Headlines – August 31, 2023

U.S. Health Officials Consider Changing Cannabis Classification

Federal officials are recommending reclassifying marijuana as a less harmful drug. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services passed the recommendation to the Drug Enforcement Agency for review.

Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I drug, which puts it in the same category as heroin and LSD. Yesterday’s recommendation is to move marijuana to the Schedule III category, where prescription medications like codeine and anabolic steroids are.

That would mean it has a moderate to low possibility for addiction and a lower chance for abuse.

While dozens of U.S. states have legalized marijuana, it’s still illegal at the federal level.

The recommendation generated a flurry of responses from the cannabis industry in Colorado, which has been operating legally under state regulations for over a decade.

Denver Housing Voucher Experiment Breaks Ground

A coalition of local government agencies in Denver has come together to build low-income housing designed for single-parent households.

The City and County of Denver, The Denver Housing Authority, and Warren Village broke ground Wednesday on a housing project that will include almost 100 subsidized housing units. Over 85 percent of the units will have wrap-around assistance for families transitioning out of homelessness.

The City will provide housing vouchers for two decades to ensure residents of the one, two, or three-bedroom units never pay more than one-third of their income on housing. Even residents with no income will remain eligible for housing.

The facility will include adult education services and the first early learning center to be co-located at a supportive housing development in Colorado. Construction plans call for the housing units to be available in late 2024.

Nursing Home To Pay Fine For Sexual Harassment

A Colorado nursing home and its Atlanta-based parent company will pay $150,000 as part of a settlement in a sexual harassment case. J

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC sued the San Juan Living Center in Montrose, owned by SAVA, for allegedly allowing nursing home residents to physically and verbally harass female employees.

According to the lawsuit, both local and national management did nothing when employees informed them about the residents’ hostile behavior, then fired an employee days after she complained.

EEOC representatives say the behavior violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment and retaliation against victims who report inappropriate conduct.

Jeffco Investigating String Of Church Parking Lot Car Thefts

Jefferson County investigators are looking into 16 car break-ins and thefts that started in May at church parking lots.

According to 9News, 12 churches reported similar incidents of suspects smashing and grabbing items from cars and stealing vehicles while worshippers were at Sunday services.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that the crimes have spread to Douglas County as well.

Investigators believe there may be up to four suspects who might have driven a black Ford F-150.

Officials are seeking tips from the community to help solve the case.

City of Boulder Makes Arrest In Roommate Homicide

Boulder police are holding a man without bond for allegedly killing his roommate Tuesday evening.

According to the Daily Camera, police arrested 27-year-old Garrett Littenberg at his residence in North Boulder.

Police responding to a disturbance call report finding Littenberg with his arms covered in blood and his roommate dead on the scene.

The suspect’s family told police that Littenberg was on medications for psychosis and anxiety.

Littenberg is accused of first-degree murder and is set for a first appearance today.

Boulder To Put LEDs Into Street Lights

The City of Boulder is launching a pilot program in late August to test new LED bulbs in streetlights.

The experiment is part of a bigger plan to purchase 4,500 streetlights from Xcel Energy. The City already purchased 600 lights from the utility company and converted them to a system that automatically sends an alert when they go out, resulting in quicker repairs.

According to Boulder Reporting Lab, the conversion to “smart” LED bulbs is expected to save the city half a million dollars a year.

As part of the pilot program, City officials will seek feedback from Boulderites on the tint or “temperature” of the LEDs. They’ll range from yellow to blue.

Officials say they’ve received complaints about Xcel’s strong blue LEDs, which can affect the sleep schedules of people and animals and create light pollution.

The new bulbs will be installed at 28th Street and Diagonal Highway, as well as near the Spruce Pool on Spruce Street.

It’s A Girl! (They Think)

Remember Eirina, the orangutan whose morning sickness was eased by herbal tea? Well, she had a baby on Sunday at her home in the Denver Zoo. Caretakers believe the arrival is a girl, and they do not have a name yet. But mother and baby are doing well.

The Zoo says they plan to do a DNA test in the near future to determine, out of the two male orangutans at the Denver Zoo, who the dad is. Orangutan females breed with multiple mates to help keep their babies safe from territorial males. Male orangutans are less likely to hurt a baby if they believe it is their own offspring.