Posted inBusiness, Crime and Courts, Health, News, Politics and Government

Colorado just released a big report on how cannabis legalization is going. Here’s what it found.

More than seven years since Colorado became the first state to allow cannabis to be sold at stores for recreational use, pot arrests are down, marijuana-impaired driving cases are up and school expulsions are both up and down. Those numbers — and a whole lot more — come from a new report released Monday by […]

Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Wildfire

Colorado is expecting another explosive wildfire year, but the state may be more prepared this time

Colorado wildfire experts are warning that conditions are setting up for wildfires as bad as last year, when the three largest forest fires on record burned for months. But this time, they think the state may be better prepared. Millions of dollars, multiple aircraft and coordinated partnerships between local, state and federal agencies are all […]

Posted inCOVID, Health, News

Calls to Colorado’s child abuse hotline fell during coronavirus, but harm to kids likely didn’t

As feared by child advocates, the number of calls to a statewide abuse and neglect hotline dropped significantly during the coronavirus pandemic.  That’s not because abuse and neglect declined, but because the isolated days of COVID-19 have kept children out of sight.  Calls to the hotline fell 13% compared with 2019 — that’s 193,448 calls […]

Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, Growth, News, Wildfire

Colorado utilities fear wildfire risk — and liability — amid warming climate

As smoke from the California wildfires drifted eastward this summer, Holy Cross Energy CEO Bryan Hannegan had worries of his own in Colorado. In August, the hottest ever in Colorado, the Grizzly Creek fire growled and then charged several communities in the middle of his service territory that spans a 100-mile segment of Interstate 70 […]

Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government

Rifles, mine-resistant vehicles, robots: How Colorado police have used a federal program to stockpile military gear

Tipping the scales in excess of 12 tons, with an estimated value of more than $700,000, the hulking mine-resistant armored combat vehicle rumbled through the streets of a small Eastern Plains town, angling toward a local park and a crowd of people. Once there, its rear doors swung open and out stepped an American service […]

Posted inGrowth, News, Outdoors, Politics and Government

Colorado’s volunteer search and rescue teams are overwhelmed and there are fears it’s going to get worse

It’s been 23 years since Colorado lawmakers last crafted legislation to help the state’s now 2,800 search and rescue volunteers. And with increasing calls stressing overwhelmed volunteers, they could use a bit of help.  Help could come with a bipartisan bill making its way through the Capitol that would explore potential funding options to better […]

Posted inCrime and Courts, Education, News, Politics and Government

Lawmakers reject Polis’ $3 million budget request, but agree to bolster threat training after STEM shooting

Lawmakers on Wednesday rejected Gov. Jared Polis’ request that they free up $3 million to hire more mental health professionals in schools, but agreed to spend $407,000 extra on training school administrators on how to conduct threat assessments. The Polis administration said in budget requests that the money was needed for both training and more […]