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Untitled Andraa VonBoeselager
Boulder King Soopers shooter sentenced to 10 life terms plus 1,334 years
A judge sentenced the person responsible for killing 10 people at a Boulder King Soopers to 10 consecutive life terms without parole plus 1,334 years in prison yesterday.
After about six hours of deliberation, the jury found Ahmad Alissa guilty of 10 counts of first-degree murder, 38 counts of attempted first-degree murder, and other charges related to the attack.
During the trial, the defense argued that Alissa was criminally insane, but the jury rejected this claim after reviewing key evidence, including sanity evaluations.
According to the Daily Camera, family members wept as the verdict was read, while law enforcement officers stood in solidarity in the courtroom.
PERA Pension Shortfalls Raise Concerns Over Funding Crisis
Colorado’s Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA) is facing a $13 billion budget shortfall after years of bad investment decisions by its managers and insufficient contributions from government employers.
According to the Colorado Sun, a recent report shows that PERA has less than a 50% chance of being fully funded by 2048. Another year of poor returns has pushed the pension closer to a crisis point.
Now, lawmakers and PERA officials are scrambling to figure out how to avoid cuts to retiree benefits and prevent public employees from having to pay more into a system that’s running out of money.
Without immediate action, retirees could lose benefits, and workers may be forced to contribute more, putting even more strain on Colorado’s public workforce.
Colorado violates EPA ozone limits 40 times in summer 2024
This summer, Colorado’s northern Front Range counties broke EPA ozone rules on 40 different days, making it one of the worst seasons in recent years.
The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) says 22 of those violation days went over the 2008 limit, while 18 days exceeded the tougher 2015 standard.
Colorado is under pressure to lower its ozone levels or face harsher penalties from the EPA. These could include more restrictions on oil and gas operations, a major contributor to the state’s pollution. Right now, Colorado already uses reformulated gasoline and requires permits for any business emitting more than 25 tons of pollutants a year, down from the previous 50-ton threshold.
But the RAQC says it’s not enough. They’re recommending tighter rules for the oil and gas industry, like capturing pollutants during wellhead cleanouts and updating old equipment that leaks emissions.
Wildfire smoke has made things worse, but even without the smoke, the ozone levels would still have been too high. Lawmakers are working on new bills for next year, while environmental groups are calling for a pause on oil and gas drilling until air quality improves.
These violations are a serious concern for public health, especially in lower-income and minority communities that already struggle with asthma and other respiratory issues. If Colorado doesn’t take bigger steps soon, stricter rules from the EPA are on the horizon.
Aurora has reached a legal settlement with the owner of 1568 Nome St., Zev Baumgarten, amid a Venezuelan gang controversy.
Aurora reached a legal settlement with the owner of 1568 Nome St., a property at the center of allegations tied to Venezuelan gang activity. The city shut down the apartment complex in August 2024, citing unsafe conditions, including mold, trash accumulation, animal infestations, and rampant crime. The abrupt closure left over 300 residents scrambling for housing.
The landlord, Zev Baumgarten, who operates under Nome Partners LLC and CBZ Management, agreed to pay up to $60,000 for abatement costs related to the closure and to list the property for sale within six months of completing the abatement. Baumgarten faces numerous building code violations, but under the terms of the deal, Aurora will drop the pending charges if he pays the abatement costs and lists the property before his trial date in February 2025.
The controversy surrounding the property attracted national attention, particularly due to speculation about the presence of Venezuelan gang members from Tren de Aragua. The case even drew mention during a presidential debate, with a potential visit from former President Donald Trump on the horizon.
This legal agreement applies only to the Nome St. property, though Baumgarten controls other complexes in Aurora, such as Whispering Pines and The Edge at Lowry, which have also been linked to gang activity in the media. The city continues to monitor the situation closely as the February deadline approaches.
