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Colorado Teachers Priced Out of Their Communities
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State, Approved, CBS Colorado

Colorado Teachers Priced Out of Their Communities

By Tori Mason | CBS Colorado A new survey of more than 3,200 educators in Colorado says the housing crisis is pushing teachers out of their communities, and in some cases, out of the profession. The Keystone Policy Center's report, We Can't Live Where We Teach: Teacher Perspectives, finds that more than half of educators are spending well above the recommended share of their income on housing, with some paying more than 40%. Nearly 6 in 10 say they would be interested in district-provided affordable housing, and 70% would be comfortable with their school district as their landlord. "Colorado's ability to deliver quality education depends on having committed, effective teachers in every classroom," said Van Schoales, senior policy director at the Keystone Policy Center. "This repor...
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USDA chooses Fort Collins as one of five new hubs in major federal relocation effort
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CBS Colorado, Approved, National

USDA chooses Fort Collins as one of five new hubs in major federal relocation effort

By Dillon Thomas | CBS Colorado The United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, will close down a major portion of its current headquarters in Washington, D.C., moving some of the staffers to Northern Colorado. Fort Collins was selected as one of five locations around the country where the headquarters will be relocated. "At first blush, everything about having offices out here makes sense," said Kenny Rogers, a cattleman in Yuma. Rogers has been a cattleman for decades, at times serving in leadership roles among his peers. He said the announcement of the partial move to Fort Collins was a surprise to him, but one he welcomes. "Getting boots on the ground where the action is occurring, rather than in an office in Washington, D.C., that is not a bad thing," ...
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Flood tragedy in Texas stirs old memories—and resolve—at Colorado’s Cheley Camps
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Flood tragedy in Texas stirs old memories—and resolve—at Colorado’s Cheley Camps

By Olivia Young | CBS News Colorado Among the victims of the devastating flooding in Texas are at least 27 campers and counselors from a girls summer camp, Camp Mystic. A thousand miles from Camp Mystic, the tragedy hits close to home at another summer camp nestled in the Rocky Mountains. This summer, the camp spirit is persisting at Cheley Colorado Camps, a family-owned summer camp with its own history of dealing with extreme weather. "Our great-grandfather, Frank, started camp in 1921 and he set up an amazing foundation and built most of the lodges that we use today," said Jeff Cheley, fourth-generation owner of Cheley Colorado Camps. "We feel that we have this wonderful opportunity to really make a difference in the lives of young people and create this space for them to ...
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ICE expansion in Colorado draws fire as private prison firms compete for contracts
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ICE expansion in Colorado draws fire as private prison firms compete for contracts

By Anna Alejo | CBS Colorado Just days after the passage of President Trump's budget bill allocating $45 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to expand detention facilities, the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado made public documents submitted by private prison operators seeking to sign contracts with the federal government. The ACLU says the government provided the documents in response to its lawsuit filed in April. The Trump administration says it plans to build capacity for 100,000 ICE detention beds nationwide. Locations offered for new ICE detention centers in Colorado include Walsenberg, Colorado Springs, Hudson, and La Junta. "We sued the federal government because they were hiding these documents about their intent to expand ICE detention in Colorado...
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$440/month? Colorado homeowners crushed by soaring insurance bills
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$440/month? Colorado homeowners crushed by soaring insurance bills

By Sarah Horbacewicz | CBS Colorado Homeowners insurance is getting more expensive, and in a high-risk state for hail and wildfires, some Coloradans are feeling the financial pinch. Rocky Mountain Insurance Association says Colorado ranks second in the nation for hail insurance claims and ranks second for the number of homes in high-risk wildfire areas. Colorado also has the sixth-highest homeowners insurance premiums.  In the 25 years she's lived in Broomfield, Melinda Endres says she's never seen a bill like this June's mortgage. "I thought it was a mistake. I thought, are you kidding?" Endres said, "We get this letter saying that it's going to increase to over $2,000 now, and that's more than $300 a month." So Melinda said she called her broker, and they told her tha...
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$29M in errors, 30% staff vacancy: Audit uncovers years Colorado prison system budget mismanagement
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$29M in errors, 30% staff vacancy: Audit uncovers years Colorado prison system budget mismanagement

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado An audit of the Colorado Department of Corrections has uncovered "erroneous information and incorrect calculations" over four years of budget requests reviewed. An independent third party conducted the audit that resulted in nearly three dozen recommended changes. CDOC Executive Director Moses "Andre" Stancil told the state's Joint Budget Committee he agrees with the recommendations in the 101-page report that found CDOC's approach to budgeting is unlike any other prison system in the country, and not in a good way. "Everything has been such a fluid mess over the years," said budget writer and Republican state Rep. Rick Taggert of Grand Junction. The audit found CDOC's budget requests have had "inaccurate, incomplete, and inco...
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Boebert steps in where Colorado failed: Black sludge in Morgan County drinking water
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Boebert steps in where Colorado failed: Black sludge in Morgan County drinking water

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado The plight of a tiny community in eastern Colorado will soon be the subject of a congressional hearing.  Colorado U.S. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is coming to the aid of a small water district in Morgan County, where toxic black sludge passes for drinking water.  The Prairie View Ranch Water District is 50 miles northeast of the Denver metro area, and it has been a colossal disaster 20 years in the making. Residents say without drinkable water, their homes are worthless.  Boebert -- who represents the residents in Washington D.C. -- is asking the House Appropriations Committee for a $5 million grant to help overhaul the water system.  Boebert is the first elected official willing to meet with the residents, se...
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President Trump hails court win keeping tariffs in place amid global negotiations
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President Trump hails court win keeping tariffs in place amid global negotiations

By Joe Walsh | CBS Colorado The wide-reaching tariffs imposed by President Trump on virtually every country can remain in place until at least the end of July, an appellate court said Tuesday evening. The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals granted the Trump administration's request to pause a lower court ruling that blocked the tariffs pending appeal. The appellate judges scheduled oral arguments in the case on July 31, meaning the tariffs are set to stay in effect until then unless there's further court action in the case. The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled last month that many of Mr. Trump's signature tariffs are illegal, including the 10% tariffs on virtually every U.S. trading partner and a set of tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. The appellate co...
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Trump calls for deportation after fatal crash by illegal teen driver in Aurora
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CBS Colorado

Trump calls for deportation after fatal crash by illegal teen driver in Aurora

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado A teenager who was driving illegally and was in the country illegally when he struck and killed a young Colorado woman in Aurora is now in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The driver, who was 15 years old at the time of the 2024 crash, pleaded guilty to a felony in the death of 24-year-old Kaitlyn Weaver. Investigators say he was doing 90 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone when he plowed into her car. Weaver's parents spoke exclusively to Your Reporter Shaun Boyd after the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office offered the teen a plea deal that included no jail time. The story went viral, prompting some outrage. "I had people from New York, from Nevada and people up in the Pacific Northwest all hear about it," J...
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40% of Arapahoe roads rated poor—even after tax hike
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40% of Arapahoe roads rated poor—even after tax hike

By Ashley Portillo | CBS Colorado With years of deferred maintenance and not enough funding, some Arapahoe County roads are not getting the repairs they need and are quickly falling apart. County leaders say it's in part due to a major shortfall with the overall county budget and inflation. However, the county hopes that additional revenue generated by the passage of a ballot measure last November might help make much-needed road improvements. The county's 2024 "Annual Report and Infrastructure Report Card" released this May shares more information about the status of the county's roads. The annual report assesses Arapahoe County's $1.7 billion in infrastructure, including roads and bridges, traffic signals, signs and guardrails. With more than 800 miles of roads to m...
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