Headlines — May 16, 2022

May 16, 2022

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Covid Cases Rising In Boulder County

Boulder County health officials say the number of new COVID-19 cases has increased the community risk level from low to medium with cases increasing to 200 out of 100,000 people. The shift was not a surprise as the more contagious BA.2 variant is spreading across the country. The rise in risk levels means people will need face masks in healthcare settings, homeless shelters, and correctional facilities. 

The City of Boulder responded to the news with the announcement that city council meetings will return to all virtual instead of the hybrid live and online versions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people stay updated on vaccinations, consider wearing masks, and follow isolation guidelines.

Super Market Mass Shooting Hits Close To Home For Coloradans 

Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett and Colorado Representative Joe Neguse expressed their sorrow and support on social media after a gunman in Buffalo, New York, shot 13 people in a grocery store Saturday. Ten people died before the suspect surrendered to the police. All the fatal victims were Black, and authorities plan to leverage hate crime charges. The 18-year-old gunman, who live streamed the attack, published a racist manifesto ahead of the massacre.

The attack in Buffalo came a little over a year after a gunman killed ten people in the Table Mesa King Soopers in Boulder. In a tweet published Saturday, Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett wrote, “While their tragedy is a uniquely horrible combination of senseless gun violence and white supremacy, Boulder stands with Buffalo in this time of trauma and heartbreak.”

Whistleblowers Say They Falsified Records At Mental Health Center

Current and former workers of a Grand Junction mental health facility recorded false patient information for years to help secure better funding from the state. 

Twenty-nine whistleblowers told The Colorado News Collaborative about their experiences as employees at Mind Springs Health. Workers allege that their supervisors asked them to make-up diagnoses to justify treating patients and to record information that showed all patients had improved.

Three top Mind Springs executives resigned after the news collaborative published a story about poor care at the center. The facility is one of 17 regional community mental health centers throughout Colorado that make up the state’s safety net system.

Reproductive Rights Rallies In Denver, Boulder And Longmont Saturday

For the second weekend in a row, following the leaked draft ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that would reverse Roe v Wade, protesters gathered across the country to voice support for abortion rights. In Colorado, large rallies took place in Boulder, Longmont, and Denver. 

Over 2,000 people rallied at the Boulder County Courthouse and marched with signs down Pearl street. Colorado law guarantees the right to an abortion, but many medical workers fear this reversal could overwhelm and strain the healthcare system in Colorado.  

 Coloradans Part Of Historical Mount Everest Team

The first all-black group summited Mt. Everest this weekend. According to OutsideOnline, about 6,000 climbers have climbed Mt Everest — until this weekend only 10 have been black. Thomas Moore from Denver and Eddie Taylor from Boulder reached the summit with “Full Circle,” a group of seven black climbers. The group’s founder, Philip Henderson– who lives in Cortez, Colorado,  said, the world of outdoor sports doesn’t include people of color. Henderson has worked at the national outdoor leadership school for more than 30 years and for the entire time, says he’s the only black person on staff. Henderson told Outdoor Magazine that this summit is a major step toward further inclusivity in outdoor activities.

Missing Tuber’s Body Discovered In Cherry Creek

Search crews recovered the body of a missing 29-year-old man from Cherry Creek Reservoir on Saturday. The victim had been missing for a week after he became separated from a tube pulled by a boat. The man, who has not yet been identified, had not been wearing a life jacket.