Headlines August 6, 2021
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Denver Employment Attorney and First Possible LGBTQ Judge Nominated for Colorado U.S. District Court
The White House announced yesterday that President Biden has nominated Denver employment attorney, Charlotte Sweeney, to serve as Judge for the U.S. District Court for Colorado.
Sweeney received her law degree from the University of Denver College of Law in 1995 and primarily represents individuals in employment law matters.
If Sweeney’s nomination is approved by the Senate, she will be the first openly LGBT federal judge in Colorado and the first out lesbian to serve as a federal court judge of any state west of the Mississippi.
Monthly Report Shows Record Job-Opening Remain Despite Record High Compensation Available
According to the release of August’s monthly Jobs Report from the National Federation of Independent Business, recent record highs in compensation being offered haven’t reduced equally record highs in the percentage of unfilled job openings.
A record 49% of small-business owners reported unfilled job openings. The 48-year historical average is 22 percent.
To note, September 6 will be the end of the extra $300 dollars the federal government has been adding to state unemployment benefits. Thirty-eight percent of employers have increased their salaries to the highest levels in 48 years in attempts to attract new job seekers.
As businesses struggle to find workers to fill positions, a certain percentage of those not looking for work has to do with childcare issues. According to research done last summer by the U.S. Census Bureau and Federal Reserve the coronavirus pandemic required at least one adult in the home to focus on the children.
In the United States, around one in five of working-age adults said the reason they were not working was because COVID-19 disrupted their childcare arrangements.
With school’s reopening soon childcare won’t affect some parents as badly as those with under school age children. The balance of work and paying for childcare is still a very real dilemma.
Last year’s Census Bureau’s research bared true when it said that particular attention will need to be paid to schooling and child care not just for the sake of the children but also for working moms and dads.
Longmont Museum and Cultural Center Will Celebrate 150th Anniversary with Opening Reception
The Longmont Museum and Cultural Center is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the town’s founding by the Chicago-Colorado Colony. The Museum will hold an opening reception tonight from 6:00 to 8:00 PM for the exhibit titled Longmont 150.
According to the museum, the exhibit looks back on the forces that have shaped Longmont’s past and the recurring themes that will define its future.
Exhibit activities for kids include a ride in a customized lowrider and exploring Longmont’s bygone industries with stops on the museum’s model train.
Objects from the museum’s historic collection will be showcased including the first flag ever flown over Longmont.
NCAR Study Shows COVID-19 Exacerbated Impacts of Extreme Heat
Researchers from the National Center for Atmospheric Research found the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated the impacts of extreme heat during the summer of 2020, especially for vulnerable populations.
The Daily Camera reports that the NCAR researchers surveyed more than 3,000 people across the country asking them about their perceptions and experiences dealing with extreme heat.
Almost 28% of the respondents thought they had one or more symptoms related to extreme heat.
Low-income households were 68% more likely to experience heat-related health symptoms than high-income earners.
The study found Latino respondents were most likely to report symptoms.
One third of the survey’s respondents said they were worried about the heat while working while one in eight reported decreased productivity.
RMPJ Will Commemorate Hiroshima Bombing With Film Screening
Today marks the 76th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. The Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center will commemorate the occasion with a film screening this evening at 6:30 at Trident Booksellers on Pearl Street.
City Announces Next Phase of Shared Streets Initiative Launched in Response to COVID-19
Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure announced yesterday it will be ending its temporary shared streets initiative while launching a planning effort later in the year that will develop guidelines for a permanent shared streets program.
The shared streets initiative began last year in April at the height of the pandemic to allow community members to safely walk and recreate on certain streets while maintaining social distance.
Areas that were prioritized for the program included those with high population densities, streets adjacent to parks with high usage, and areas of Denver where there is no immediate access to a park or trail.
As Denver ends the temporary initiative starting the week of August 16th, shared street signage will be removed and community members will go back to walking on the sidewalks.
The city will also add traffic calming measures to slow vehicles and make travel by bike more comfortable.
According to the city’s statement, development of a permanent program will include a community engagement process that gathers feedback on the temporary program while exploring and answering critical questions the emergency initiative did not.
Some Boulder Venues to Require Proof of Vaccination
Beginning tomorrow, August 7th, the Boulder Theater, Boulder’s Fox Theatre, and the Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins will require concert patrons to show proof of their COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test that is less than 72 hours old.
According to the Daily Camera, Z2 Entertainment LLC, which owns the entertainment venues, will refund ticket costs to those who can’t or won’t show their vaccination or a negative test.
The company is also asking concert go-ers to wear a mask but not instituting a mask requirement.
Ironman Race Causes Road Closures
The Ironman 70.3 race will return to Boulder tomorrow, Saturday, August 7th. Those traveling tomorrow throughout the Boulder area should expect delays or road closures.
Information on recommended detour routes and course maps is available at boco.org/BoulderIronmanMap
