“An impromptu protest from anti-fracking activists on the floor of Lafayette’s City Council meeting Tuesday forced officials to abruptly adjourn, suspending the leadership’s planned vote to revamp the city’s oil and gas rules,” reports The Longmont Times-Call. “The cancellation came just minutes into council’s discussion. It was preceded by an hour of public comment, during which residents, including the prominent activist group East Boulder County United, reproached the council for what many of them allege are new rules that would conflict with the city’s existing legislation. Shortly after Jeffrey Robbins, the attorney that has shepherded the city’s proposed regulation overhaul to the tune of $300 per hour, took to the podium to speak, protestors in attendance stood up and shouted, “mic check,” followed by a litany of chants.”
“On the eve of a potentially unprecedented recall campaign against Weld County Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer, all sides are hiring lawyers and gearing up for a potential fight,” reports The Greeley Tribune. “As soon as today, the 60-day clock will start for Platteville resident Sara Mondragon to gather the 5,767 signatures necessary to put the recall on the ballot for Kirkmeyer’s District 3 seat. The effort is lining up to potentially place the recall on the November ballot. Mondragon has accused Kirkmeyer of leveraging her position for personal gain and of scheduling or attempting to schedule private meetings to discuss policy, including official action that could result in financial gain to one or more commissioners, according to Mondragon’s recall affidavit filed earlier this month.”
“A community safety committee including parents, community members and law enforcement wants to use $14 million in newly available School District 51 capital funds to increase security at local high schools,” reports The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. “Committee members told the Board of Education on Tuesday that they supported the district’s current security efforts and also want to see additional steps to “harden” high schools and improve communication about lockdowns for students and parents.”
“As the immigration debate has evolved from that of Dreamers wanting their fair shot at the American Dream to sobbing children being separated from their parents under President Trump’s ‘zero tolerance” policy, Colorado immigrants rights leaders are speaking out,” reports The Glenwood Springs Post-Independent. “‘You may have seen pictures online of the children in cages,’ Immigration Hub Executive Director Tyler Moran said Tuesday during a telephone press conference with reporters. ‘I have been to that facility when I worked for Senator [Harry] Reid, they call it ‘the dog pound,’ he said. ‘In fact, there are almost 50 parents in a detention facility in Aurora right now whose children were taken from them.'”
“Steamboat Springs City Council agreed to move forward in placing a 0.2-percent sales tax on the ballot in November that would increase funding for direct flights into Yampa Valley Regional Airport during the ski season,” reports The Steamboat Pilot. “Council will decide if it will give final approval to place the measure on the fall ballot after a public hearing, following a second reading of the ordinance at City Council’s July 3 meeting.”
“Almost all of Larimer County’s unaffiliated voters participating in the primary elections so far will have their ballots tallied,” reports The Coloradoan in Fort Collins. “Almost. One hundred and fifty-nine unaffiliated voters returned ballots for both the Republican and Democratic primary elections. That’s about 3 percent of the unaffiliated voters who’ve participated in the primary as of Monday. For those who haven’t voted yet, don’t do that. If you vote both ballots, neither will count.”
“The owner of the Orem Owlz Minor League Baseball team — an affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels — is coming to Pueblo on Wednesday to present his intentions to bring his team to Pueblo,” reports The Pueblo Chieftain. “The Pueblo Chieftain has known for months that Jeff Katofsky has been in talks with the county about bringing his Utah team here, and Pueblo County building a stadium Downtown. In April, Katofsky told The Chieftain that the lease in Utah will be up in five years and he was talking to a number of states about possibly moving his team there.”
“Lynette Chilcoat was sitting in her backyard enjoying a Father’s Day barbecue with her family when she heard them: several loud booms that have become unmistakable to her as the sound of yet another neighbor lighting illegal fireworks,” reports The Loveland Reporter-Herald. “It was just the latest instance of a problem that she said has become all too common in the Derby Hill neighborhood on the south side of Loveland where Chilcoat has lived for over a decade — and one that despite being a “year-around issue” will surely reach its annual zenith over the next few weeks as July 4 approaches.”
“After two weeks of thick smoke from the 416 Fire, blue skies returned this week to northern La Plata County, disguising almost all evidence of the 34,000-acre fire that smolders below,” reports The Durango Herald. “Though the fire experienced light, consistent rain last weekend, flames continue to creep through the underbrush of the San Juan National Forest. Weather forecasters are calling for a return to hot and dry conditions, which will further dry out fuels and could lead to active fire behavior. The fire is 35 percent contained, mainly along the southern and eastern perimeter.”
“The Cañon City Council has postponed this year’s Fourth of July fireworks display because of the recent Stage 2 fire restrictions and ‘drought conditions,'” reports The Cañon City Daily Record. “During Monday’s meeting, Cañon City Police Chief Daric Harvey expressed concern for having this year’s fireworks display off of Skyline Drive because of the dry conditions.”
“Kicking off what would be a marathon public hearing on the proposed redevelopment of 311 Mapleton Ave. into senior housing and care facilities, Mayor Suzanne Jones reminded speakers what, exactly, the City Council would be deciding Tuesday night,” reports The Boulder Daily Camera. ‘The decisions are whether it meets the criteria or not, not whether or not we like it,” Jones said. “That’s the feedback we want.'”
“Before Manitou Springs strikes a deal expected to keep the Pikes Peak Cog Railway open for decades to come, the City Council wants to know exactly how much Cog owners will contribute to local projects,” reports The Gazette in Colorado Springs. “The council gave unanimous preliminary approval June 12 to an agreement with Oklahoma Publishing Co., parent company of The Broadmoor hotel and the Cog Railway. The pact would give the ownership group two tax breaks it has said it needs to invest $75 million to $95 million to rebuild the railway. The agreement, slated for final council approval June 26, requires Oklahoma Publishing to pay Manitou Springs $1 million from 2018 to 2019 to make up for the tax revenue shortage expected since the Cog’s closure.”
“President Donald Trump and his administration’s approach on immigration took center stage as the four Republicans battling for a chance to be Colorado’s next governor faced off Tuesday evening in their final debate before the June 26 primary,” reports The Denver Post. “Each candidate at the showdown hosted by The Denver Post, Denver7 and the University of Denver voiced support for Trump, but they hedged on his policy of separating immigrant parents crossing into the U.S. illegally from their children.”
