Headlines — November 17, 2022

November 17, 2022

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Denver Opens Rec Centers For More Shelter

An arctic air mass will continue to cause sub-freezing temperatures across the Front Range today and tomorrow. Denver Parks and Recreation will open all currently operating recreation centers as warming stations for unhoused individuals during normal business hours, which vary by location. 

According to a press release from Denver, each center will provide a staffed area with access to drinking water, restrooms, and a place to sit. 

The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment opens shelters when temperatures dip below ten degrees or if six inches of snow are forecasted. Hypothermia in winter months is a leading cause of death among the homeless populations in this region.

Aurora “Work-First” Homelessness Plan

The city of Aurora is responding to the homelessness epidemic with a new strategy that prioritizes employment as a crucial step toward stability. A majority of Aurora lawmakers approved the plan on Monday after the vote was postponed a few weeks ago to allow time for amendments to the plan’s language.

The so-called “work-first” plan will require homeless clients to participate in programs that prepare them for jobs, such as job training and substance abuse treatment, and offer employment services, emergency support, and case management for the homeless. The strategy stands in stark contrast to the “Housing First” approach favored by many advocates and service providers who work directly with unhoused populations.

Aurora has developed a communication strategy to frame the program for the public. Mayor Mike Coffman says emergency shelters will still be available to citizens with minimal restrictions.

Four Colorado Starbucks Locations To Strike Today

Un-unionized Starkbucks employees across the nation will strike today including employees at 4 Colorado locations. Starbucks workers at Colorado Springs, Cherry Creek, Superior and Greeley, will strike today in what they are calling the “Red Cup Rebellion”. 

Today is Starbucks’ annual Red Cup Day, and one of the stores busiest days of the year when customers who order a holiday drink get a free reusable cup. According to a press release, striking workers will be demonstrating outside of their stores and handing out Starbucks Workers United branded cups to customers instead.

Workers participating in Colorado will join thousands of their peers across the country  to demand the coffee chain negotiate with unionized workers in good faith and stop what they say are unfair labor practices. Starbucks employees have quickly and effectively organized for union representation in the past year amid resistance from the company. 

Starbucks Workers United now represents nearly 7,000 workers at over 260 locations nationwide. 

Colorado 3rd Congressional District Ballot Curing

The winner of the race for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District race remains undetermined. 

The deadline for ballots from overseas and military voters was yesterday. County Clerks and bipartisan poll-watching teams will work on tallying those votes in addition to initiating the ballot curing process for thousands of ballots that have yet to be counted because of mistakes made by voters. Voters had until Wednesday night to cure their ballot mistakes and have their votes counted. 

Mesa and Pueblo, the district’s two largest counties, have 1,166 ballots that have not been counted due to voter mistakes. Officials and volunteers from both parties are taking measures to get these votes counted, including calling and texting voters and even showing up at their doors.

The candidates themselves are involved in reaching voters in the 3rd Congressional district whose ballots were rejected due to a missing signature or signature discrepancy. Voters in Pueblo told 9News and the Colorado Sun they feel like they are being harassed to fix issues with their ballots so they can be counted in the tight race. 

Members Of The Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board Will Meet Today

Members of the Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board will meet today to discuss the renaming requests for Mount Evans. The mountain bears the name of John Evans, the territorial governor of Colorado who issued orders to kill Native Americans and was the state’s top executive at the time of the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre. 

Gov. Jared Polis set up the Board to assess propositions concerning title changes, new names, and title discussions of Mount Evans and geographic features and public spaces within the state of Colorado.

The meeting hosted by the Colorado Department of Natural Resources will hear from proponents of the six pending Mount Evans renaming proposals.

Colorado Students Are Struggling In Math

Colorado students are struggling with math skills following the learning disruptions caused by the pandemic. That according to a report released this week by The Keystone Policy Center.

The report examined test results from two state assessments; the Colorado Measures of Academic Success and SAT exams. It found less than a third of elementary and middle school students in the state are meeting or passing grade-level benchmarks in math. Eleventh-grade students had significantly lower SAT scores than the previous two years, with nearly 35% meeting or exceeding the college readiness targets in math.

Last month Colorado students scored the lowest in math in over a decade in a test called “the nation’s report card.” 

In his 2023-24 budget proposal, Gov. Jared Polis cited the need to invest more in public education, largely because of the decline in mathematical progress in Colorado schools.

Louisville Police Chief Leaving For Estes Park Position

Louisville police chief David Hayes has announced he is leaving his position as of November 28. After eight years in Louisville, Hayes is transitioning to work in Estes Park where he says he has personal ties and has lived part time since 2017. 

Louisville Deputy Chief of Police Jeff Fisher will begin serving as Interim Chief of Police this frida while the city searches for a permanent replacement.

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