Headlines — March 1, 2023

March 1, 2023

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Leads In Boulder Monday Night Shooting

The Boulder Police Department is investigating what they call “several strong leads” in a non-fatal shooting that occurred around 10:00 PM Monday near 13th and Canyon.

Boulder County Sheriff deputies initially tracked the suspect but could not find anyone.

The female victim, who detectives initially identified as male, had been asleep outside near Canyon Blvd when the suspect shot her in the leg before fleeing. 

The victim was taken to the hospital and is currently in stable condition.

New Bill To Help With Colorado’s Teacher Shortage

The State Senate is considering a bill that could eliminate barriers for out-of-state teachers to get Colorado teaching licenses.

The State House approved the bill last week. It would create a faster and more accessible state-to-state licensing process, and help ease Colorado’s teacher shortage.

9News says the bill would let Colorado join ten other states in the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. Under that compact, licensed teachers can more easily transfer a teaching license between member states.

Senate Committee Passes Equal Pay For Equal Work Bill

The Senate Business Labor and Technology Committee has advanced a bill to update  Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Law.

The law – which took effect in 2021 – addresses discrimination and pay inequities in the workplace.

According to the bill, employees that go underpaid for over three years may qualify to receive up to six years of back pay. The proposed update would also simplify the process for  job vacancy and promotion notifications. 

According to census data, Colorado women earn 17 percent less on their paychecks than their male counterparts.

Sports Gambling Marketing Targets CU Students

The corporate sponsorship agreement between the University of Colorado Boulder’s athletic program and PointsBet, a Denver-based sports betting company, is facing scrutiny for predatory marketing as the company showcases its product to students who are not old enough to bet legally.

According to an investigative story by the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism and the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland, the company’s agreement with CU, signed in 2020, is one of the first of its kind to pair a sports betting platform with an university athletics program.

Under the deal, CU gets over $1.6 million over five years with PointsBet receiving wide exposure for its brand at student orientations and sports camps. 

The university, until this past January, also received a $30 fee when anyone, including students, signed up for PointsBet using a CU promotional code. 

A CU spokesperson told the investigative journalists the sports betting signs come with corresponding signage that have information on problem-gambling resources and that the university has safeguards in place. 

Addiction experts say sponsorships with betting platforms could put students at risk, especially as universities enable an acceptance or standard to the behavior.

Federal Lawsuit Against Colorado Water Company

The Federal Government is suing a Fort Collins water company, claiming that a drainage failure caused widespread damage to trees and other plant life in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The Department of the Interior lawsuit claims that the Water Supply and Storage Company culvert on the Grand River Ditch System ruptured in June of 2017, sending huge amounts of water into the Lady Creek flood plain. The lawsuit says this led to, quote, “one hundred percent loss of vegetation within the impacted area.”

The suit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court, says that water-borne debris destroyed hundreds of trees, and damaged a hiking trail. It asks for the water company to pay for all of the damage.

The suit also says that the ditch system is more than 125 years old, and should be condemned.

The Denver Post says that according to a Department of Justice press release, the Water Supply and Storage Company paid nine million dollars in damages after a similar incident twenty years ago.

Grocery Stores In Colorado Start Selling Wine Today

Beginning today, grocery stores across Colorado can sell wine.

A law approved by voters last November affects nearly two thousand grocery and convenience stores statewide.

A spokesperson for the Safeway grocery chain told The Denver Post that customers want the convenience of being able to buy a bottle of wine at the same place they get the rest of their groceries.

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