Local

Hunter: A Colorado pastor plants seeds of truth in faraway soil

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

In Northeast India’s Ukhrul region, a small college is doing big work. Wung Theological College was built to make theological education accessible to those who’ve gone without it for too long.

Founded officially in July 2022 after years of vision, planning, and a delay caused by the global pandemic, WTC is already making a difference. Its first offering – a Pastors’ Refresher Course – graduated 55 local pastors trained in mission, counseling, homiletics, and church administration. Since then, the college has launched Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) and Master of Divinity (M.Div.) programs and now serves 37 students with the help of five full-time faculty and more than twenty visiting professors.

Hunter: A Colorado pastor plants seeds of truth in faraway soil Read More »

SB276 would fine deputies $50K for helping ICE—Sheriff Mikesell says enough is enough

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local, State / / , , , , , , ,

Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell is so concerned about the effects of Colorado Senate Bill #276 he appealed in a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week.

The bill, if signed by Gov. Jared Polis, prohibits law enforcement from sharing information with the federal government about illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.

At issue is the bill’s interference with Mikesell’s 287(g) agreement with ICE.

SB276 would fine deputies $50K for helping ICE—Sheriff Mikesell says enough is enough Read More »

Denver’s not just going to the dogs—it’s leaving children behind

Westword, Approved, Local / / , , , , ,

Denver is no longer a cowtown. It’s a dog city.

Long known as a hub for livestock, Denver has corraled several more amenities over the years. Outdoor sports, craft beer, legal weed, live music and a wave of tech jobs have attracted travelers and transplants alike. But those who stay in this city must acknowledge its four-legged rulers, whether you own one or not.

Denver’s not just going to the dogs—it’s leaving children behind Read More »

Colorado native charged in attempted firebomb attack on American Embassy in Israel

kdvr.com, Approved, Local, National / / , , , ,

NEW YORK (AP) — A dual U.S. and German citizen originally from Colorado has been arrested on charges that he traveled to Israel and attempted to firebomb the branch office of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, officials said Sunday.

Colorado native charged in attempted firebomb attack on American Embassy in Israel Read More »

Fighting for a country that doubted them—but never broke them

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local, National / / , , , , , , , ,

In his 99 years on the planet, Ken Akune has been sorted into many bins.

The first was Nisei, the term for second-generation Japanese Americans born in the United States. Akune had lived in both the United States and Japan and his family was divided between the two.

The second bin was “evacuee.”

That was the term given to 18-year-old Akune, his brother Harry and 7,000 other Japanese Americans shipped out to the Granada Relocation Center in Colorado at the start of World War II because of worries about their loyalty. Franklin Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 forcibly removed them from their home on the West Coast to a remote plain of sage and dust in southeastern Colorado, known simply as Amache.

Fighting for a country that doubted them—but never broke them Read More »

‘A place where silence speaks volumes’: Fort Logan among top Memorial Day sites honoring the fallen

kdvr.com, Approved, Local, National / / , , , , , ,

DENVER (KDVR) — It’s Memorial Day Weekend, and all across the United States, citizens will travel to National Cemeteries to pay tribute to the lives of friends, family, community members or even complete strangers who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the U.S. military.

Crowds of people will gather in the burial grounds, but not a peep will be heard as a moment of silence is held for the fallen.

‘A place where silence speaks volumes’: Fort Logan among top Memorial Day sites honoring the fallen Read More »

Colorado gets 210 year sentence for sexual abuse of boys at Haiti orphanage

kdvr.com, Approved, Local, National / / , , , , , ,

DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado man received a sentence of 210 years in prison for sexually abusing numerous children in care at the orphanage he founded and directed in Haiti, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.

The man, identified as 73-year-old Michael Karl Geilenfeld, most recently lived in Littleton. He founded St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in Haiti in 1985.

Colorado gets 210 year sentence for sexual abuse of boys at Haiti orphanage Read More »

Memorial Day at Fort Carson reminds us what freedom truly costs

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local / / , , , ,

The first Fort Carson soldier to die in Iraq, Pfc. Jesse Givens, wrote those highly relatable words in his journal. And while his time in the Army was short, his sentiments resonate today, said Fort Carson’s Maj. Gen. David Doyle during a Thursday morning ceremony ahead of Memorial Day. 

“I took an oath to protect my country, not for the sake of saving the world, but for the hopes that my family wouldn’t have to live in a world filled with hate, fear or sadness, a world in which America can triumph,” Doyle said, quoting Givens’ journal. 

Givens died when his tank plunged into the Euphrates River, the general said. The soldier who had served for 15 months was recovered with a small pressed flower from Colorado with him.

Givens’ story is one of 407 represented by names on the memorial stones outside of Gate 1 — all died in the Global War on Terrorism from 2003 through 2019 from Fort Carson. Nationally, more than 7,000 service members died in the conflict. 

Doyle said he expects to spend the weekend remembering those he knew who died in the conflict and he encouraged others to take a moment to also reflect on the sacrifices of service members. 

“When I think about those soldiers that I served with who did not come home, I remember what made them excellent. I remember what made them the best in our country,” he said.

Memorial Day at Fort Carson reminds us what freedom truly costs Read More »

Denver Public Schools leased schools through shell corporation, hiding almost $1B in off-book financing

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local / / , , , ,

Denver Public Schools has quietly taken on hundreds of millions of dollars in long-term debt without voter approval — money that could otherwise be used to lower class sizes, increase teacher pay or expand student support services, an investigation by The Denver Gazette has found.

The spending comes as contract negotiations between the district and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) have stalled, with union leaders pointing to the district’s failure to fully fund last year’s cost-of-living adjustment.

Educators have repeatedly called for smaller class sizes, better compensation and stronger student support — the very priorities that advocates say are undermined by rising lease payments tied to long-term debt.

To bypass the Colorado Constitution’s ban on assuming public debt without voter approval, DPS officials employed a workaround widely used in public finance circles but little understood by the public: transferring ownership of schools to a corporation, then leasing the buildings back for hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Denver Public Schools leased schools through shell corporation, hiding almost $1B in off-book financing Read More »

“I feel trauma”: Former Denver Democrat says migrants brought violence, backs Trump

GB News, Approved, Local / / , , , , , , , , ,

A Denver resident who once advocated for immigrant rights has revealed how her political allegiance shifted from the Democrats to Donald Trump due to concerns over crime and border security.

Speaking to GB News, the woman explained her dramatic change of heart: “I was planning on voting for Kamala Harris but I could not bring myself to do it. If it was not for Donald Trump, we might still be living next to gang members because everything changed after he was elected.”

“I feel trauma”: Former Denver Democrat says migrants brought violence, backs Trump Read More »