Author: David Mullen
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20 years after Hayman fire: Recovery continues, lessons learned being applied
Twenty years can feel like ancient history. To many affected by the Hayman fire, it seems like yesterday. “It’s still pretty vivid for most of the people who lived here,” said Steven Brown, a bank loan officer by profession. Since 2005, he’s also worn the hat of volunteer fire chief for the Mountain Communities Fire…
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DPS, transit union agree to raise wages for bus drivers and maintenance workers
Denver Public Schools unionized transit workers will receive a substantial raise over the next three years as part of an agreement announced Thursday between the district and Amalgamated Transit Union. Bus drivers who are part of the union will receive a 17.5% increase in their hourly wage, which will increase starting wages to $24. Unionized…
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Colorado’s student assessment scores dropped in 2021, but experts give pause
Statewide assessment scores for Colorado’s elementary and middle school students dropped in 2021 compared to scores recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the number of students who took the test plummeted across the state compared to previous years, according to data compiled by the Colorado Department of Education. Reading scores for third-,…
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Recovery from Hayman fire continues 20 years later, with lessons learned being applied
Twenty years can feel like ancient history. To many affected by the Hayman fire, it seems like yesterday. “It’s still pretty vivid for most of the people who lived here,” said Steven Brown, a bank loan officer by profession. Since 2005, he’s also worn the hat of volunteer fire chief for the Mountain Communities Fire…
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Colorado’s second-largest wildfire was human caused, investigators say
The East Troublesome fire, Colorado’s second-largest wildfire on record, was human-caused, the U.S. Forest Service announced Friday. In a news release, investigators said they believe the blaze was caused by either a hunter or a backcountry camper — possibly by accident — due to the location and time of year the fire ignited. Investigators with…
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DPS considering closures and consolidation due declining enrollment
During an executive session Thursday night, Denver Public Schools heard recommendations on how the district should identify schools for consolidation. No schools were identified by name, however, the district has been considering closures and consolidation due a decline in enrollment that began district-wide in 2019, according to the presentation. There has been a steady decline…
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12 accused of smuggling drugs into Colorado jail
Prosecutors have charged 12 people in connection with a drug trafficking operation in the Larimer County jail. Authorities said fentanyl, methamphetamine and Suboxone strips were smuggled through the mail and distributed to inmates. The Northern Colorado Drug Task Force began investigating in March after a deputy intercepted a letter to an inmate and the paper…
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Intertwined and overshadowed by fentanyl, meth takes deadly toll on Colorado
There was perhaps no one subject that drew more debate and scrutiny at the State Capitol this year than how to address fentanyl use in Colorado. Four legislative committees heard more than 20 hours of public testimony and considered scores of amendments in an effort to curb what one lawmaker called a “tsunami of death.”…
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Amber Alert canceled: Denver police say woman, two children found safe
Denver police have located the mother and two children who were reportedly taken by force during a domestic violence incident. Police said the three were found safe. Police said Francheska Tafoya, 24, and her two children Ramon Marrufo, 2 months, and Naveana Marrufo, 1, were kidnapped near East 40th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. They were…
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Intertwined and overshadowed by fentanyl, meth takes deadly toll on Colorado
There was perhaps no one subject that drew more debate and scrutiny at the State Capitol this year than how to address fentanyl use in Colorado. Four legislative committees heard more than 20 hours of public testimony and considered scores of amendments in an effort to curb what one lawmaker called a “tsunami of death.”…