Author: Rachel Riley, The Gazette
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COVER STORY | Locking up Colorado’s mentally ill
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They miss medication doses, sinking further into psychosis as their symptoms take hold. They try to kill themselves and sometimes succeed. They lash out at staff and fellow inmates in the midst of mental breakdowns, at constant risk of lengthening their sentences. Mentally ill people are wasting away in Colorado jails and crowding the state’s…
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Colorado sheriff weighs how to comply with new law barring ICE ‘detainers’
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The sheriff of Teller County has yet to say whether he will comply with a new state law that bars local law enforcement agencies from holding suspected undocumented immigrants solely at the request of federal immigration authorities. According to a spokesman, Sheriff Jason Mikesell is still weighing his response to the new law while embarking…
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Clean air activists point to Colorado power plant as summer ozone violations loom
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Officials in the Colorado Springs area have warned that a smoggy summer could push the region over federal air quality limits for ozone, and environmental activists are pointing fingers at the coal-fired power plant in the city. Clean air activists argue that the Martin Drake Power Plant could “make or break” whether ozone concentrations exceed…
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Study to assess options for Fort Collins-to-Pueblo passenger rail
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A state commission exploring the construction of a Front Range passenger rail has started slow, but the group finally is rolling. Nearly two years after its formation, the commission is working with the Colorado Department of Transportation this summer to hire a contractor to study what it would take to build a system stretching more…
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With I-25 ‘Gap’ construction underway, officials still seeking input on highway south of Denver
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Widening of the Interstate 25 ‘Gap’ is underway, but state transportation officials still want to know how they can improve the stretch of highway from Colorado Springs to Denver. Residents can learn about upgrade ideas and make suggestions on a long-term planning study for the stretch from Monument to C-470 during two meetings by the…
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Gardner joins tribute to Pearl Harbor survivor, fallen
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COLORADO SPRINGS – Teri Whyatt is still learning what her uncle, Bill Mann, was like before he died on Dec. 7, 1941. The 1.7 million people who travel through the Colorado Springs Airport each year can now get to know Mann and other sailors who were aboard the USS Arizona, including the 1,177 who perished,…
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El Paso County’s about to spring over Denver in population
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El Paso County could soon reclaim its title as the state’s most populous county after Denver County held it for the past few years. Since mid-2015, El Paso County has been growing faster than the city-county to the north, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The county’s population swelled to more than…
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Colorado town declares itself a ‘Second Amendment Preservation Town’
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MONUMENT – Trustees declared Monument a “Second Amendment Preservation Town” on Monday night, following El Paso County’s lead in opposing a controversial red flag gun bill passed by the legislature and headed for Gov. Jared Polis’ signature. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the proclamation, which says House Bill 1177 “infringes upon the inalienable rights of…
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Colorado Springs approves RV parking ban
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Recreational vehicle parking on all Colorado Springs streets will soon be illegal, but city officials have granted a grace period to give remaining RV tenants time to find a place to legally park their motor homes. The Colorado Springs City Council voted 8-1 on Tuesday to pass an ordinance that will bar RVs from parking…
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New campaign offers I-25 ‘Gap’ commuters incentives to take the bus or carpool
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State and regional officials have unveiled a new incentive program to reduce the number of vehicles on the Interstate 25 “Gap,” which will soon be the state’s longest construction zone. The Colorado Department of Transportation, Denver Regional Council of Governments and Mountain Metropolitan Transit have launched I-25 MyWay, which offers discounts and promotions on transportation…