Sam Levin Inc.

Homelessness: City's emergency overflow shelter for women has open spots

Our recent cover story -- "Bed Check," a close look at the shelter space available for homeless women in Denver -- was published just as the city opened up a new overflow wintertime option exclusively for women. The emergency spot has a total of fifty mats each night. And after more than a month in ... More >>

Reader: Guns-in-schools concept not undermined by accidental shooting

In his post about a GOP bill to allow guns in schools, Sam Levin mentioned last year's accidental shooting at CU-Denver. A new comment argues that the latter is instructive rather than an indictment of the guns-in-schools concept.

Marijuana: Project SAM, anti-legalization group, launches Colorado chapter, Mason Tvert attacks

A national organization that opposes the legalization of marijuana and is advocating "smarter approaches" launched today in Denver -- and also announced that the group will soon open a chapter in Colorado, where voters in November passed Amendment 64. The advocates behind the group, called Project S ... More >>

Video: Broomfield Police arrest five protesters at FlatIron Crossing American Indian flash mob

After a few minutes of dancing and drumming at FlatIron Crossing in Broomfield on Wednesday, police officers told a large group of protesters that they had to stop. A short while later, five were in handcuffs. This is how a planned flash mob became confrontational -- at least according to some with ... More >>

Amendment 64: Should retail marijuana shops be limited to Colorado residents?

Once retail shops for recreational marijuana can open their doors in Colorado, who will actually be allowed to use them? This was one of the questions raised at a meeting yesterday of the Amendment 64 task force charged with making recommendations on implementing the new law. We'll likely see more d ... More >>

As Denver's food assistance requests jumped in 2012, the city struggled to meet the need

In 2012, requests for emergency food assistance increased in cities across the country -- and a new report shows that in Denver, the need was especially high. Over the past year, requests jumped by 56 percent in Denver, the U.S. Conference of Mayors says, and the city was unable to meet roughly twen ... More >>

Reader: It's not easy to remove the stain of racial and ethnic hatred

The holidays have not been so happy in Colorado Springs, where recent acts of vandalism included a car on the south end of town covered with the large, spraypainted message message "I hate black people!" The city's graffiti-abatement team cleaned the car; the police are still looking for the culp ... More >>

Photos: Aurora, Columbine families hold emotional conference urging gun reforms

After a week of silence since the Sandy Hook massacre, the National Rifle Association today said that more guns need to be part of the strategy to stop this kind of violence. Meanwhile, families of the victims of the Aurora shooting and the Columbine tragedy came together for an emotional press conf ... More >>

Months after Aurora theater shooting, days after Sandy Hook, officials launch trauma website

The tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut last week has reignited policy debates in Colorado that had quieted since the July 20 massacre in Aurora. And for victims of the theater shootings, the devastation in Connecticut can also trigger painful memories. That's why ... More >>

Amendment 64: Marijuana task force meets for the first time, plots "aggressive timeline"

When Governor John Hickenlooper signed Colorado's pot measure into law last week, he announced the creation of a task force dedicated to resolving the long list of unanswered questions about legalization. In its first meeting yesterday afternoon, the group debated the best path to consensus -- a pro ... More >>

Photos: Homeless female veterans focus of housing project at old Su Teatro site

In our recent cover story, "Bed Check," which chronicles the challenges homeless women in Denver face, we note the need for both emergency shelter and more permanent homes. In the latter category, a group called the Empowerment Program is now pushing forward with a housing project specifically for f ... More >>

Ty Lawson: His big contract hasn't paid off for the Nuggets yet

Denver blog posts were tired yesterday. Denver Stiffs' Colin Neilson is frustrated that Ty Lawson isn't progressing into the ranks of elite NBA point guards despite being showered with cash during the off-season. WhoSaidYouSaid's Tom Intorcio has more on election-integrity questions at a Scott Ges ... More >>

Scott Gessler didn't do enough to stop voter fraud, say critics at Arapahoe County event

Pre-election news coverage about Secretary of State Scott Gessler often focused on his efforts to weed out non-citizen voters and prevent fraud through an initiative some activists called a wild goose chase. But at an event in Arapahoe County, where Gessler invited public feedback, most took the opp ... More >>

Latino voters helped Colorado stay blue -- more so than in any other battleground state

Up until the final days of this year's presidential race, pundits on both sides of the aisle agreed that Colorado remained a toss-up, and a key battleground for both candidates. In the end, however, the state, like virtually every close race in the country, ended up going to Obama, and a report says ... More >>

Colorado's longest wait to vote? Reports of three-hour delays at Aurora's CentrePoint Plaza

Some Arapahoe County voters who wanted to cast their ballots today had to wait in a long line for several hours at one vote center -- prompting some of Colorado's top politicians to visit the site and assess the problem. At CentrePoint Plaza in Aurora, voters said they had to wait up to two hours, ... More >>

Photos: Ten Obama supporters on why they've already voted (or not)

In Colorado, there is a roughly even split between Democrats and Republicans registered to vote this election -- but based on a report sent out this morning, 38,059 more Republicans than Democrats have cast ballots so far in early voting, which ends today. Yesterday, at Obama's Boulder rally, we ask ... More >>

Bill Clinton on Romney strategy: "I look like a president, I act like a president.... Elect me!"

If enough people really understood just how backwards Mitt Romney's policies were in so many different areas, the race for the White House wouldn't be as close as it is a week before election day. This was a recurring message from ex-President Bill Clinton, who came to Denver yesterday for Obama, a ... More >>

Photos: Craig Romney says supporters across the state are praying for his dad

Mitt Romney says that our rights come from God -- and Craig Romney says his father's success will come from God hearing the prayers of Colorado residents across the state. This was one message at an early vote rally yesterday afternoon in which Craig, Mitt's youngest son, told fans that his favorite ... More >>

Jill Biden in Colorado: "Nine days left -- I'm sure all of you are just as happy as I am"

It's the final countdown to Election Day and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, is looking toward the finish line. At a campaign stop at an Obama field office in Lakewood last night, the Second Lady pushed the reelection of the Obama-Biden team as the right choice for women, veterans, stu ... More >>

Reader: The best part of the presidential election will be when it's over

Sam Levin's coverage of Mitt Romney's appearance at Red Rocks spurred plenty of comments, many of which broke down along partisan lines. But one of our readers chose to eschew ideology in favor of an endorsement for something pretty much everyone can agree on about now. Here's his take.

Photos: Obama counters Romney's Red Rocks event with huge City Park rally

With election day less than two weeks away, Colorado is continuing to get a lot of love from both presidential campaigns, and for good reason: The state is divided. This fact was evidenced yesterday by a massive City Park rally for the president less than 24 hours after Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan pac ... More >>

Photos: Colorado Democrats push early vote (for Obama) on heels of high registration numbers

Today is the first day that voters can cast their ballots in person as part of early voting in Colorado -- and the state's top Democratic officials set an example by voting in front of a bunch of cameras in Denver. The photo op underscores how important the ground game is for Obama in key swing stat ... More >>

B-cycle: The weirdest spots a bike has been found and more fun facts

An important piece of the puzzle in Denver's growth as a bike city -- outlined in this week's feature, "On a Roll" -- is the creation of B-cycle, the city's bike-sharing program, which today boasts thousands of annual users. Here, we take you behind the scenes at B-cycle, with a look at some of the ... More >>

Photos: Michelle Obama tells Castle Rock crowd why she fell in love with Barack

In the final weeks of the election, one thing is clear: A very small margin of voters will ultimately determine the victor in Colorado, which has become one of the most important battleground states in the country. That was part of the message from First Lady Michelle Obama, who rallied voters yeste ... More >>

Photos: Scott Gessler votes "yes" on Filipino food, "no" on criticism of his office

Politicians -- they're just like the rest of us! But sometimes, when they eat food, it has a bit more significance than just, you know, lunch. Such was the case with Secretary of State Scott Gessler's noon stop yesterday at the 16th Street Mall's Taste of the Philippines food truck -- whose owner ju ... More >>

Photos: Hate, love, chaos and spin before and after Denver debate 2012

Last night's presidential debate was a long time in the making for both the city and the University of Denver, and proponents of both sides are still weighing the results of the candidates' coal-loving, Big Bird-cutting, anniversary-celebrating round-about on domestic policy. Here, we take you insid ... More >>

Photos: Ann Romney says Mitt "doesn't fail" at pre-debate Littleton rally

Flanked by three of her eighteen grandchildren, Ann Romney told a crowd of supporters yesterday afternoon in Littleton that her husband is a compassionate man who doesn't fail. Her rally for Mitt on the eve of the high-stakes presidential debate in Denver shed light on the significance of Colorado i ... More >>

Debate 2012: University of Denver charging press $175 for wireless -- and seats are extra

As we opened our laptop to file our first story from the University of Denver today, we realized we were missing a key ingredient: wireless. And that led us to a discover that, despite all the awesome swag given out at the presidential debate, reporting (comfortably and wirelessly) comes with a pric ... More >>

Photos: Mitt Romney says our rights come from God in Jeffco speech

After a week of particularly difficult headlines, and nearly two months since his last rally here, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney returned to Colorado last night, delivering a stump speech focusing on the economy and President Barack Obama's record -- and not on the recent controversies ... More >>

Reader: What is NREL's return on taxpayer dollars?

Photos: National Renewable Energy Lab's newest facility -- a sneak peek

In this week's feature, "Sun Burn," we explore the progress of Golden's National Renewable Energy Lab, which for decades has been researching alternative energy. A central part of the lab's current expansion is the construction of the massive Energy Systems Integration Facility, which will be comple ... More >>

Photos: John Hickenlooper dancing, eating cafeteria food at education presser

Governor John Hickenlooper and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined a crowd of hyper elementary students this afternoon for the best part of the school day -- lunch and recess. And for the two high-profile politicians, that meant cafeteria food, basketball and incredibly awkward group danc ... More >>

Photos: Ten Obama fans on why they'll vote no matter what Dick Morris says

Before a group of Mitt Romney supporters in Centennial earlier this week, Fox News analyst and conservative pundit Dick Morris said Barack Obama won't be elected because his fans won't actually vote. Today, before Obama took the stage in Golden, we asked ten supporters what they think of Morris's co ... More >>

Photos: Craig Romney targets Colorado Latinos as dad Mitt prepares for debates

After last week's Republican National Convention in Tampa, Mitt Romney has taken a break from the campaign trail to focus on debate preparation. But that doesn't mean he's ignoring the key swing state of Colorado. Yesterday, the campaign brought Craig Romney, the candidate's youngest son, to Lakew ... More >>

Occupy Sniagrab: Protesters use annual sale to defy urban camping ban

After months without a place to legally camp outside following passage of the city's controversial urban camping ban, Occupy Denver members have finally found a place to bed down where the police can't really bother them: outside Sports Authority. With the company snagging a special permit for its ... More >>

Ten Paul Ryan supporters on why they attended Lakewood rally

Although a handful of students weren't allowed to attend a speech by Mitt Romney running mate Paul Ryan yesterday, thousands of others crowded into Lakewood High School to hear Ryan speak. Here's what ten of those attending said about why they were there.

Paul Ryan in Lakewood: Veep candidate talks economy, his love of Colorado

Had six non-Romney fans not be banned from attending, they would have learned that Congressman Paul Ryan is just a family man with a lot of love for the State of Colorado. That's how the newly announced vice presidential candidate presented himself at the start of his speech at Lakewood High School ... More >>

Photos: East Side Peace March draws mayor, police chief, ex-gang members

Between the shooting of Denver police officer Celena Hollis and the death of twelve people at the Aurora theater massacre, it's been a particularly violent summer locally -- a fact that underscored an annual peace march over the weekend. Denver officials and community groups banded together Saturday ... More >>

Photos: Meet the Eisenhower Tunnel crew trying to prevent you from getting stuck in gridlock

As part of this week's feature, "Rocky Mountain High," we went inside the control room of the Eisenhower Tunnel, the world's highest vehicular tunnel, which famously crosses the Continental Divide. More than 300 million cars have passed through since 1973, and the rate today is twice what is was thi ... More >>

Photos: Ten people in Denver on why they came to see Obama speak

A week after Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney brought his campaign to Jefferson County, President Barack Obama is making stops in Colorado, highlighting the importance of this key swing state. Today, thousands of supporters filed into the Auraria Event Center to hear Obama speak, which ... More >>

Photos: Mitt Romney talks report cards, Obamacare, Missy Franklin in Jeffco

Underscoring the importance of Colorado in the presidential election -- and the significance of Jefferson County in the race to win this key swing state -- Mitt Romney held a rally today in Golden, marking his first campaign stop since returning from his trip in Europe.

Aurora theater shooting: Latino officials backing Obama respond to gun control debate

The thorny political territory of gun control can be especially challenging for President Barack Obama's cheerleaders in Colorado, where debates about access to guns have great local significance after James Holmes shot seventy people in an Aurora movie theater. Since the attack, Obama has called fo ... More >>

Photos: Ghost bike memorial honors hit-and-run victim Dan Peterson

An all-white bicycle with a bouquet of yellow flowers is now locked to a street pole on Lincoln at 6th Avenue -- an intersection where a cyclist collided with a car whose driver allegedly stole the bike and fled from the scene. The memorial, put up by local bike advocates who wish to remain anonym ... More >>

Photos: Jesse Williams, John Cho promote Obama in Colorado

Marking one hundred days before Election Day, Barack Obama's campaign held thousands of events across the country on Saturday, asking supporters to take at least one action for the President through an initiative called "It Takes One." As part of that effort, his Colorado team brought not one, but t ... More >>

Aurora theater shooting: Hundreds gather and say prayers at vigil

Nineteen hours after James Holmes fired shots during a midnight screening of The Dark Night Rises -- bringing national media attention to Aurora and Colorado -- hundreds gathered near the Aurora Town Center Century 16 this evening to honor the twelve individuals who died and dozens more who were inj ... More >>

National Renewable Energy Lab is building homes of the future that are smarter than you

In the future, your home and its appliances might talk to you, make decisions for you, and, if the National Renewable Energy Lab is successful, help you save money. And, you know, make Planet Earth a greener place. Get more details and see photos of our domestic future below.

Photos: Diana DeGette's clean-energy tour to Coolerado, RavenBrick

Tucked inside a small room in an industrial building just south of I-70 and west of Holly Street, three leaders from a clean tech company called Coolerado explained to Congresswoman Diana DeGette how they are turning the traditional air conditioning process upside down.

Virgin driver's cross-country trip, Day Two: A dragon, a cross and the birthplace of flight

Editor's note: New York City's Sam Levin, a beginner driver, is kicking off his fellowship with Westword by documenting his cross-country trip. This is his second dispatch from the road. Contrary to the lessons of my upbringing as a native New Yorker, there is an exciting world beyond the Big Apple ... More >>

Virgin driver's cross-country trip, Day One: Isn't that the toll booth we saw two hours ago?

Editor's note: New York City's Sam Levin, a beginner driver, is kicking off his internship with Westword by documenting his cross-country trip. This is his first dispatch from the road. A frantically shouting security guard ran toward my car, waving his arms back and forth as I struggled to find th ... More >>