The Home Front: ‘Disgruntled and dissatisfied,’ Pueblo teachers picket city schools

“Continuing to work without a new contract in place, and with the impasse once again headed to mediation, disgruntled and dissatisfied Pueblo educators let their voices be heard both outside and within the Pueblo City Schools (D60) administration chambers Tuesday,” reports The Pueblo Chieftain. “Prior to the regular board of education meeting, hundreds of teachers, paraprofessionals and supporters picketed and loudly chanted to raise awareness of what they view as a dearth of respect, appreciation and compensation on the part of district. These concerns were among those presented to the board by teachers during the ‘public comments’ sector of the meeting.”

“Denver public school officials walked back claims Weld Central High School displayed a Confederate flag during a football game this past week,” reports The Greeley Tribune. “A joint news release from Manual High School and Weld Central leadership states the Weld Central team did not display the Confederate flag during the game against the Manual Thunderbolts. That’s a step back for Manual principal Nick Dawkins, who over the weekend accused the Weld Central team of using racial slurs during the game and displaying a Confederate flag.”

“A fireplace maker has won a judgment against state Sen. Ray Scott for his failure to pay it thousands of dollars but lost in its efforts to toss out other claims the Grand Junction Republican has made against the manufacturer whose products he once sold,” reports The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. “In a ruling issued last week, U.S. District Judge Michael E. Hegarty said Scott’s company, Gas Products Corp., was in breach of contract with fireplace manufacturer Montigo Del Ray Corp. and owes Montigo $9,583. Hegarty also dismissed Scott’s claim that Montigo interfered with prospective customers by telling GPC clients that GPC was having problems paying its bills, saying that in 2009, Scott’s past-due balances were as high as $110,000. The judge, however, deferred execution of the monetary judgment against Scott until a final judgment is rendered on other claims against Montigo that Hegarty ruled should go to trial, which include misappropriation of trade secrets, civil conspiracy and interference with existing contractual relationships.”

“Maps illuminating the plexus of oil and gas pipelines beneath Lafayette soil will rest solely in the hands of industry officials for the time being,” reports The Longmont Times-Call. “Planning commissioners, dealt a vague, poorly vetted ordinance to consider, have now opted instead to table a decision on what may prove to be a trailblazing measure until next month, city spokeswoman Debbie Wilmot said Wednesday. Planners originally tabled a decision until a planned Wednesday meeting, on the condition that the city’s attorney, David Williamson, would be present to answer lingering questions.”

“An independent investigation by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Mesa County District Attorney’s Office has determined several public officials did not commit any crimes,” reports The Steamboat Pilot. “The report can be found here. The investigation, which was prompted by a complaint from former Steamboat Springs Police Department officer Kristin Bantle, was looking into conduct by Routt County Sheriff Garrett Wiggins, District Attorney Brett Barkey and District Attorney’s Office investigator Doug Winters.”

“Breckenridge intends to start building a new parking structure this spring, and while town council had few problems Tuesday picking out the make and model, deciding on its paint job proved more difficult,” reports Summit Daily. “Walking Parking Consultants, the Denver-based firm that’s designing the structure, came to Tuesday’s work session with half a dozen specialists and five options for council to consider for the new parking structure at the Tiger Dredge parking lot.”

“The current code for city-sponsored incentives to developers building affordable single-family housing is in need of an overhaul, per a discussion at the Loveland City Council study session Tuesday evening,” reports The Loveland Reporter-Herald. Alison Hade, administrator of the Community Partnership Office, said that the current single-family housing incentive structure in the Community Housing Development Code is “somewhat meaningless” and ‘hasn’t incentivized anything.'”

“The debate about the possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, persists in Washington, D.C., but new data from a statewide study released last week shows increases in the insured population, though with smaller gains along the Western Slope,” reports Vail Daily. “Since the launch of the Affordable Care Act four years ago, approximately 600,000 more Coloradans — roughly the combined populations of Colorado Springs and Fort Collins — are now insured. About 28,000 of those residents, according to the Colorado Health Access Survey, live within the Interstate 70 mountain region, which includes Summit, Eagle, Grand, Garfield and Pitkin counties. That modest gain has come to pass despite difficulties in obtaining coverage — namely, inflated costs.”

“Not every person with a mental health issue who gets reported to police is engaged in criminal activity,” reports The Coloradoan in Fort Collins. “Yet police are often called to respond to incidents where a person may need crisis assistance but not necessarily criminal justice intervention. That takes up limited police resources and emergency services and doesn’t get the person the sustained help they need, often leading that person back to where he or she started.”

“The 2018 election is more than a year away, but the race for the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office already is shaping to be a big one,” reports The Cañon City Daily Record. “According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s website, five people have already filed their paperwork, signifying their intent to run as sheriff, including current FCSO Undersheriff Ty Martin and Florence Police Chief Mike DeLaurentis. FCSO Deputy Clint Wilson, FCSO Deputy Cyrus Young and Fremont County resident Skip Moreau also are listed as 2018 sheriff candidates. Martin, DeLaurentis and Wilson are all registered as Republican, while Young and Moreau are registered as unaffiliated.”

“Summit Middle School, founded 21 years ago as Boulder Valley’s first charter school, is looking to start a high school,” reports The Boulder Daily Camera. “Summit first started exploring starting a high school two years ago as part of the XQ Super School Project. Summit’s proposal made it to the top 50 finalist group, but ultimately didn’t win the competition to reimagine the American high school. Still, Principal Adam Galvin said, Summit remained interested in pursuing the plans for a small, globally-focused high school called Summit Academy.”

“Out with the gummy bears, in with the squares … and circles, and triangles and diamonds. On Oct. 1, Colorado no longer will allow marijuana edibles shaped like humans, animals, fruits or cartoons — forms that could be confused with candy — and the state also will require more prominently displayed potency information on the labels of cannabis products,” reports The Denver Post. “The new rules, which are more than a year in the making, are part of the ongoing evolution of Colorado’s pioneering foray into legalizing and regulating the sale of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes.”

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