Local, Regional & State News

(news release from the Colorado Secretary of State's office) Denver, CO – The Elections Division of the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office announced today that proponents of Proposed Initiative #108, "Penalties for human trafficking of a minor,” have submitted the required number of signatures to appear on the November 3, 2026 General Election Ballot. Proposed Initiative #108 submitted 169,775 petition signatures. After reviewing a five-percent random sample of the submitte

~Anne Boswell If you opened up an unknown number to see a text reading "Colorado Traffic Violation Notice," you're among of few of us who have seen such a thing. The text reads that you've been recorded and have a violation such as not paying a toll, not registering your vehicle, etc. They threaten that if you don't take action by clicking their link they will transfer such information to a recovery department with a 35% additional fee. They threaten that there will be lega

By Norman Kincaide Ten years ago, I entered upon my first active participation in a political campaign. This happened at the GOP State Assembly in Colorado Springs, April 2016, when Kimmi Clark Lewis asked if I would be one of her Facebook page administrators. I said: “Yes.” Lewis recognized my writing and publishing skills during the defeat of the Canyons & Plains National Heritage Area in 2014 and desired to enlist those qualities in her campaign for Colorado House District

~Norman Kincaide On February 17, 2026, the United States Forest Service (USFS) held a Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands (CCNGs) Preliminary Plan Revision Webinar by Beth Davis, Land Management Planner, Plan Revision Project Leader, during which a maximum twenty-seven individuals participated. A follow up webinar with no formal presentation was held on February 25, thirteen individuals attended of whom six were USFS employees or contractors, discussing issues with the

(Las Animas, CO) -- If you saw law enforcement out in Las Animas this week installing what looked like cameras, you're among a few who reached out to us. The cameras were being installed on a utility pole on Highway 50 between Maple and Grand. A citizen stopped to snap a photo and contacted us with questions. We then reached out to Mayor Charles Shupe and Police Chief David Daughtery to ask what the cameras would be used for. Mayor Charles Shupe stated that the city has b

~Norman Kincaide On February 17, 2026, the United States Forest Service (USFS) held a Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands (CCNGs) Preliminary Plan Revision Webinar by Beth Davis, Land Management Planner, Plan Revision Project Leader, during which a maximum twenty-seven individuals participated. A follow up webinar with no formal presentation was held on February 25, thirteen individuals attended of whom six were USFS employees or contractors, discussing issues with the

~Norman L. Kincaide After the Pledge of Allegiance, Lower Arkansas Water Conservancy District came to order at 10:30 A.M. February 25, 2026. After a quorum was established, the board recessed to the Enterprise meeting to approve routine items, which were moved, seconded and passed. The Enterprise meeting adjourned and the regular board meeting reconvened. Visitors were introduced and routine items moved, seconded, and approved. There were no committee or legal reports. Under

Both sides of the aisle want to add another safeguard for elections in the state of Colorado. House Bill 26-1080 is scheduled to be heard on a second reading Friday, February 27th at 9am in the Colorado House of Representatives. The bill would add a team of bi-partisan judges to verify signatures on ballots. Right now, the statue only requires one election clerk to verify the signatures. The bill requires the secretary of state to adopt rules concerning the procedure for usin

~Anne Boswell Remember when you heard about a bill that became a law in Colorado that didn't really affect Denver but greatly affected our small towns in rural Southeast Colorado? Yeah, well, sometimes a bill sounds like a good idea in theory but the impact on small local governments and communities is overlooked and sometimes ignored. State Senator Rod Pelton and Representative Ty Winter are presenting a bill that would require impact hearings on potential effects of a bill

~Anne Boswell A Colorado Senator has sponsored a bill that would limit how police and deputies use surveillance. Senator Linda Zamora Wilson's bill, Senate Bill 26-071 establishes the "Surveillance Accountability and Freedom Ensured (SAFE) Act" (SAFE Act). If passed and signed into law, after July 1st of next year, 2027, it would require an agency to use technology like cameras and drones only for public safety and on-going investigations. Should law enforcement use surveil

(Bent County, CO) -- Anne Boswell has announced her candidacy for Bent County Clerk and Recorder, seeking the office as a Republican and pledging a strong focus on customer communication, customer service, transparency, and community engagement. Boswell brings more than 25 years of professional experience in media, public relations and engagement, education, and customer service. Her background includes three and a half years working as a news anchor, reporter, and talk show

~Anne Boswell (Denver, CO)  --  Colorado legislators are talking about a bill that would expand how ranchers can be paid out when losing livestock.  Right now, the money in the diseased livestock indemnity fund can only be used because the animals were exposed or found to have infectious or contagious diseases. This bill would change that to include using the money for emerging threats to livestock health. Southeast Colorado Representative Ty Winter is a co-sponsor on this bi

By Anne Boswell There is no surprise that you have likely heard that housing is hard to find in Colorado. With rising costs to include inflation, taxes, fees and low wages in the Centennial State, many people are struggling to find something they can afford. Democrat State lawmakers believe they have found a solution under a new bill introduced this year. House Bill 26-1001 would require local governments to allow residential development on qualifying properties owned by c

By Norman L. Kincaide, Ph.D. Through the auspices of Margaret Byfield of American Stewards of Liberty, Barb, Zane and Andee Leininger were able to meet with Chief of the Forest Service, Tom Schultz in Washington D.C., November 19, 2025. During this meeting the Leiningers and Byfield were able to express the concerns of Comanche National Grassland Allotment Owners regarding the Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Draft Assessment for a revised management plan. These conc

By Anne Boswell You've been scrolling and have seen it before. Someone has a cute kiddo who happens to go viral doing something cute or funny on a social media platform like Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. Now, a bill brought by both Republican and Democrat lawmakers would protect minors in these situations. House Bill 26-1058 states the following: The bill creates new requirements and civil remedies beginning June 1, 2027, related to minors who are featured in compensated co

By Norman Kincaide Lower Arkansas Water Conservancy District came to order a little past 10:30 A.M. for its first board meeting of the year, January 21, 2026. A quorum was established. The first order of business was to have a new director, Nick Rusler, as well as Lyden Gill, sworn in with the oath of office. Upon swearing in, the board of directors elected officers: LeRoy Mauch, President, Lyden Gill, Vice President, Melissa Esquibel, Secretary, and Jared Gardner, Treasurer.

An effort to improve rural healthcare was celebrated Friday as President Donald Trump detailed the plan in a news conference. According to the White House in a news release at whitehouse.gov : The Rural Health Transformation Program will provide an additional $10 billion each year from 2026 through 2030, representing a substantial increase in overall funding for rural hospitals and communities. This program would strive to meet the specialized needs of rural communities which

Colorado legislators were just back in session one day when a bill was introduced to add another surcharge to your internet bill. Senate Bill 26-008 would fund mental health in the state by creating an enterprise that would collect fees from Internet Service Providers to pay for services. The Internet Service Provider would be required to get that money from you, the customer. They would have to send this money to the state monthly. An enterprise would be created to hold the

By Anne Boswell (This is an editorial, an opinion piece, not a news story) This will be real and raw. I hope you take the time to read it. There are many ways to serve your community and you must figure out what works for you and your family. Some serve meals at Feed The Homeless and Elderly type events, others round up donated clothes to find people in the community who need them. A few might check in on elderly community members to make sure they're not lonely. There co

Today the United States Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in what is called a landmark case to change the rules for transgender athletes competing in women's sports. If you want to listen along, live, you can do it here. https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/38209262/transgender-athlete-laws-state-legislation-science As of right now, Colorado allows transgender athletes to compete in girls sports but many states have already decided to not allow it. The United States Sup