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Sheriff: Alexander Mountain fire burned more than two dozen structures
denvergazette.com, Local

Sheriff: Alexander Mountain fire burned more than two dozen structures

By Alexander Edwards | Denver Gazette The Alexander Mountain fire destroyed more than two dozen structures, according to Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. The structures, most outbuildings and homes, are in the immediate area of Palisade Mountain Drive and Snow Top Drive.  The blaze burning eight miles west of Loveland grew to more than 8,100 acres Thursday and remained less than 5% contained. Emergency services personnel were able to enter several neighborhoods hit by the fire. Damage assessment teams will start a more thorough assessment of the damage Friday morning and begin to inform property owners when that process is complete.  READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER GAZETTE
Colorado Democrat Jason Crow named to U.S. House task force investigating Trump assassination attempt
denvergazette.com, State

Colorado Democrat Jason Crow named to U.S. House task force investigating Trump assassination attempt

By Ernest Luning | Denver Gazette Congressional leaders on Monday named Colorado's U.S. Rep. Jason Crow to a bipartisan House task force charged with investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Crow, a decorated Army Ranger veteran and member of the House Intelligence Committee, will serve as the lead Democrat on the 13-member panel, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries announced. “We have the utmost confidence in this bipartisan group of steady, highly qualified, and capable members of Congress to move quickly to find the facts, ensure accountability, and help make certain such failures never happen again,” Johnson and Jeffries said in a joint statement. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Plan to redevelop Evans School property approved by Denver City Council
denvergazette.com, Local

Plan to redevelop Evans School property approved by Denver City Council

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette The Denver City Council on Monday approved an urban redevelopment taxing plan to give a face lift to one of Denver’s historic landmarks in the Golden Triangle neighborhood. The council voted 10-1 to approve the Evans School Urban Redevelopment Plan, which focuses on redeveloping the interior of Evans School, a 120-year-old building that was built as an elementary school. Since 1974, the building has sat dormant at 11th Avenue and Acoma Street. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
More than 100 poultry workers likely exposed to avian flu, Colorado health officials say
denvergazette.com, State

More than 100 poultry workers likely exposed to avian flu, Colorado health officials say

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette State health workers distributed antiviral medication earlier this week to more than 150 workers who were potentially exposed to poultry infected with avian flu at a commercial egg facility in Weld County. Last week, state officials tested more than 50 symptomatic workers, Annemarie Harper, a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment spokesperson, said in an email to The Denver Gazette. At least four poultry workers have tested positive for avian flu. A fifth is case is presumed positive, pending confirmation. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Denver voters will decide whether to allow non-citizens to serve as police, firefighters
denvergazette.com, Local

Denver voters will decide whether to allow non-citizens to serve as police, firefighters

By Alexander Edwards | Denver Gazette Non-citizens are one step closer to being able to apply to become a Denver police officer or firefighter after the City Council unanimously approved a ballot measure seeking to change the city charter during Monday’s meeting. The proposed charter change requiring police and fire departments to drop a requirement that applicants be a U.S. citizen must be approved in November by voters, who face an increasingly dense ballot.  Monday’s proposed charter change will allow immigrants of “legal status” to serve as Denver police officers and firefighters, bringing the city in line with employment discrimination laws, according to Councilmember Jamie Torres. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Broncos Hall of Fame RB Terrell Davis allegedly detained by 6 FBI agents over cup of ice on flight
denvergazette.com, State

Broncos Hall of Fame RB Terrell Davis allegedly detained by 6 FBI agents over cup of ice on flight

By Jonathan Ingraham | Denver Gazette Denver Broncos Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis was detained by FBI agents over the weekend after an incident during a commercial plane flight, according to Terrell Davis' Instagram social media account. The incident occurred on a United Airlines flight from Denver to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. According to Davis, during beverage service his son had politely requested a cup of ice, however, either the flight attendant didn't hear his son's request or ignored the request, and continued past the Davis' row. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
For third time since 2019, Jefferson Co. voters will weigh in on elimination of TABOR refunds
denvergazette.com, Local

For third time since 2019, Jefferson Co. voters will weigh in on elimination of TABOR refunds

By Anya Moore | Denver Gazette For the third time in five years, Jefferson County's elected officials are asking voters to allow the local government to spend all of the revenue that it collects above the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights limit, thereby eliminating refunds to taxpayers.  For fiscal year 2024, that refund amount is estimated to be $54.4 million. Last year, the county refunded $39.4 million to roughly 210,000 property taxpayers. The county's voters rejected the idea twice — in 2019 and 2022 — but the county's commissioners this month insisted that, after "engaging" with the public through "both qualitative and quantitative research," voters need to decide the question again.   READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Despite uptick in production, Colorado oil industry still faces uncertainty, is wary of regulations
denvergazette.com, State

Despite uptick in production, Colorado oil industry still faces uncertainty, is wary of regulations

By Scott Weiser | Denver Gazette Though oil production in Colorado has inched up this year, the state has still not recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic — and the industry is blaming regulations as the culprit.   Colorado oil producers said changing regulations has whipsawed the industry and they are struggling to cope with uncertainty that is slowing the recovery from the days of the COVID-19 shutdowns.  “We have undergone a massive amount of regulatory changes in rule makings since the governor signed Senate Bill 181 into law in 2019,” Dan Haley, president and CEO of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association told The Denver Gazette. “We have about 10 new rule makings on the books for this year alone across three different agencies. All businesses need certainty. W...
Aurora police preparing to roll out auto theft tracking program
denvergazette.com, Local

Aurora police preparing to roll out auto theft tracking program

By Kyla Pearce | Denver Gazette Aurora Police Department is preparing to roll out a new tracking program that would enable officials to locate stolen cars. The goal is to spread the program, called Metro Track, across the region to make it more powerful, APD Division Chief Mark Hildebrand said at a Thursday Public Safety, Courts and Civil Service Committee meeting. Metro Track, done in collaboration with the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Agency (CATPA), is based on a similar program in Cook County, Illinois, and another similar program in Denver, called DenverTrack, Hildebrand said. Those interested in participating in the program can enroll with the police department, giving officers consent to track the car in the event that it gets stolen. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER ...
Douglas County approves $312K senior transportation services grant, but at less than requested
denvergazette.com, Local

Douglas County approves $312K senior transportation services grant, but at less than requested

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette Douglas County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $312,728 grant for providing transport services to seniors and people with disabilities. However, the grant is more than $250,000 less than what the county’s Community Development Department requested for six months ago — thus severely limiting the number of one-way trips provided for people who need the service. Back in January, Douglas County requested $453,000 from the Denver Regional Council of Governments, which is a "planning organization where local governments collaborate to establish guidelines, set policy and allocate funding in the areas of transportation, personal mobility, growth and development, and aging and disability resources," according to its website. Douglas County req...