Latest news with #ThePuebloChieftain
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Incumbent Pueblo state senator won't seek reelection. What's next for Pueblo Democrats?
Colorado state Sen. Nick Hinrichsen will not seek reelection to a second full term in November. Hinrichsen, a Democrat, was set to defend his State Senate District 3 seat from Republican challenger Dana Charles prior to his announcement at the Pueblo County Democrats' JAC-X-Pres meeting at the Eagleridge Event Center on June 5. "Serving the constituents of SD-3 is an incredible privilege, and I'm proud of the work that my office, together with leaders across the state, has done over the last three and a half years to move Pueblo and Colorado forward," Hinrichsen said in a statement shared with the Chieftain." We've passed nation-leading measures to protect renters rights, and cut red tape around affordable housing development." Hinrichsen's statement also celebrated the expansion of statewide "free fare" public transit programs, the creation of the Southern Colorado Institute of Transportation Technology, and measures ensuring "Colorado elections remain the safest in the country." Appointed to his seat in February 2022 to replace Leroy Garcia, Hinrichsen narrowly defeated Stephen Varela in the November 2022 election to retain his seat. Serving as the Colorado General Assembly's Senate Majority Whip in 2025, Hinrichsen sponsored legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reforming municipal court charges, among other goals. While writing that he will remain "deeply involved" in state issues, Hinrichsen said he will opt out of a 2025 reelection campaign in favor of spending more time with family. "Legislative work, if done right, is hard," Hinrichsen said. "It takes you away from your family for extended periods at times, and it upends their daily lives in order to stay connected to others. This fall, my son will enter high school. At the end of the next term for SD-3, he will already be a graduate." Hinrichsen continued that he and his wife, Bri Buentello, plan to spend 'as much time as possible' with their son during this transitional time. As Democrats look for a candidate to run in Hinrichsen's place, the state senator said he will support whoever the party nominates. "I'm excited because I know that there's no shortage of wonderful, qualified leaders in this community," Hinrichsen said during his June 5 announcement. "I'm excited for who will take this torch and run with it, and super excited to see what they do with it, because I'm positive that they will do great things." School Board Elections: 'Lifting up student voices': Former Pueblo D60 board president seeks return to board Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@ Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo's Nick Hinrichsen drops out of Senate District 3 race
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pueblo West board welcomes 3 new members, OKs Liberty Point agreement with Pueblo County
The Pueblo West Metro District welcomed three new board members May 27 as the revamped five-member board got to work forging an agreement with Pueblo County for maintenance of the Liberty Point memorial overlook area at Lake Pueblo. The meeting kicked off with new board members Christopher Pasternak, Rodney Potter and Gregory Roberts taking the oath of office. Bill Vickers was voted president of the board and Brian Axworthy will serve as vice president. Pasternak was named treasurer and Roberts was tabbed as secretary. Pueblo West Metro Parks and Recreation Manager Carol Cosby told the board a new trail will be constructed along Purcell Boulevard from Hahn's Peak south to the Liberty Point overlook. Because the overlook is owned by Pueblo County, an intergovernmental agreement is needed to outline how the area will be maintained. "We will maintain the trail and overlook taking care of things like trash and weeds and they (Pueblo County) will be responsible for the parking lot and roadway," Cosby said of the agreement. The $1.69 million trail will be paid for by a $1.35 million federal grant awarded through the Colorado Department of Transportation and $338,000 earmarked in the district's budget. "The trail will be 2.7 miles long. It will tie into two other trails — the Joe Martinez Trail, which was just recently completed and the Medal of Honor Trail, which will be done in the future by the county," Cosby said. The district will soon initiate a construction bid process. Pueblo West is home to 24.7 miles of trails, all of which have been grant-funded, she said. The board also discussed the future of Fire Station No. 1, 51 E. Hahn's Peak, which was built in the 1990s as a volunteer fire station and has since been modified to accommodate living quarters in a former storage area. The station needs to be brought up to codes and standards, according to Pueblo West Fire Chief Brian Caserta. "The most critical part of the modifications will be done first and we will wait for the living quarters in the future," Caserta explained. Pueblo West Metro District Manager Christian Heyn told the board about $1.4 million will be needed for Fire Station No. 1 upgrades and it will be paid for by the 1-cent fire safety sales tax revenue, which generates between $3.8 million and $3.9 million per year. Since it was approved by voters in 2020, the sales tax has helped fund the construction of a new Fire Station No. 2 and funds the salaries for 15 firefighters to staff it. Heyn said the district "potentially needs to ask voters to approve the sales tax in perpetuity" because it is due to sunset in 2030. More: Pueblo West voters won't see fire safety or union initiatives on November ballot Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@ or via X at Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo West Metro board welcomes 3 new members
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pueblo Republican launches bid to unseat Nick Hinrichsen in Colorado Senate District 3
A local healthcare practice manager with nearly 25 years of experience is venturing into politics as a 2026 Republican candidate for Colorado State Senate District 3. Dana Charles told the Chieftain she is "not a politician," but is running for a state Senate seat because she is concerned about state fees, high taxation and legislative "attacks" on rights. Charles lists affordability, parental rights, Second Amendment rights, public safety, and preserving Colorado's Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), among her priorities. "I just was so tired of questioning whether our Pueblo legislators were actually working for the people of Pueblo," she told the Chieftain. "I felt like enough was enough and I wanted to bring a voice to the state Senate that you don't have to wonder about." On her website, Charles said that recent legislation passed by members of the Colorado General Assembly has "tied the hands of law enforcement" and jeopardized the safety of Pueblo residents. She also told the Chieftain that taxes and fees have hampered residents' ability to afford living in Colorado. "Every single time we go to do absolutely anything — whether it's to renew our vehicle registration, whether it's going to the grocery store and paying bag fees — we are taxed and (made to pay fees) to death," Charles said. As a supporter of TABOR — a 1992 amendment to the state constitution limiting the amount of tax revenue Colorado government can retain and spend — Charles strongly believes Colorado does not have a revenue shortage and that Colorado residents, not state government, know how to best spend their money. In addition to having 24 years of experience in healthcare, Charles is a lifelong Pueblo resident who has raised two sons. "We have an amazing community, and I plan to tout that in every way when I'm in the state Senate. Many of the members of even our own city council, I have known for many years," Charles said. "While we may disagree on certain issues, I believe that we can communicate in a way that is positive and helps continue to move Pueblo forward." Senate District 3 includes all of Pueblo County. Senate Majority Whip Nick Hinrichsen has held the seat since February 2022. As of May 19, Charles and Hinrichsen were the only candidates who'd filed to run for Senate District 3, according to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office. Charles has already raised $11,915 in monetary contributions and has spent over $2,547, according to Transparency in Contribution and Expenditure Reporting (TRACER) information accessed May 19. Hinrichsen has received over $6,752 and spent over $5,551. City Park Bathhouse: Pueblo leaders respond to preservationists' frustrations over rejected bathhouse proposal Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@ Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo Republican launches 2026 bid for Colorado Senate seat
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pueblo County home listings asked for less money in February - see the current median price here
The median home in Pueblo County listed for $346,000 in February, down 1.1% from the previous month's $349,925, an analysis of data from shows. Compared to February 2024, the median home list price decreased 3.8% from $359,500. The statistics in this article only pertain to houses listed for sale in Pueblo County, not houses that were sold. Information on your local housing market, along with other useful community data, is available at Pueblo County's median home was 1,888 square feet, listed at $172 per square foot. The price per square foot of homes for sale is down 1.4% from February 2024. Listings in Pueblo County moved slowly, at a median 71 days listed compared to the February national median of 66 days on the market. In the previous month, homes had a median of 81 days on the market. Around 286 homes were newly listed on the market in February, a 21.2% increase from 236 new listings in February 2024. The median home prices issued by may exclude many, or even most, of a market's homes. The price and volume represent only single-family homes, condominiums or townhomes. They include existing homes, but exclude most new construction as well as pending and contingent sales. Across the Pueblo metro area, median home prices fell to $347,950, slightly lower than a month earlier. The median home had 1,888 square feet, at a list price of $173 per square foot. In Colorado, median home prices were $559,475, the same as January. The median Colorado home listed for sale had 1,962 square feet, with a price of $287 per square foot. Throughout the United States, the median home price was $412,000, a slight increase from the month prior. The median American home for sale was listed at 1,791 square feet, with a price of $227 per square foot. The median home list price used in this report represents the midway point of all the houses or units listed over the given period of time. Experts say the median offers a more accurate view of what's happening in a market than the average list price, which would mean taking the sum of all listing prices then dividing by the number of homes sold. The average can be skewed by one particularly low or high price. The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Please leave any feedback or corrections for this story here. This story was written by Ozge Terzioglu. This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo County home listings asked for less money in February - see the current median price here
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pueblo sheriff's office investigating video of detention deputy's straight-armed salute
The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office has launched an internal investigation after a detention deputy performed a straight-armed gesture resembling a Nazi salute in a Snapchat video, a PCSO spokesperson confirmed to the Chieftain. An internal investigation was launched into Deputy Bradley John Paine's actions after an anonymous source sent the video to KRDO News Channel 13. In the video published by KRDO, Paine, another unidentified man, and a woman can be seen sitting around what appears to be a kitchen table. The woman asks the unidentified man, "What do you have to say for yourself?" and the man replies, "White power." The camera then pans to Paine, who performs the straight-armed gesture while saying something undecipherable. The unidentified woman then raises her glass. Gayle Perez, a PCSO spokesperson, stated the sheriff's office had not received a copy of the video as of Wednesday morning. However, she stated it appeared the video in question was recorded while the nine-year veteran deputy was off duty. While an internal investigation has been launched to determine whether the deputy's actions in the video violate PCSO policies, Perez said the deputy has not been placed on leave. A similar gesture received national attention in January when Elon Musk, the richest man in the world and the head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), performed a gesture during Trump's inauguration festivities that later drew online comparisons to a Nazi salute. Musk addressed being called a "Nazi" by people on social media in a conversation with podcast host Joe Rogan in late February. "It was obviously meant in the most positive spirit possible," Musk told Rogan, according to USA Today, "... Now I can never point at things diagonally." However, several white nationalist and right-wing extremist accounts embraced and celebrated the gesture, as reported by the Associated Press. More local news: Pueblo's homeless can now be ticketed for public camping regardless of available shelter Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@ Follow him on X, formally known as Twitter, @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: PCSO investigating video of jail deputy's straight-armed salute
