Latest news with #Greeley
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
"Historic decision" made as Weld County commits to expand judicial center in Northern Colorado
Weld County will double down their investment in Downtown Greeley in the coming years after county commissioners unanimously voted to expand their judicial facilities in Greeley. The decision comes after months of speculation that the Northern Colorado county may move their courthouse, district attorney's office and more onto county land north of the current sheriff's office. The need for a new judicial center was brought up after the county realized they were running out of space to complete tasks at the current courthouse complex in Downtown Greeley. With the population of Northern Colorado projected to double in the next 20 years, the county elected to move forward now with expanding their judicial campus. However, much of Downtown Greeley has developed around the existing court complex, with restaurants, hotels, churches, businesses and more nearly surrounding the facility. So, the county had to explore what their best option would be, including moving all the facilities to what is currently a corn field. Brian Seifried is the founder and CEO of Centennial Hospitality Group. His company owns and operates businesses like Wing Shack, Luna's Tacos & Tequila and Sexy Sammies. Luna's is conveniently, but not coincidentally, located less than a block away from the current courthouse. "Downtown Greeley has so much potential and so much energy," Seifried said. However, when Seifried learned there was a possibility that the complex would be relocated several miles north of Downtown Greeley, it was enough to concern him about his business's viability. "The thought of doing business in Downtown Greeley without all those employees and neighbors in the legal business was a dark one," Seifried said. The prospect of losing foot traffic was real for many business owners, citing concerns that law offices would follow the county employees toward the new proposed location, also taking juries and other visitors away from downtown. However, not everyone was objected to the move. Hunter Hoshiko is a developer with H2 Consultants and was asking the commissioners to consider building on the county land north of the sheriff's office on O Street. "I thought the O Street option was a better option, I farm those fields and know that land very well," Hoshika said. "I thought it brought community, synergy and culture to county." At the Monday morning county commissioner's meeting a team tasked with exploring the county's options for the future of the judicial complex presented three options. Two involved repurposing buildings and land in Downtown Greeley. The third was to move the facility north. The commissioners ultimately voted to go with what they were told was the cheapest option of the three. However, the estimated price difference between the most expensive and cheapest options was presented as $496 million versus $490 million. "Weld County is my home, and Greeley is my home. They are both equally important to me," Hoshiko said. Hoshiko said he was concerned that local businesses in downtown may not be able to easily survive years of construction downtown. "I think a lot of people don't realize what four years of construction does to their businesses. It is going to be very hard. It scares me for a lot of my friends downtown of what those four years and impact will be," Hoshiko said. Commissioner Kevin Ross said the decision to stay in Greeley will be beneficial not only to the county's operations, but it could also be beneficial to the City of Greeley as well and District Six. "What you have today is a really a historic decision. Because this is one of the rare times in history where three public entities are coming to the table together and have the same need," Ross said. With their unanimous vote, the county commissioners gave the green light to the county's staff to move forward with land swaps, acquisitions and more. They will also have to start fielding designs and bids for construction for the new complex which will include construction on the existing property as well as redevelopment of the plot directly west of the current facility. Construction is projected to include development of a new district attorney's office, a new parking garage and more. The county also plans to relocate many offices currently located off of O Street back to Downtown Greeley as part of the project. When the commissioners announced their votes a majority of the visitors in attendance for the meeting applauded, some stood to their feet. Seifried, who was not in attendance, later said he greatly supported the vote outcome. He said he is willing to navigate the possible stresses of construction in the years to come in exchange for a more bustling downtown area with expanded offices. "Construction is the bit of progress that is not fun for anybody. But, that light at the end of the tunnel with the continued investment and new energy in downtown would have been worth it, and we would love to feed some construction workers in the meantime. While there will be some headaches, we are excited for the future," Seifried said.
Herald Malaysia
21-07-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
New short documentary highlights the life of Servant of God Julia Greeley
A new, short documentary tells the story of Servant of God Julia Greeley, also known as Denver's Angel of Charity, who was born into slavery near Hannibal, Missouri. Jul 21, 2025 An image of Servant of God Julia Greeley in a parish. | Credit: Screenshot/Colorado Capuchin Franciscans By Francesca Pollio Fenton A new, short documentary tells the story of Servant of God Julia Greeley, also known as Denver's Angel of Charity, who was born into slavery near Hannibal, Missouri. 'Julia Greeley: Servant of the Sacred Heart' features interviews with Father Blaine Burkey, OFM Cap, who wrote a book on Greeley's life; Mary Leisring, president of the Julia Greeley Guild; Father Eric Zegeer, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Denver, Greeley's parish; and Jean Torkelson, executive director of the Julia Greeley Home, a Denver nonprofit that serves women in need. In the 13-minute documentary, interviewees discuss Greeley's deep faith, her acts of charity, and her courageous response to the challenges presented throughout her life. When she was a child, while her master was beating her mother, his whip caught Greeley's right eye and destroyed it. After she was freed in 1865, she spent her time serving poor families, mostly in Denver. In 1880, Greeley entered the Catholic Church at Sacred Heart Parish in Denver. She attended daily Mass and had a deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. She joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1901 and was known for her dedication to the people in her community, bringing them things they needed. Despite having arthritis, she walked countless miles to collect and distribute alms and to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Greely died on June 7, 1918, and her cause for canonization was opened by the Archdiocese of Denver in 2016. Burkey is a retired priest in the Archdiocese of Denver. A scholar and expert on the life of Greeley, in an interview with CNA he described her as 'a very zealous person.' 'Despite all the problems people gave her, she turned it around and didn't spend time worrying about that,' he said. The priest also highlighted that among Greeley's many charitable deeds, 'every time she had money leftover to take care of herself, she [instead] took care of the poor,' and 'she didn't spend her life trying to get even or [seek] vengeance or anything like that.' He said he hopes the faithful are 'encouraged by that message that you shouldn't be concerned with vengeance but with mercy.'--CNA
CBS News
17-07-2025
- CBS News
Man fatally wounded in shooting in Northern Colorado, police looking for more information
Police are investigating a shooting in Northern Colorado that claimed the life of a man Wednesday afternoon. The Greeley Police Department said officers were called to the scene in the 800 block of 26th Avenue around 12:22 p.m. When they arrived, police found a man suffering from serious injuries. Emergency services took the man to the North Colorado Medical Center, where he died from his wounds. Authorities said the victim is a 37-year-old man from Greeley, and his name will be released by the Weld County Coroner's Office pending notification of next-of-kin. The shooting remains under investigation. Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to contact Detective Losasso at (970) 351-5446 or
CBS News
16-07-2025
- CBS News
Moose evades capture by wildlife officials in Northern Colorado suburban park
Greeley police and Colorado Parks and Wildlife are asking people to avoid Josephine B. Jones Park after wildlife officials unsuccessfully tried to capture a moose. The young bull moose initially evaded officers Tuesday night and Greeley police said CPW would be back Wednesday morning to try to relocate him somewhere with fewer people. "If you see Bullwinkle here, give him the right-of-way," Greeley police said on social media. "He's obviously earned it!" Police went on to urge people to keep their pets on leashes, not approach or harass the moose -- or any wildlife -- and not try to take a selfie with him. "Stay vigilant on the roads. I guarantee he does not have insurance and your vehicle will lose against him," the department's post continued. "For the love of all things cartoon-don't try to outwit him. That never worked out for Boris and Natasha either."
The Independent
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Worker says she was pushed to falsify safety records and saw employees lose limbs at Trump-aligned meatpacking plant
A Colorado woman working for the world's largest meatpacking company – and major Trump supporter – claims supervisors pressured her to falsify safety records while workers were regularly losing fingers and limbs due to inadequate training. Salima Jandali, an aspiring police officer who speaks three languages and has a Bachelor's degree in political science and anthropology from the University of Northern Colorado, says her supervisor regularly denigrated her as a 'stupid Arab' and forced her and others to work without proper protective equipment. When Jandali, 31, complained to management about what she saw as dangerous shortcomings at the JBS USA beef processing plant in Greeley, roughly 50 miles north of Denver, her locker was vandalized, her Islamic prayer beads were thrown in the trash and she was forced out of her job. That's according to a federal lawsuit filed by Jandali, which describes her experience at JBS as 'a disturbing example of systematic workplace discrimination and retaliation against… a Muslim woman and Moroccan immigrant who refused to participate in her employer's illegal, dangerous, and exploitative practices.' Once she left, Jandali 'never wanted to look back,' she told The Independent. Jandali said she witnessed a newly arrived Burmese immigrant get his arm amputated by a processing-floor machine, saw others lose digits and that accidental stabbings with hooks and knives were commonplace. The company constantly said it was short-staffed, and cut corners on safety protocols to make up for it, according to Jandali. However, she went on, many of the new hires didn't speak English and JBS lacked any translation services to help them understand what they were being told to do. 'They didn't want to complete the classes for new employees, and the retaliation began when I started speaking out,' she said. 'I just want to show the world how corrupt they are, and hopefully this is going to raise awareness so people know the truth about what's going on in there.' In a statement provided to The Independent, attorney Helen Oh, who is representing Jandali in the case, said, 'No employee should have to choose between their integrity and livelihood.' A JBS spokesperson did not respond to The Independent 's requests for comment. Multinational food company JBS, which, via a subsidiary, was the single biggest donor to Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration, 'continually prioritized production over worker safety,' leading to horrific injuries in pursuit of maximum profit, Jandali's complaint alleges. In 2021, JBS was cited and fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after a worker at its Greeley plant got stuck in a conveyor belt and his left arm was severed clean off – which Jandali watched happen. That same year, another worker in Greeley died when he fell into a vat of chemicals due to an improperly installed piece of machinery. In 2023, an employee at a JBS plant in Wisconsin lost two fingers while processing a cattle carcass, and in May, a worker at a JBS facility in Arizona died from blunt-force injuries after being crushed between a forklift and a front-end loader. On Monday, 20 workers at a JBS plant in Port Arthur, Texas were hospitalized after they were exposed to potentially toxic levels of carbon monoxide and methane gas. Beyond horrific workplace injuries, JBS has also been accused by employees of myriad other abuses, including human trafficking. In 2017, the Brazilian government levied a $3.2 billion fine against the multinational's parent company in a sprawling bribery case that extended all the way up to then-President Michel Temer. The company settled one previous lawsuit for $5.5 million by Muslim workers at JBS' Greeley plant who said they were discriminated against for their religious beliefs. Jandali was born in Rabat, Morocco, and moved to the United States when she was a child. Fluent in English, Arabic and French, Jandali began working for JBS in August 2019, at the company's Greeley facility, conducting mandatory safety training for new hires and production employees working on the meat processing floor. In 2023, Jandali's supervisor began to hurl racial and religious slurs at her 'on a regular basis… often calling her a 'stupid Muslim' or 'stupid Arab,'' according to her complaint, which was filed June 11 in Colorado federal court. The harassment escalated as the year progressed, the complaint contends, describing 'repeated degradation and intimidation of Ms. Jandali by throwing away [her]... work boots and hard hat.' 'On at least 25 occasions, Ms. Jandali arrived [at] work to find her safety equipment strewn about, missing, or in the trash,' the complaint goes on. 'Without proper equipment, Ms. Jandali was prohibited from taking new hires to the processing floor pursuant to safety protocols,' the complaint states. Federal law requires production employees to complete 100 percent of their safety training prior to working on the processing floor, the complaint explains, Yet, it says, throughout Jandali's time at JBS, 'supervisors routinely put production employees to work on the floor when they had not completed all required safety training.' 'Many production employees were non-English speakers who needed interpreters to understand and complete the trainings,' the complaint states. 'While Ms. Jandali could translate and interpret for French and Arabic-speaking employees on her shift, this was highly insufficient to address the language needs for trainings across shifts.' Jandali raised the issue repeatedly, telling higher-ups that the practice was putting people in danger, the complaint continues. In response, Jandali was told that any problems were her fault, and that if she couldn't get everyone trained adequately, 'then this was not the job for her,' according to the complaint. The company's demands became more aggressive over time, and the pressure on Jandali intensified, the complaint alleges. In May 2024, she was instructed to falsify training records for employees who had not attended their assigned sessions, the complaint maintains. 'Ms. Jandali objected and explained that production employees were suffering serious injuries, including losing limbs, and safety protocols needed to be followed,' the complaint states, adding that '[h]er concerns were completely ignored.' Days later, Jandali reported the situation to upper-level managers, according to the complaint. Soon, it says, Jandali began to experience fierce blowback over her ongoing concerns. 'On May 28, 2024, Ms. Jandali arrived at work to find her workplace locker damaged, with the corner bent and unable to close properly,' the complaint alleges. 'She found her Tasbih (Islamic prayer beads) in the trash, along with her other personal belongings. Ms. Jandali was horrified, deeply hurt, and feared for her safety.' Jandali then went to HR to file a formal grievance but, despite their promises, the complaint claims she 'never received any follow up or resolution.' The conditions at JBS had been getting progressively worse for Jandali in other ways, as well. When her father needed heart surgery, Jandali requested family leave to help him, and was approved, the complaint states. However, while she was out, HR 'falsely' informed her that her paperwork had never been received and terminated her employment, it says. Following a grievance Jandali filed with the union, which included a paper trail proving her side of the story, she was reinstated, according to the complaint. Still, upon returning to work, Jandali found herself locked out of her company email and unable to access her online work drive, training materials and classrooms, the complaint states. Nearly six weeks later, the complaint says Jandali finally regained access to her email account, but found that 'all of her prior emails with years of accumulated training information [had been] deleted.' In June 2024, Jandali requested a three-month medical leave to deal with 'worsening depression, anxiety and [post-traumatic stress disorder] caused by JBS's retaliation and harassment,' the complaint states. Three weeks later, it says she got a call from HR demanding she return to work in seven days or else she would be fired. Jandali appealed, and state regulators forced JBS to keep her on the payroll. However, when she finally got back, the situation she continued to endure, on top of 'months of unaddressed harassment, retaliation and pressure to engage in illegal conduct,' was too much to take, the complaint states. On September 9, 2024, facing the exact same issues as before, Jandali resigned. Beyond her depression, anxiety and PTSD, Jandali's complaint says her time at JBS caused 'debilitating physical symptoms including insomnia, frequent nightmares, inability to concentrate and extreme fatigue,' the complaint states. 'These conditions have transformed her from a vibrant, active and outgoing person into someone who struggles with basic daily functioning and experiences profound emotional numbness.' Jandali is now seeking economic damages, including front pay and back pay, compensatory damages for emotional pain, suffering and mental anguish, as well as punitive damages, plus interest, attorneys' fees and court costs.
