A Mexican-American soldier from Colorado who died in World War II has been posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
In November of 1944, Private First Class Simon Cardenas was killed in action on Normandy’s Omaha Beach during the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France. He was also deployed to Sicily and North Africa during the war and received the Bronze Star in 1943 for delivering critical supplies over mountain trails while taking on enemy fire.
Colorado Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen presented the Purple Heart to Cardenas’ family at a ceremony last week. The medal honors soldiers who were wounded or killed in action. About four hundred thousand Mexican-Americans served in the US military during World War II. Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order Monday that he says will help create more affordable housing.
The order directs government agencies to make their housing grant and loan programs more efficient. Polis said he wants to get state housing funding into the hands of local authorities and nonprofits faster. Under the order, the Department of Local Affairs has to shorten its timeline to distribute housing grants and loans. It would go from 240 days to 120 days starting next year, and then to 90 days next summer. The order also directs government agencies to inventory and report on their housing support programs by December 15.
The school previously known as Western Colorado Community College in Grand Junction has been rebranded as CMU Tech, part of Colorado Mesa University. The transition aims to emphasize the school’s affiliation and focus on career and technical education, says the Montrose Daily Press.
The name change comes after community surveys and feedback from students and alumni supported the shift. CMU Tech offers various degree and certificate programs, including non-credit courses, with a spotlight on technical fields such as HVAC and manufacturing. The rebranding process will span a year but won't alter the institution's core operations.
Electric long-haul semi trucks are hitting the road. But there are still barriers to replacing diesel rigs. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Will Walkey brings this feature story.
A new report shows forests managed by tribal communities are extremely underfunded. That’s affecting lands they rely on for economic, social and cultural resources. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Kaleb Roedel has more.
