Author: Christopher N. Osher
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Man arrested in Aurora rape case is former Mexico police officer
A man arrested on allegations he raped one woman at an Aurora apartment complex and then returned to the same complex to try to force his way into another apartment worked as a police officer in Mexico, where he is accused of numerous sexual assaults, police records state. Ricardo Corral Venegas, 25, is a former…
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Bernie Sanders to campaign for Hillary Clinton in Denver on Sunday
As the presidential campaign heats up, Colorado is becoming the site of a flurry of activity, with the most recently scheduled event a new Denver rally for Hillary Clinton held by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Sanders and Warren will appear together to campaign for Clinton at…
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Denver-based DaVita to pay $389 million to settle federal investigations
DaVita HealthCare Partners said Tuesday it will pay $389 million to settle criminal and civil anti-kickback investigations and plans to end joint ventures with kidney doctors involving 28 dialysis clinics. Denver-based DaVita’s CEO, Kent Thiry, announced in an earnings call with shareholders that the company has “agreed to a framework” for settling federal investigations into…
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Colorado’s prison guard overtime explodes by $9 million annually
Legislation that turned a shuttered prison in rural Fort Lyon into a facility to aid the state’s homeless included provisions that have escalated overtime costs for Colorado’s prison guards by $9 million annually, a legislative analysis has found. Prior to passage of the legislation, the Corrections Department computed overtime for corrections officers using a 28-day…
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Colorado’s marijuana foes and supporters worked for smooth launch
DENVER – Some public officials predicted unruly customers would fight over scarce supplies when recreational marijuana went live in Colorado. Others feared images of public toking would be beamed around the world. Instead, a peaceful, respectful and mellow crowd greeted the advent of recreational marijuana sales on New Year’s Day. Marijuana industry representatives and public…
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Colorado corrections alerting judges of hundreds of sentencing flaws
Corrections officials are alerting judges throughout Colorado that errors appear to have resulted in early, improper release dates from prison for hundreds of prisoners they sentenced. The judges are reviewing the case files so they can decide which of those already released from incarceration should be returned to prison to serve out the longer sentences…
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U.S. Attorney’s Office investigating dialysis giant in Colorado
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Colorado has opened a grand jury investigation into the practices of Denver-based kidney-dialysis firm DaVita Inc., the company’s chief executive, Kent Thiry, revealed in an earnings call Wednesday. “It is clear that this is very preliminary at this stage,” Thiry said during the earnings call. He added that the company…
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Ward Churchill loses appeal over his firing
The Colorado Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court decision denying University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill’s effort to get his job back. The court ruled that Denver District Judge Larry Naves was right to direct a verdict in favor of the university and to find that the university was entitled to “quasi-judicial immunity.”…
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Ex-backer of Maes says she gave him cash for mortgage help
A former supporter of Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Maes’ said she gave him cash to help pay his mortgage after he told her he was struggling financially. Freda Poundstone, the former mayor of Greenwood Village, said she gave Maes “more than $300” after he told her he was behind on the mortgage on his Evergreen…
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Maes treated to silence from GOP after primary win
Colorado Republican leadership Wednesday struggled to accept Dan Maes as the gubernatorial nominee, as any attempts to force him out of the race — at least at this point — were considered futile. Although GOP state chair Dick Wadhams said he supported Maes as the nominee, the silence from other top Republicans throughout the state,…