Author: Pam Zubeck
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A time to stress unity, patriotism
FOUNTAIN • As the words to “Amazing Grace” hung in the chilly air, Duane Crosser’s thoughts drifted back in time to 1945. He was a teenager on a troop train, possibly headed to the Pacific and the invasion of Japan when the dropping of the atomic bomb ended World War II. Tuesday’s Veterans Day unveiling…
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A plan to evacuate special-needs people
If a wildfire roared through Black Forest or Fountain, how would the residents get to safety? Most, with adequate warning, could drive themselves, but hundreds of residents with medical problems would be incapable of saving themselves. El Paso County officials will devise a plan to warn, evacuate and care for residents of nursing homes and…
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Lamborn safe in House, but not powerful
Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn may not wield much influence in Washington as long as the Democrats maintain their hold on Congress, but that also might not matter back home.His predecessor, Joel Hefley, held the seat for 10 terms, and Lamborn, who again trounced a Democrat in winning a second term Tuesday, could hold it for…
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County tax question cursed by ‘undervoting’; turnout was huge but so was ballot
It’s called “undervoting” and with an endless ballot this year, it made the county’s tax measure even more of an underdog. Undervoting occurs when voters skip a race or candidate, and it’s not surprising given the length of the Nov. 4 ballot and the historic presidential race in which the first black was elected, observers…
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County cuts 14 jobs in first phase of cutback
Fourteen El Paso County workers were laid off Thursday, the first slice of a cutback that will whittle up to 85 jobs from the county payroll after Tuesday’s defeat of a proposed tax increase. El Paso County’s administrative department is eliminating 34 positions in facilities management, information technology, justice services and parks to save $1.4…
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County plans to ask again next year
El Paso County officials aren’t giving up on persuading voters they need more money – they’re already tossing out ideas for a new measure as soon as next year. But in the meantime, residents might feel the sting of Tuesday’s defeat of the 1 percent sales tax increase as the county looks to lay off…
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U.S. HOUSE: Lamborn coasting in District 5
Republican Doug Lamborn skated to his second term in the U.S. House on Tuesday night, beating Democrat Hal Bidlack 59 percent to 38 percent. Lamborn, a 12-year state legislator, captured the open seat two years ago when Joel Hefley retired. He decisively defeated his two primary opponents in August. Lamborn’s victory means Republicans will hold…
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COUNTY QUESTION 1A: 1 percent tax increase fails; big cuts planned
With 99.5% of precincts reporting, 67,240 (41.09%) voted YES 96, 402 (58.91%) voted NO El Paso County’s 1 percent sales tax increase was trounced Tuesday night, and its supporters began making plans for major budget cuts. Failure of the measure will force the county to cut spending or find other ways to fund a new…
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Hungarians get close look at U.S. politics
For Eszter Horvath, with the Hungarian Socialist Party, the most impressive thing about American politics is the money. Candidates in Hungary can spend only $4,000 trying to get elected. “We don’t have fundraisers,” she said during an interview Monday. But that’s where the political parties, five of which hold seats in Parliament, take over, said…
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Early voting sets records
More than a third of El Paso County’s nearly 400,000 registered voters took advantage of the chance to vote early, with record numbers casting ballots ahead of Election Day or sending them in by mail. Voters on long lines Friday that snaked through the lobby of Centennial Hall and past storefronts in The Citadel mall…