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MorningMagazine_2024-11-21 Jack Dawson
Cell phones banned for Boulder Valley School District
High school students in Boulder Valley School District will officially be prohibited from using their phones during school, beginning in January.
BVSD’s school board voted in favor of the “bell-to-bell” cell phone ban Tuesday night. High school students won’t be able to use phones or other personal technology devices at all on campus during the school day. The rule also applies to smartwatches and headphones, according to KDVR.
Under the old rules, students were allowed to use phones when they were not in class.
At the Tuesday meeting, BVSD Superintendent Rob Anderson said that students need to have time away from their phones to connect with learning that promotes healthy habits.
Parents showed concern about their students not being able to contact them when there is an emergency, but Anderson said protocol is designed to keep students safe, and if a cell phone rings during a lockdown it could be detrimental to the students.
Boulder’s school board president voted against the new ban.
Feds release options for managing overstressed Colorado River
The federal government unveiled the first look at long-term plans to manage the overstressed Colorado River yesterday. KGNU’s Pam Johnson has the details:
The Bureau of Reclamation shared five different management options with the public. Two of the options don’t stray much from the current rules. The three others, however, are known as alternatives and noticeably depart from the status quo. They would incorporate upstream reservoirs, like Blue Mesa in Colorado, and would require cuts across the basin in dry years.
These alternatives are starkly different from the operating guidelines that have governed the river since 2007, which include the requirement that water be released from Lake Powell regardless of how much water it had collected in a given year.
Regardless of which option comes to fruition, these drafts form the foundation for highly-anticipated new water management rules that would start in 2027. The Bureau plans to release analyses of the different options next month. That’s all according to The Colorado Sun.
Major changes proposed for pet rescues after Denver metro rabies exposure
Colorado’s pet rescues might see major changes, in the wake of a rabies outbreak in the Denver-metro area earlier this year.
The state Department of Agriculture has proposed a new vaccine requirement for out-of-state pets that would limit the age of puppies brought into shelters and rescues across Colorado. Puppies cannot be vaccinated until they are at least 12 weeks old.
The outbreak inspiring these changes traveled into the area through a litter of puppies, brought in from Texas by Moms and Mutts Colorado Rescue.
The incubation period for rabies can take weeks, and those puppies from Texas had already been adopted before they started showing symptoms. Infections were reported to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and in total, 11 puppies had to be euthanized.
As of right now, an animal care facility is not required to tell the state if there’s a rabies case at their facility. There’s also no policy in place that requires facilities to change operational procedures if there are multiple rabies cases.
The proposed vaccination rule, among others, will be included in a public hearing in spring 2025 with final votes on changes expected in fall of 2025.
Pickleball courts proposed near Colfax in Denver
A vacant lot near the transit hub between Colfax and Broadway in Denver could become home to pickleball courts.
The lot has been a topic of discussion for years, with some city council members deeming it a safety concern due to the lack of amenities. According to CBS News, the city believes bringing an activity into the space could help “activate the area.”
District 10 Councilman Chris Hinds told CBS that other ideas were proposed, like a dog park. The pickleball idea sprung from the fact that they could fit six courts in the area, which wouldn’t be possible for other sports like tennis.
The courts could fill the gap left after Denver Parks and Rec closed pickleball courts in nearby Congress Park last year.
The lot is owned by a foundation, with a long-term lease held by RTD. The city says RTD does have plans to develop the site someday, so the courts would be intended to temporarily activate the space in the meantime.
The proposal is not definite, and RTD is working to see if the plan is possible. The city is hoping that after the proposal passes, patrons will be using the courts by next fall.
