Headlines – August 1, 2023

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Space Force to Stay in Colorado Springs

The U.S. Space Command will remain headquartered in Colorado Springs.

That decision was announced by the Biden administration yesterday, reversing a decision made in the final days of the Trump administration.

Colorado leaders are hailing the announcement. Governor Jared Polis called it thoughtful and correct, and said it’s good for the state and its military families, as well as for jobs and businesses.

Former President Trump said the headquarters would be moved from Colorado Springs to Alabama just days before he left office in January 2021. The Associated Press reported that President Biden was persuaded by top military leaders to leave the space command in Colorado, because moving it now would put the nation’s military readiness at risk.

Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper said the decision “restores integrity to the Pentagon’s basing process.”

Representative Joe Neguse said that “Colorado has the ideal ecosystem for maintaining [the] U.S. Space Command.”

Magnus White Update

An investigation is underway into the death of a 17-year-old rising star cyclist.

Boulder High student Magnus White was killed Saturday while cycling on Southbound Diagonal Highway past North 63rd Street in Boulder, according to Colorado State Patrol (CSP), which is investigating the incident. 

CSP identified the driver of the Toyota Matrix that struck White as a 23-year-old Westminster woman. 

A Colorado State Patrol spokesperson said it does not appear that drugs, alcohol, or excessive speed contributed to the crash, but distracted driving has not been ruled out. No charges have been filed at this time pending further investigation.

Magnus White was scheduled to race for the U.S. team at the junior world championships in Scotland on Aug. 10. White was also set to begin his senior year of high school in just a few weeks. 

Former Fort Lupton Cop Convicted

A former Fort Lupton police officer will be sentenced next month for reckless endangerment and third degree assault, nearly a year to the day after she placed a handcuffed woman into a squad car that was parked on railroad tracks.

The squad car was hit by a freight train, and the handcuffed woman suffered severe injuries, including multiple broken bones and brain trauma.

In convicting former officer Jordan Steinke last week, the judge rejected the defense argument that she was too focused on the detained woman to notice the railroad tracks.

Both charges Steinke was convicted of are misdemeanors. She was acquitted of criminal attempt to commit reckless manslaughter. The incident happened on Sept. 16, 2022. 

Denver Homeless Town Halls 

The first in a series of town halls addressing the issue of homelessness in Denver is scheduled for tonight. 

Mayor Mike Johnston and members of City Council are all expected to attend tonight’s event at the Denver Dream Center, at 2165 Curtis Street. It’s scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and last for about an hour.

The town hall is open to the public, and attendees will be able to give feedback.

Mayor Johnston, who took office last month, has promised to make tackling homelessness a priority of his new administration.

Johnston aims to shelter 1,000 unhoused people by the end of the year. The mayor stressed the importance of using the term “decommissioning” rather than “sweeping” Denver of homeless encampments. He said this meant giving unhoused people a housing option rather than demanding them to leave, with nowhere to go.

To do this, the mayor has outlined four strategies, including converting hotels into income restricted housing, working with landlords to provide rental apartments with leases, building micro communities, and creating shelters from vacant buildings around the city. 

RTD Lines Resume 

The second of two closed RTD Light Rail lines will resume service in the Denver area today, after a prolonged break. 

The R-Line is resuming full operations today. It hasn’t been fully operational since April due to a major maintenance project. The R-Line serves Denver, Aurora and further South. The four month long break allowed RTD to inspect and repair coping panels on top of the north retaining walls.

A similar R-Line maintenance break is expected next year, on the opposite side of the tracks. 

The L-Line, connecting downtown Denver and Five Points, resumed services yesterday. It had been closed for the last three weeks.

The E and H Lines, meanwhile, will still be running at thirty minute intervals, instead of the usual fifteen minutes. Those two lines run along I-25, to various stations downtown.

Lowline Fire Growing Amid Dry Weather

Firefighters continue battling the Lowline Wildfire in Gunnison County in Western Colorado.

As of midday yesterday more than 1,300 acres were burning, and the fire was reported to be 15% contained. Authorities say it was started by lightning.

Mandatory emergency evacuation orders are in place for Squirrel Creek and Mill Creek Drainages, and an air quality alert remains in effect until 9 this morning.

Denver Library Branch Reopens

The Westwood branch of the Denver Public Library is reopening today.

The branch, at 1000 S. Lowell Boulevard, closed for remodeling in June. The updates include a new computer lab and a new lobby to the building, and increases usable space by 50%.

To mark the occasion, the Westwood branch is hosting a community open house this Friday, Aug. 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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