🗞️ Your Denver news dump
BY PEYTON GARCIA | @CITYCASTDENVER
A DENVER NEWS DUMP 🗞️🗞️
Lots has been happening in the Mile High City over the last few days, and it can be hard to keep up. So we wanted to round it all up for you:
🚨 Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson fired: To much surprise, Aurora City Manager Jim Twombly announced Wilson’s termination yesterday. He was vague in his reasoning to reporters, implying only that she was lacking in areas such as department management and employee engagement. Twombly said that a scathing records audit of the department released earlier this week had nothing to do with the decision. Wilson has been lauded for her approach to reforming the Aurora police department in response to scrutiny after the death of Elijah McClain. The editorial board at the Aurora Sentinel is calling the chief’s firing a “clear political hit job”. [Aurora Sentinel]
🇨🇳 Denver has something to say to its Chinese immigrants: Next week, Denver officials will host an event at CU Denver to formally apologize for the city’s role in an 1880 anti-Chinese riot. The incident is considered the city’s first race riot. It left one Chinese man dead and marked the downfall of Denver’s Chinatown. Descendants of the city’s first Chinese immigrants will be present at the ceremony to accept the resolution. [Denverite]
🌿 Green Dragon accused of union-busting: Three growhouse workers employed by Denver-based Green Dragon are accusing the cannabis company of firing them for supporting union efforts. (The three were re-hired after union organizers picketed outside the growhouse on Monday.) Workers at Green Dragon allege unsanitary and dangerous work conditions, as well as low wages. They will vote on forming a union next week. [Denverite]
🕊️ Gloria Tanner, Colorado’s first Black state senator, has died: During her time in the legislature, Tanner advocated for the civil rights of women and people of color. She helped pass Colorado’s safe haven law and secure funding to preserve Dearfield, a Black homestead site in Weld County. She is a member of the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. She died Monday at the age of 86. [Denver Post]
🕊️ Tom Robinson, the first Black administrator of CHSAA, has died: Robinson served on the Colorado High School Activities Association for 20 years and was an influential figure in Colorado high school sports. Robinson also co-founded the beloved Denver cultural organization Cleo Parker Robinson Dance with his wife. He died Monday at the age of 76. [Denverite]
🦅 This week on “The Real Eagles of Standley Lake.” There’s fresh news coming from our favorite family of local eagles — a new eaglet has been welcomed to the nest! The egg hatched Monday, and there could possibly be two more getting ready to crack. Nest-watchers say we likely won’t get any good looks at the new eaglet(s) for another week or two. [9News]
🦆 Protect the poultry! Bird flu is officially here. A mallard duck in Denver was confirmed to have the highly contagious bird virus, avian influenza. The Denver Zoo has moved all of its birds indoors to protect them. Bird flu is especially fatal for chickens and could be seriously damaging to local poultry production if it spreads. [Denver7]
TODAY ON THE PODCAST ⏰
“I think the majority of Coloradans are really just annoyed that they have to change their clocks two times a year… I think that is really the bigger push here.” — Meteorologist Andy Stein
Early Birds and Night Owls Face Off Over Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time. Love it or hate it, it’s part of our lives… but if a new law passes in Colorado, it might change our actual concept of time forever. The Colorado Senate is considering adopting standard time year-round, meaning we would never change our clocks again. But how would this impact our days? What does it mean for our sunrises and sunsets? And why do our ski resorts care so much about it?
Today on the show, host Bree Davies took these questions to our resident weather expert, meteorologist Andy Stein, who researched everything we wanted to know about Daylight Saving Time. Â
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