Mesa County

Congressman Jeff Hurd backs ICE enforcement: “We need to follow the law”

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) – “I don’t think this is a republican issue or democratic issue. This is an issue of economic security, national security, and we need to follow the law,” Congressman Jeff Hurd said.

Despite ongoing ICE protests across the country, the Department of Homeland Security said they will continue to crack on illegal immigration.

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A crisis of cradle and classroom: How Colorado’s baby bust is closing schools

Colorado’s classrooms are getting quieter – not because kids are learning, but because there are fewer of them. Across the state, dropping birth rates and shrinking enrollment are forcing schools to close, merge or sit half-empty. And the trend isn’t slowing down.

In May, the Common Sense Institute released a report warning that Colorado’s birth rate has been declining since 2005 and has fallen faster than the national average since 2011. The report projects the state will lose more than 15,000 children under age 18 by 2030 – roughly the equivalent of the entire Thompson R2-J school district.

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Don Jr. helps launch American Rights Alliance to fight for Tina Peters

Few names evoke as much passion—and as much injustice—as Tina Peters.

She is a Gold Star Mother, a cancer survivor, and a whistleblower whose only crime was fulfilling her oath. As the duly elected Clerk of Mesa County, Colorado, Tina uncovered what she believed were unlawful alterations and software deletions in her county’s election system. Her response wasn’t partisan—it was principled: preserve the records, protect the truth, and serve the people.

But the system she served didn’t protect her. It came after her like an angry mob.

Arrested. Raided. Vilified. Silenced.

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“Aptitude test for your rights?” Mesa County pushes back on SB3 in letter to the DOJ

Would you need a perfect GPA to speak your mind or worship freely? Mesa County officials say Colorado’s new gun law is treating the Second Amendment that way – and they’ve asked the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene.

In a three-page letter sent this month, the Mesa County Board of Commissioners urged federal authorities to investigate Senate Bill 25-003, calling it a “grotesque misuse of government power” that effectively imposes a discriminatory test on anyone wishing to lawfully own or carry a firearm.

The law, which takes effect in August 2026, requires residents to complete state-approved firearms training, score 90% on a written exam and obtain conditional approval from their sheriff’s office every five years in order to receive or renew a permit.

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“They didn’t think I had it”: Tina Peters on evidence, betrayal and faith behind bars

In a jailhouse visit marked by resilience, revelation and restrained emotion, former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters offered a window into the chapter of her life that has largely unfolded behind bars. 

For two-and-a-half hours on May 18, we sat across from each other in a controlled visitation room. No pens or paper were allowed, so what follows is drawn from a memory still sharp with immediacy, and a recorded voice memo I made in my truck just moments after we said goodbye.

Peters wore standard prison-issued clothing and a DOC patch with her name and inmate number sewn on. I bought her a cappuccino from the vending machine and a Butterfinger, which I had to unwrap and place on a paper plate before handing it to her across the table. She smiled and said it was a rare treat – something she doesn’t get to experience very often.

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Mail carrier admits to ballot theft, voter fraud in Mesa County election case

A Colorado U.S. postal worker has pleaded guilty to trying to rig the 2024 election, according to prosecutors who announced they reached a deal that may involve prison time.

The absurd case involved Vicki Stuart, a 64-year-old former employee of the U.S. Postal Service who on Monday admitted to forgery and identify theft in an attempt to steal ballots and cast votes in the names of other Americans during the 2024 election.

Stuart had been charged with 34 counts in connection with her ballot theft scheme, according to Colorado Public Radio. She and another woman in Mesa County allegedly stole dozens of mail-in ballots as they passed through her truck, opening and filling them out for their preferred candidate rather than delivering them to their intended recipients.

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

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.

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American Rights Alliance files amicus brief, backs Tina Peters’ habeas petition over political targeting

Denver, CO — Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters is seeking release from detention through a federal habeas corpus petition, alleging that her prosecution and incarceration violate federal law and her constitutional rights. The case, Tina Peters v. John Feyen and Philip J. Weiser, Civil Action No. 1:25-cv-00425-STV, is currently before U.S. District Court Judge Scott T. Varholak in the District of Colorado.

Peters, convicted at the state level for actions taken while serving as the chief election official for Mesa County during the 2020 election, is now challenging the legitimacy of her prosecution. Her legal team argues that her actions were not only lawful but mandated by her duties under federal law to preserve election records.

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Walcher: We built it, and they still won’t come

Building a new subdivision is complicated. Almost every city and county in America have master plans dictating “conforming uses” of land. Most specify lot and home sizes, rules for vehicle access, water supply, sewage disposal, flood control, affordable housing, and park space. Those are addressed in lengthy application processes and public hearings, all preceding building the infrastructure, and then the homes.

The National Association of Home Builders says government regulations account for 24 percent of the final price of new homes. Sixty percent of that comes during planning and development, only 40 percent during actual construction.

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