Cost of Living Rises for Denver Teachers, Fatal Shooting of Kilyn Lewis, Ball Arena Rezoning Plan Approved, Giant Bear in Durango, Wolf Creek Ski Resort Opens Today

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Denver teachers demand cost of living increases

Approximately 300 educators and members of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association took to the steps of the Capitol on Monday to demand their full cost of living adjustment (COLA) owed to them by Denver Public Schools (DPS).

COLA adjustments are intended to keep pace with the cost of living. Increases are separate from this cost of living increase.

Accordingly Denver GazetteDPS officials argue that not all required contract triggers for the full cost of living increase have been met. District officials say that because teachers did not meet state funding criteria, they were only eligible for a cost-of-living adjustment and salary increase totaling 5.2% and a $1,000 salary increase.

Rob Gould, president of the Teachers Association, said The Denver Gazette that DPS finds loopholes so that they don’t have to pay people what they are owed. He added that union members received both raises – so-called “steps and lanes” – and COLA in the first two years of a three-year contract, but not this school year. A union spokesman said educators actually only received a 2.06% cost-of-living adjustment this year.

The “Budget Stabilization Factor,” or BS, is a tool for lawmakers to cut funding to school districts in order to balance the state budget. The BS factor was eliminated earlier this year, returning public education funding to 1989 levels.

Read the Denver Gazette story

The police watchdog is raising critical questions about the fatal shooting of Kilyn Lewis in Aurora

A new report from an Aurora police watchdog raises questions about the fatal shooting of Kilyn Lewis by officer Michael Dieck.

Lewis, 37, had his hands in the air, unarmed, when Dieck shot him May 23 while executing an arrest warrant. Lewis died two days later from a single gunshot wound.

The city of Aurora established an independent consent decree monitor following the death of Elijah McClain, also in Aurora, to improve the way officers in the area use force and hopefully reduce racially biased profiling. They hired IntegrAssure, a Florida-based company that specializes in monitoring police departments, as a monitor.

In a report released last week by IntegrAssure, they asked “several critical questions” for Aurora police to answer in their administrative review of the fatal shooting. They question why Aurora’s SWAT was involved in the execution of a Denver-based arrest warrant, why SWAT members did not attempt to use less-lethal options when attempting to arrest Lewis, and why Officer Dieck remained with the police and SWAT afterward had been involved in previous shootings.

IntegrAssure added that Dieck’s past involvement in shootings could raise further questions about Aurora PD’s selection criteria and retention policies for SWAT team members.

While Arapahoe County District Attorney John Kellner decided earlier this month not to file charges against Dieck in Lewis’ death, police are still conducting an administrative review of the shooting.

Read the Denver Post article

Denver City Council approves a rezoning plan for Ball Arena

The Denver City Council voted last night to approve a plan to rezone the area around the ball arena for a development proposal.

CBS News Colorado called it a “historic advance” in the ongoing collaboration between Kroenke Sports and Entertainment and community groups advocating for downtown developments that make the city more vibrant and inclusive.

The proposed project would redevelop 70 acres of land and create a residential neighborhood with parks, trails, retail space and 6,000 residential units. About 1,000 of those units would be affordable housing along Auraria Parkway and Speer Boulevard.

At last night’s council meeting, supporters of the development proposal said it would solve the city’s housing affordability problem. Other residents expressed concerns about walkability between the proposed subdivision and Auraria Parkway.

Accordingly, the projects surrounding the Ball Arena could be started before 2026 CBS.

Read the CBS News article

Huge bear caught on camera in Durango

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) team recently posted a photo X one of the largest bears ever seen in the southwestern part of the state.

The bear was spotted in Durango.

The photo comes at the end of the hyperphagia season, during which black bears consume up to 20,000 calories per day to put on new pounds for the winter. During this time, many bears look for nuts, berries and acorns. It is rare for a hungry black bear to kill a prey animal, which is a common misconception about the animal.

According to CPW, bears can lose up to 30 percent of their body weight during hibernation, which begins in November. They can’t say how much the bear weighed, but its appearance suggests it should be prepared for the long winter ahead.

Read the article in the Denver Gazette

Wolf Creek Ski Area opens today

Wolf Creek Ski Area opens today, claiming its claim to be the first ski area to open for the 2024-25 season.

Wolf Creek has received 26 inches of snow in the last few days and will open 11 trails with 18 inches of solid base at 9 a.m. today. These trails make up 30% of Wolf Creek’s total skiable terrain.

For three decades now, Colorado has paved the way for skiers to hit the slopes in October.

The last time Colorado didn’t open a ski resort in October was 1992.

Read the Denver Post article