Headlines — January 9, 2023

January 9, 2023

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Denver Worker Organizations Rallying In Support Of Proposed Wage Justice Ordinance 

Denver workers, labor unions, and organizers with Colorado Jobs With Justice  are rallying for wage justice today.  The groups are gathering outside the Denver City Council second floor rotunda at 8:30 this morning to urge council members to support an ordinance giving Denver Labor the authority to assist workers in recovering promised wages, including the city’s minimum wage. 

Organizers say the new local bill would create an additional, more accessible mechanism for workers to recover their stolen wages. It would also authorize Denver Labor to levy substantial penalties on employers who violate the city’s labor laws or refuse to pay the city’s  minimum wage. 

Colorado Ending Migrant Transportation To Chicago And NYC

The mayors for Chicago and New York urged Colorado Gov. Jared Polis by letter on Saturday to halt the state’s practice of busing migrants to their cities. The joint letter said that although they shared concerns of accommodating the flood of asylum seekers, overburdening other cities is not the solution.

Polis said in a press release Saturday he had a very productive discussion with the mayors and said the state had no more scheduled buses to Chicago and had scheduled the final chartered transportation to New York City yesterday. According to Polis, Colorado was in the process of scaling back migrant transportation citing nationwide travel returning to status quo because of the holidays and the impact of weather.

In Polis’ press release, the Governor said the Biden-Harris administration must assist states in accommodating new arrivals and provide a legal framework for them.

Domestic Violence Deaths Rise In Colorado For 2021

The Colorado Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, headed by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, released findings Friday that show domestic violence deaths rose 44 percent in 2021. Of 91 deaths, at least 45 victims were killed by intimate partners, 32 were perpetrators, and 14 were bystanders. Of the bystanders, 4 were children.

Weiser says this was the highest number of fatalities from domestic violence since the board was created in 2017.

Consistent with past findings, most victims were female and most perpetrators were male. In over 80 percent of cases, guns were the weapons used and the deaths occurred mostly in rural counties, also typical of prior years.

The board is recommending policy changes to address the issue. This includes expanding training for judges so they can make decisions in court cases that might prevent future fatalities. The board also recommends funding to offer more equitable access to domestic violence resources and services.

Current state law requires authorities to ask perpetrators subject to protection orders to relinquish their guns. However, it’s not often enforced. The board recommends stronger strategies to ensure guns are removed to assure public safety.

Two Snowmobilers Die From An Avalanche Near Winter Park 

An avalanche killed two men who were snowmobiling in the backcountry near Winter Park Saturday. Both men were in their 50s and residents of northern Colorado. The Grand County Sheriff’s office says emergency responders located one of the men who was wearing an avalanche receiver, but pronounced him deceased after resuscitation efforts failed. Rescue crews found the second victim the next day. Saturday’s avalanche is the third this winter to kill recreationists in the backcountry.

Boulder Office Of Emergency Management Establishing Evacuation Information Source For All County and Municipal Jurisdictions 

Emergency response personnel for Boulder County say the county is working to streamline the process of public notifications for natural disasters. The Daily Camera reports evacuation notices for the December Sunshine Wildland Fire from the county and the City of Boulder had different warnings and orders, creating confusion for residents, especially for residents just west of the city limits. 

Emergency management personnel say the City of Boulder used the new mapping tool ZoneHaven for the first time during the December fire, which they say worked well, but the county had not completed coordination rollout with the agencies it works with to be on the new system. Emergency crews relied on the prior standard map for county areas of the fire.

Officials told the Daily Camera that although there was confusion for public evacuation information, the new county-wide system put in place after the Marshall Fire for crews to identify and tag areas for evacuation went smoother from an operational standpoint. 

Lakewood and Lafayette Businesses Get EPA Funding For Promising Environmental Technologies

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has announced the agency is awarding small businesses in Lafayette and Lakewood with $100,000 each to develop promising environmental technologies. The two Colorado businesses are among 25 nationwide to receive award money from the agency as “proof of concept” funding for their proposed technologies. According to an EPA news release, Lafayette-based Sporian Microsystems, Inc. will use the research funding to develop a high-speed, low-cost imaging system to identify microplastics in the environment, whereas Lakewood-based J-Tech, LLC is working on a technology that enables a low-cost, chemical-free, and sustainable disinfection of wastewater in septic tanks for non-potable reuse, such as irrigation. If the companies complete their proof of concept, they can apply for an additional award money to further develop and commercialize their technologies. 

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