Author: Debbie Kelley
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‘J6 Praying Grandma’ from Colorado Springs area avoids prison — but not all penalties
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save A sentencing that took four and a half hours in federal district court in Washington, D.C., Monday afternoon left 72-year-old great-grandmother Rebecca Lavrenz of Falcon with no prison time for her participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. What a magistrate judge did levy…
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‘J6 Praying Grandma’ from Colorado Springs area says she’s not scared as sentencing nears
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Rebecca Lavrenz doesn’t want to go to prison, but for the past four months the 72-year-old great-grandmother, retired registered nurse and small-business owner in El Paso County has been steeling herself for that possibility. “I don’t think it’s right. I’m not happy about it. But…
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Calhan neighbors oppose wind farm expansion, citing health concerns
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Rebecca Nusbaum came home from work one day in June to find a sticky note on her front door. Someone was interested in talking to her about a local wind turbine project. “Huh,” she thought. Nusbaum already can see all 145 wind turbines of the…
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DU’s revolutionary prison arts program canceled by Colorado Corrections
The Prison Arts Initiative, a revolutionary arts and humanities collaboration between the University of Denver and the Colorado Department of Corrections that sparkled from national media acclaim and glowing reviews, has gone dark. The programs were not renewed under a multiyear contract, and no one involved apparently is willing to say why. “We have paused…
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Churches launch ‘God Loves Pride’ response to GOP Chair’s Dave Williams’ ‘God Hates Pride’ email
In response to Colorado Republican Chairman Dave Williams’ anti-LGBTQ+ email from the state party he sent last week to supporters titled, “God Hates Pride,” members of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Colorado Springs enthusiastically chanted “God Loves Pride,” as they marched as a group in this past Sunday’s Pride parade. They and hundreds…
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Children’s Hospital Colorado seeks congressional help on funding cuts
Undeterred by a federal court judge’s ruling in April that rejected a legal challenge to a Defense Health Agency regulatory change reducing its TRICARE insurance reimbursements, Children’s Hospital Colorado is appealing to state and Congressional lawmakers for assistance. “We have secured bipartisan support among members of Congress, and while passing federal legislation is never easy,…
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YMCA camp’s policy to sort campers by gender identity stirs controversy
With school ending, summer camps are getting ready for weeks of raucous outdoor activities, campfire singalongs, new friendships and everyone having a blast. Along with the traditional fun and games, a developing trend is playing out at the YMCA’s longstanding Camp Shady Brook near Deckers in Douglas County. The sold-out resident summer camp is one…
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New app for LGBTQ teens, young adults focusing on mental health launches in Colorado
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Last year, 41% of LGBTQ teens and young adults ages 13-24 considered taking their lives, according to the “2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People” by The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention. And 56% of the 28,000…
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Settlement expected to significantly improve intensive behavioral health services for Colorado youth receiving Medicaid
A class-action lawsuit by Disability Law Colorado and three Colorado families has resulted in a settlement agreement that requires the state to set up a large-scale system guaranteeing Medicaid-insured youth up to age 21 will receive needed intensive behavioral health services. The action is considerable, said Heidi Baskfield, an original organizer of the lawsuit and…
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Verdict: Colorado Springs-area resident found guilty on all charges in Capitol breach trial in D.C.
After a lengthy deliberation that’s been rare for Capitol breach cases, Falcon resident Rebecca Lavrenz, known on social media as the “J6 Praying Grandma,” was convicted on all four federal misdemeanor charges for her participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, protest of the 2020 presidential election results in Washington, D.C. The trial began March 25…