Author: Christopher Osher
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El Pomar will purchase ranch land for $3.75 million as part of settlement of lawsuit alleging undue lobbying influence over granite mining proposal
The El Pomar Foundation will spend $3.75 million to purchase ranch land as part of a settlement that will result in the dismissal of a lawsuit accusing the nonprofit of violating state law by secretly lobbying members of then Gov. John Hickenlooper’s staff to kill a controversial proposal for a granite quarry. It’s the second…
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El Pomar will buy portion of ranchland near Colorado Springs for $3.75 million as part of lawsuit settlement
The El Pomar Foundation will spend $3.75 million to purchase ranch land as part of a settlement that will result in the dismissal of a lawsuit accusing the nonprofit of violating state law by secretly lobbying members of then Gov. John Hickenlooper’s staff to kill a controversial proposal for a granite quarry. Transit Mix previously…
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Judge rules southern Colorado sheriff and his office persistently mishandle evidence, impairing public safety
A judge ruled Huerfano County Sheriff Bruce Newman and his office persistently fail to follow Colorado law in the handling of criminal evidence to such a degree that public safety and the prosecution of criminal cases continue to be impaired. He ordered the sheriff and his office to start complying with the law. Huerfano County…
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Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo re-accredited despite scoring poorly on quality measures
Colorado Watch Surveyors found Colorado’s primary psychiatric hospital in Pueblo scored poorly on quality measures in comparison to other psychiatric hospitals in the nation but re-accredited the facility for the next three years. The Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care, last month notified Jill Marshall, the chief…
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Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser’s fundraiser in Hawaii draws complaint
Following a fundraiser at an exclusive resort in Hawaii, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is facing a complaint accusing him of violating the state’s campaign finance laws. Defend Colorado, a Republican affiliated dark money group that has put Democrats in its crosshairs before, has filed a formal complaint alleging that the Democratic attorney general did…
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Justice being denied in a Colorado county because of persistent evidence delays, prosecutor charges
Brian Puerta told police he was bedded down at a truck stop in rural Huerfano County, snuggled up in a sleeping bag in the front passenger seat of his blue Buick when a stranger banged on the passenger window in the middle of the day and demanded that Puerta follow him. Brian Puerta inspects scars…
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Whistleblower: False diagnosis kept patient unconstitutionally confined at Colorado mental hospital
Colorado officials unnecessarily and illegally blocked the release of a patient at the state’s primary mental hospital who had recovered from a psychotic episode, and those officials then tried to fire staff at the hospital who fought his continued confinement, claims an insider at the hospital who has turned whistleblower. The accusations from Erica Palmer,…
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Colorado Attorney General launches probe of Denver-based home health provider
The Colorado Attorney General is investigating a Denver-based company that is the nation’s largest provider in a federal community-based home health program for frail, elderly patients, initiating the probe after the company paid back $13.6 million this year to Colorado’s Medicaid program amid audits by state and federal regulators. InnovAge disclosed the audits and the…
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Backlog of people waiting for treatment at Colorado’s mental hospital could lead to more death: Report
More criminal defendants with untreated psychosis languishing in Colorado jails will maim and kill themselves if the state doesn’t reduce a growing backlog of nearly 350 people waiting for treatment at the state’s primary mental hospital, court-ordered monitoring reports predict. And court documents and budget requests show that problems at the Colorado Mental Health Institute…
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Validity of Colorado amusement ride inspections faced state scrutiny
Colorado relies on private, third-party inspectors to make sure amusement parks are free of accidents like the one this month that claimed the life of a 6-year-old girl, who plunged to her death from a ride at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. Just four years ago, state regulators suspended one of those inspectors for his work…