Headlines — February 22, 2023

February 22, 2023

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Freezing Temperatures and Hazardous Weather

Today’s winter storm has resulted in the cancellation of over 217 flights at Denver International Airport as of 7:15 this morning according to Flight Aware. Among the many school and business closures, University of Northern Colorado closed all campuses for the day. 

This evening temperatures in Boulder, Longmont and Denver are expected to drop as low as -19 degrees with wind chill. Today it will take thirty minutes to develop frostbite and this evening it will take only 10.

Colorado Opioid Settlement Disbursement 

Boulder County has decided to allocate the first disbursement of its share of a massive multi-state legal opioid settlement.

Boulder Beat reports the first round of county funding went towards pre-existing programs  exclusively but that new programs may receive consideration in future disbursements. 

Colorado released its distribution plan in August 2021, noting the money is intended to go toward treating and preventing opioid addictions. 

The Boulder County Regional Opioids Council announced over $1.5 million to 24 existing programs in mid-January, with almost 70 percent going toward treatment and around 25 percent toward prevention measures. 

Boulder County is due to receive over $17 million from the state spanning 18 years.

Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office Lawsuit

The family of a man fatally shot a year ago by a Pueblo County Sheriff’s Deputy filed a federal lawsuit yesterday. 

As seen on the body camera footage Richard Ward family’s attorney released, Deputy Charles McWhorter pulled Ward out from his mother’s car in front of Liberty Point International Middle School in Pueblo West. Moments earlier, Ward had attempted to enter a vehicle in the line he had mistaken for his mother’s while waiting to pick up his younger brother from school. 

Footage shows the deputy did not give orders to Ward to exit the vehicle before pulling him out and struggling with him on the pavement. The deputy then shot Ward point-blank in the chest.

In October, Jeff Chostner, the Tenth Judicial District attorney, argued the deputies justifiably feared for their lives and McWhorter’s use of force was justified.  Chostner cleared the deputies’ charges in connection to Ward’s death. 

The Ward family’s attorney told the Denver Post that Richard Ward’s death was “nothing short of the state-sanctioned murder of a citizen who should not have been even arrested, let alone killed in broad daylight.”

King Soopers Accused Forensic Evaluation Objection

Attorneys of the man accused in the Boulder King Soopers shooting two years ago filed an objection request to another forensic neuropsychological evaluation.

The Boulder County District Attorney filed a motion asking for a new forensic neuropsychological evaluation explaining that the symptoms used to declare the accused incompetent could be a product of his unwillingness to participate in the trial and judicial process instead of a mental illness. 

The accused’s defense attorneys responded with an objection request emphasizing that four different doctors have already found the accused incompetent and a restoration hearing can’t be supported while the accused is in restoration therapy.

The accused faces charges for killing 10 people and injuring 47 others. However, he was deemed incompetent for trial in December 2021 and again in January 2023, when doctors maintained that “he could be restored with further treatment,” according to the Daily Camera. 

Club Q Shooting Suspect’s Preliminary Hearing Today

The Club Q mass shooting suspect Anderson Aldrich faces the first day of a three-day preliminary hearing today. 

On Feb. 10, an El Paso County judge denied the defense’s request to move the hearing to a later date.

The defense team claimed to lack access to the audio portion of video surveillance from 10 and 11:30 PM the night of the shooting. 

Judge Michael McHenry gave the okay for the case to proceed as scheduled but asked the prosecution to expedite sharing the missing footage with the defense.

Aldrich faces over 300 criminal charges including first-degree murder, attempted murder, bias-motivated crimes and assault. 

During today’s hearing, per the judge’s ruling, the case could proceed as is or some charges may be dropped.

The hearing will start today at 8:30 AM in El Paso County. 

Food Tax Rebate Program Accepting Applications

Boulder’s food tax rebate program will begin accepting applications beginning March 1- coinciding with the end of extra COVID SNAP benefits for thousands of Colorado families. 

Boulder’s program aims to support lower-income community members by lessening the financial burden of city food sales tax.

According to a press release, rebates will be around $300 for families and about $100 for individuals. 

Eligibility includes community members who must have resided in Boulder last year in its entirety and fulfill financial guidelines. Other eligible individuals include those 62-years-old and older during the entire 2022 year, persons with a disability, or families with children under 18 for the full 2022 calendar year.

CU Buffs Football Breaks Spring Attendance Record

CU Buffs have already sold over 30,000 tickets to the April 22 football game.

The spring game will be the first under new head coach Deion Sanders, and the first time patrons will have to pay for admission to Folsom Field. Students get free entry, but general tickets start around $10. 

Of the tickets distributed so far, 20 percent have gone to students. Another 20 percent has gone to patrons who have never bought CU football tickets. 

CU records show the previous record for high attendance was around 18,000 in 2008. Last year, under 2,000 fans attended the spring showcase. 

CU’s senior associate athletic director for external operations, Alexis Williams, told The Denver Post  the game’s sales “exceeded anything we thought it would, so we’re excited to have thousands of fans be here for a spring game.”

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