Statement from President Joe Biden on Historic Declines in Crime in 2024: “This year, the homicide and violent crime rates have continued their rapid decline from their peaks during the last administration. According to new preliminary data submitted to the FBI, in the first half of this year, the homicide rate continued to fall at record speed, declining by 22.7 percent, while the violent crime rate fell by 10.3 percent to its lowest level since 1969. These record decreases follow the historic declines in crime in 2023, including the largest-ever decrease in the homicide rate. Communities across our country are safer now than when I took office.”
Colorado Governor
Governor Polis and the Global Business Development Division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced that leading global online sports betting company bet365 has selected Denver, Colorado for expansion. The UK-based company has opened its new U.S. headquarters at One Platte, or 1701 Platte Street, and plans to hire nearly 1,000 employees.
Denver Mayor
Mayor Mike Johnston, Denver Human Services (DHS), and Gary Community Ventures announced a new collaboration to improve access to essential services for Denver residents through a transformative online tool called MyFriendBen. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to breaking down barriers and making vital services more accessible to everyone in Denver.
As Sudan’s civil war rages on, the country’s army launched a major offensive against a paramilitary group. The army targeted areas in the capital of Khartoum. Since the civil war began, up to 150,000 people have been killed while more than 10 million people have been forced to leave their homes.
Three arrested in Benin over coup attempt
Three people in Benin were arrested on suspicion of plotting a coup. Among those arrested include former sports minister Oswald Homeky and businessman Oliver Boko, who is friends with Benin President Patrice Talon. Police are investigating the situation to identify further suspects.
Asia
Dozens of children die in India during festival
Officials in eastern India said at least 37 children drowned while celebrating a Hindu religious festival. The drownings occurred across 15 districts in a 24-hour period. Local reports suggest that many people ignored water levels in rivers while bathing to celebrate the festival.
Journalists jailed in Hong Kong
Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, journalists who work for a pro-democracy newspaper, were jailed after being found guilty in a sedition case. The pair published articles about the crackdown on civil rights in Hong Kong. This is the first sedition case against journalists in Hong Kong since the territory was given to China from Britain in 1997.
Europe
Swiss cyclist dies
Muriel Furrer, a professional cyclist, died at the world championships in Switzerland. She was 18 and died after crashing during a race. Furrer was taken to a hospital by emergency helicopter, and officials said they could not give more information about the incident as authorities investigate her death.
Russia targeting Ukraine nuclear power plants
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia is planning deeper attacks on Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. He spoke before the United Nations, saying Ukraine gathered intelligence showing Russia is using satellites to gather information about the country’s nuclear infrastructure. Zelensky warned of a possible “nuclear disaster.”
Latin America
Poverty rises in Argentina
Argentina’s Indec statistics agency reported that more than half of Argentina’s 46 million residents are living in poverty. Meanwhile, the country’s annual inflation rate in August remained as one of the highest in the world at more than 230 percent. The high poverty figures are seen as a blow to President Javier Milei.
Mexican students still missing, 10 years later
It has been 10 years since 43 student teachers traveling from the Ayotzinapa teacher training college, which is known for its history of activism. The students were on their way to an annual protest in Mexico City. Today, the parents of those students are still demanding answers for what happened to their children.
North America
Three charged for hacking Trump campaign
The United States has charged three Iranians, who are members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, for allegedly hacking former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. The trio were charged with 18 counts, like identity theft, fraud, and more. The Trump campaign said its internal communications was hacked in August.
On September 28th, the Denver Press Club will make history. That, in itself, is no small feat for America’s oldest press club. The place reeks of history. Don’t believe it? How about this little tidbit: Long ago U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt held membership in the club. Of course, he’s just one luminary member of the joint.
DPC Hall of Fame membership reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of media superstars. There’s Iconic editorial cartoonists and Pulitzer Prize winners Paul Conrad and Pat Oliphant. Of course, Damon Runyon, the inspiration for the Broadway and movie hit, ‘Guys and Dolls,’ once held court there, too.
Numerous Denver television icons, the latest of whom is Anne Trujillo, the face of Denver’s 7 for decades are also honored with membership. And now, joining these honored names, Pauline Rivera, owner and publisher of LaVozColorado, the state’s oldest and largest bilingual newspaper.
Rivera, whose career has been spent in various “behind the scenes”positions at Denver’s 7 and, for the last sixteen years, publisher of LaVozColorado, was surprised—but elated—when the Press Club called. “There’s quite a list of incredibly talented people in the Press Club Hall of Fame,” she thought to herself. But as the surprise wore off, “I thought. ‘Wow. This is pretty special!’”
LaVozColorado has been a Denver and Colorado mainstay for more than fifty years. And while it is a bilingual publication, its readers span the political, economic and social spectrum, said Rivera. “We serve the entire community, and beyond.” The paper is distributed from Fort Collins to Pueblo. “People want to know what’s going on in the Latino community,” she said. The paper, because each story is printed in both languages, is an essential source of news for a changing Denver and Colorado.
Publishing a bilingual newspaper, while once—and very generously—a distant possibility, actually comes quite naturally for Rivera. Growing up in the tiny, mostly Latino community of Costilla, New Mexico, nearly everyone was bilingual. “When I started school, I was already set in two languages and so were all of my classmates.”
Being fluent in two languages has not only been helpful in her career, but also a boon for the news department during her Denver’s 7 days. There, Rivera remembers being often called upon to translate Spanish language soundbites or interpret during an interview. Today she chuckles that her double-duty language skills didn’t translate into extra pay.
LaVozColorado has stories bolstered by state, national and international experts commenting on politics and government, education, healthcare, science and technology, even pop culture. Rivera has ensured the paper consistently informs readers on things that might be overlooked or even ignored by larger news organizations.
“Early on I decided that I not only wanted to share stories about Latinos in our community, but also those in the San Luis Valley and northern New Mexico where so many people in Colorado have family roots,” Rivera said. As a result, LaVozColorado has featured stories that might be considered esoterica by mainstream media but long held traditions among Latinos.
The paper, for example, has written on colcha, a unique but little known form of embroidery brought to the region by the earliest Spanish settlers. Colcha remains a practiced artform in northern New Mexico and in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. Or curanderismo, a holistic form of healing practiced across the Southwest.
Rivera has ensured that stories appearing in LaVozColorado cover a spectrum of individuals and subjects. The paper was the only Colorado media outlet to gain an exclusive interview with President Barack Obama as he sought reelection in 2012. But its scope of stories also includes profiles on New Mexico’s icon, the late Al Hurricane, and Rivera’s own interviews with astronaut José Hernandez, the late Republican presidential candidate John McCain and the popular talk show host Oprah. Also covered were warning pieces on an unknown virus coming to America and features on the minutiae and wonder of NASA’s New Horizon mission to the planet Pluto.
The contributions LaVozColorado has made to the state in journalism, said Rivera, have been extremely important. In fact, by year’s end, thanks to the Colorado Trust Foundation and the Denver Public Library, digitized copies of every LaVozColorado ever published will be accessible at the Colorado Historic Newspapers site.
LaVozColorado has also changed with the times, both broadening its reach with an internet presence and social media. Very modestly, Rivera describes the newly designed website, lavozcolorado.com, as “very informative, visual and easy to navigate” and one that goes a long way to “assist people who only get their news online.”
While media has been intertwined in an overarching way throughout her career, being a newspaper publisher was never part of the plan. At least that is what she used to think.
Mrs. Santisteven, a long-ago schoolteacher, Rivera remembered, maybe knew more about her than she did herself. “She would tell us ‘I want you to write a story and next week you’re going to stand up in front of the class and take questions on it.” She forced us to hone our writing skills and engage in the dreaded public speaking, Rivera said. “In a way, she nurtured me.” That memory might also be one of the subliminal motivations for adding and recognizing a ‘Student of the Week’ during the school year. Space is dedicated to telling a brief story of a student from Colorado who has distinguished themselves academically and have volunteered in their community. Also featured under the banner of, ‘Where Are They Now,’ LaVozColorado has featured many success stories in the community in an effort to honor those professionals, provide role models to our youth and encourage higher education. Rivera was also instrumental in implementing “Mis Recuerdos,” an ongoing column that highlights her growing up Latina experiences.
Rivera’s induction into The Denver Press Club’s Hall of Fame also means her caricature will hang alongside some heavyweight newspeople who have made Denver an amazing news town. But her Hall of Fame status also proves that she’s also earned her place.
“You survive because you know the written word is the foundation of journalism…it’s the true word.” And that, believes Rivera, especially holds true today in a changing world. Today, news changes not just by the hour but often by the minute. Today’s journalism also serves a different world than the one it served decades before.
Rivera offers, “As LaVozColorado celebrates 50 years, we continue to serve a growing Latino population and our stories reflect that same population. We have also gained mainstream readers who are very saavy and aware of a changing world.”
We’ve had an incredible staff of writers, editors, photographers, graphic artists, translators and more, who believe in our bilingual format, vision. Providing news and information in two languages (English/Spanish) to our loyal readership Rivera said, is more important today than ever. “It’s not how fast you deliver it. It’s how relevant and accurate you make it!”
Erika Martinez grew up watching her single mother work multiple jobs in manufacturing, custodial work, bakeries, and cleaning private homes to make ends meet. Her mother’s dedication eventually brought them to Denver when Martinez was 12, seeing it as a city with good job opportunities and a promising quality of life. “My work ethic is one thing I attribute to my success, and that comes from my mom,” Martinez said.
Martinez’s work ethic has led her to taking several communications roles where she has created and implemented strategic marketing and communications plans for internal and external audiences, like Latinos. She has served in various positions with the City and County of Denver, including at the Mayor’s Office of the National Western Center, North Denver Cornerstone Collaborative, and Denver Human Services.
Photo courtesy: Erika Martinez
Today, Martinez works as the director of communications and engagement for the Denver Public Library. “I oversee marketing, communications strategic partnerships, and community engagement for the entire system. All of those pieces are different but connected,” said Martinez.
“I love the ability to think about all of those pieces to help raise the brand of the library, because the library honestly is a great resource for our community,” she later added.
“I don’t want it to be the best kept secret. There are so many different services that we offer to our community at no cost. It’s our job to get the word out about all of those things.”
Martinez said one of her proudest accomplishments she achieved while working at Denver Public Library was contributing to referred ballot measure question 2i. This question, which was overwhelmingly passed by Denver voters in 2022, provided the Denver Public Library with an additional $32 million a year.
Photo courtesy: Erika Martinez
“(Being) part of that team and developing advocacy and plans and figuring out how to get (the ballot measure) to the finish line was incredibly fulfilling and a great experience for me,” said Martinez.
Outside of her work with the library, Martinez is a Denver Public Schools graduate from North High School. She received her BA in Communications from the University of Colorado Denver and her MBA from Regis University. Martinez is also a graduate of the Circle of Latina Leadership, a leadership program that she says changed the trajectory of her career and life.
“I had gone to college, was just about to finish my masters, but I really feel like I was one of only a few people that looked like me. The Circle of Latina Leadership gave me a network of women who are wicked smart,” she said.
When asked about what Hispanic Heritage Month means to her, Martinez said she sees the time as an opportunity to come together and celebrate who we are from people of different walks of life and countries.
“For me, I want to do this year round. I’ve been jokingly saying that I am brown all year round,” said Martinez.
“Let’s celebrate this all year round. We have so much to offer. It’s all about intentionally celebrating ourselves and what we bring to this country.”
The Denver Broncos were on the road this past Sunday in sunny Tampa Bay, in hopes of tuning things around after losing two straight to the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers in last weekend’s home opener.
Denver came out and made an immediate statement by moving the ball 70 yards on their first possession with rookie quarterback Bo Nix scoring a 3-yard trot into the end-zone giving the Broncos a 7-0 lead.
On Tampa’s ensuing possession the Buccaneers failed to get a first down and went three and out, punt- ing back to the visiting team. Denver was unable to move the ball on their second drive, which stalled of gaining only five yards. Buccaneers quarterback; Baker Mayfield tossed the first interception of the game to Brandon Jones a pass intended for Mike Evans.
The Broncos took advantage of Mayfield’s mistake by adding a 1-yard TD run by Jaleel McLaughlin to put Denver up 14-0. Denver added a field goal before Tampa was able to get on the board after Mayfield connected with Chris Goodwin for a 5-yard TD. Denver would add another field goal before the half, leading 20-7 heading into the locker room.
In the second half Denver added six more points on field goals from Will Lutz who accounted for 12 of Denver’s 26 points.
The Broncos came out on Sunday and dominated in all aspects of the game, defeating an undefeated team whose offense has been a force early in the season. Next week the Broncos will face the New York Jets in New York, hoping to ride the wave of confidence gained in their win in Tampa, 26-7.
In other sports the Colorado Buffaloes won their game at Folsom on Saturday against the Baylor Bears. Baylor came into Saturday night’s game with the same record as CU with wins over Air Force and Tarleton State. Baylor’s one loss came at the expense of the Utes at the start of September.
CU was outplayed in the first half, trailing 24-17, before coming out in the second half scoring a touchdown in the third and another at the end of regulation when Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders rolled out to his left and tossed up a 48-yard Hail Mary to LaJohntay Wester which sent the game into OT.
CU got the ball first and scored the only touchdown in extra time when running back Micah Welch scored from 1-yard out. Baylor was able to get the ball down to the goal-line but ironman player, Travis Hunter and Heisman favorite jarred the ball loose after putting a hit on Baylor running back Dominic Richardson ending the game. CU beat Baylor 38-31.
CU is on the road to face the University of Central Florida this Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
David Conde, Senior Consultant for International Programs
What will a candidate do to win an election? The answer in the case of Donald Trump and JD Vance it is to go as far as lies will take them.
Lately, Trump has been voicing the notion that Haitian immigrants are eating their neighbors’ cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio. He even featured this obscene animal story in the national debate with Kamala Harris.
The story, apparently pushed by his new and close confidant Laura Loomer, a veteran spinner of conspiracy theories, has created such a chaotic set of violent threats that schools and other institutions in the area closed to avoid injury and possible deaths in the community. Evidently Trump is still looking for a winning formula against Vice President Harris and this is his latest attempt.
When cornered, JD Vance, the Republican Vice presidential nominee, had to admit that the eating of cats and dogs story was not true. However, he indicated that they would continue with the lie because it brings more attention to the immigration question, an issue that the political campaign feels can win them the White House.
Curiously enough, the former President and his surrogates are accusing the Biden, Harris and the Democrats of instigating the attempts on Trump’s life. They fault the opposition for saying that Donald Trump is a danger to democracy and the rule of law.
There is an on-going and desperate effort to connect the would-be assassins to their Democratic rivals in the presidential race. That is hard to do since the kid that tried to assassinate Trump on July 13th was said to be a registered Republican.
Also, the second would-be assassin, Ryan Wesley Routh, evidently voted for Trump in the 2016 election and supported Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy this year. Meantime, the Trump campaign is continuing with the lie about immigrants eating cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio.
Worse for the small town in Ohio, members of the Republican Party had a town hall to discuss the assasination attempt because to them, that is more important than the well-being of Springfield. It seems that the second attempted assassination of the former President does not provide enough of a bump to help him win the election.
Senator Vance questions why is it that Kamala Harris has not experienced an assassination attempt this campaign season and Trump already has two attempts? He answers his own question with the notion that the Democratic rhetoric against the former President is the cause of such violence.
But then we also hear that, “they are eating dogs! They are eating cats! They are eating the neighbors’ pets in Springfield!” This is the person that said that Mexicans are criminals and rapists and got elected President of the United States in 2016.
What we have in the person of Donald Trump, a voice that instigates violence to people of color, to our soldiers in the field, especially those that died in battle or are taken prisoner, to our friends and allies abroad, to working people that are short-changed when it comes time for the Trump Organization to pay its bills, to our democratic institutions, and most of all, to the Constitution and the rule of law. He can not help himself as that is his nature.
So we are left with is the terrorized small town of Springfield, Ohio, a city with a Republican Mayor in a state with a Republican governor. Nothing seems to matter when personal ambition over country is involved.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of LaVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
The end of summer is always a time hunters look forward to in Colorado. It’s the beginning of hunting season. September in Colorado, a state with an abundance of wildlife, has a variety of options for hunters and a variety of game to hunt. But there is a right way to pursue this recreation and definitely a wrong way.
Photo courtesy: Colorado Parks & Recreation
In Pueblo County, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers are working to solve a couple of cases of people definitely hunting in the wrong way, poaching. Poaching is the illegal trafficking and killing of wildlife. It’s heartless, cruel and, worst, never ending.
The most recent poaching incident occurred near Lake Pueblo State Park where the remains of a mule deer were discovered. The animal had been shot; its meat left to deteriorate. Also this month, the body of a pronghorn antelope was discovered South of Highway 50 near Swallows Road in Pueblo West. Again, there was no effort to harvest the meat.
“I consider them (poachers) vile human beings,” said CPW District Wildlife Manager Gretchen Holschuh. But catching and prosecuting them is one of the rewards of her 23 years on the job. “That’s why I got into this career, to curb this (crime).”
CPW defines the crime of poaching as hunting out of season, hunting at night using spotlights, taking more than the legal limit of animals along with several other categories. But few poachers have distinguished themselves like the Colorado Springs man who was convicted of the crime in 2021.
Iniki Vike Kapu, then a Colorado Springs resident, was followed for a year by CPW investigators for a series of illegal hunts across three Colorado counties in which he killed as many as a dozen deer, a bighorn sheep and two wild turkeys. For his crimes, Kapu was sentenced to six months in jail, fined $4,600, placed on three years’ supervised probation and ordered to surrender the weapons used in his crime spree. He also was banned from ever hunting again in virtu- ally every state in the country.
The pronghorn that was killed, Holschuh said, was fatally shot from the roadside. Pronghorn are found in significant numbers on the plains of Colorado and in other western states. Holschuh said they are also the fastest land animal in North America and the second fastest next to the cheetah. The animal is also, she said, considered a prized shoot.
While the deaths of the mule deer and the pronghorn are under investigation, because of personnel challenges and the vast areas of responsibility people like Holschuh are required to patrol, it is nearly impossible to determine the actual numbers of poaching incidents that occur.
“We each have assigned districts,” that can spread up to 2,000 square miles, recounted Holdschuh. The veteran CPW officer’s responsibility is Area 11, a landmass that “goes from Pueblo County to Fowler to New Mexico.”
What makes a person want to poach, is a question officers like Holschuh ask themselves all the time. “It’s a sickness…a sick addiction,” she suspects. Some poachers are in it for the money or the trophy, but for others she says it comes down to something a lot simpler. “Bloodlust and bragging rights,” she suspects. In Colorado the prize game for most poachers are elk, deer and pronghorn. But sometimes, it’s whatever is easiest and available.
But Colorado voters may take some animals off the hunting list, including trophy hunter’s, wish list in November. A ‘Yes’ vote on Proposition 127 would prohibit “the hunting or trapping of bobcats, lynx and mountain lions.” A “No” vote would allow for continued hunting of bobcats and mountain lions. State and federal law would continue to keep lynx off limits for hunting.
While the penalties for poaching can reach several thousand dollars, fines have not proven to be barriers to illegal hunts, especially for bighorn sheep which are prized among trophy hunters.
Drawings for a license to take one, go for $320 for in-state residents, $2,300 for out of state hunters. There is also no guarantee that your name will be called for a license, as drawings are the way licenses are awarded. Some hunters have waited more than two decades to win one.
While poaching is a known violation of the law, 2,700 tickets each year are written annually across Colorado. Some are for violations as simple as fishing without a license. But most citations, wildlife officials say, usually include multiple violations.
Though the penalties for poaching can be steep, this crime will continue to keep officials like Holschuh and her counterparts busy in Colorado and around the world. Wildlife officials say poaching is a multi-billion-dollar business.
Denver Housing Authority (DHA) announced today that Renee Martinez-Stone has been promoted to Chief Strategy & Planning Officer. In this new role, Martinez-Stone will lead DHA’s strategic initiatives in support of the overall DHA Strategic Plan.
Photo courtesy: Denver Housing Authority
“We are thrilled to announce Renee Martínez-Stone as our new Chief Strategy & Planning Officer. Her visionary leadership, strategic insight, and dedication to driving innovation will be instrumental in shaping the future of Denver Housing Authority,” said Joaquín Cintrón Vega, Chief Executive Officer. “As we continue to grow, Renee’s expertise will guide us toward achieving our long-term goals and unlocking new opportunities.”
“I am ready and excited to bring my planning experience and project management to support DHA’s forward-thinking vision. We are driving partnerships, leading planning, and building housing that enhances the quality of life for our residents while also advancing innovative, affordable housing solutions for the City and County of Denver.”
Martinez-Stone has been with the agency since 2016. She most recently served as the Director of DHA’s Planning and Data Department, which includes the work of the West Denver Renaissance Collaborative. Her work with DHA includes master planning and management of community responsive programs focused on equitable revitalization, minimizing displacement, and housing solutions in west Denver. Martinez-Stone’s professional experience includes both public and private sector urban planning and revitalization projects ranging from single residential sites to cultural, creative and investment districts. She also brings decades of expertise in community-based urban design, community engagement strategies, project management and plan implementation.
Local Dental provider gives back to underserved communities at its 13th Annual Labor of Love Event
Risas Dental and Braces gifted patients over $400,000 worth of free dental treatments during its 13th annual Labor of Love event held on Labor Day in the Denver area and cities across the Southwest. Since 2011, Risas’ signature event has contributed over $11 million in free dental care to underserved communities, helping close the healthcare gap.
Photo courtesy: Risas Dental and Braces
On the morning of September 4, Risas’ dentists treated over 300 patients during its 2024 Labor of Love event at six offices in the Denver area. In just four hours, Risas gave away nearly $80,000 in free treatments to hundreds of patients looking to improve their oral health.
“Labor of Love allows us to show love to the communities we serve and help individuals take control of their health one step at a time,” says Jeff Adams, CEO of Risas Dental and Braces. “By doing so, we afford them the chance to preserve their health for longer and redirect focus to their families.”
New and current patients received basic dentistry treatments including cleanings, fillings, simple extractions, exams, and X-rays at participating Risas Dental locations. Risas’ dentists and their support teams performed a total of 350 procedures. In addition to the free dental provided on Labor Day, 25 patients were chosen to receive free braces, one at each participating location.
Each office saw an average of 60 to 75 patients for Labor of Love and treated over 1,500 patients, significantly impacting the community. Risas’ goal is to help prevent larger and more expensive health issues from arising later for patients by providing them with the necessary dental care they need.
Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper introduced and voted to pass the bipartisan resolution formally recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15th through October 15th. The resolution passed unanimously.
“There is so much to celebrate about the Hispanic community’s deep roots in Colorado,” said Bennet. “This month, I’m grateful for the contributions of the more than 1.2 million Hispanic Americans who call our state home.” “¡Feliz Mes de la Herencia Hispana! Colorado’s rich Latino community defines our state and has helped make it the best place to live,” said Hickenlooper.
In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson first commemorated Hispanic Heritage by designating “Hispanic Heritage Week.” President Ronald Reagan expanded the celebration in 1988 for a full month. Hispanic Americans are the country’s largest racial or ethnic minority group, representing more than 65 million people and comprising nearly a fifth of the U.S. and Colorado’s population.
