Headlines — January 30, 2023

January 30, 2023

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Low Temperatures and Dangerous Wind Chills in Northern Front Range

A cold front that dropped temperatures below zero Sunday has triggered a wind chill advisory that will remain in effect until 9 AM. The National Weather Service warns wind chill factors could reach as low as negative 25 degrees; cold enough to cause frostbite on exposed skin after 30 minutes. 

Denver city officials have activated the city’s network of shelters and select public buildings to operate as warming centers through the morning of Wednesday, February 1st.

Today’s low temperatures also mean the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless will remain open during the day. Libraries and lobbies of recreation centers are also available as warming centers.

Frostbite Cases Up

UC Health has reported a significant increase in frostbite cases this winter season in Denver due to dangerously cold temperatures. The frostbite and burn unit has already treated more cases than it did all last winter.

Frostbite occurs when ice crystals form inside the blood vessels and cell tissue, which can strike quickly in extremely cold conditions. The doctor treating these cases warned that most frostbite injuries are preventable and advised taking immediate action if one notices symptoms such as tingling or bluish-gray skin. Severe cases of frostbite can lead to amputations, particularly among unhoused individuals.

Protestors Show Up To The Capitol To Protest Memphis Police Killing

Dozens of demonstrators gathered at the Colorado state capitol building in Denver over the weekend to protest the police killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. 

Five Memphis police officers brutally beat Nichols during a traffic stop earlier this month. Nichols, a 29 year-old Black man, later died from his injuries. Police body cam footage of the beating was released Friday. The five officers have been fired and charged with murder. The case has revived calls to go beyond police reform to cutting police budgets.

Robin Farris May Soon Leave Prison 

Robin Farris is Colorado’s third longest-incarcerated woman and the first Black woman to receive a sentence commutation in the state in more than 30 years. Farris received a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 40 years after the murder of her former partner, Beatrice King. Governor Jared Polis granted some form of pardon to 24 others late this last month, with Farris being the only recipient of “immediate parole” eligibility. Changes in Colorado Law allow Farris to be reconsidered for parole eligibility eight years before the original sentence offered the right for reconsideration. 

Colorado law now allows for Farris’ original charge of felony murder to be recategorized as second degree murder because there was no evidence of premeditation. Farris fatally shot King during an argument in their apartment. Robin Farris has attempted consideration for clemency multiple times. Farris’ attorneys and relatives say  she has changed since her original conviction and become a mentor for women within the state’s prison system and has worked to earn her degree from the University of Colorado Boulder.

A committee of Boulder County Democrats selected Kyle Brown

Brown, a Louisville Council member, will replace former Democratic state Representative Tracey Bernett, who faces criminal charges for allegedly lying about the location of her residence.

Bernett resigned just before the legislative session began three weeks ago. While her Longmont home was redistricted into the more conservative House District 19, Bernett said she lived in a Louisville apartment before being reelected into the more liberal House District 12. In a speech before the vote, Brown pledged to honor the voices of his new constituents by sponsoring legislation to support climate action, gun violence prevention, better health care access and increased funding for schools.

Four candidates competed for Bernett’s spot. Brown won with about 80 percent of the vote. It was the fourth time this legislative session that vacancy committees have had to select new representatives.

Aurora To Begin Construction For Improvements To Highline Canal Trail

The City of Aurora, in partnership with Littleton-based American Civil Constructors, will begin Monday building an 8-foot-wide multi-use path as an access point for the High Line Canal Trail and two miles of trail improvements between I-70 and north of Colfax Avenue. According to the Aurora Sentinel, the construction project will last through the Spring of 2024 and include pedestrian bridges over the canal south of Smith Road and over I-70 east of the Tower Road interchange.

Other improvements include a safer railroad crossing north of Smith Road. Grants from the Denver Regional Council of Governments, the Conservation Trust Fund, and Adams County helped fund the $8.5 million project.

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