Early on the morning of July 13, police officers arrived en masse at Confluence Park, as expected — only there were a lot more of them than seemed necessary. This was the moment that members of the advocacy group Denver Homeless Out Loud were waiting for; they wanted to document…
It’s something journalists and campaign insiders know on Election Day usually way before the public: outcomes of elections. Why, then, are the outcomes withheld? “I think it’s because one night in 1980 Congress flipped out and told the networks [releasing real-time results] was bad for democracy because there was some…
In our recent Libertarian Party of Colorado profile, state chair Jay North and communications director Caryn Ann Harlos talked about the difficulties of getting attention for a so-called third party, particularly when it comes to candidates such as Lily Tang Williams, who’s running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Michael Bennet…
At tonight’s Denver City Council meeting, members are scheduled to vote on renewing a contract with Xerox for red-light cameras, and the proposal is expected to pass easily — although perhaps not unanimously. Kevin Flynn, who represents District 2, stresses that he supports the use of red-light cameras (as well…
There’s no greater ambassador for cycling in Denver than Brad Evans, the man behind the Denver Cruiser Ride, an event scheduled on Wednesday nights from mid-May through the end of September (including tonight) during which costumed participants bring outdoor fun and unbridled joy to the streets of the Mile High…
What would happen if in November Colorado voters passed Amendment 70, opting to raise the minimum wage from $8.31 to $12 an hour by 2020? The state’s economy would grow. That’s according to the new study “The Impact of a $12.00 Minimum Wage on Women in Colorado,” from the University…
Denver is about to get a new district attorney. With Mitch Morrissey, who was elected in 2004, stepping down due to term limits, voters in November will have a chance to choose between Beth McCann, who won the Democratic primary in June, and Helen Morgan, running as an independent. We…
Claudia didn’t think anything was wrong when United States Customs and Border Protection agents flagged her for an in-depth security screening after the early-morning flight from her native Chile landed at Los Angeles International Airport early on October 8, 2015. “It’s normal,” she says. “Sometimes the officers review people.” Besides,…
Denver is about to get a new district attorney. With Mitch Morrissey, who was elected in 2004, stepping down due to term limits, voters in November will have a chance to choose between Beth McCann, who won the Democratic primary in June, and Helen Morgan, running as an independent. We…
Sage burned thick in the air. Drums pounded. Hundreds marched, danced and prayed under the gold dome of the State Capitol. The dispute over a North Dakota oil pipeline leaked into Denver Thursday night, as Native American children and elders led activists from all over the state who had converged…
The latest data obtained by Westword from the Denver Police Department shows that enforcement of Denver’s unauthorized camping ordinance – better known as the “urban camping ban” — remains at elevated levels since regular sweeps of the homeless began in March. Here is the updated chart: The urban camping ban…
Reports of rising heroin use and drug dealing at Denver parks and along the Cherry Creek Greenway are backed up by statistics. According to Denver Parks and Recreation, police have made 128 felony arrests along the Cherry Creek trail, mostly for drug-related offenses, and over the past year, an estimated…
David Edelstein, founder of Team Pit-a-Full, a pro-pit-bull advocacy organization and training service, has been working for years to overturn pit-bull bans in Denver and Aurora. Now, after Conifer resident Susan Shawl was killed in an attack by two terrier-pit bull mixes owned by her son, he sees the battle…
The van leaves the Stout Street Health Center in downtown Denver on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Others climb aboard in Colorado Springs or Pueblo before the van heads east, into the vast, sparsely populated grasslands of the Lower Arkansas Valley. The passengers are all referrals, vetted and pre-approved, like sailors…
Two measures that would have imposed tighter restrictions on Colorado’s oil-and-gas industry have been declared ineligible for the November ballot, amid conflicting accusations of fraud and foul play. Secretary of State Wayne Williams announced this morning that, based on random sampling, neither of the initiatives collected enough valid signatures to…
Raymond Garcia, a Republican running for a seat in the state House, says memes he’s shared on his personal Facebook page are jokes and a response to the politically charged material his “liberal” friends share on their feeds. In the last few days Garcia has shared a meme of Democratic…
Yesterday, August 25, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was supposed to appear in Denver in order to deliver what was touted as a major speech on immigration. That event was subsequently canceled with little advance notice — a move that Trump critics such as MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow seized upon as…
Last week, we reported that a local lawyer was preparing a class action lawsuit against the city of Denver for violating the constitutional rights of the city’s homeless population when conducting sweeps of homeless people, their encampments and their property. Today, the law office of Jason Flores-Williams made good on…
The Libertarian Party was founded in Colorado in 1971 — and 45 years later, party leaders here believe their cause is poised to make its largest impact to date. Why? Libertarian Party of Colorado chair Jay North and LPOC communications director Caryn Ann Harlos feel one big reason is the way…
A federal lawsuit against Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and other city officials, filed by one of Hizzoner’s former best buds and top advisors, has been dismissed by U.S. District Court Judge John Kane — just when filings in the case were getting interesting. Ex-aide Wayne McDonald’s complaint of wrongful termination…
Prosecutor Frank Ruybalid isn’t going to lose his law license over the mishandling of several criminal cases — and that means the embattled district attorney for Las Animas and Huerfano counties will be able to finish his term at the end of this year despite stinging criticism of his office…
The presidential candidacy of Donald Trump has raised a lot of unexpected questions. Among the strangest: “Is there a difference between a politician saying he or she will vote for Trump and actually endorsing him?” The distinction isn’t merely academic. In recent days, New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte, a Republican, told CNN…
