News

On the Fourth of July, people don’t just eat hot dogs and watch fireworks: They remember the principles on which this country was founded, and its reputation as a haven for people yearning to live free. And they argue about immigration.

Since Westword ran a cover story on May 23 about the “sovereign” movement — in which adherents generally reject statutory laws in favor of common law and believe that the U.S. government is corrupt — we’ve been receiving calls, letters and e-mails concerning eight individuals who were arrested along the…

It’s July in Denver, which means that once Independence Day is done,  we will enter the lazy days of summer, when everyone is either vacationing, anticipating getting out of town, or regretting that they took time off back in June when it wasn’t so damn hot. But that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to do here — or at least, no rules to follow.

The Jackson Lake drowning of Cord Carpenter, 45, who was reported missing on Saturday, July 1, adds to the already high death toll at Colorado water attractions this season. Carpenter is the fourth person to die at a river or lake in the state over a five day period, with three of the deaths taking place on a single day.

More than 325,000 people have so-called special Colorado license plates honoring various groups in the state, with the numbers of the ten most popular ranging from a few thousand to nearly 100,000. Because of rules set up by the Colorado Department of Revenue, fourteen less popular special plates seemed likely to be eliminated either this year or next year because not enough people have requested them. But all of them will survive thanks to a last-minute reprieve.

On Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’s July 2 edition, host John Oliver took on Sinclair Broadcast Group, a media firm that’s little known around the country but extremely powerful in markets such as Denver, where SBG recently purchased sister stations Fox31 and CW2. In a jeremiad against corporate consolidation in local news that’s on view below, Oliver warns that the stealthy way Sinclair forces its hard-right ideology on its affiliates has the potential for turning regional outlets like the ones in the Mile High City into arms of a media empire with the potential of becoming a conservative force rivaling Fox News.

It was a tragic week on Colorado’s waterways. On just June 27 alone, three people died in water sport-related accidents. This being Colorado, readers offered tips under the story on Facebook about how to stay safe in the water. Offers Beth: Although rivers are extremely dangerous during spring and early…

Heather Balogh Rochfort, the woman behind the adventure blog JustaColoradoGal.com, was once a dance specialist whose interest in nature fell well short of obsession. But now, she’s the author of Backpacking 101, a guide to those who want to better acquaint themselves with the great outdoors, and she offers her top ten tips for getting started in Colorado.