The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel: No qualms over hire
If the Grand Valley understands one thing, it’s that local governing boards can be just as fractious as Congress itself, even if partisanship rarely factors into their disputes.
We’re referring to well-publicized controversies surrounding the Grand Junction Regional Airport Authority and the Grand Valley Drainage District.
The airport, with turnover to its board, has managed to put most of its chaos in the rearview mirror. But the drainage district is still in the midst of a legal challenge to a fee structure it authorized in 2015 to deal with stormwater runoff. Mesa County and the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce sued the district over the charges, which both entities claim is a tax in need of voter approval. Mesa County District Judge Lance Timbreza presided over a bench trial last June, but still has yet to rule on whether the fee passes constitutional muster.
How many federal employees have been furloughed in Colorado?
The Denver Gazette
the-denver-gazette@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 hour ago
It remains unclear how many federal employees have been furloughed or fired following the failure of Democrats and Republicans to reach a deal to fund government operations. The federal government officially shut down at 10:01 p.m. on Tuesday in Colorado....
Jeff Crank’s Democratic challenger Jessica Killin tops $1 million in 3rd quarter in Colorado’s 5th CD
Ernest Luning
ernest.luning@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 59 minutes ago
Colorado Springs Democrat Jessica Killin, an Army veteran and former chief of staff to second gentleman Doug Emhoff, raised more than $1 million in the initial quarter of her campaign to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank in Colorado’s 5th...
Montezuma County judge says ‘imperfect decisions’ do not justify disciplinary authorities’ ‘overreach’
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 hours ago
A Montezuma County judge responded on Monday to the allegations of misconduct against him, arguing any poor decisions he may have made did not justify his removal from office and further insisting he did not lie to disciplinary officials. In...
Colorado’s competency backlog costs state millions each year, report finds
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 hours ago
Colorado’s growing competency backlog for criminal defendants is costing the state millions of dollars in fines each year and jeopardizing public safety, according to a new report by the think tank Common Sense Institute. The report, published on Thursday, found...
Colorado’s federal courts announce preparations if shutdown is prolonged
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 7 hours ago
The federal trial and appeals courts headquartered in Denver have announced anticipated changes to their operations should the lapse in congressional appropriations be prolonged, with Oct. 17 being a critical date for the judiciary. In an Oct. 1 letter to...
Colorado bingo night: It’s all about the prizes, not so much the charity
David Migoya
david.migoya@gazette.com
Updated 5 hours ago
It’s a Thursday night at Bingo Oasis in Northglenn. Located on the outer edge of a nondescript strip mall just west of I-25, it has a simple façade sign advertising what goes on behind the mirrored and postered windows: BINGO. ...
Colorado allocates $7.5M for food assistance program for women and children amid federal shutdown
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 21 hours ago
The federal government shutdown prompted the Colorado General Assembly’s budget writers to take action on Tuesday, allocating additional funds to the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) food program. The state portion of the federal program falls under the Department of...
Air Force Academy, Peterson and Schriever to see closures during shutdown
Mary Shinn
mary-shinn@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 hours ago
The Air Force Academy and Peterson and Schriever Space Force Bases announced Wednesday that some functions are closed because some civilian employees are furloughed. The academy announced on its website that the planetarium will not host any public shows and...
Colorado lawmakers trade blame over federal government shutdown, call on the other side to bend
Ernest Luning
ernest.luning@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 20 hours ago
Colorado’s Democratic and Republican lawmakers dug in Wednesday, as the federal government entered its first shutdown in nearly seven years after Congress failed to approve rival stopgap spending plans put forward by the two parties the night before. Both sides...
Appeals court agrees Lochbuie cannot challenge alleged lack of services from library district
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 8 hours ago
Colorado’s second-highest court concluded last week that the town of Lochbuie cannot challenge the alleged lack of services its residents are receiving from a Weld County library district that has been in existence for four decades. However, a three-judge Court...