driver’s license. “The combination of a catastrophic failure of states t...
Brave Teen Stood Up to Evergreen High School Shooter, Saved Classmates
kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Brave Teen Stood Up to Evergreen High School Shooter, Saved Classmates

By Heather Willard | KDVR FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — The family of a 14-year-old boy who was shot during the Sept. 10 shooting at Evergreen High School has shared a lengthy statement, saying their son was injured when confronting the shooter. “On September 10th, inside Evergreen High School, our 14-year-old son endured the unimaginable: a face-to-face encounter with a violent school shooter filled with anger and hatred,” the family wrote, shared by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in a press release. “Our child suffered traumatic gunshot injuries and has remained hospitalized and undergone multiple surgeries since the incident.” The boy will remain unnamed as the family wishes to remain confidential, according to the sheriff’s office. The other victim shot in the incident, 18-year...
UNC Dorm Gun Case Spurs Sheriff’s Push to Fix Colorado Competency Loophole
kdvr.com, Approved, Local

UNC Dorm Gun Case Spurs Sheriff’s Push to Fix Colorado Competency Loophole

By Heather Willard, Vicente Arenas | KDVR FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — A man accused of carrying a long gun onto the University of Northern Colorado’s campus in Greeley appeared in court on Thursday for a bond hearing, just weeks after he was released from the Weld County Jail. Ephraim Debisa, 21, was released from jail on Sept. 8 after he was found not competent to stand trial in an attempted murder case, as is required by Colorado law. When he was released, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning to the community, calling Debisa “dangerous” and highlighting his alleged previous violent actions. On Wednesday, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office announced Debisa was re-arrested at his home after a report of him inside a UNC residence hall holding a long gun on Tuesday. Accordin...