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CBS Colorado

If Alexander Mountain fire continues, evacuated Northern Colorado farmers say their livelihood is in jeopardy
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If Alexander Mountain fire continues, evacuated Northern Colorado farmers say their livelihood is in jeopardy

By Dillon Thomas | CBS Colorado A team of local farmers west of Loveland say the Alexander Mountain Fire could potentially ruin their source of income if it continues to grow to the east.  Those with the Eden Valley farm say they are under mandatory evacuation, and that has rid of their ability to work on their produce or harvest.  The farm is located only about a mile or two away from the fire, says Isaac Livingood, a manager of the team's farmers market outreach.  The group had just finished harvesting their crop for the week when the fire began. They gathered personal items quickly and loaded their refrigerated truck with the produce they had and headed east.  READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Stone Canyon Fire forces 600 animals to be evacuated from Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
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Stone Canyon Fire forces 600 animals to be evacuated from Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center

By Jennifer McRae | CBS Colorado The Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center had to act quickly on Tuesday when the Stone Canyon Fire grew close to its facility. Staff saw the flames peaking over the ridge located directly behind the center and decided to activate the emergency evacuation plan.  They had nearly 600 injured or orphaned animals living at the center including a raccoon, squirrel, songbirds, geese, ducks and bunnies. It took staff about an hour to get them all wrangled up and on their way to live at other centers.  The animals went to private animal rehabilitators until Thursday morning when they were given the all-clear to return to the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. They began with a goose that had surgery on Monday, and the baby bunnies because the...
Police chief who had worked for Lakeside since 1967 fired: ‘We have every reason to terminate immediately’
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Police chief who had worked for Lakeside since 1967 fired: ‘We have every reason to terminate immediately’

By Brian Maass | CBS Colorado At a special meeting Tuesday night, trustees for the Town of Lakeside voted to unanimously fire their police chief, Robert Gordanier, who had also served as mayor and fire chief and had worked for the town since 1967. The town also announced that Gordanier's daughter, Brenda Hamilton, who was town clerk but had also been indicted along with her father, had agreed to resign from her position.   "We have good reason to terminate," said Henry Schueller, one of the five trustees who voted to fire Gordanier. "There's a reason he was indicted," said Schueller. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Alexander Mountain fire triples in size to 990 acres in a day
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Alexander Mountain fire triples in size to 990 acres in a day

By Austen Erblat, Jesse Sarles, Dillon Thomas | CBS Colorado The Alexander Mountain Fire in Larimer County grew slowly overnight to around 990 acres on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire forced evacuations in Big Thompson Valley on Monday. What was initially reported at about 100 acres around 10:30 a.m. that day grew to 365 acres in a few hours and then 950 acres by the evening with 0% containment. Tuesday morning, Copter4 flew over the fire and captured images of the blaze on U.S. Forest Service land. The fire is currently about 20 miles west of Loveland. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Rock Church gets injunction to temporarily continue housing homeless in RVs
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Rock Church gets injunction to temporarily continue housing homeless in RVs

By Olivia Young | CBS Colorado A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction to a Colorado church that sued the town of Castle Rock after it was barred from sheltering the homeless. The judge's ruling allows the town to resume sheltering people on church property while the lawsuit proceeds, marking the first time since December that the town forced them to halt, citing a zoning violation. "So it's nothing fancy," said Mike Polhemus, pastor at the Rock Church, as he opened the door to an RV. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Police: In Westminster, burglars are surveilling business owners before breaking into their homes
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Police: In Westminster, burglars are surveilling business owners before breaking into their homes

By Gabriela Vidal | CBS Colorado Westminster police are warning the public about a growing burglary trend in which small business owners are being targeted at their homes. "It started a little bit towards the end of last year. We noticed when I was interviewing some victims. They started saying, 'Hey I own a small business, I'm wondering if this has anything to do with it,' and then we started putting the pieces together, and then it just evolved even further," said Detective Adam Lanning with the Westminster Police Department. Lanning says burglars are targeting small business owners by following them home, placing surveillance cameras at their homes, and studying their victims before finding the perfect time to burglarize their homes. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
RTD’s police chief placed on leave for ‘policy violations’, CEO says why is ‘none of your concern’
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RTD’s police chief placed on leave for ‘policy violations’, CEO says why is ‘none of your concern’

By Brian Maass, Karen Morfitt | CBS Colorado As the Regional Transportation District grapples with crime issues on buses and light rail trains in the Denver metro area, CBS News Colorado has learned that its Chief of Police and Emergency Management, Joel Fitzgerald Sr., has been placed on leave as an outside investigator looks into alleged "policy violations." Fitzgerald was hired to head RTD's police force in August 2022. In recent years, RTD doubled its police force and took additional steps to protect drivers and passengers. When asked about the leave, RTD CEO Debra Johnson said, "That is none of your concern." READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Steamboat Springs rallies to save senior living community: “Critical to the character of our community”
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Steamboat Springs rallies to save senior living community: “Critical to the character of our community”

By Spencer Wilson | CBS Colorado After falling into receivership, Casey's Pond, one of the only senior living communities of its kind for hundreds of miles, is now looking for an owner and tens of millions of dollars in order to stay operational.  That means that without help, the residents living at the facility will need to go somewhere else. Casey's Pond has the option for nursing care, independent living and levels in-between for senior citizens. It's cause for alarm -- not only for the employees and residents there but their families in town and the town itself. Steamboat Springs City Manager Gary Suiter said local organizations and fundraisers met Tuesday afternoon to assemble a team that will work towards producing the kind of cash needed to buy off the debt ...
Developer sues Castle Pines after City Council denied McDonald’s plan
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Developer sues Castle Pines after City Council denied McDonald’s plan

By Olivia Young | CBS Colorado In Castle Pines, a fight over a proposed McDonald's has escalated to a legal battle. Developers want to build a 3,671-square-foot McDonald's with a two-lane drive-through near Castle Pines Parkway and Lagae Road. It would be part of the soon-to-be-developed "Parkway Plaza," which has already been approved by the City Council. But in March, neighbors showed up in droves to the planning commission's meeting to speak out against the proposal. The commission denied the application and the issue was appealed to the City Council to be discussed at a May meeting, where community members again spoke out against the development. The Council voted 5-2 against the site improvement plan and was met with cheers from the audience. READ THE FULL STORY AT CB...
Thousands of Colorado janitors vote to authorize strike: “Denver depends on us, and we need livable wages”
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Thousands of Colorado janitors vote to authorize strike: “Denver depends on us, and we need livable wages”

By Tori Mason | CBS Colorado Colorado's largest janitorial strike since the 1990s could begin next week. SEIU Local 105 janitors across the Denver area voted "yes" Tuesday to authorize a strike. They hope to reach an agreement with cleaning companies by the time their contract expires Sunday. Service Employees International Union Local 105 says it was a unanimous 100% "yes" vote.  The negotiations affect over 2,000 janitors, 90% of whom are Latina women. "We're ready to fight for our families and our communities," said Eva Martinez, a janitor for the last 30 years working at Republic Plaza. "Denver depends on us, and we need livable wages, safe workplaces, and fair workloads." READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO