Early Bird Special: Denver on top for homebuyers, Safeway workers say no

Jacko. Farrah. Farrah. Jacko. The ’70s and the ’80s, RIP. Oh, and by the way, here’s our daily roundup of some of the rest of today’s news.

Denver is the best place in the country to buy a home, according to a Forbes study reported by The Denver Business Journal. It all comes down to Denver’s strong “fundamentals,” the report says, citing an increase in prices paid per square foot this year and less of a drop in transactions than other cities over the last year. “Denver scores very well in terms of being able to bring people into a stable housing market,” an economist said, pointing to great “growth potential.” Cities following Denver on the list: Phoenix, Boston, San Diego and Los Angeles. Detroit was in the worst shape of 25 cities analyzed. Read the whole Forbes report here.

• Colorado Safeway workers this week voted overwhelmingly to reject a contract offer and reauthorize a strike “if the corporation does not offer a contract proposal that includes livable wages and a secure retirement,” the United Food and Commercial Workers Local No. 7 reported. The vote against accepting Safeway’s counter-offer was unanimous in most areas, echoing a similar rejection last week by King Soopers workers of that chain’s offer. Neither chain’s workers are striking yet. “Our hope at this point is that the company gets back to the negotiating table.” a union spokeswoman told The Denver Post.

• Although most of the beef has probably already been consumed, the JBS Swift Beef Co. has recalled 41,000 pounds of beef shipped from its plant in Greeley because of possible E. coli contamination, the Greeley Tribune reports. The beef left the plant in late April bound for retailers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin. Questions? Call the JBS Swift consumer hotline at (800) 555-7675.

• The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network applauded U.S. Rep. Jared Polis for “respectfully  challenging”  House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, a Missouri Democrat, to move ahead on legislation to repeal the “Don’t  Ask,  Don’t  Tell” policy during discussion on the House floor Thursday. Skelton agreed with the openly gay Boulder Democrat to schedule more hearings and involve the Pentagon and White House.

• State Sen. Dave Schultheis is backing a protest against fee increases for drivers that take effect July 1, according to the Colorado Springs Republican’s Twitter feed. The Republican Study Committee of Colorado, a self-described “caucus of state legislators committed to conservative principles,” is organizing angry taxpayers to protest new registration and late fees to fund the “Dem-backed” FASTER transportation program approved by the Legislature this spring. But curb the violence — Schultheis’ neighbor, state Rep. Kent Lambert, tweets: “We’ve heard of outraged drivers turning violent over new illegal car taxes! Let’s always protest PEACEFULLY, and just vote the rascals out!”

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