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The $5 million shadow ledger: Pueblo Democrats’ HQ funded by bingo, not disclosed in filings

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A building paid for with bingo money. A political party using it as their headquarters. And more than $5 million in unreported financial activity that, to date, no one has answered for.

That’s the core of Pueblo resident Jonathan Ambler’s ongoing legal challenge against the Pueblo County Democratic Party and its Central Committee. Ambler, a former Republican candidate, filed two complaints last fall alleging the party used a bingo-funded building for years without reporting it in TRACER.

After the Colorado Secretary of State dismissed both complaints in April, Ambler – without an attorney – petitioned the Denver District Court for judicial review.

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Gimelshteyn: CPAN files federal complaint over D70’s deceptive TRAILS program violating rights

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On April 25th, the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network (CPAN) filed a formal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), urging an investigation into Pueblo County School District 70 (D70) and its use of the “Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students Social Emotional Learning” (TRAILS) program. 

Our complaint is a direct response to the district’s reckless decision to embed this program into classrooms without parental consent, without transparency, and in direct violation of federal law.

TRAILS, which was deceptively marketed as a “gift” to the district, is directly connected to the Tides Foundation, a radical political nonprofit. Under TRAILS, students are subjected to mental health screenings, data collection on their emotions and coping skills, and exposure to controversial content, including advertisements promoting organizations like Trans Lifeline.

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18 flagged for deportation after Colorado Springs nightclub raid, 86 remain in ICE custody

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A spokesperson with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has confirmed that 18 people who were taken into custody on April 27 as part of a major raid on an unlicensed Colorado Springs nightclub had previously been ordered to be deported.

According to the ICE spokesperson Thursday, 18 of the 104 individuals detained in the raid were “subject to a final order of removal.”

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Friday vigil and fundraiser planned as Weld County mourns teacher killed in tragic car crash

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DENVER (KDVR) — Community members are planning to gather for a vigil in honor of a beloved middle school teacher who was killed in a crash in Weld County.

Christine Schwarz, a 57-year-old seventh-grade science teacher at La Salle North Valley Middle School, was one of three people who were killed in a crash on April 30.

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District 51’s master plan delivers first wins with taxpayer-focused school upgrades

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Mesa County Valley School District 51 continues to advance its 25-year Facility Master Plan, a comprehensive roadmap initiated in 2023 to address the district’s long-term infrastructure needs.

At the Grand Junction Economic Summit on April 25, District 51 Superintendent Brian Hill discussed the district’s success in developing the facility master plan as a way to communicate with the community, provide updates on capital funding needs and establish a consistent approach to securing and responsibly utilizing funding for the projects.

District 51’s master plan delivers first wins with taxpayer-focused school upgrades Read More »

School board in El Paso County moves to restrict transgender athletes, citing safety and fairness

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At an April school board meeting near Colorado Springs, debate raged over a proposed policy to ban transgender students from playing on school sports teams that match their gender identity.

A high school student named Sadie, who spoke against the policy, asked why her district would need a blanket policy when a tiny percentage of student athletes are transgender.

A 60-year-old man who supported the policy and described himself as stronger than any woman in the building claimed a transgender girl could slam a ball into a girl’s head hard enough to put her in the hospital.

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Colorado gives $8 million tax credit to fuel “clean iron” plant in Jefferson County

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A Boulder company with a patented method to take most of the carbon emissions out of the energy-intensive iron and steelmaking process will use $8 million from the inaugural state industrial tax credit to build a manufacturing plant in Jefferson County, officials said Tuesday. 

The patented process produces “clean” industrial iron at the temperature of a cup of coffee, rather than the 1,200-degree Fahrenheit furnaces traditionally used in iron and steelmaking, according to Electrasteel Inc, known as Electra. Currently employing more than 130 people, Electra uses an electrochemical process and hopes to cut 30% or more of the carbon emissions from traditional production.

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114 laid off from federal energy lab in Golden as Biden-era programs face scrutiny

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DENVER (KDVR) — On Monday, 114 employees of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory were “involuntarily separated” from the agency.

The mass layoff was confirmed in an email from an NREL spokesperson, who said NREL is dealing with “a complex financial and operational landscape shaped by the issuance of stop work orders from federal agencies, new federal directives, and budgetary shifts.”

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Northeast Colorado judge resigns after allegations of undisclosed ties to former client

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A judge from northeastern Colorado resigned at the end of Wednesday, and, in doing so, admitted to allegations that he used his position to aid a friend in her court case and did not disclose his personal connection in other cases involving that friend.

District Court Judge Justin B. Haenlein presided in the 13th Judicial District of Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Washington, Yuma and Kit Carson counties. He had been off the bench since the Colorado Supreme Court suspended him in November, pending a disciplinary investigation.

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Members left in the dark: LPEA board spends big while margins shrink and bills climb

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories / / , , , ,

When La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) members open their May power bills, most will see the effects of a 7.72% rate increase that quietly took effect April 1. While LPEA’s board says the hike is needed to cover infrastructure and supply costs, many members are beginning to ask harder questions – not just about what they’re paying, but about how their cooperative is being run.

Members left in the dark: LPEA board spends big while margins shrink and bills climb Read More »