Headlines – July 20, 2023

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Fines for Unsafe Driving on I-70 Mountain Express Lanes Begins Friday

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will no longer be issuing warnings for drivers who use I-70 mountain express lanes unsafely. 

Beginning Friday, drivers who use mountain express lanes on the days they are not officially open, or who cross solid yellow lines may be fined. 

Drivers in oversized vehicles such as semis, RVs, and those with trailers are also subject to fines if they use the narrow mountain express lanes. 

In a press release Wednesday, CDOT said it had issued over 5,000 warnings during a month-long grace period that started June 21. The new fines run between $75 and $250 dollars.

Polis Announces Free Training For In-Demand Jobs 

Colorado governor Jared Polis announced the launch of a new statewide program that will offer free education for students on select career paths. 

Governor Polis announced the Career Advance Colorado program in a joint release with the Colorado Community College System on Tuesday.

The program will use funds provided by the state to completely cover tuition, fees, and material costs for training programs for careers in high demand such as: construction, early childhood education, nursing, firefighting, and more. 

“We’re building on the success of the Care for Colorado program, which provides free training for short-term health care workers and others,” said Polis in a video announcement. “We’ve already trained thousands of Coloradans in emergency medicine and phlebotomy and many other allied health fields. And it’s still going strong. So, those still represent additional opportunities for you.” 

The Career Advance Colorado program is slated to begin in the fall of this year. People who wish to enroll in the program will need to apply to their preferred college and submit an application for state or federal aid.

30% of Juveniles Held in Detention Weeks Past Release Date 

Juvenile detention centers in Colorado are keeping children long after their sentences.

A state government data analysis found nearly one third of teens serving time in detention are held around three weeks after their court-approved release date. 

Teens accused of violent or sexual crimes are especially challenging to find housing for, as many can’t return to their family homes. Foster families are often reluctant to take in children who have been incarcerated and treatment facilities in Colorado have low availability, leaving children with nowhere to go after their detention.

According to The Colorado Sun, youth correction bed capacities have decreased four times in size since 2019.

Coroner Reports FBI Agent Turned Russian Spy Died of Natural Causes in Supermax 

A former Russian spy held at the Supermax prison in Florence is found to have died of natural causes. 

The El Paso County Coroner determined 79 year-old Robert Hanssen died from colon cancer. Hanssen was found dead on June 5 in his jail cell of the Florence Supermax prison.

Hanssen was an inmate at the so-called Alcatraz of the Rockies since 2002, serving 15 life sentences for espionage.

During and after the Cold War, while he was an agent at the FBI, Robert Hanssen sold classified information to Russian intelligence agencies, the KGB and later GRU.

Hanssen was arrested in 2001 just outside of Washington, D.C. The Department of Justice called Hanssen’s espionage “possibly the worst intelligence disaster in US history.”

Colorado Officials to Hold Election Campaign Rulemaking Hearing 

The Colorado Department of State is inviting the public to comment at a hearing this afternoon on proposed amendments to campaign and political finance rules.

The hearing will be from 1 to 5 p.m., both in person at the Department of State’s office in Denver as well as online.

For more information, go to coloradosos.gov.

Aurora Commemorating 11th Anniversary of Movie Theater Shooting

It’s been 11 years since a gunman killed 12 people and injured 70 others at the Century 16 theater in Aurora.

The 7/20 Memorial Foundation, named after the July 20 mass shooting, began a series of commemorative events late Wednesday with a midnight vigil at the Aurora Water-wise Garden.

Activities to help remember and honor victims continue Saturday with a 5K run, wellness booths, music, beer tastings, chalk artists, and an annual fundraiser. More information can be found at 7-20memorial.org.

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