Headlines — December 7, 2022

December 7, 2022

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Republican State Board of Education Member Announces Resignation

Republican State Board of Education member Joyce Rankin announced Tuesday that she would resign from her position effective January 10. She’s been a member of the state board of education for about 7 and a half years. Rankin’s husband, State Senator Bob Rankin, also announced his resignation from political office days ago. Mr. Rankin plans to step down from his Senate District 8 seat the same day.

A vacancy committee for CD3 and SD8 will choose their respective replacements. Sen. Rankin’s replacement in Montrose is scheduled to be selected in Montrose on Jan. 7. 

Colorado Health Fund Will Pass All Club Q Donations Onto Victims After Criticism

The person suspected of murdering five people and wounding several others last month at Club Q in Colorado Springs has been formally charged with 305 criminal counts, including murder, assault, and bias-motivated crimes. The suspect appeared in court yesterday morning. 

In other news related to the shooting, the Colorado Healing Fund has announced it will contribute 100% of the funds it received after the deadly attack directly to survivors. The fund received a significant amount of public criticism in the wake of the shooting from survivors of other mass shootings, saying the fund skimmed hefty administrative fees from donations. 

An anonymous organization has reportedly offered to cover the fees for the full donations to go to the victims. 

Denver Activates Recreation Center For Unexpected Migrants

Emergency management officials in Denver are scrambling to provide shelter for around 100 migrants that arrived unannounced in the city late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. The city activated one of its recreation centers for emergency shelter. Until nonprofit businesses can provide resources to the people who arrived, they will stay in the emergency shelter. 

City officials and advocates are looking into who sent the migrants to Colorado, how they got here and why. The migrants arrived by bus, but it remains unclear where they came from. Mikayla Ortega, communications manager for Denver’s Office of Emergency Management, told CBS Denver her office is working to bring in local agencies to help solve the influx situation.

Denver Provides Daytime Transportation For Those Staying in Homeless Shelters

The City of Denver is also working to facilitate transportation for those experiencing homelessness. Early morning and late afternoon/evening transportation are available through a current service provided by Busco Inc. Throughout the day, those faced with homelessness need a way to access resources like case management and health care services. 

The Department of Housing Stability (HOST) in Denver is finalizing a $450,000 contract with Colorado Student Transportation to provide daytime transportation to and from Denver’s shelters.

The City said the shuttle will link Denver’s men’s and women’s shelters at 4330 and 4600 E. 48th Avenue to downtown starting in January. The ADA-accessible shuttles will operate on weekdays from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.45 Pounds of Fentanyl Seized in Longmont 

An interagency law enforcement effort known as the Front Range Taskforce seized almost 45 pounds, fourteen packages, of a fentanyl and cocaine mixture late last week in Longmont. 

Police say they’ve arrested a man with direct ties to the Sinaloa Cartel in the drug bust. Law enforcement officials blame fentanyl for record-high drug overdose deaths in recent years.

New Center to Fight Esophageal and Gastric Cancer at CU’s Anschutz Medical Campus

Yesterday CU Anschutz announced the Medical Campus will create a new center for the treatment of esophageal and gastric cancer.

The hospital will name the wing after the couple that donated $20 million to fund the center; Katy O. and Paul M. Rady. Katy Rady lost her brother to esophageal cancer in 2015.

Esophageal and gastric cancer are not the most common forms of cancer, but they do have higher mortality rates, largely due to difficulties in early detection. One of the aims of the new center is to develop less invasive early detection procedures. 

More Stores in Boulder will Charge Disposable Bag Fee in 2023

Starting on the first day of next year, all large Boulder stores will be required to charge a 10-cent fee for each single-use bag used at checkout. Boulder’s Disposable Bag Fee Ordinance has been expanded by City Council in order to comply with Colorado’s Plastic Pollution Reduction Act. 

Sustainability experts hope the bag fee will encourage people to form the habit of carrying reusable bags or ask cashiers not to bag their items. 

The city recommends keeping reusable bags in a convenient location, like a backpack, bike basket, or car.

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