Headlines — August 22, 2022

August 22, 2022

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Boulder County Confirms The First Human Case Of West Nile Virus In 2022 

Boulder County Public Health confirmed that a man over the age of 65 from Longmont Is the first human case of West Nile virus in 2022 in the county. 

Boulder county health officials diagnosed him after reporting stiffness and pain in his joints, fever, chills, abdominal pain, and body aches.  

Symptoms of West Nile Virus typically appear 3-14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito and can include fever, extreme fatigue, headache, and body aches. Skin rashes and swollen lymph nodes can also occur. 

Giffords PAC To Host Roundtable Discussions In Colorado With Gun Safety Candidates

The gun violence prevention organization named after former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords will be in the Denver Metro area today. The organization will host two discussions with officials and partners with a focus on boosting turnout this fall with gun safety messaging.

This comes after The Rocky Mountain Gun Owners filed lawsuits against the town of Superior, the City of Boulder, Louisville, and Boulder County over their new ordinances to restrict the sales of high-capacity firearms and magazines within their jurisdictions.

The first Giffords event is at 9:30 AM in Thorton and the second is at 4:30 PM in Denver. Giffords Senior Advisor and Former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell will be the moderator for both events. 

Speaking at the first event will be representative Jason Crow, State Senator Brittany Pettersen, and State Representative Yadira Caraveo. At the second event, speakers include Senator Michael Bennet, State Representative Jennifer Bacon, Jason McBride of the Struggle of Love Foundation, and Local Advocate Angel Armstrong.

Legal Advocates Urge Supreme Court To Reject Effort Seeking Unprecedented Exemption From Anti-Discrimination Law

LGBTQ civil and legal rights advocates are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Colorado’s Anti-Discrimination Act, banning businesses from turning away customers based on religion, race, or sexual orientation.

Groups including the ACLU of Colorado and Lambda Legal filed friend-of-the-court legal briefs late last week in response to an ongoing lawsuit filed by Lorie Smith with 303 Creative. 303 Creative is a web design company that is asking the court for permission to refuse service to same-sex couples. 

Lorie Smith’s counsel, alliance Defending Freedom says Smith’s argument is based not on discrimination, but on having to express ideas she doesn’t agree with. 

The case comes after a summer of highly politicized decisions from the conservative-leaning US Supreme Court. 

Boulder County Has Launched A New Website To Help Those Impacted By The Marshall Fire And Wind Storm Disaster

The Navigating Disaster for Boulder County program launched a new website last Friday that will help Boulder County residents with disaster relief. The website is free and offers short-term support for residents such as recovery after a natural disaster event and long-term support such as rebuilding after initial recovery from these disasters. 

The Navigating Disaster program assigns a “Recovery Navigator” to families and individuals to provide one-on-one support. These navigators will help expand a family’s resources by referring them to multiple services and providing aid with legal documents. To learn more about the website and the available services, visit bouldercountynavigatingdisaster.gov.

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