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02_13_24headlines Myrna Morales
Denver City Council voted down a proclamation calling for a ceasefire
The eight to four vote came during a virtual meeting last night. The virtual meeting happened because of disruptions in the city council chambers by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, according to the Denver Post. If it had passed, then we would have joined the growing list of cities around the country calling for a Ceasefire.
After the vote last night, protesters rallied in the city and county building’s fourth-floor corridor.
The vote comes one day after Israel rated the Southern Gaza city of Rafah to rescue two hostages. According to the Associated Press, airstrikes carried out to cover the raid killed more than 60 Palestinians, including women and children.
RTD Boulder Station Reopening
The RTD downtown Boulder station lobby was closed in January of last year for extensive remediation of the station’s air ducts to remove methamphetamine residue.
RTD said that the station will reopen next Monday, February 19th, after third-party testing showed that the station is safe. Last year’s testing happened after several Denver Metro area libraries also tested positive for methamphetamine, including the Boulder public library. RTD said that the ductwork was replaced because it was found to be impossible to clean. New ductwork was installed with exterior installation, so the inside of the ducks can be cleaned. The public restroom was also improved.
RTD also updated the station’s lobby with fresh paint, new entryway mats, and deep cleaning and sealing the main tile floor.
The work cost $295,000 for external contractors to remediate the methamphetamine contamination.
CO Public Defender Cyberattack
The Colorado Public Defender Office has been forced to shut down due to a cyber attack, and it could be up to a week before the office is operational again. Public defenders are unable to access court documents and filings because of the cyber attack, according to the Denver Post.
The breach happened on Friday and was confirmed yesterday. The Post quoted an office spokesperson as saying data on their computer system was encrypted by malware. He also said they’ve disabled their network as a preventative measure.
He did not say when the Public Defender’s Office would reopen, but the Post cited emails indicating it could be up to a week. The breach forced numerous postponement requests by Public Defenders yesterday because of an inability to access their files. State Judicial Department officials said the cyber attack was confined to the public defender’s office and that the rest of Colorado’s court system was not affected and is fully operational.
There’s no indication at this time who is responsible for the cyber attack.
More Animals to Denver Shelter means more animals being euthanized
Overcrowding at the Denver Animal Shelter is at its highest level in years, and that has led to an increase in the number of animals being euthanized.
The director of animal protection told 9news that so many animals are coming in that they’ve had to double up on kennel occupancy. She said there’s been a 30% increase in cats and dogs coming in since 2019. 9News said it isn’t just Denver, the rise in animal intakes is part of a national trend.
The Denver Shelter’s Animal Protection Director said that the main reason it’s happening is the high cost of living. Many people are losing their homes and moving into places where pets aren’t allowed. That has resulted in a 92 percent increase in owner surrenders.
Occupancy Limits and Foster Care Rights Bills Head to State Senate
The Colorado House of Representatives has approved a bill that would prevent local governments from limiting the number of unrelated people living together.
House Bill 1007 now goes to the State Senate. Colorado Politics reports that the measure passed the state House by a 40-20 vote on Friday.
It blocks local governments from imposing occupancy limits unless there are public health and safety issues. A dozen or so communities in Colorado currently have limits on unrelated people living in the same place, including communities in Boulder and Denver.
Avalanche Death
Avalanche experts are looking into the circumstances surrounding an avalanche that killed a backcountry skier near Crested Buttes Sunday. Avalanche Information Center says the skier was buried around 1 p.m. Sunday.
It happened in an area called the Playground at the Anthracite Range. The skier’s partners were able to find him and dig him out, but he died from his injuries. The skier’s name has not been made public. Dr. Ethan Green, Director of the Avalanche Information Center, spoke with KGNU:
“When that snowpack is still thin like we saw a lot of, let’s say early December, it’s not really that dangerous, but when we start getting snow on top of it as we did later in December and especially around the Martin Luther King Day weekend in January, that’s when we start seeing, avalanches break on those old weak layers.”
The Avalanche Information Center says that 11 people have been caught in avalanches this month.
Sunday’s death has been the only fatality.
