Douglas County Votes on Home Rule

Voters in Douglas County will decide whether to become a home rule county in a special election today.

Supporters say home rule would give the largely conservative county more independence from a Democrat-led statehouse, allowing it to push back on state laws and assert control over local issues.

Critics argue the process has been rushed and left too many questions unanswered. Some groups, like Stop the Power Grab, question the motives of officials advocating for home rule. Only two of Colorado’s 64 counties, Weld and Pitkin, currently have home rule status. 

Ballot boxes will close at 7 p.m. If home rule passes, voters will return in November to approve or reject a charter outlining how the county would be governed.

Activists Protest Iran Strike at Capitol

Roughly 100 people gathered outside the Colorado Capitol on Sunday to protest the U.S. military’s airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

Attendees of the rally denounced U.S. involvement in the war, chanting and holding signs with slogans like “Hands Off Iran!” and “No New War in the Middle East.”

Also on Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a national terrorism bulletin warning of a “heightened threat environment.” 

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem briefed Gov. Polis and other governors, citing potential threats including cyberattacks, antisemitic hate crimes, and violence inspired by extremist rhetoric.

Cold Front Turns Heatwave to Hail

A cold front moved into the state Sunday night, ending the recent stretch of record heat with cooler temperatures and a renewed threat of severe storms.

The highest risk comes today, with strong thunderstorms expected to bring damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes along the I-25 corridor and across the Eastern Plains. Storms will develop in the afternoon and may cause hail damage and localized flooding into the evening.

Temperatures will stay below average, peaking in the 70s and 80s, through Thursday. The heat will return Friday for a drier, more typical summer weekend.

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➤ Chatfield State Park: Officials launched an investigation after a boat caught fire with no one on board at Chatfield Lake on Sunday night. (See Video)

➤ El Paso County: Inclement weather forced officials to shorten the 103rd Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, an automobile race to the summit of Pikes Peak, by moving the finish line down to Glen Cove. (More)

➤ Denver: A programmable LED traffic control sign near I-25 was altered to display an anti-ICE message on Sunday. (See Sign)

➤ Denver Metro: The Mountain Majesty Gala, a conservative fundraiser featuring Eric Trump as the keynote speaker, sold out ahead of Saturday’s event, which was moved to an undisclosed location. (See Details)

➤ Littleton: Police arrested a 34-year-old on second-degree kidnapping charges after he approached a woman in a Safeway and tried to leave the store with her granddaughter. (See Details)

➤ Aurora: An activist sued the city council, alleging its suspension of in-person meetings and public comment—put in place until a wrongful death lawsuit by the family of Kilyn Lewis is settled—violates First Amendment rights. (See Details)

➤ Denver: A federal grand jury indicted a Pennsylvanian man who allegedly used over 1,000 stolen or fake identities, including some from Colorado, to steal $5.6 million in unemployment benefits and COVID-19 relief funds funneled through Colorado banks. (See Details)

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➤ The Denver Nuggets have finalized their front office changes for this offseason, promoting former interim general manager Ben Tenzer to executive vice president of basketball operations and hiring former Minnesota Timberwolves executive Jon Wallace as the team’s new executive vice president of player personnel. (More)

➤ Colorado Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak helped the team avoid a sweep by the Arizona Diamondbacks with this go-ahead home run on Sunday, giving the team a 4-2 victory. (See Home Run)

➤ The University of Colorado wrapped up Folsom Field’s turf installation over the weekend, replacing natural grass with artificial turf to allow for year-round events. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer

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➤ Chicken N Pickle, a restaurant and bar chain known for its rotisserie chicken and pickleball courts, will open its first Colorado location in Thornton today. (See Details)

➤ Tom’s Watch Bar, a Denver-based sports bar with 16 locations nationwide, announced plans to open three new locations in Seattle and Cleveland. (More)

➤ Xcel Energy filed for court-ordered entry via eminent domain on 13 Elbert County properties whose landowners refused to grant access for a planned $1.7 billion transmission line. (See Details)

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➤ Breckenridge Ski Resort shared a video of the unusual things its employees found after the snow melted, including an iPod Nano, a hamburger spatula, and a message in a bottle. (See Video)

➤ A new sea lion habitat with a 16-foot viewing window is now open at the Denver Zoo. The sea lions can also be seen during daily demonstrations at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (See Details)

➤ A Colorado man is using an arcade bus outfitted with over 12,000 retro games to honor the life of Johnny Hurley, a co-creator of the bus who died stopping an active shooter who killed an Arvada police officer in 2021. (Read Story)

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Have you ever left a message in a bottle?

1. Yes
2. No

Yesterday’s Results:

Which type of milk makes the tastiest cheese?

1. Cow: 28%
2. Goat: 23%
3. Sheep: 17%
4. I don’t like cheese: 16%
5. Water buffalo: 16%

Who is Douglas County named after?

Show me the answer