Headlines April 16, 2021
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Boulder Woman Buys Billboards to Message Gun Reform
A Boulder woman is making use of old-fashioned advertising to highlight her message on gun control. Lindasue Smollen rented two billboards with hopes of bringing change as she fights to prevent gun violence. The Boulder resident and attorney rented the space with messages urging change to the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment pointing out that the Amendment was written in 1791 and that it’s well past time for an update. Thee billboards are located on southbound Colorado 93 near the Boulder-Jefferson county line and on I-25 north of Denver.
Colorado Senate Takes Up Maternal Health Bill
Black and Indigenous women are about three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes as white women and Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill to improve maternal health for minority women. The bill, which passed out of the Senate Health & Human Services committee on Wednesday, aims to expand Medicaid coverage from 60 days to one year, improve race-based data collection on maternal health and ensure safe transfers between different health facilities.
Air France Begins Operations from DIA
The Denver Mayor says the arrival of Air France to Denver International Airport reflects the work done to position Denver as a global city. Air France announced Thursday it will begin its first-ever service to DIA starting this summer. Starting on July 2, Air France will operate new flights between DIA and Paris-Charles De Gaulle airport three days per week on board a Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The airline becomes the 24th airline to serve Denver’s airport. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said the nonstop service to Paris would support the area’s economic recovery with jobs and investment in tourism and the hospitality industry.
Loveland Places Officers on Leave Following Excessive Force Accusation
The Loveland Police Department said Thursday that a police officer accused of excessive force in the arrest of a 73-year-old woman with dementia has been placed on administrative leave. The move comes after video was released Wednesday by the Life & Liberty Law office. That firm also filed an excessive force lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of Garner, who was arrested June 26, 2020. The department said another officer involved in Garner’s arrest and the supervisor at the scene had been reassigned to administrative duties. Police did not name the officers involved.
