Author: Nico Brambila
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VA mammography lapse in Colorado facility raises new concerns about women’s care
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A VA facility in Aurora has gone more than two years without in-house mammography services, a lapse that federal investigators said contributed to delayed diagnoses, gaps in follow-up care and patient safety concerns for female veterans. Officials with the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System said that the gaps in service did not jeopardize women’s…
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Tapped: Colorado River overallocation collides with record drought conditions
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Editor’s Note: The Denver metro region sits at the center of one of the American West’s most complex and consequential water challenges. This series examines the interconnected systems that determine how the region secures, stores and conserves its water while navigating the competing demands of fast‑growing urban communities and the increasingly unpredictable mountain snowpack that…
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Denver teacher fired after ‘same-gender’ kissing skits in French class
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An administrative law judge has recommended the dismissal of a teacher at Northeast Early College — a high school in the Denver Public Schools district — after finding classroom activities and personal disclosures to students amounted to “incompetence and neglect of duty,” setting up a final vote by the school board. After meeting in executive…
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Cherry Creek School Board fires former superintendent’s wife from top HR role
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The Cherry Creek School Board today announced the termination of Brenda Smith, the district’s chief human resource officer. She’s the wife of former Superintendent Chris Smith, who abruptly resigned in January during his annual review. Brenda Smith’s termination marks the latest upheaval for a district that has faced months of leadership turmoil and controversy. “In…
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Hantavirus outbreak is not like COVID-19 pandemic, CDC says
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Hantavirus is not a COVID-19 sequel. Infectious disease experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who refer to the outbreak on the cruise ship that’s been in the news as the Andes virus, describe the risk to the American public as “extremely low” because it is not spread as easily from person-to-person as…
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Hickenlooper hears stories on Medicaid, health costs at Denver Health
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U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper went to Denver Health on Tuesday to hear how rising health care costs and federal policy changes are affecting patients. He got an earful. Hospital staff shared stories about Medicaid patients who lost eligibility — and then a limb or their life. Dr. Stephanie Augustine, a family medicine physician, told of…
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Sheridan school board approves teachers’ contract, ending historic strike
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The Sheridan teachers strike that languished through much of the month is officially over. The Sheridan School District Board of Education unanimously voted Tuesday to accept the union contract. “It has been a long road to get to today,” Sheridan Educators Association President Kate Biester said in a statement to The Denver Gazette after this…
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Colorado measles cases surge, near highest level in decades
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With nearly 20 measles cases so far this year, Colorado is on track to record its highest number of infections since the disease was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000. Last week, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed a measles case in an unvaccinated Lake County teenager. As of April 28,…
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Cherry Creek School Board member resigns after ‘racialized remarks,’ district says
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Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include a response from former board member Terry Bates, which was received after publication. Cherry Creek School Board Member Terry Bates resigned after making “racialized remarks,” the district announced Friday. District officials did not disclose what the remarks were. “When a member’s actions fall short of board…
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DPS committee backs bell-to-bell cellphone ban
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Students might have to ditch their cell phones if the Denver Public Schools Board of Education follows a recommendation to adopt a bell-to-bell cellphone ban. A Communication Devices Advisory Committee was formed earlier this year to comply with a new state law that requires school districts to adopt a cellphone policy by July 1. The…