Headlines – September 1, 2023

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United Health Care Deadline May Affect 13,000 BCH Patients

Boulder Community Health and UnitedHealthcare are struggling to agree on a new contract this month so that some 13,000 patients will not be stuck with out-of-pocket medical costs.

According to Boulder Reporting Lab, both sides  agree the COVID pandemic created lasting cost increases related to staffing, supplies and hospitalizations.  However, they cannot agree on what fair and competitive rates will look like because of the unpredictability of inflation.

If BCH and the health insurance company can’t reach an agreement by October 1, UnitedHealthcare policyholders might need to switch primary care physicians and seek out alternative medical facilities to avoid paying out-of-network charges.

Laws To Facilitate Correctional And Judicial Communications

Two new Colorado laws go into effect today that make communications for inmates and for people fulfilling their civic duties easier.

HB23-1133 will lower the cost of calls for incarcerated people and their families. The law implements a staggered timeline in which the state Department of Corrections will begin to cover 25 percent of the communications costs for voice calls from or to persons incarcerated at state facilities or in private prisons inside of Colorado. The new law requires the Department of Corrections to cover the full cost by summer of 2025 and is a response to financial limitations preventing communications between inmates and their families. 

Bill sponsor Representative Judy Amabile of Boulder said in a press release, “Research shows that people who have more contact with their families while they are incarcerated have lower rates of re-arrest after they return to their community.”

The second new law provides remote-viewing access in court for residents called upon for jury duty. HB23-1182 reinstates the COVID-19 remote practices, which allowed court proceedings to occur virtually. The law was designed to decrease the strain of jury duty on people with non-reliable transportation while promoting civic participation. However, the law will not change in-person participation requirements for plaintiffs, attorneys, judges or court personnel. 

Possible Road Rage Shooting Leaves 8 People Injured 

A possible road rage shooting at Highway 287 and Owl Canyon Road left several people injured Thursday evening. 

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office says someone in a vehicle allegedly shot at another vehicle. The victim’s vehicle then crashed and caught fire.

No one was struck by gunfire, but all eight people in the victim’s vehicle were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Colorado Glider Crash Near Wyoming Border Kills Pilot

Also in Larimer County, a glider pilot flying solo died Thursday afternoon when his aircraft crashed on private property near the Colorado-Wyoming border.

The Federal Aviation Administration and local authorities are investigating the cause of the accident, which occurred in a field off County Road 15.

Burning Semi Temporarily Shuts I-70 

The Colorado State Patrol temporarily shut down eastbound I-70 at U.S. 6 Thursday night after a semi-truck caught fire from overheated brakes.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze and the semi was towed before officials reopened lanes.

Aurora To Reinstate Reserve Police Force After Almost Two Decades

Aurora City Council voted to reinstate the city’s reserve police force after an eighteen year absence. 

Aurora’s reserve police force came to a halt in 2005, when Aurora established a city code “cleanup” initiative. According to City Council documents, using the reserve comes in response to, “police shortages.”  Interim Police Chief Art Acevedo said police shortages have led to less visibility in the community and opened opportunities for crime. 

The City Council approved the force with an 8-2 vote. There is no clear number of how many individuals will be in the force. 

Members of the reserve police force will be unpaid volunteers, appointed by the police chief. They will receive the same training as Aurora officers. Acevedo told Denverite that volunteers will need to meet qualifications to use firearms and pass several state exams and certifications.

Crystal Murrillo, who voted against the reserve force said Aurora PD had not done enough to regain trust since the 2019 killing of Elijah Mcclain – who died at the hands of the Aurora Police. Murillo said structural and cultural shifts need to occur within the Aurora Police Department before they gain public trust.

Colorado Dept. Of Law Funds MSU For Cybersecurity Training

Metropolitan State University of Denver has been awarded almost $500,000 from the Colorado Department of Law to train students for careers in cybersecurity.

State Attorney General Phil Weiser announced the funding this week, saying expertise in cybersecurity is needed to help protect businesses, government and military operations in Colorado.

The grant will go toward training about 185 analysts over the next year. The funding comes from $3.6 million Colorado received following a multistate settlement with the credit score company Equifax, which was sued after a 2017 data breach. The same settlement funds also payed $500,000 to Colorado Northwestern Community College in 2020 to help establish their cybersecurity degree program.

DIA Responds To Rise In Car Thefts 

Over 400,000 people are expected to pass through Denver International Airport for Labor Day weekend. If you’re planning on parking your vehicle at DIA over the holiday, you may want to take some precautions to secure your vehicle from theft.

According to Denverite, 378 vehicles were reported stolen from DIA parking lots in the first half of this year. Additional crimes included break-ins and thousands of catalytic converter thefts.

DIA says it’s installing mobile cameras to monitor high-activity areas. The airport is also increasing parking lot patrols with security guards and Denver Police officers.

But, airport officials are encouraging travelers to better secure their vehicles with catalytic converter protection kits and steering wheel locks. For more information about these technologies, go to the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority at lockdownyourcar.org.

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