Headlines — June 28, 2022

June 28, 2022

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Primary Election Ends Today At 7 PM 

Colorado voters have until 7:00 PM to turn in their ballot for the state’s primary election. Voters can turn in their ballots at a drop box or vote in person at a Voter Service Polling Center run by their county election officials. Colorado residents can register to vote, update voter registration, and request a replacement ballot at voting centers. 

For services at a Voter Service Polling Center, voters must supply an acceptable form of identification, and the Colorado Secretary of State website lists the many forms of ID accepted. Submitting a ballot by mail is not an option as it is too late for voters to mail back their ballot, as today’s postmark will not count. 

Colorado Newsline reports unaffiliated voters are giving Republicans an edge over Democrats in the primary election turnout. As of June 24, nearly 30% of the Republican vote was from voters not affiliated with any party – double the amount from the state’s last midterm primary election in 2018.

Adams And Broomfield Counties To Expand Domestic Violence Team With $2 Million Funding

17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason, along with other elected officials and partner agencies, announced yesterday the expansion of a pilot program to alleviate intimate partner violence.

Mason said in a press release that the program will identify domestic violence victims early and provide wraparound services to keep abusers away. Among the services provided are hotel vouchers, legal help, medical care, mental health treatments, Spanish-speaking services, and child protection. 

Reps. Ed Perlmutter, Jason Crow, and Joe Neguse created the house bill to expand funding to the so-called “Domestic Violence High-Risk Team,” which began in Brighton and Thornton. With $2 million in federal funding, the services will extend to Adams and Broomfield counties.

According to Reps. Crow and Perlmutter spoke at yesterday’s announcement and say the program is responding to skyrocketing rates of domestic and intimate partner abuse since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Frasier Retirement Residents Launch Seniors-For-Seniors Endowment 

Boulder’s Frasier Retirement Community has begun delivering grants to underserved, low-income seniors. The community distributed the first round of the $2.1 million endowment program last week to Boulder Housing Partners Foundation, Boulder Area Agency on Aging, City of Boulder Older Adult Services, Friends of Longmont Senior Services, and City of Louisville Senior Services.

The Boulder Reporting Lab reports that a nine-member advisory committee from Frasier researched the needs of underserved county seniors over eight months, establishing grant criteria, reviewing proposals, and visiting organizations. The group looked for ways to support seniors who may miss out on government-funded support, including disabled seniors and those who lack access to the internet, transportation, or information on how to get social services.

The retirement community’s peer-to-peer giving program grew out of money repurposed from Frasier’s $5.1 million purchase of the Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in 2015, which is being developed for affordable senior housing.

DPS Workers Set To Rally Today At School District Headquarters 

Workers at Denver Public Schools, including paraprofessionals, groundskeepers, and nutritionists, announced they will rally today in front of DPS headquarters, calling on the School District to pay workers at least $20 per hour. 

Rally organizers say the school district pays poverty wages to hundreds of its workers and are calling on DPS to meet union demands. The rally will begin at 3:30 PM, 1860 Lincoln Street, Denver. 

Vandals Destroy DACA Murals At Two Denver Library Locations 

According to the Denver Westword, Vandals destroyed two murals marking the tenth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The incidents at Denver Public Library’s Eugene Field and Virginia Village branches occurred shortly after their anniversary unveiling in mid-June.

The murals, part of an installation set throughout Boulder and four Denver Public Library branches, are photographs of an undocumented person in Colorado with a QR code explaining the individual’s story and their experience being undocumented.

Artist Edica Pacha created the murals as part of the Boulder Motus Theater’s UndocuAmericas Monologues project, where undocumented immigrants relate their dehumanizing experiences through monologue performances. She has replaced the murals with new ones since the vandalism. 

Denver City Council Adopts Volume-Based Trash System To Incentivize Compost and Recycling

Denver City Council approved a volume-based trash system Monday. The new program will extend recycling and compost collection services. Lawmakers hope to reduce trash that gets sent to the landfill.

For over a decade, city lawmakers have worked on a plan to change the way residents pay for recycling and compost. Currently, Denver offers trash and recycling for a flat fee. The new program, beginning in January, will incentivize composting and recycling by charging residents based on the size of their trash bin and the quantity sent to the landfill.

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