A new state gun-control law that’s on hold due to a court challenge won’t be going into effect anytime soon. Two federal appellate court judges denied a request from Governor Jared Polis’ legal team yesterday to overturn a temporary injunction against the law.
This is the second time in two weeks that Polis’ requests to lift the hold have been denied, says Capital Reporter Lucas Brady Woods. Judge Phillip A. Brimmer first issued the injunction earlier this month in a case brought by conservative gun-rights group Rocky Mountain Gun Owners. With this week’s ruling, it will remain on hold until Brimmer makes a final decision in that case, which could take months or even years.
The law in question increases the minimum legal age to purchase guns to 21, with some exceptions. It went into effect this month just days before it was put on hold by court order.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office has agreed to two settlements earlier this week, says Capitol Reporter Lucas Brady Woods.
One of the settlements is with a company that helps people find roommates through an app. Roomster Corp has to pay more than $1.5 million in damages to Colorado and five other states for deceptive marketing. The company bought fabricated reviews to lure customers and posted fake living arrangements.
If the company is found to have also fabricated its finances, the fines will increase to $47M. The attorney general’s office also reached a settlement in a separate case against Aurora-based Parking Revenue Recovery Services. The company was found to have illegally collected fines for parking that never happened or was already paid for.
The town of Paonia has a new Mayor Pro-Tem and will once again look to fill a vacancy on the board with the departure of Trustee Thomas Markle. KVNF’s Lisa Young has the details.
Like many school districts across the country, Delta has grappled with a bus driver shortage the past few years. KVNF's Cassie Knust spoke with Delta County School District’s Superintendent Caryn Gibson and Assistant Superintendent Kurt Clay, to understand more about the impact the shortage has had on local students.
Health officials say this summer has been one of the deadliest West Nile virus seasons in the Centennial State since the mosquito-borne illness was first discovered in the United States twenty-four years ago, reports KVNF's Lisa Young.
As of Sep. 1, eleven people have died from the mosquito-borne illness in Colorado and many more have been hospitalized, according to the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
In the last few weeks, three individuals in the North Fork Valley in Delta County have fallen ill to the virus. The subjects are two men and one woman, ranging in age from 30-70, according to the health department.
West Nile virus can strike healthy people of all ages, and it can cause neurological impairments and swelling in the brain in those who get a severe case. The deadly virus was first detected in 1937 in Uganda. There were several large outbreaks in Egypt and the Nile River Delta in the 1950s, which is how the illness received its name.
The first case in the U.S. was detected in 1999 and has since spread throughout the country. However, Coloradans are known to have a disproportionately high number of West Nile virus infections compared to people in other larger, more populated states. Health officials encourage people living in areas where West Nile virus infections are more common to be vigilant about preventing mosquito bites.
A new report shows preschool enrollment rates dropped significantly during the pandemic. As the Mountain West News Bureau’s Kaleb Roedel reports, the rates of decline in our region vary widely.
From 2019 to 2021, the percentage of 3-to-6-year-olds enrolled in preschool decreased by more than 9% nationwide, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. In New Mexico, enrollment rates fell nearly 18% – one of the biggest drops in the nation. Nevada’s rates shrunk more than 10%, and they dipped around 7% in both Colorado and Utah. Idaho and Wyoming didn’t see a significant change.
“The COVID-19 pandemic did have a significant impact on the patterns of early childhood enrollment," said report co-author Kevin McElrath. "But I think, you know, future research is going to show whether this was the start of a long-term trend, or something where school enrollment is going to bounce back as the pandemic wanes.”
In 2021, there were 4.1 million kids in preschool — the lowest number since 2005.
