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A Week In Review

Joseph Rios
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A Week In Review

Africa

Former Niger president charged

Ousted Niger President Mohamed Bazoum is set to be prosecuted for high treason and undermining national security. Bazoum has been held in the basement of his palace since the country’s military staged a coup three weeks ago. There has been international pressure for Bazoum to be released, but Niger’s military junta said it has evidence to prosecute him.

Seven die after mosque collapses in Nigeria

At least seven people were killed when a mosque collapsed during prayers in Nigeria. Local media reported that a crack had been discovered in one of the building’s walls last week. The mosque is believed to be more than 100 years old and had hundreds of people inside it at the time of the collapse. The incident occurred last Friday.

Asia

South Koreans protest Tokyo waste plan

Hundreds of South Koreans protested over the weekend against Japan’s plan to release treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. The plan was approved by the UN nuclear watchdog while a South Korea assessment found it meets international standards. However, protesters are concerned about marine life and seafood contamination. Japan’s plan to release the wastewater was originally announced in 2018.

Police in Philippines suspended after shooting of teen

Six policemen in the Philippines are facing criminal investigation over the murder of a teenager. The teenager, Jerhode Baltazar, drowned at a fishing village after being shot in the head. He was mistaken for a murder suspect at the time of the incident. Baltazar was unarmed, and the officers were detained while authorities investigate whether they could be charged with homicide.

Europe

Three-week-old baby killed in Ukraine

Over the weekend, Russian shells killed a 22-day old baby, her 12-year-old brother, and their parents. In total, seven people were killed from Russian shells. Ukraine said there have been 17 reports of Russian shelling in the Kherson region of the country alone. Photos showed black columns of smoke rising from buildings and digitally obscured bodies of some of the victims.

Stolen artefacts returned to Italy

The United States returned more than 250 ancient artefacts to Italy after the items were discovered to be stolen. The items had been looted and sold to U.S. museums and private collectors in the 1990s. Some of the artifacts included pots, paintings and sculptures while some of the items were up to 3,000 years old. Last year, New York returned $19 million worth of stolen art to Italy, including a marble head of the goddess Athena that is worth an estimated $3 million.

Latin America

Trump admirer gains momentum in Argentina presidency race

Javier Milei, a far-right politician who admires former President Donald Trump, leads in Argentina’s primary election. The primary is seen as a key indicator for the presidential election that takes place on Oct. 22. Milei is winning 30 percent of votes ahead of more established politicians. The primary election has been described as a “political earthquake” by Argentine media.

Ecuador presidential candidate killed

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot and killed while he left an event last Wednesday. He campaigned against corruption and gangs and was one of the few candidates to allege links between organized crime and government officials in the country. Villavicencio had recently received threats from the Los Choneros gang. Last month, the mayor of the city of Manta was shot and killed as well.

North America

Three-year-old dies on Texas migrant bus

A three-year-old Venezuelan girl traveling with her parents on a bus carrying asylum seekers from Texas to Chicago died. She was taken to a hospital in Illinois and pronounced dead last Thursday. Details have not been shared by Texas officials but they noted that the girls’ health appeared to be deteriorating. Recently, an eight-year-old girl also died at a U.S. border patrol site in Texas.

Trump pleads not guilty to charges in documents case

Former President Donald Trump and his close aide Walt Nauta pleaded not guilty to allegations in a fed- eral classified documents case. The charges accuse the two of concealing surveillance footage at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort from the FBI. Earlier this summer, Trump was charged with 37 counts for retaining hundreds of confidential files. Among the documents included U.S. nuclear secrets and military plans.

Trump indictment reads like a star-studded Hollywood thriller

Ernest Gurulé
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Trump indictment reads like a star-studded Hollywood thriller

In almost every setting, Donald Trump is the prototype for brash and provocative, often bruising and tasteless in his description of political enemies. But in a courtroom, a place where he has regularly found himself in his post-presidency, he has a different persona. There, he is a citizen defendant, comporting himself quietly and respectfully, just as he was last week as he stood before federal judge Tanya Chutkin.

The ex-president, appearing to face charges leveled against him by the government in a 43-page indictment, stood quietly aside his attorneys as a U.S. magistrate read the charges. He faces four felonies for attempting to overturn the 2020 Presidential Election.

The indictment, filed by U.S. Attorney and special prosecutor Jack Smith, charges Trump with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against voting rights. Each carries a term between five and twenty years in prison.

“Jack Smith has a very particular way of creating these indictments,” said University of Denver political science professor, Phil Chen. “I think that they’re done in a way that’s intended to be very persuasive.”

In the seven months since Smith was named as a special prosecutor by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, he has interviewed hundreds of witnesses, including many who once or still occupy places in Trump’s inner circle. In the indictment, he all but named four individuals who were essential in the plan to circumvent the certification process naming Joe Biden as the official winner of the 2020 election. Each is labeled a ‘co-conspirator’ and differentiated only by a numeral.

Co-Conspirator 1, the indictment charges, is an attorney “who was willing to spread false claims and pursue strategies that the Defendant’s 2020 re-election campaign attorneys would not.” Former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani is thought to be this person.

Co-Conspirators 2, 3 and 4 are thought to be attorneys John Eastman, who drafted the plan to alter the rules for the Electoral Count Act and declare Trump the winner in the election; Sydney Powell, who once accused makers of the vote counting machines of manipulating votes; and Jeffrey Clark, an assistant U.S. Attorney General who was ready and willing to carry out the plan.

The indictment exposes the many moving parts of what amounts to a coup, an orchestrated plan to upend a legal election count and return a defeated president back into office. The planning for this undertaking, the government alleges, began just days after the 2020 election and was drafted by Eastman, once a visiting scholar of conservative thought and policy at the University of Colorado.

The Eastman plan was based on the false narrative that hundreds of thousands of votes counted for Biden were actually cast by “dead people, non-residents, non-citizens and migrants.” The indictment states that Eastman knew this to be untrue. It also states that the DOJ, DHS, DNI and White House attorneys also knew Eastman’s plan was baseless. Still, the President not only made no effort to stop its execution but encouraged it.

Despite evidence connecting Eastman to the coup blueprint, Guiliani’s regular appearances across the country, often before legislative bodies, perpetuating the myth of a Trump win, Powell’s outrageous claims of dark forces compromising voting machines, and Clark’s desire to please the President by providing an official DOJ imprimatur on the illegalities, none was charged.

Chen surmises that Smith’s omission in charging the four is by design. “It could be that he wants them to testify against Trump,” he said. “Others,” said the DU scholar, “think it was a decision to help the trial move faster.” Still, they each remain very much in the crosshairs of the special prosecutor and could still face serious felonies.

Pence, perhaps the second most prominent character in this dark chapter of American history is the man whose job it was to preside over the Electoral Count certification. Also, a man who loyalty to Trump often bordered sycophantic.

Pence had been badgered by Trump for weeks to act on the Eastman plan. But Pence, the indictment indicated, repeatedly questioned his authority to undertake his boss’s demand suspecting, if not entirely knowing, that it was illegal.

Amazingly, Eastman knew the plan he had offered up to Trump and wanted Pence to carry out was illegal but, in his mind, only slightly so. “He simply pretended that fake electors were real,” January 6th committee member and former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, said of Eastman.

To date, Cheney is one of the few Republicans to stand firm in the belief that Trump’s attempt to subvert the certification process was illegal. Rank-and-file GOP caucus members remain steadfast behind the ex-president. Chen suspects the silence coincides with the 2024 election where Trump may once again be the party’s nominee. Many feel speaking up against the ex-chief executive could damage their reelection.

What remains a hot topic as the first Republican presidential debate draws near is where will Pence be. The first presidential debate, set for August 23rd, could go on without Pence if he has not raised the requisite money to be included. But perhaps the bigger mystery is where will Pence be once Trump’s federal trial begins.

Pence has memorialized conversations held with Trump, including several meetings in which Trump criticized him as not being a team player, of being disloyal and of being “too honest.” Special prosecutor Smith would no doubt love to put Pence on the stand to share these recollections.

But Pence will be only one of many ex-Trump White House insiders who may also have recollections of conversations the prosecution would love to expose to the light. Mark Meadows, the ex-president’s chief of staff who is now suspected of cooperating with the special prosecutor may be the next biggest name.

Trump, now free on bond, is not scheduled to appear again before federal judge Tanya Chutkan until August 28th. However, that could change if Judge Chutkan determines that Trump has violated the terms of his bond last week when he promised not to say anything that might intimidate witnesses by improperly disclosing confidential evidence received from the government. His attorneys have appeared on his behalf to explain his recent outburst during weekend campaign stops.

Trump may also be in court sooner than August 28th to answer in Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis accusation that he interfered in that state’s election. No dates have been set for three other cases in New York that also have Trump’s name stamped on them.

What to do in northern Colorado

Joseph Rios
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What to do in northern Colorado

One of the great things about Colorado is living within driving distance to quick getaways outside of the Denver metro area.

From hiking to exploring Colorado’s dining scene, there is no shortage of fun activities to do in the state —particularly in northern Colorado. Places like Fort Collins, Loveland, Estes Park, Greeley, and other parts of the northern Colorado area offer Coloradans plenty of exciting opportunities for family fun outside of the Denver metro area.

Whether you’re looking for something different to do or are showing someone parts of Colorado, they’ve never been to, here are some places the LaVozColorado staff recommends visiting in Northern Colorado.

Downtown Fort Collins

Downtown Fort Collins is the perfect place to spend a weekend day with family or friends. The area features locally-owned shops, retailers, plenty of restaurants and breweries/bars, comedy, and much more.

Downtown Fort Collins is home to over 100 local restaurants for any time of day and offers a variety of different types of food. Locally-owned shops in the area include locally owned boutiques, thrift stores, and other unique stores.

For more information on planning a day in downtown Fort Collins, visit downtownfortcollins.com.

Lake Loveland Swim Beach

Lake Loveland Swim Beach offers a relaxing sandy beach and swimming. The lake includes benches, bicycle racks, picnic areas, and more to make for a fun day in the sun.

The beach is open daily during the summer, starting in mid-mornings, and is free. Lake Loveland Swim Beach is located at 2750 N. Taft Ave. in Loveland.

Rocky Mountain National Park

One of Colorado’s more popular national parks, Rocky Mountain National Park offers a mountainous environment with meadows, lakes, hiking trails, and wildlife viewing. Animals visitors may run into include elk, bighorn sheep, moose, marmots, pika, and other wildlife.

Down the street from the park is Estes Park, a town that is home to more than 200 retailers, restaurants, and attractions in its downtown area.

Reservations are required at Rocky Mountain National Park and can be made at https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10086910.

Greeley art

Both Greeley and Loveland were named Certified Colorado Creative Districts, meaning that they are com- munities that contribute to the state’s economy through creativity, culture, and the arts.

The City of Greeley is home to more than 350 works of rotating indoor art and more than 160 pieces of outdoor art. The outdoor pieces have been donated, gifted, or purchased since 1967.

Thankfully, Downtown Greeley compiled a map to help guide visitors through the city’s many outdoor art pieces. And while visitors check out the city’s art, they can explore dine and shop at Downtown Greeley’s many establishments.

Visitors can find the map and information about planning a trip to Downtown Greeley and greeleydowntown.com.

Broncos kick off the preseason this Friday in Arizona

Brandon Rivera
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Broncos kick off the preseason this Friday in Arizona

The Denver Broncos are back on the field this Friday to face the Arizona Cardinals in Phoenix. The newly-led Denver Broncos under coach Sean Payton are experiencing a problem the team has been plagued with for years, injuries.

We reported a couple weeks ago that the Broncos wide receiver corps lost two key players in KJ Hamler and Timothy Patrick and since then several Broncos have been added to the roster of injured players. Broncos’ perennial safety Justin Simmons has missed a few days of training camp due to a ‘tweaked’ groin during practice but is expected to be active in Friday’s game against the Cardinals.

The current list of players injured before the season starts is growing at an alarming pace with linebacker Jonas Griffith out due to a torn ACL, linebacker Baron Browning who’s out with a knee injury and unable to play with expectations to return week 2. Running back Javonte Williams has been rehabbing an ACL since he went out last season and may return in the preseason, while line backer Aaron Patrick has also been rehabbing an ACL injury since last season.

While injuries are unavoidable during training camp it does feel like the Broncos can never seem to get a leg up when it comes to injuries to start the season.

In other sports and while staying on the topic of injury, the Denver Nuggets lost forward Vlatko Canccar suffered a torn ACL in the FIBA exhibition game against Greece.

The Nuggets signed undrafted guard Souley Boum to a non-guaranteed camp deal. The Denver Nuggets are still almost two months from the start of the preseason but are still looking to make moves in order to add depth to a team that looks to repeat championship.

The Colorado Avalanche are less than two months from the start of their preseason and have avoided major headlines since the the Valeri Nichushkin’s hotel incident which really didn’t shed any light on the reason for his departure during the Seattle Kraken series in Seattle.

Avalanche fans are excited about the acquisition of Ryan Johansen from the Nashville Predators and hope he can add to the second line after losing J.T. Compher to free-agency.

The Colorado Rockies were thumped by the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday 12-1. The Rockies have now lost three of their last five games with two of their wins coming from a series win over the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend. Monday’s loss to the Brewers marked the start of a three-game series that wraps up Wednesday before heading to L.A. to face the division leading Dodgers.

The Rockies are now 21.5 games from the division leading Dodgers.

Pueblo ready to welcome new year with five new schools

Ernest Gurulé
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Pueblo ready to welcome new year with five new schools

There has never been a first day of school in Pueblo like what awaits for school year 2023-24. Next week, August 15th to be exact, in addition to the city’s legacy schools, five brand new schools will be opening their doors! Thanks to a successful school bond election, the city was able to build a pair of new high schools, two new elementary schools and one K-8 school.

In 2019, Pueblo voters approved a $218 million bond issue to improve infrastructure in a number of schools and add five completely new buildings. Pueblo East and Pueblo Centennial will be home to the Class of ’24 and beyond. Franklin School of Innovation and Sunset Park Elementary will serve as the city’s newest elementary schools and Freed Expeditionary K-8 School will also open.

Rather than invest in upgrading the two new high schools, the city determined that it would be a wiser economic move to simply replace them. For Sunset Park Elementary and Franklin schools, replacement is long overdue.

Sunset Park, named for the community it serves, and Franklin, the first school built in the city’s Belmont community, were built in the 1950s when Pueblo’s steel mill was chugging and growth was non-stop. Modern by fifties-era standards, the schools today are relics in almost every way.

“The old building was created before computers,” said Sunset Park’s principal, John Hull. Of course, back then any ideas about computers for most people came from science fiction movies or pulp fiction novels. “Now all kids,” said Hull, “have computer technology.” The new school will be as state-of-the-art as any school in Colorado.

But it’s not just technology for learning that is going to make new Sunset better for its students, said Hull. The new building will have air conditioning, a missing variable that Hull said compromised a positive learning environment. “We’re excited,” said the veteran school principal who has been at Sunset’s helm for twenty years. “Having comfortable teaching and learning environments,” Hull beamed, “it’s night and day!”

Hull, as much as any teacher or student who’s passed through Sunset Park, is familiar with the impact late August or September Pueblo heat can have on the energy levels of young bodies, teachers, too. Late summer heat that can reach near triple-digits was just a painful cost of doing business. Regrettably, he lamented, when the ‘business’ is teaching and learning, the product suffers.

While excited that Pueblo’s new additions are now part of the city’s education stable, Ted Johnson, the district’s Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, is facing the same challenges almost all of Colorado’s public schools are facing.

An immediate challenge is bouncing back from the dip in test scores caused by the pandemic. Johnson said Pueblo took a hit like the rest of the country’s schools, but it wasn’t nearly as severe as many districts. He also said, the city is bouncing back sooner than many districts, as well. But there is still work to do.

Another blow—economic and Covid-related—is staffing. “We are still continuing to work to hire teachers,” he said. When school begins, Johnson says, teacher-student ratios will not be where he would like them to be. “We would like a few more teachers.”

To fill the gaps, Johnson said the district is doing everything it can, including bringing in retired teachers. But he knows that’s only a temporary fix. There are limits to how long a retired teacher can staff a classroom.

What might fix the shortage, he said, is higher salaries. “It’s a big issue everywhere.” Johnson says Pueblo District 60 offers “a fairly competitive salary for our region,” but districts “north of Colorado Springs offer more.” District 60 teachers recently won a 12 percent pay increase.

But those considering teaching, he thinks, ought to consider Pueblo for other reasons, too. While it may not be able to match the higher pay that larger cities may offer, he suggests teaching candidates consider “quality of life and cost of living,” things that Pueblo offers.

All students will have whatever tools, including computers, they will need to begin the school year, said Johnson. Local businesses and community organizations have also chipped in by providing backpacks and other essentials, including uniforms for those schools that require them.

Photo courtesy: www.pueblod60.org

The two new high schools will give students something their parents and grandparents might never have envisioned when they attended. Both schools will have laser printers in the career and technical ed programs. Each will also have modern kitchens for their culinary arts programs and there will also be nursing classrooms that will replicate real world medical environments. Auditoriums will also be dual purpose and able to convert into lecture halls.

Pueblo East and Pueblo Centennial will continue as Eagles and Bulldogs. Sunset Park will remain as the Yearlings but Freed Expeditionary will have a brand new— but unforgettable—mascot: The Yeti. Franklin was and will continue to be ‘The Bobcats.’

Why Trump indictments increase Republican support

David Conde
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Why Trump indictments increase Republican support
David Conde, Senior Consultant for International Programs

Donald Trump famously said during the 2016 presidential campaign that “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?” His description of himself as a potential criminal along with his confidence that his Republican base would stay with him has been borne out in his years on the public political stage.

Each indictment for criminal behavior has resulted in an increase in his political poll figures. This phenomenon begs an explanation. In March of this year, his numbers for nomination as a Republican candidate for president stood at 43 percent. In April, when a grand jury in New York indicted him on 34 felony counts in connection with a hush money payment to a porn actress, his polling popularity increased to 50 percent. Two months later, he was indicted again, this time on 37 (more have been added since) federal felony charges for alleged mishandling of classified documents. His poll numbers rose to 55 percent of Republican voters.

The past week, Trump faced a third indictment dealing with his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and stay in power. Poll results are on their way and continue the upward trend.

Donald Trump is still wanting more and appears to be gleefully awaiting a fourth set of charges for his role in attempting to force a change in the election results in Georgia. “I need one more indictment,” he has recently stated, “to ensure my election!”

The question is why is the overwhelming majority of the Republican Party willing to support Trump despite the criminal allegations against him and a behavior that diminishes the country? Why does his grip on the Republican Party appears to have grown stronger with each indictment he has faced?

The answer lies on an evolving demographic and political fact that our country has not experienced before. The fear of losing “American” culture especially by MAGA Republicans is driven by the fact that the traditional majority is becoming a minority.

The short-term result of the fear is to become less caring about our brotherhood as Americans and more competitive in the drive to assert racial and ethnic cultural constructs as well as seek to revise history in our favor. It is no accident, for example, that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is leading this type of cultural push including making slavery more palatable in his run for the presidency.

One can say that not all Republicans feel the same way as the extremists do about our current political climate. However, being part of a political party involves a certain amount of discipline that encourages loyalty to its membership, sometimes despite serious doubts about some of its positions.

Also, it is not surprising for those spouting racial superiority and “White supremacy” to target the Black community as a contrast. Part of the fear of demographic and political change was realized in earnest with the election of Barack Obama, America’s first African American President, in 2008.

Also, Black political leaders have largely become the face of the Democratic Party left wing. In this vein, it is very noticeable that Latinos, potentially the most powerful force in the arena are more focused on the achievement of the American Dream.

The wheels of change are reshaping the demographic and political landscape of our country. The fears resulting from that change are the main source of our divisions.

Those fears are being played out in our 24/7 television screens. Healing our wounds after that change will take decades.

The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of LaVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.

What’s Happening?

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What’s Happening?

Community

Photo courtesy: mcgregorsquare.com/event-activations/movies-at-mcgregor

Bring a blanket and find a spot on the lawn or choose a table in the plaza – both are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Popcorn, candy, soft drinks and bar selections available for purchase. ID required for alcoholic beverages – must be 21+. Movies start at 6 PM sharp. Our screen is LED so every frame can be seen in perfect detail, no matter the time of day! Movies feature closed captioning in English. Thursday August 10th’s showing will include Antman and the Wasp: Quantamania. Visit www.mcgregorsquare.com/event-activations/movies-at-mcgregor for more information.

Join Denver Parks & Recreation for Farewell to Summer Bash at Washington Park Recreation Center on August 12, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This event will provide an opportunity to learn about center activities, participate in interactive outdoor games, and socialize with other community members. Let us depart from summer with a bang as we welcome the fall season with open arms. Visit www.wpena.org/upcoming-events/farewell-to-summer-bash-at-wash-park for more information.

Photo courtesy: Denver Parks and Recreation
August 9, 2023

On this day in history in 1945 three days following the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, U.S. B-29, ‘Bockscar’ dropped a nuclear device nicknamed ‘Fat Man’ over Nagasaki, Japan killing over 74,000 people.

Que Pasa? is compiled by La Voz Staff. To submit an event for consideration please email attractions@lavozcolorado.com with Que Pasa in the subject line by Friday at 5 p.m.

Pueblo Wastewater Department earns Platinum Peak Performance Award

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Pueblo Wastewater Department earns Platinum Peak Performance Award

City of Pueblo Wastewater Department and the James R. Dilorio Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) was recognized by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) with the Platinum Peak Performance Award for the ninth consecutive year of 100 percent compliance.

“The Pueblo Wastewater Department is honored to receive this achievement of Platinum Peak Performance Award for the ninth consecutive year,” said Director of Wastewater Andra Ahrens. “I am very proud of our team who earned this achievement through full compliance, and we look to continue maintaining this level of service with permit compliance for many years to come.”

Pueblo’s WRF is one of two facilities in the state of Colorado to achieve continuous compliance with all effluent limits, terms and conditions of its discharge permit to receive this Platinum Peak Performance Award. Platinum Awards recognize 100 percent compliance with permits over a consecutive five-year period after a facility has received the award at the Gold level previously.

Pueblo is one of 173 Platinum facilities to have achieved between five and 33 years of perfect, 100 percent compliance with their permits. In total 517 facilities received Peak Performance Awards for fiscal year 2022 with 204 receiving Gold and 140 receiving Silver recognition.

Effective maintenance of the Water Reclamation Facility is critical in maintaining compliance and providing the maintenance of sanitary sewer main throughout the City of Pueblo. The Water Reclamation Facility treats more than 10 million gallons of wastewater per day and is reclaimed through natural processes. Proper collection and treatment are essential for public health for residents of Pueblo and the surrounding region.

“This recognition for the Water Reclamation Facility is a testament to the hard work of our dedicated staff who take the adherence to compliance and regulations very seriously in order to provide the highest quality of service and safety to our community and the surrounding region,” Said Ahrens.

Each year during the annual meeting NACWA recognized the commitment, innovation and achievements of public water entities and individual achievements for the clean water community. Other awards in addition to the Peak Performance Awards include the Clean Water Advocate Recognition Program, Excellence in Management Recognition Program, National Environmental Achievement Awards, Utility of the Future Today Recognition Program and the NACWA Hall of Fame.

For over 50 years, NACWA has been the nation’s recognized leader in legislative, regulatory, and legal advocacy on the full spectrum of clean water issues, as well as top technical resource for water management, sustainability and ecosystem protection interests. NACWA represents public wastewater and stormwater agencies of all sizes nationwide. The Association’s unique and growing network strengthens the advocacy voice for all member utilities, and ensures they have the tools necessary to provide affordable and sustainable clean water for all.

Source: City of Pueblo

Laws to save Coloradans money take effect

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Laws to save Coloradans money take effect

On August 7, three laws to reduce the cost of housing, protect homeowners’ access to insurance plans, and improve local governments’ ability to hold short-term rentals to local rules and regulations went into effect.

“The lack of housing in Colorado is driving up home prices and rental rates while also negatively impacting our environment,” said Rep. William Lindstedt, D-Broomfield, sponsor of HB23-1255. “By eliminating arbitrary local growth caps, communities will be able to strategically build housing that better accommodates our needs while also reducing our reliance on car travel, which will improve our air quality.”

“Colorado needs more housing,” said Senator Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, sponsor of HB23-1255. “Eliminating arbitrary growth caps will increase supply and allow more Coloradans to remain in the communities they currently live and work in. I’m proud to champion policy that will help com- munities keep up with ongoing growth, ease displacement, and help us meet our housing needs.”

“Arbitrary growth caps shift the burden of keeping up with housing demand on neighboring, and often lower-income, communities,” said Rep. Ruby Dickson, D-Centennial, sponsor of HB23-1255. “Housing affordability is one of the biggest concerns for Coloradans. With our new law going into effect soon, we can tackle our housing shortage together while reducing commute times and air pollution.”

Beginning August 7, local governments are prohibited from enacting and enforcing housing growth restrictions that limit housing development to a certain number of building permits or approvals without a transparent process and fair consideration of a proposal’s merits. Under HB23-1255, local governments are not required to accept any specific developments or projects, but they can’t reject a proposal simply due to an arbitrary growth cap.

“The increasing threat of wildfires has left many homeowners with less insurance coverage than they need, but with our new law, home owners will have more options for additional coverage they can afford,” said Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, sponsor of HB23-1174. “Coloradans will be able to purchase a plan that provides the peace of mind that their home is appro- priately insured in the event of a wildfire disaster.”

“Homeowners in my community have faced devastating and costly damage from wildfires that can feel impossible to build back from,” said Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville, sponsor of HB23-1174. “With our new law going into effect soon, Colorado homeowners will be able to purchase coverage that meets their needs and protects them from future wildfire damage.”

Starting August 7, HB23-1174, also sponsored by Republican Senator Mark Baisley, requires home insurance companies to offer a variety of extended coverages to protect consumers, covering the cost of repair or replacement for a damaged or destroyed structure. If a homeowner wants additional coverage, the insurer must offer coverage for extended replacement, law and ordinance, and inflation protection. It also extends the length of time in which an insurer would have to notify a homeowner of a cancellation or refusal to renew a homeowner’s policy from 30 days to 60 days.

Representative Judy Amabile passed similar legislation in the 2022 Legislative Session in response to the Marshall Fire that destroyed over 1,000 homes in Boulder County. The law ensured that homeowners received fair compensation for the loss of their property and streamlined the insurance claims process for underinsured disaster victims.

“These two new bipartisan laws that take effect today are the next step forward in our continued and multi-faceted commitment to addressing the housing crisis in Colorado,” said Senator Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, sponsor of HB23-1174 and HB23-1287. “The bolstered insurance protections offered by HB 1174 will help protect vulnerable Coloradans and allow people to insure their homes, businesses, and property against potential disasters like wildfires. And with HB23-1287, we’re strengthening protections for local residents in rural resort communities to help curb the unintended impacts of short-term rentals on our communities.”

“Short-term rentals offer important benefits to our mountain communities and support tourism, but it’s clear they have impacts on the liveability of our towns,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, sponsor of HB23-1287. “By strengthening transparency and compliance with local regulations of short- term rentals, we can live in neighborhoods that work better for everyone.”

“Rural resort communities know firsthand the impact that short-term rentals have had on our neighborhoods and our housing market,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs, sponsor of HB23-1287. “With the implementation of our new law, local governments will now be able to effectively regulate short-term rentals to protect owners, renters, and community members if a short-term rental violates local rules and regulations.”

A board of county commissioners already has the authority to regulate units that are rented or used for short-term stays. HB23-1287 clarifies the definition of a short-term rental and provides counties with the authority to work with digital platforms to accurately list compliant short-term rentals.

Beginning August 7, HB23-1287 gives counties the ability to require an owner of a property, or the owner’s agent, to include a rental license or permit in any listing for a short-term rental unit on a digital platform. If a county has regulations on short-term rentals, the county will be able to require a digital platform to remove any rental listing if the owner of the listing:

• Has their local short-term rental license or permit suspended or revoked,

• Has received a notice violation, or a similar legal process, for not holding a valid local short-term rental license or permit, or

• Is not allowed to list their unit as a short-term rental due to county rules.

Source: The Colorado General Assembly

Colorado’s first human death of West Nile virus 2023

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Colorado’s first human death of West Nile virus 2023

State health officials seeing concerning trends of West Nile virus

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed the first human death of West Nile virus this year in a person from Weld County. So far this season, state health officials have confirmed 12 human cases of West Nile virus in residents of eight counties. This is a significant increase from the three cases reported last week and is more cases than we would typically see at this time of year. Additionally, West Nile virus has been found in mosquitoes in eight of the 11 counties that have tested mosquitoes this season, including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Delta, Denver, Larimer, Pueblo, and Weld counties.

These increased human cases of West Nile virus follow reports of unusually high levels of infection in the Culex mosquitoes that carry the virus. The abundance of Culex mosquitoes this season is likely due to the unusual amount of precipitation this winter and spring.

“The trends we are seeing in our West Nile virus tracking data are unprecedented,” said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist, CDPHE. “The number of West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes we’ve detected this season is the highest we’ve seen in years. This is especially concerning now that August is here and September is just around the corner, as this is usually when human cases peak in Colorado.”

While most people infected with West Nile virus don’t have symptoms, some can develop a serious, potentially deadly illness. In 2022, Colorado had 206 reported human cases of West Nile virus, including 20 deaths. People aged 60 years and older and those with certain medical conditions are at greater risk of serious illness. Talk with a health care provider if you develop a fever with severe headaches or confusion.

West Nile virus is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. To protect yourself:

  • Use insect repellents when you go outdoors. Repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or para-menthane-diol products provide the best protection. For more information about insect repellents, visit the EPA’s information webpage. Always follow label instructions.
  • Limit outdoor activities at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
  • Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and socks in areas where mosquitoes are active. Spray clothes with insect repellent for extra protection.
  • In addition to eliminating standing water around your home weekly, you can also mosquito-proof your home by installing or repairing screens on windows and doors.

You can find additional data going back to 2003 on CDPHE’s West Nile virus webpage, which is updated weekly throughout the season.

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