The Home Front: A judge from Colorado now sits on the U.S. Supreme Court

“The U.S. Supreme Court returned to full strength Monday with the addition of newly minted Justice Neil Gorsuch of Colorado, who took the oath in two separate ceremonies: once with Chief Justice John Roberts at the high court, and another with President Donald Trump at the White House,” reports The Denver Post. “The pomp and circumstance follow a bruising, nine-week confirmation battle that further divided Congress and only ended after Republican leaders changed Senate rules to get his nomination across the finish line. Gorsuch can sit for oral arguments as soon as next week.”

“A visitor to a Longmont city building who’s found by the city staff to be possessing illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia faces being suspended from being able to enter that building again for at least 60 days,” reports The Longmont Times-Call. “Similar 60-day suspensions from re-visiting facilities will be handed out to people the staff finds to be using marijuana or smoking cigarettes inside the Longmont Public Library, the Longmont Museum and Cultural Center, the Civic Center, the St. Vrain Memorial Building, the Longmont Senior Center, the Longmont Recreation Center or any other city buildings. Those are among a new set of “Standards of Behavior” for people visiting city facilities — rules that City Manager Harold Dominguez approved in February and that the city staff began enforcing in mid-March.”

“Steamboat Ski Resort has embarked on a new chapter in its 54-year history, with the news Monday morning that Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc., has been acquired by ski resorts operator Aspen Skiing Co. LLC and private equity firm KSL Capital Partners LLC for about $1.5 billion, including debt,” reports The Steamboat Pilot & Today. “This transaction creates significant opportunity for Intrawest and delivers tremendous value to our current shareholders,” said Intrawest CEO Thomas Marano in a news release. “We are excited to work with Aspen and KSL. Our new partners bring additional financial resources and a shared passion for the mountains and our mountain communities.”

“A 90-day make-good period for illegal dwelling units in Glenwood Springs is mostly aimed at addressing life-safety concerns, with the possible caveat of increasing the city’s stock of rental units that could carry with them affordable housing provisions,” reports The Glenwood Springs Post-Independent. “City Council last week OK’d a resolution giving amnesty from May 1 through July 31 for any accessory dwelling units (ADUs), such as basement or garage apartments, or partitioned sections of primary houses, that were constructed over the years without proper permitting.”

“Peace Corps volunteer and Broomfield resident Cody Oser died this weekend in Panama. He was a graduate of Broomfield High School and Colorado State University,” reports The Boulder Daily Camera. “Peace Corps Director Sheila Crowley confirmed his death, the manner of which is unclear, on Sunday. A Panamanian news source, Newsroom Panama, said Oser’s body was found partially submerged in a creek. Oser, 24, died Saturday in the Comarca Ngäbe Bugle region of Panama.”

“April may be Distracted Driving Awareness Month, but that didn’t stop former Colorado Treasurer Cary Kennedy from announcing her gubernatorial bid on social media Monday from behind the wheel of a car,” reports The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. “That announcement also came with a little glitch for the Democrat, who made it via a live Facebook feed that didn’t work for everyone. The feed was not immediately seen by all because of “technical glitches,” her spokeswoman, Serena Woods, said in an email. Kennedy, who served one term as treasurer when Gov. Bill Ritter was in office from 2007 to 2011, said she entered the race, in part, because of the new Republican administration in Washington, D.C.” (If you want to know more about her read our story on her announcement.)

“When the Cañon City School District’s kindergarten through eighth-grade students head to class next year, they might not even have to walk through their schools’ front doors to be greeted with free breakfast,” reports The Cañon City Daily Record. “And if they do, they won’t have to walk far to find menu items that range from French toast to eggs and sausage. With food kiosks set up in parking lots and cafeterias opened up early in the morning, the district is implementing a universal free breakfast pilot program next year for all of its elementary and middle school students.”

“The 22-year-old subject of a viral Old Town arrest video that swirled around social media this weekend ‘hit an officer multiple times and grabbed an officer by the throat’ before a Fort Collins police officer threw her to the ground, according to her arrest affidavit,” reports The Coloradoan in Fort Collins. “The document, obtained by the Coloradoan on Monday afternoon, includes new details about the arrest of Colorado State University student Michaella Surat and identifies the arresting officer. Surat sustained several bruises and a concussion from the Thursday evening incident, attorney Andrew Bertrand told the Coloradoan.”

“A homeless woman who displayed what a prosecutor called ‘paranoia and delusional behavior’ while representing herself in court was sentenced Monday to five years in prison for kicking a Colorado Springs police officer in the groin during a trespassing arrest,” reports The Gazette in Colorado Springs. “The judge who ordered Katherine Stewart Felvey to prison cited her long history of running afoul of the law, including at least 60 misdemeanor arrests across the country and up to two prior felonies, both for attacks on police. Fourth Judicial District Judge Robert Lowrey said that he hoped she could be enrolled in ‘classes’ to help curb her violent behavior. ‘This sentence is intended to be helpful, not punitive,’ he said.”

“Weld County will have to commit up to $8.5 million per year to keep its Bright Futures grant program alive, according to projections from county finance officials,” reports The Greeley Tribune. “The recommendation, which marks a departure from the original plan to fund the majority of the program through donations, received a nod of approval from the Board of Weld County Commissioners during a Monday work session. Big changes, namely committing millions from the county’s general fund to the program, would officially come when the board approves the county’s budget in December, following a public comment period in October.”