Headlines – June 21, 2023

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Colorado AG Files Charges Against Six in Ballot Signature Fraud

Six people are facing charges for allegedly forging petition signatures and information to influence last year’s Republican primary ballot for the 7th Congressional District.

According to the state attorney general’s office, the Carl Andersen for Congress campaign hired petitioning firm Grassfire, LLC. to acquire the required signatures for Anderson to be on the ballot.

The six individuals employed by Grassfire delivered the completed petition under affidavit that they had seen each individual signature made in their presence.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office reviewed and rejected the finished petition, stating that there were a large number of signatures in the petition that did not match voting records as well as signatures from deceased individuals.

All six defendants have been charged with one felony count of attempting to influence a public servant, along with other misdemeanor charges. The candidate Carl Andersen is not suspected of any criminal behavior.

Discussion on Police Oversight Ordinance is Tonight

According to the press release, city staff will present changes to the Police Oversight Panel Ordinance and hear feedback from the community.

The meeting comes as the work of the Police Oversight Panel (POP) is at a standstill after the ousting of Lisa Sweeney-Miran for what a third-party investigator called too “anti-police” to serve on a police oversight panel. The reason for her removal stemmed from a line in the POP ordinance stating that members should meet a non-biased criteria in order to serve. 

Members of the Police Oversight Panel, halted work in protest to Sweeney-Miran’s removal, saying they would not return to work until the council had fixed the ordinance. Sweeney-Miran told KGNU that until the council rewrites the ordinance, POP will continue to strike.

“They need to give the Police Oversight Panel an ordinance that is strong, that is comprehensive, and that is in line with what is requested from them,” said Sweeney-Miran. 

Last week the POP nominated two more panelists to fill vacant spots left by Sweeney-Miran and Sarah Holt, who resigned last month. 

Boulder City Council established the Police Oversight Panel in 2020 during the peak of the protests against the murder of George Floyd. In 2019, a Boulder police officer pulled a gun on a Black Naropa University student. 

The meeting will begin this evening at 5pm at the Boulder Public Library’s Canyon Theater.

Shootout in Windsor Suburb Leaves Armed Man Dead

A man is dead after reportedly exchanging gunfire with Windsor Police officers Monday night.

The officers were responding to a call about a potentially armed intoxicated man, who was claimed to be argumentative.

Police say the man had a shotgun and fired three rounds, before being shot by the responding police officers. The man was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. 

The Weld County Coroner’s Office has not yet released the man’s identity.

Woman Dead After Being Pulled From Boulder Creek 

A woman who was hospitalized in critical condition after nearly drowning in Boulder Creek last Thursday has died. 

Authorities report that there is no suspicion of foul play. A city press release indicates the 48-year-old woman entered the water to help a family member and was swept away by the current. 

First responders performed CPR on the woman after she was rescued from the creek. 

This has been Boulder’s fifth water rescue in the last two weeks. City officials are urging community members to engage with city waters safely, and recommend keeping an eye out for strong currents, cold temperatures, and deep water.

Denver Explores Possibility of Outsourcing its Migrant Response to a Private Firm 

Denver has accommodated almost 12,000 newly arrived migrants since December. The majority of the response has been coordinated by community partners and city employees.

9News reports a committee is due to vote today on awarding a $40 million contract to GardaWorld Federal Services and its subsidiary Aegis Group. GardaWorld is a federal contractor for the U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. Aegis boasts expertise in protecting oil fields in Iraq.

GardaWorld has started contracting out migrant response services with cities like El Paso, San Antonio, and Chicago, as well as the state of Florida.

Denver’s Clarion Hotel to Be Transformed into Affordable Housing and Homeless Shelter

Denver is using federal funding to support another conversion of a former hotel to provide housing for the homeless. The new funding gives the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) $10 million to reshape the former Clarion Hotel with help from Denver’s Department of Housing Stability.  

The money for the project will create 108 income-restricted rental studios and 107 single occupancy rooms, functioning as a shelter.

The CCH renamed the hotel Renewal Village, and are promising that the shelter will only serve individuals making between 30-50% of the area’s median income.

Thorne Nature Experience Breaks Ground on New Nature Center in Lafayette

Thorne Nature Experience, an environmentally focused childcare center and day camp program, broke ground on its new nature center in Lafayette this week.

Thorne chose the Lafayette Tech Center near Coal Creek, as the site for this building, securing it with a $1 million payment last year. Donors funded a large amount of the remaining necessary funds, an estimated $3 million. 

Keith Desrosiers, Thorne Nature Experience’s executive director, stated that the location would help the camp by providing office and support spaces for their programming. 

The planned nature center will also have several community use spaces, for when Thorne’s programs are not running. As of now, it is planned to open in June of 2024.

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