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‘Uncle Benny’ urges Republicans to change approach to down-ballot funding
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‘Uncle Benny’ urges Republicans to change approach to down-ballot funding

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice With the outcome of a few races still in doubt Monday morning, Republican Ben Aste was already focused on the next one. Aste, the man who ran as "Uncle Benny" for the Larimer County District 3 seat, proposed a new approach to campaign funding, on a Republican call with several candidates and former Sen. Kevin Lundberg, that he hopes might gain some support. "I'm going down and I'm going to open a 'future election monies' account," he said. "This would be a place to put $5 or $10 or whatever you have each week or month." Democrat Jody Shadduck-McNally defeated Aste by 12.6%, despite his hard work attending events throughout the campaign, and a good distribution of signage. He earned 43.7% of the vote. "We certainly felt like we did every...
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Lundberg: In ‘Griswoldgate’, it is time to prove we have the ‘gold standard’
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Lundberg: In ‘Griswoldgate’, it is time to prove we have the ‘gold standard’

By Kevin Lundberg | Guest Columnist, Rocky Mountain Voice When Tina Peters was accused of sharing Mesa County election equipment passwords, all of the machines were replaced and she got several years in prison. But, when the shoe is on the other foot and Secretary of State Griswold (SOS) is caught publicly exposing more than 600 complete BIOS passwords of election machines from all across Colorado and kept it a secret for several days right before the election, it becomes an honest mistake and no big deal. I say either pardon Tina or arrest Jena. Or, better yet, do both, for Jena is clearly guilty of withholding the facts from the public and Tina was just trying to get to the truth, so everyone could know those facts. But the fate of Jena Griswold is not the biggest issue. The ...
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Devotional: Refined through trials, the gift of suffering well
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Devotional: Refined through trials, the gift of suffering well

By Drake Hunter | Devotional, Rocky Mountain Voice Suffering and flourishing may seem like opposites, yet they often walk hand-in-hand. Some of our deepest growth springs up from our darkest trials. Just look at Christian history: Jesus’ suffering wasn’t a detour, but a central part of His journey— and many of His earliest followers faced the ultimate cost for their faith. Their sacrifices remind us that we, too, share in Christ's suffering. When Jesus spoke of drinking of the same cup and being baptized similarly (Mark 10:39), He invited us to follow Him even through suffering, knowing that it has the power to transform us and resurrect us to a new life. So, when suffering hits, we shouldn't be caught off guard. Life inevitably comes with challenges that test us to our core. Stan...
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Carr: Why risk-limiting audits are risky (software is auditing software)
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Carr: Why risk-limiting audits are risky (software is auditing software)

By Tasha Carr | Guest Commentary, Larimer League of Independent Voters As an election watcher, I have witnessed many risk-limiting audits (RLAs) in Larimer County. I was immediately struck by how inadequate they seemed because the most important audit step is hidden within the RLA tool and is not observable by the audit board or election watchers. After reading the so-called “gentle introduction” to RLAs, I quickly learned that my skepticism was justified. The problem is not with the RLAs per se, but that Colorado is not doing the RLAs correctly and as a result cannot guarantee that the election outcomes are correct. READ THE FULL COMMENTARY AT THE LARIMER LEAGUE OF INDEPENDENT VOTERS Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do n...
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Garfield County deputy terminated for alleged embezzlement
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Garfield County deputy terminated for alleged embezzlement

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Corp. Trisha Worley, a 14-year veteran of the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office has been terminated for allegations of embezzlement, a a press release from Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario reads. According to information provided by the sheriff, Worley was placed on administrative leave on Oct. 23, when there was a formal accusation that she had embezzled funds from a local nonprofit organization. An internal investigation revealed enough evidence that, on Nov. 7, she was terminated.  Colorado Bureau of Investigations is taking the lead on any criminal charges that may result from their investigation to avoid any perception of conflict of interest in the case, the sheriff said. Whenever a member of a law enforcement ag...
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With Evans victory in 8th District, Colorado Republicans earned split in U.S. House
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With Evans victory in 8th District, Colorado Republicans earned split in U.S. House

Colorado's 4th District has now been held by Republican in 50 of past 52 years By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Gabe Evans has delivered on a seat Republicans always believed they could capture. “Black Hawk helicopter pilot, Army veteran, Arvada police officer, state representative, grandson of immigrants, and now: Congressman," said Delanie Bomar, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Congressional Committee. "Gabe Evans is a fighter for the American Dream who will work tirelessly on their behalf in Congress, and we look forward to seeing the valuable results Congressman-elect Evans will deliver for Coloradans.” Shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs blocked the Broncos' kick for victory on Sunday, Evans blocked Democrat Yadira Caraveo's bid at re-election to Colorado'...
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Western Slope livestock raisers seek answers on wolf concerns from CPW
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Western Slope livestock raisers seek answers on wolf concerns from CPW

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Livestock raisers from the Western Slope are trying to plan ahead as Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) prepares to relocate another 10 wolves on the western landscape this winter. With calving season beginning in January, a season when livestock is most vulnerable and the wolves are looking for a meal in unfamiliar territory, the inherent conflict is seemingly unavoidable. To that end, livestock growers met with CPW in Glenwood Springs to learn about hazing and wolf predation mitigation strategies, as well as risk-reducing programs offered by the organization. CPW's Adam Baca was joined by Dustin Shiflett from Colorado Department of Agriculture and Lauren Emerick from Colorado Wildlife Services, to provide information about ...
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Ryan Gonzalez hands GOP win in HD50; Tight races for Woog in HD19, Keltie in HD16
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Ryan Gonzalez hands GOP win in HD50; Tight races for Woog in HD19, Keltie in HD16

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Ryan Gonzalez has won a reliably blue Weld County seat, and two other races remaining that are too close to call could potentially help pull Republicans out of a superminority in the Colorado House. The 29-year-old Republican defeated three-term Democrat Mary Young by 554 votes in House District 50, outside the trigger for a mandatory recount. As of Monday, Gonzalez held 51.1% of the 25,606 votes, with Young holding 48.9%. Gonzalez initially trailed on Election Night, but continued to cut into the margin and eventually took a lead over Young late last week. That margin doubled over the weekend. It is a significant win for Republicans, considering the seat has been in Democratic Party control since 2005. It secured a plus-one-seat gain for ...
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Carr: Risk-limiting audits in Colorado have little chance of finding and fixing incorrect election outcomes
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Carr: Risk-limiting audits in Colorado have little chance of finding and fixing incorrect election outcomes

By Tasha Carr | Guest Commentary, Larimer League of Independent Voters Voters have the right to ensure that our votes are counted correctly. The Risk-limiting Audit (RLA) is the only method available for Colorado voters to be assured that wrong election outcomes are detected and fixed. Yet, the RLAs in Colorado have little chance of fixing any incorrect outcomes because the Secretary of State is violating key assumptions of the RLAs and not complying with best practices. Fundamental to RLAs is the statistical concept of a risk limit. In plain English, the risk limit is the risk (chance) of not discovering and fixing wrong election outcomes. To ensure our elections are valid, we want the chance of missing a wrong outcome to be very low. But the risk limit only applie...
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Verhoeff: On Veterans Day, we honor service and sacrifice, yet many Colorado schools remain open 
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Verhoeff: On Veterans Day, we honor service and sacrifice, yet many Colorado schools remain open 

By Sean Verhoeff | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice As we approach Veterans Day, a day dedicated to honoring the men and women who have selflessly served our nation, we are reminded of the sacrifices these individuals and their families have made. This federal holiday offers the nation an opportunity to reflect on the courage, commitment and resilience of our veterans, and to express gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy as a result of their service.  However, in Colorado, many public schools do not observe Veterans Day as a holiday, meaning students attend classes as usual, and families often miss the chance to celebrate together. For families with a legacy of military service, this lack of observance can feel like a missed opportunity to pass down stories, traditions an...
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