The Home Front: Arrested Colorado cop spanked his kid with a belt, per affidavit

“The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrested for child abuse allegedly spanked a child multiple times with a belt, causing substantial bruising, according to the arrest affidavit,” reports The Cañon City Daily Record. “FCSO Cpl. Brandon Tilley, 45, is being charged with misdemeanor child abuse and third-degree assault. According to a news release from the FCSO, Tilley was arrested Wednesday along with his wife, Katherine Tilley, 38, who also is being charged with misdemeanor child abuse. The news release stated FCSO received information concerning possible child abuse Monday and requested the Cañon City Police Department conduct an investigation as Tilley is an employee of the FCSO. According to the affidavit, a report of child abuse was made through the Department of Human services after a school nurse and counselor, ‘observed substantial bruising,’ on a child’s buttocks and right leg.”

“The company hoping to build an Oregon export terminal that could accept natural gas produced in western Colorado has agreed to be bought by another firm, an action both Canadian-based entities say improves the ability to pursue such a large-scale project,” reports The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. “Pembina Pipeline Corp. has agreed to buy Veresen Inc., the company behind the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas export project, in a deal valued at about $7 billion in U.S. dollars, including the assumption of Veresen’s debt. The deal, which is subject to certain closing conditions and is expected to close later this year, would create one of Canada’s largest energy infrastructure companies.”

“The Longmont Youth Council has noticed a troublesome issue that affects teens who they know — some are contemplating or attempting suicide,” reports The Longmont Times-Call. “Madison Reed, a junior at Skyline High School and the co-chair of the Youth Council, said that as her fellow council members began to talk about teen suicide in the beginning of the school year, they had all heard of someone their age or knew someone who knew someone who was affected by suicide.”

“Both lanes of U.S. Highway 40 were reopened Thursday after a significant rockslide,” reports The Steamboat Pilot & Today. “The slide was reported shortly after 11 a.m. about a mile west of Milner. Boulders the size of cars had crashed through a cement barrier between the road and hillside. No one was injured, and no vehicles were damaged.”

“Lofts at Red Mountain developers will not be awarded some $1 million in requested impact fee waivers, leaving the 185-unit apartment project at Glenwood Meadows in limbo even though it has its development approvals to proceed,” reports The Glenwood Springs Post-Independent. “Richard Myers, representing developer Realty Capital, made one final pitch to Glenwood Springs City Council Thursday night, seeking about a two-thirds reduction in the city’s required impact fees for things like water and sewer system improvements, fire and EMS equipment replacement and schools. A somewhat reduced amount of use taxes, paid on building materials for the project, was also being proposed.”

“On Thursday, more than 400 South High School students appeared before the Colorado Supreme Court,” reports The Pueblo Chieftain. “Or, more accurately, the court appeared before them. Through an educational outreach program called Courts in the Community, the Colts were given the rare and eye-opening opportunity to observe the presentation of oral arguments to the court in two distinctly different cases.”

“After several years without reform of Colorado’s construction-defects legislation, local leaders were surprised but pleased that state lawmakers reached a compromise Thursday,” reports The Loveland Reporter-Herald. “House Bill 1279 is headed to the governor’s desk for a signature after passing both houses at the Legislature. Lawmakers hope the bill will spur more condominium construction by reforming current law that some say makes it difficult for builders and developers to build multi-family, owner-occupied housing. A compromise was reached this year that advocacy groups say will still protect owners’ rights to sue over building defects but also protect developers from frivolous lawsuits, after multiple attempts to reform the law.”

“While national rhetoric on immigration, presidential executive orders and international factors slow the number of refugees settling in the U.S., a lack of affordable housing has all but halted refugee resettlement in Fort Collins, experts say,” reports The Coloradoan in Fort Collins. “Just 13 refugees have resettled in Fort Collins since 2002, and none have moved to the city since 2012, according to newly compiled data from a USA TODAY Network investigation. Eleven of those refugees came from Iraq, and the remaining two came from Chad and Sudan. “Housing drives where refugees live,” said Kit Taintor, Colorado’s State Refugee Coordinator.”

“President Trump signed an executive order on religious liberty Thursday, but the long-awaited decree was perplexing to advocates on both sides of the issue in Colorado, but not for two Colorado pastors who witnessed the signing in the Rose Garden,” reports The Gazette in Colorado Springs. “The order, however, did little to decide the most contentious issues around religious liberty. It says nothing about religion as a basis for denying public accommodations or services for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. It doesn’t address hiring practices that exclude single parents, because of an employer’s religious beliefs. Under the order, religious organizations could theoretically get more involved in politics without risking their tax-exempt status, and the government might not be able to require health care plans to cover contraceptives, as Obamacare mandated.”

“Fifteen-year-old Kashmier Lujan-Taylor was looking forward to next week, when she’d turn 16 and attend her prom at the Academy of Urban Learning in Denver,” reports The Denver Post. “Instead of celebrating with her, Kashmier’s family and friends are in mourning after the girl was killed by a gunshot Wednesday as she slept in the front room of her family’s home in the Westwood neighborhood. “She was really loved by students and staff alike,” said her principal, Michelle Kennard. “She was a joy to have on campus.” It is the second time in less than a year that gunfire has led to tragedy for the family.”

“When 16-year-old Lydia Bjork met Jillian Burkley, the Greeley high school student was suspicious,” reports The Greeley Tribune. “Burkley was a ‘therapy person,’ and Lydia had experience with therapy before. It made her uncomfortable. She didn’t like to talk about herself with strangers. At the time, she didn’t even like to talk to her mom very much. But Burkley, who works for North Range Behavioral Health in a program designed specifically to work with juveniles, met with Lydia in the girl’s home instead of an office. She talked to Lydia’s mother and her teachers just as much as she talked to Lydia. And when the two worked one-on-one, Lydia felt she was talking to a friend as much as a therapist.”