On May 19, Rita Gutierrez-Garcia’s remains were found in Weld County, Colo. after a four-year-long investigation into her disappearance. The mother of three was last seen alive on March 18, 2018. Juan Figueroa, Jr., was charged with her murder and kidnap in June 2021 even though a body had not been recovered at that point.
A temporary halt has been put in place on Boulder’s controversial ban on car camping. The ban was stopped after residents and advocates for the unhoused spoke out against the ban at a town hearing that was held on May 19.
The Supreme Court of the United States is set to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, allowing states to decide the legality of abortion. On May 3rd, a draft of the court’s decision was leaked to the public, sparking outrage and protests across the country.
Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters’ claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump were debunked by the Mesa County District Attorney’s Office on May 19. Peters released a report in March claiming that “potentially unauthorized and illegal manipulation of tabulated vote data” had occurred. District Attorney Daniel P. Rubinstein completely refuted Peters’ claims stating that there was “extensive evidence” that Peters’ claims were unequivocally false.
Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo will be closing its in-person psychiatric care facility. The closure is due to “decreased utilization by payers for inpatient psychiatric services…” The exact date of the facility’s closure is yet to be determined.
After 47 years of operation, the Cripple Creek Care Center will be closing its doors this June. The closure comes as a result of nearly 40% of the nursing home’s staff leaving the facility in the past two years.
On May 4, Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine attempted to introduce a resolution that would establish Weld County as the Colorado’s first “human life sanctuary,” an anti-abortion designation designed to limit local access to the procedure. The resolution has been tabled for the time being.
Colorado Democratic State Representatives have reached out to federal officials to increase funding for the Front Range rail project that has been in the works for years. The representatives’ letter read, “The population among the Front Range is expected to grow by 35%, increasing the pressure on Colorado’s transportation system. This project will help ease the burden on our roads, improve safety of commuters, and create jobs across the state.”
Republican Senate Minority Leader Chris Holbert will resign from his roles as both a state Senator and the leader of the chamber’s minority party. Holbert served as a state Senator for eight years and as the leader of the Colorado Senate Republicans for six.
Colorado District Judge Marcia Krieger has blocked drilling by Bill Koch’s Gunnison Energy. Krieger’s decision has prevented Gunnison Energy from creating 35 fracked gas wells across 30,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land between Gunnison and the Grand Mesa.
The United States has officially passed a $40 billion spending package to aid Ukraine in its defense against Russia. This financial aid will be used for economic support, the seizure of assets from Russian oligarchs, weapons, and to supplement the extreme food shortage in Ukraine.
The Superior Historical Museum is to rebuild after being completely destroyed by the Marshall Fire. The museum will be moving to Grasso bungalow in Grasso Park. Museum curators are asking Superior residents for the donation of artifacts to help replace those lost during the fire as they prepare to reopen the museum.
Former Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey has been inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. McCaffery considers the induction “an honor.”
An 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children, two teachers, and injured 17 others at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas on Thursday, May 26. The massacre marked the deadliest US school shooting in nearly a decade. This is the 30th school shooting at a K-12 school in 2022. Officers took 30 minutes to an hour to enter the school stop the 18-year-old murderer.

Small Talk

“I am grateful to the Senate Republican Caucus for electing me to serve as Leader for six of the eight years that I can serve in the Colorado Senate…” — State Senator Chris Holbert on his resignation from the Colorado Senate

“By the agencies’ own admission, the plan should never have been approved in the first place… In this court’s view, allowing the agency the opportunity to fix the error is more important than forcing the public to abide by a decision that the agency concedes was improper.” — Colorado District Judge Marcia Krieger on her decision to block Gunnison Energy’s oil drilling

“I will never jeopardize the care that we give our residents. With the staffing numbers having decreased to the level that they have, that absolutely was a possibility had this decision not been made.” — Cripple Creek Care Center night nurse and administrator Lawrence Cowan on the decision to close

“Ukraine clearly believes that it can win, and so does everyone here. Ukraine needs our help to win today. And they will still need our help when the war is over.” — Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the United States’ continued support of Ukraine

“This was a singular and egregious breach of that trust that is an affront to the Court and the community of public servants who work here.” — Chief Justice John Roberts on the leaking of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade

“This proposed ordinance is an insult to the Boulder community who is still recovering from the Marshall Fire and will rebuild after future fires.” — Boulder SAFE representative Ryan Harwood on Boulder’s proposed car camping ban

“I told one of the officers myself, if they didn’t want to go in there, let me borrow his gun and a vest and I’ll go in there myself to handle it…” — A father whose child attended the Uvalde elementary school