Author: The Pueblo Chieftain

The news that Pueblo City Schools is changing its graduation requirements to more reflect society is encouraging. But we think the district needs to take that a step further — a huge step further. It was announced this past week that, starting with the Class of 2021, there will be new guidelines for earning a…

The commission set up three years ago to keep Southwest Chief passenger rail service in Southern Colorado will continue under a new name and expanded objective with a bill headed to the governor’s desk. We encourage Gov. John Hickenlooper to sign Senate Bill 153 into law. The bill promotes not only continuing the line through…

Pueblo civic, business and elected leaders will attend a Colorado Office of Economic Development meeting today in support of the long-awaited Downtown Riverwalk-convention center expansion project in line to receive Regional Tourism Authority funding from the state. We join the large group of supporters’ excitement and enthusiasm for the project, which can become a reality soon…

Colorado State University-Pueblo soon will be led by a new president. Last week, Timothy Mottet was introduced as the school’s 15th president. The provost at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Mo., was selected by the CSU System Board of Governors, and signed to a five-year contract. Mottet will replace Lesley Di Mare, who will…

The smoldering controversy over Black Hills Energy electric rates in the Pueblo area has spawned a bill to deal with alleged conflicts of interest and ethical conduct on Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission. Two Pueblo legislators — Rep. Daneya Esgar and Sen. Leroy Garcia — are sponsoring House Bill 1323, which would impose a four-year cooling off…

Education that promotes positive values — good schooling, satisfying work, a close-knit family, a healthy body free of drugs … and more — can be crucial to prepare our youth to become responsible, productive adults. Poverty, somewhat more prevalent in Pueblo than the state as a whole, should be no excuse for continued failure, either. Being…

To really combat a problem, you must first understand it. The facts presented in an excellent series of articles by Chieftain reporters Ryan Severance and Zach Hillstrom titled “Highs and Lows of Heroin” have been chilling. As reported this past weekend, a 2015 Healthy Kids Colorado survey found that just over 6 percent of youths…

Pueblo County received plaudits for sharing local marijuana tax revenues with the city of Pueblo (85 percent city, 15 percent county) and Pueblo West Metropolitan District (50-50) from state legislators considering a bill that would nullify a court ruling prohibiting Colorado counties from levying recreational pot taxes. County Commissioner Sal Pace said Pueblo’s revenue sharing…

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet showed his true colors when he voted against fellow Coloradan Neil Gorsuch for the U.S. Supreme Court, thus choosing to toe the Democratic Party line rather than support an eminently qualified nominee from his own state. Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, had been coy during the Senate nominating process, actually introducing Gorsuch…

Yes, Colorado has legalized retail marijuana. And, yes, Pueblo city voters have OK’d the establishment of several retail pot stores within the city limits. But that doesn’t mean that all of a sudden we Coloradans and Puebloans don’t care about the law. So be advised, those of you who might be considering setting up illegal…