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Questions abound after oil company’s decision to shutter wells near site of Firestone home explosion
DENVER – Seven active oil and gas wells were shut down in the Firestone neighborhood where a house exploded during a water heater installation on April 17, killing two, state oil and gas officials said Thursday.
The information came as the head of Colorado’s oil and gas commission held a news conference Thursday morning to give more insight into the state’s involvement in the ongoing investigation into the explosion, that led one of the state’s top energy companies to shutter 3,000 wells on Wednesday. Continue reading
Federal lawsuit argues Amendment 71, requiring rural input on ballot measures, is unconstitutional
DENVER – A handful of ballot measure proponents have filed a federal lawsuit arguing that Amendment 71, which changed the way constitutional amendments can reach Colorado’s ballot when it was approved by voters last year, violates the U.S. and Colorado constitutions.
The lawsuit is the first legal challenge to Amendment 71, which despite being among the more-controversial measures on last year’s Colorado ballot, was approved by 55.7 percent of the vote. Voting against the measure were 44.3 percent of Coloradans. Continue reading
Fight over Thompson Divide oil and gas leases heats up with Pitkin Co. lawsuit
PITKIN COUNTY, Colo. – A fight over oil and gas leases in the Thompson Divide area continues to heat up, as Pitkin County and an environmental nonprofit filed suit Wednesday to be sure that a November decision by the feds to cancel 25 leases in the area is upheld under the Trump administration.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court of Colorado by the Pitkin Board of County Commissioners and Carbondale nonprofit Wilderness Workshop, claims that the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Department of the Interior broke their own rules when they extended oil and gas leases for Houston-based SG Interests in the years following 2013. Continue reading
Review underway after CU-Denver student posed as medical student at Denver Health
DENVER – Denver Health Medical Center has suspended all badge access for students and learners after a CU-Denver student got unauthorized access at the hospital by posing as a medical student.
The student, Vanessa Loznik, was banned from the Denver Health campus, and the hospital says it is working to pursue legal action against her. Continue reading
Raids target multi-million dollar meth, cocaine ring tied to Mexico operating out of Aurora market
AURORA, Colo. – Police and federal drug enforcement agents raided a market and several houses in the Denver metro area Thursday morning in connection to a multi-million dollar cocaine and methamphetamine ring connected to Mexico.
The U.S. Department of Justice says nine arrests were made by Aurora police and federal agents Thursday, and another person was in custody ahead of the raids. But 17 people total have been indicted in the trafficking ring. The indictment carries 45 total counts and includes two house forfeiture complaints. Continue reading
3 Denver deputies, including captain, suspended without pay over jail inmate’s death
DENVER – Two Denver sheriff’s deputies and a department captain will serve unpaid suspensions of between 10 and 16 days in May for policy violations that led to the death of a Denver jail inmate in November 2015.
The Denver Department of Safety on Wednesday released its disciplinary review of the deputies’ actions in the death of Michael Marshall, a jail inmate who was pulled off life support and died several days after the confrontation with the deputies, who staff the city/county jail. Continue reading
Jewish teen arrested in Israel for JCC threats linked to threats at Boulder Jewish center
BOULDER, Colo. – A Jewish teenager arrested last month in Israel who is accused of making bomb threats to more than 100 Jewish community centers across the country has also been linked to the two threats made at Boulder’s Jewish center in recent months, police said Friday.
Boulder Police spokeswoman Laurie Ogden confirmed that the 18-year-old, who has still not been publicly identified, is believed to have made the threats to Boulder’s Jewish Community Centers on both Jan. 31 and March 8. But she told the Boulder Daily Camera “there is nothing concrete” with the investigation so far. Continue reading
Months after 2016 election, race for Colorado’s congressional districts in 2018 already heating up
DENVER – It’s been just over five months since the 2016 General Election, but two 2018 congressional races in Colorado are already heating up.
State Sen. Andy Kerr, a Democrat from Jefferson County, announced his bid for Colorado’s 7th Congressional District seat in an event a Dunstan Middle School in Lakewood – a school he attended years ago. Continue reading
Colorado sheriffs pleased with ICE’s suspension of ‘erroneous’ weekly ‘sanctuary city’ report
DENVER – The Denver Sheriff Department is welcoming the decision by federal immigration officials to stop publishing a controversial weekly report targeting jurisdictions deemed “uncooperative” with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement started releasing the report in late March, but it quickly drew backlash from law enforcement agencies and various cities and counties around the country that said the report contained erroneous information. So-called “sanctuary cities” have been targeted under the new administration and threatened with the loss of federal funding. Continue reading
Amid allegations of unpaid taxes, neo-Nazism, and sex offender, Denver furry convention canceled
DENVER – Fur is flying between different sects of a niche community of Coloradans over allegations of neo-Nazism, unpaid taxes and fake legal threats that has led to the cancellation of the popular annual “furry” convention in Denver.
The journey down the furry wormhole started with a tweet Monday night from JJ MacNab, a Forbes writer who covers anti-government extremism. Continue reading