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Gun sales expected to surge in a likely anti-gun Harris Adminstration
denvergazette.com, National

Gun sales expected to surge in a likely anti-gun Harris Adminstration

By Paul Bedard | Washington Examiner Sales of guns took a temporary pause last month as the public headed into an Election Day that could determine the future of the Second Amendment. The FBI said background checks fell, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry group that parses those reports for sales numbers, said they were down about 5%. Still, NSSF said the market remains strong and recorded the 63rd consecutive month of sales over 1 million. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Copeland: Colorado’s sex-trafficking crisis, an intersection of immigration and crime
Commentary, denvergazette.com, State

Copeland: Colorado’s sex-trafficking crisis, an intersection of immigration and crime

By Dr. Tom Copeland | Commentary, Denver Gazette Immigration and crime are two of the top issues in this November’s election, according to polls. Where those two issues intersect tragically is sex trafficking, a $150 billion global industry. According to a recent investigative report by The Free Press, sex and labor trafficking of minors in the United States has more than tripled in the past four years — at least gauging by the number who have escaped slavery. That largely coincides with the opening of the southern border. Colorado is not immune to this trend. There is “market demand” for trafficked migrants; a recent bust in Florida arrested scores of johns, not just traffickers. Investigators with Shepherd’s Watch, a nonprofit which tracks commercial sex trends and identifies po...
Report: Venezuelan TDA gang ‘decided to make Denver their headquarters in the U.S.’
denvergazette.com, Local

Report: Venezuelan TDA gang ‘decided to make Denver their headquarters in the U.S.’

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette The Venezuelan prison gang known as Tren de Aragua (TdA) eyed Denver as its headquarters in the U.S., according to internal communications within the Aurora Police Department. The internal communications were citing federal intelligence reports.    “Intelligence from ICE is that TdA has decided to make Denver their headquarters in the U.S. and will be violent toward anyone who encroaches on their territory,” one police bulletin from October 2023 said. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Denver’s homeless population grew, despite tens of millions in spending to solve it
denvergazette.com, Local

Denver’s homeless population grew, despite tens of millions in spending to solve it

By Denver Gazette Staff via Colorado Politics Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's administration on Monday touted a "milestone" in his campaign against homelessness — the city has moved 2,000 homeless people to temporary shelters since he took office last year.  Johnston made it a priority to move 1,000 homeless people off of the city's streets and into hotel-turned shelters and "micro-communities" by the end of 2024. He vowed to bring another 1,000 people into shelters by the end of 2025. The mayor's office said that latest goal has also now been achieved.   READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
Denver teachers demanding cost-of-living increase in order to live in city
denvergazette.com, Local

Denver teachers demanding cost-of-living increase in order to live in city

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette Collette Simkins — a theater and visual arts teacher at West High School — works two extra part-time jobs just to live in the Cap Hill neighborhood near the campus she has taught at for three years. “I think it’s important to live in the community in which my students live,” said Simkins, 29. She — and the nearly 4,000 educators that the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) represents — was counting on a full cost-of-living increase this school year. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Polling centers open across Colorado as election quickly approaches
denvergazette.com, State

Polling centers open across Colorado as election quickly approaches

By Kyla Pearce | Denver Gazette Early in-person voting and drop boxes are available statewide starting Monday, with only two weeks to go until election day Nov. 5. Across Colorado, there are 365 voting centers and 433 drop boxes open to voters as of Monday morning, according to the Colorado Secretary of State. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. More information on candidates and issues can be found in the Colorado Politics Voter Guide. Voters in the state can register to vote and update their registration at GoVoteColorado.gov, and those who register by Oct. 28 will get a ballot in the mail. Mail-in ballots should be mailed by Oct. 28 to make sure they are received in time. Otherwise, ballots should be dropped off at a drop box or voting center. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DE...
How NOAA predicts La Niña could impact Colorado’s winter, drought conditions
denvergazette.com, State

How NOAA predicts La Niña could impact Colorado’s winter, drought conditions

By Jonathan Ingraham | Denver Gazette A slowly-developing and weak La Niña, wetter-than-average conditions in northern tier states and potentially drier-than-average conditions in the southwest are all forecast for winter 2024-25. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its US Winter Outlook for the winter period from November to February on Thursday. The agency said the October ENSO outlook calls for a 60% chance of La Niña emerging in the September, October, November time frame, and by November, December, January, the chance of La Niña increases to near 75%. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
More than $100,000 in damage caused to RTD light rail lines by copper thieves
denvergazette.com, Local

More than $100,000 in damage caused to RTD light rail lines by copper thieves

By Darren Whitehead | Denver Gazette, via 9 News Copper thieves have disrupted RTD light rail services and caused more than $100,000 in damage, according to RTD. The thefts have been ongoing since April. RTD said its police officers have responded to 21 instances of copper wire theft across its rail lines. The estimated total of the damages is $110,000, the agency said. The thefts are occurring overnight near track signals, switches and rail crossings, RTD said. The copper wire powers signals at rail crossings, as well as the the high-voltage circuits that power light rail trains' overhead wires. Each time theft occurs, rail services are disrupted until stolen wire can be replaced and repairs completed. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Aurora police searching for man in connection to 12 armed robberies
denvergazette.com, Local

Aurora police searching for man in connection to 12 armed robberies

By Sage Kelley | Denver Gazette Police asked for the public's help in identifying a suspect thought to be connected to 12 robberies throughout southeast Aurora. Most of the 12 reported armed robberies have happened in the area of South Chambers Road and Alameda Avenue after dark since late August, according to a social media post by the Aurora Police Department. The suspect has been targeting Hispanic individuals in the area, especially those who speak Spanish, police said. In one of the robberies, the suspect allegedly fired shots. In another, on Oct. 9, the Community College of Aurora CentreTech Campus was placed on secure perimeter as police searched for the man. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Whooping cough cases now back at pre-pandemic levels in Colorado, U.S.
denvergazette.com, State

Whooping cough cases now back at pre-pandemic levels in Colorado, U.S.

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette Highly contagious respiratory illness whooping cough is making a comeback in Colorado after three years of a significant decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rates of pertussis — colloquially referred to a “whooping cough” — in Colorado decreased roughly 80% from 2020 through 2023, but now appear to be returning to pre-pandemic levels. “We’ve seen an increase compared to what we saw in the pandemic,” said Grace Nelson, a disease intervention unit supervisor with the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment. “It’s kind of a return to baseline.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE