The Home Front: Air Force Academy head to cadets on racist writings: ‘If you demean someone in any way, you need to get out’

“The head of the Air Force Academy stood all his 4,000 cadets at attention Thursday to deliver a message on racial slurs found written on message boards at the academy’s preparatory school,” reports The Gazette in Colorado Springs. “Chins in and chests out, the cadets were flanked by 1,500 officers, sergeants, athletic coaches and civilian professors inside cavernous Mitchell Hall. Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria told them to take out their smartphones and record his words. ‘If you can’t treat someone with dignity and respect, then get out,’ he said. Silveria spoke as investigators interviewed cadet candidates at the prep school, where five black students woke up Tuesday to find “Go Home” followed by the epithet scrawled on message boards outside their rooms.”

Police and prosecutors are familiar with what has been dubbed the ‘CSI effect,’ a phrase for many of the stereotypes people have about forensic police work, named after the TV show ‘CSI,'” reports The Greeley Tribune. “At times, these stereotypes can even be harmful. According to some studies, jurors’ preconceived notions about forensic police work can bias them during a trial. ‘This (effect) has been around for the better part of 10 or 15 years,’ said Weld District Attorney Michael Rourke. ‘We ask questions during jury selection about the perceived realities of what they see on TV.'”

“The proponent of the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas facility in Oregon and an associated pipeline has filed new applications with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and is hoping for a decision by the agency by the end of next year,” reports The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. “If approved, the project — which has risen both in price and projected output — could go into service by 2024, following a possible final corporate investment decision in 2019, Veresen Inc. said in a news release. The Canadian-based company sees the project as a way for natural gas produced in the Rockies and Canada to be shipped to markets in Asia. It has received substantial support in Colorado due to the potential for providing a stable, long-term market for gas produced in the region.”

“Lafayette may impose a yearlong moratorium on any new oil and gas development applications within city limits, according to city documents released Thursday,” reports The Longmont Times-Call. “It’s the latest in a string of watershed oil and gas regulations proposed in recent weeks — spurred in part by a company’s announcement earlier this month to drill in the heart of the city — though its implications are the farthest reaching. Lafayette’s City Council will consider the first reading of the ordinance Tuesday. Official approval would come only months after Boulder County’s five-year moratorium expired in May, and could place the city in the crosshairs of a potentially costly lawsuit.”

‘Henry Howard is hoping that participants will come to the Music With Vision program for the music, but he is hoping they will stay for a culture that promotes wellness,” reports The Steamboat Pilot. “‘The real clarity I’m trying to pursue is this is not simply a music program,’ said Howard, development director for Music with Vision. ‘This is a platform to initiate a culture change around how we address opioid use, how we achieve wellness and avoid addiction.’ The Music with Vision program is a project formed by the Northwest Colorado Community Health Partnership with help from Rocky Mountain CASA, the Craig-Scheckman Community Foundation, Sk8 Church and other local nonprofit organizations. The program uses various music programs to provide resilience training to give young people, in this case those between the age of 13 and 25, the tools and support they need to cope with problems so that they can live full, healthy lives.”

“It’s been a year since The Music District — a hub for artists, musicians and music-related businesses — opened its doors in Fort Collins,” reports The Coloradoan in Fort Collins. “A few days ahead of celebrating that milestone, Music District director Jesse Elliott sat down with The Coloradoan to reflect on the past year and touch on what’s next for The Music District’s mission, programming and offerings.”

“The board of directors at El Pueblo, an Adolescent Treatment Community, responded Thursday to allegations of misconduct regarding treatment of children enrolled in the facility’s clinical and education programs,” reports The Pueblo Chieftain. “‘We are thankful to the partners, supporters, families and youth in our care, and we will take a diligent approach to the resolution of this matter,’ officials said in a statement released Thursday afternoon.”

“Colorado regulators say about 430 oil or gas pipelines near occupied buildings failed a leak-detection test that the state ordered after a fatal explosion blamed on a gas line,” The Associated Press reports on the front page of The Loveland Reporter-Herald. “The results were posted on the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission website Wednesday. It wasn’t immediately clear if a test failure means with certainty that the line is leaking or if might indicate some other problem. Officials didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking clarification.”

“Vail Resorts announced another record-breaking year during a Thursday, Sept. 28, earnings report from company CEO Rob Katz and chief financial officer Michael Barkin,” reports Vail Daily. “The company reported record revenue for another fiscal year — Aug. 1 to July 31 — despite a drop in Colorado skier visits. That drop in Colorado was attributed to scant early-season snowfall, as well as a late-arriving Easter holiday.”

“Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt is taking heat this week for allegedly spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars, and that includes spending $5,719.58 on a chartered flight last month from Denver to Durango” reports The Durango Herald. “Multiple news reports have turned the spotlight on Pruitt’s spending habits, while at the same time, he calls for sweeping budget cuts to the EPA. President Donald Trump appointed Pruitt earlier this year.”

“Several classes at Cañon City Middle School were disrupted Thursday after heavy rain accumulation caused sections of the roof to cave in,” reports The Cañon City Daily Record. “The rain, which fell most of Thursday, left teachers to rearrange classrooms and move students into different areas of the school. “This morning, I had a teacher come to me and say that she had to leave her room because major parts of the ceilings caved in,” principal Tim Renn said after school Thursday. ‘That’s what all started it.'”

“Boulder-based Hazel’s Beverage World is battling to retain the right to discuss and use information it obtained on a competitor, Applejack Wine & Spirits in Wheat Ridge, under the Colorado Open Records Act,” reports The Boulder Daily Camera. “A district court hearing slated for Thursday afternoon in Jefferson County District Court was canceled late Thursday morning, a move participants said was taken to allow attorneys in the case to engage in settlement talks. The two giant retailers, Hazel’s at 35,000 square feet and Applejack at roughly 80,000 square feet, are considered destination stores, where people travel for miles to shop their extensive collections of wine, beer and spirits.”

“The $7,200 that the Montezuma County Hospital District loses monthly because of a mistake by state lawmakers may not seem like a lot, but Keenen Lovett insists the rural health care provider is feeling the loss,” reports The Denver Post. “It is an urgent matter for us,” said Lovett, an attorney who represents the district. “You take out that kind of money … and yeah, it’ll make a difference.” The sense of urgency in certain parts of the state is what prompted Gov. John Hickenlooper to call state lawmakers back into a special session to fix legislation that mistakenly exempted retail marijuana from sales taxes in nine special districts around the state.”