The Pueblo Chieftain
Machado gains little in White House visit
WASHINGTON – Venezuelan opposition leader Marina Corina Machado got her courtesy luncheon with President Donald Trump on Jan. 15 but gained little else politically after the White House secured a $500 million deal for Venezuelan oil through ongoing...
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Pueblo woman celebrates her 105th birthday
A Pueblo woman celebrated her 105th birthday party Jan. 12 at Sharmar Village Senior Living Facility. Dorothy Garman was born in Cedar Falls, Iowa, in 1921, said her son Jeff Garman. Throughout World War II and the next few years, Garman worked as a...
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Iran set to retaliate if President Trump strikes
DUBAI – The United States is withdrawing some personnel from bases in the Middle East, a U.S. official said Jan. 14, after a senior Iranian official said Tehran had warned neighbors it would hit American bases if Washington strikes. With Iran’s...
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Midterms to test formerly ‘fringe’ ideas
With Americans increasingly dissatisfied with their government and the direction of the country, policy prescriptions once considered on the fringe are becoming part of the mainstream debate. Take over Greenland, anyone? Open government-run grocery...
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‘Steel City Proud’ added to growing Pueblo levee mural
In a quest to reclaim the title of the world’s “Largest Outdoor Mural,” recently another 60 feet was added to the roughly three-mile stretch of the Pueblo Levee Mural. Pueblo artist Shannon Palmer, known publicly as “DEADHAND,” crafted “Steel City...
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Senate measure passes to halt Trump in Venezuela
WASHINGTON – In a rebuke of President Donald Trump from lawmakers within his own party, the Senate on Jan. 8 advanced a bipartisan measure to halt further American military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. The war powers resolution,...
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Maduro opponent vows to return
WASHINGTON – Venezuela’s main opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has vowed to return home quickly, praising President Donald Trump for toppling President Nicolás Maduro and declaring her movement ready to win a free election. Trump appears,...
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Congress members pledge action after Trump veto
The Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act passed through the House and Senate, but was vetoed by President Donald Trump on Dec. 29, 2025 for being “expensive and unreliable” policy. The Act intended to secure funds for a project supplying clean...
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Democrats face scrutiny over Israel-Gaza war
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker recently visited New Hampshire, where he met with activists and spoke at a town hall meeting, sparking speculation about a potential 2028 presidential run. The trip also underscored a political reality confronting Booker...
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Mamdani promises new era for NYC
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Jan. 1 inauguration and block party reflected a diverse city looking to make good on the 34-year-old democratic socialist’s promises to address affordability. On a freezing New Year’s Day, the Democratic mayor took...
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President Trump’s tariffs impacting Americans
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump had been in office less than three months when he slapped retaliatory tariffs on imports from dozens of countries, arguing the duties would benefit American companies that have been treated unfairly by foreign...
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Feds freeze child care payments to MN
The Department of Health and Human Services froze child care payments to Minnesota in the wake of what the agency said is fraud at day cares in the state, and it has tightened restrictions for other payments across the country. The department took...
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Trump ties Gaza peace to Hamas disarmament
WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Hamas must lay down its weapons for his Gaza peace plan to progress, though reconstruction of the Palestinian enclave could begin sooner. Netanyahu,...
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Art gallery marks 1-year in historic building
Steel City Art Works Gallery in Pueblo is celebrating its one-year anniversary at its new location with the opening of “Artful Echoes,” the gallery announced. The show will feature a variety of art forms that have been displayed at the gallery over...
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When do students go back to school?
Following Christmas Day, most students in Pueblo County have a little over a week before its time to return to school for the spring 2026 semester. Pueblo School District 60 and Pueblo County School District 70 students are scheduled to return to...
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‘DEEP CONNECTION’
The places Indigenous peoples call home have intertwined with their ways of life for millennia. Their stories, foodways and cultures relate directly to their homelands. Lands, waters, plants and animals, the creatures that inhabit the waters below and...
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Old coins? Sports cards?
A passion that began with searches through his father’s pocket change has turned into a rewarding endeavor for J&J Coins owner Jared Burbank. J&J Coins, 123 E. Abriendo Ave., is a Pueblo business specializing in the buying and selling of coinage and...
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Spotify hits marketing sweet spot
Even before the 2025 Spotify Wrapped dropped, I had a hunch what mine would reveal. Lo and behold, one of my most-listened-to songs was an obscure 2004 track titled “Rusty Chevrolet” by the Irish band Shanneyganock. I heard it first thanks to my son,...
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Pueblo health department gives tips on food safety during the holidays
An estimated 48 million cases, 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths are the annual results of foodborne illnesses in the United States. About 80% foodborne illness cases go unreported, according to Lee LaJeunesse of the Pueblo Department of...
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Survivors call redactions in Epstein files ‘abnormal’
WASHINGTON – More than a dozen victims of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein criticized the Justice Department’s release of documents about the investigation as “riddled with abnormal and extreme redactions with no explanation.” One example was a...
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Colorado State Fair wins 23 international and regional awards
The Colorado State Fair received several awards at recent industry conventions, collecting a total of 15 honors from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) and eight from the Rocky Mountain Association of Fairs (RMAF), according...
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THE INVISIBLE KILLER
Lung cancer? ● “But I never smoked,” Melissa Derrig said after doctors finally figured out what was causing her headaches, vertigo and the strange noise she heard deep inside her throat last year. ● Melissa, a retired small-business owner, had always...
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Pueblo D70 board accepts Ochs resignation, discusses road ahead
The Pueblo County School District 70 Board of Education voted Dec. 16 to accepted the resignation of former board director Anne Ochs. In accepting the resignation, the board declared Ochs’ former Director District 2 seat vacant. The seat includes...
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Nick Reiner charged in parents’ stabbing
After the slayings of acclaimed Hollywood actor-director Rob Reiner and his producer wife, Michele Singer Reiner, and their 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, being charged with murder, the couple’s friends are speaking out about their deaths. In a...
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FBI seeks leads in Brown shooting
A search in Rhode Island rolled into its fourth day Dec. 16 as federal and state officers pursued a suspect who opened fire during a final exam at Brown University, killing two, injuring nine and leaving no obvious indication of a motive. The widening...
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Colleges join forces on nursing shortage
The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there were over 1,900 registered nurses in the Pueblo Metropolitan Statistical Area in May 2024. A recent agreement between Colorado State University Pueblo and UCHealth seeks to address “financial...
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Momento recovered
Almost 50 years after going missing, a Pueblo Vietnam veteran’s ring has been returned to his widow. John Palumbo, a veteran of the 3rd Marine Division, graduated from Pueblo East High School in 1968 before joining the U.S. Marine Corps. He was...
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DOJ prosecution failures ‘unprecedented’
Dismissed indictments; two grand juries refusing to issue new charges; a judge blocking key evidence from being used for a fresh case: In trying to prosecute key targets of President Donald Trump, the Justice Department has faced failures on a scale...
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Pueblo D70 board director leaves meeting early
Pueblo County School District 70 board director Anne Ochs announced plans to resign before leaving a Dec. 9 school board meeting early. Ochs’ announcement followed open forum comments by Hannah McDowell. McDowell called for Ochs’ resgination after...
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Councilors approve funds to repair old PBR building
A $191,903.17 emergency construction contract was approved in a 6 to1 by Pueblo City Council on Dec. 8 for sanitary sewer point repairs to the former Professional Bull Riders (PBR) headquarters, 101 W. Riverwalk Place. In May, councilors approved $9...
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Pueblo hot sauce company gets visit from Gov. Polis
Temperatures stayed below freezing for most of Dec. 4 in Pueblo, but the hot sauces inside PexPeppers’ Lake Avenue shop were scorching. The local hot sauce company, 2705 Lake Ave., had a special visitor that day. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis met with...
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‘Rehabilitative in nature’
Pueblo’s C.A.R.E. Inc., located at 215 W. 2nd St, cut the ribbon Thursday on a new “sensory room” for intellectually and developmentally disabled adults. “Just like you and I, people with disabilities aren’t all alike, so some of them don’t benefit...
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‘The Shop’ cuts the ribbon in Pueblo
Baseball players, a 10-and-under girls soccer team and even a few wrestlers have already expressed interest in training at “The Shop.” The Shop, 2704 S. Prairie Unit E, is a new multi-sport training facility in Pueblo. Tim and Crystal Prutch opened it...
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Mikaela’s legacy lives on with bill
While fighting her own battle with osteosarcoma, Mikaela Naylon also wanted to ensure other children battling rare diseases had access to lifesaving care. The Pueblo teen died on Oct. 29 at the age of 16. She had battled the rare form of bone cancer...
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Two newly elected members welcomed to board
Tommy Farrell and Derion Ibarra are officially the newest members of the Pueblo School District 60 Board of Education. The two newly elected board members were sworn-in during a special board meeting on Dec. 3. Each received the highest vote totals in...
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Emails: DC shooting suspect had PTSD
WASHINGTON – The Afghan refugee accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House on Nov. 26 had descended into severe depression and bizarre behavior, locking himself in his room for days and driving off suddenly on long, solo road...
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Historic South Pueblo church finds new life
St. Patrick’s Church, 304 East Routt Ave., was swiftly completed in Historic South Pueblo to offer its first mass on December 2, 1882. Almost 143 years later to the date, Woven Care opened its third Pueblo clinic offering pediatric therapy services...
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Weiser believes he can tackle affordability
There’s two high-profile Democrats running in 2026 to succeed Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and both of them have centered their campaigns around affordability. U.S. Senator and 2026 gubernatorial candidate Michael Bennet visited Pueblo to speak with...
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50 years of the Pueblo Mall
Next year will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, the 150th anniversary of Colorado and the 50th anniversary of the Pueblo Mall. Despite the growing popularity of online shopping, the 575-square foot mall continues to be a top...
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Kirk death fuels revival and renewal at churches
The assassination of Charlie Kirk changed Danika Meyerson in a way that, at first, made her deeply uncomfortable. She wanted to develop a relationship with God. She couldn’t stop thinking about it. But Meyerson, a 45-year-old mom of two boys, wasn’t a...
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US Sen. Bennet discusses ‘affordability crisis’ with Pueblo leaders in visit
Michael Bennet, a U.S. Senator running for governor of Colorado in 2026, said there is an “affordability crisis” impacting every county in Colorado. Bennet met with a panel of eight Pueblo leaders to talk about the challenges that Pueblo residents...
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Turkeys Gobble, Waddle pardoned in annual White House tradition
Gobble and Waddle will be no one’s Thanksgiving meal – President Donald Trump continued the beloved, if not eccentric, tradition of ceremonially pardoning two turkeys at the White House on Nov. 25. “Today, we continue a time-honored American...
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Three decades strong
Despite being born over a decade after the 1996 killings of Rev. Thomas Scheets and Rev. Louis Stovik, Puebloarea high school students continue the two priests’ legacy by delivering Thanksgiving meals to hundreds. The 30th annual Tom and Louie’s...
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DOE, A DEER
A mule deer doe watches as vehicles pass along Pueblo Boulevard on Nov. 19.
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Soup kitchen faces high need, rises to challenge
The Pueblo Community Soup Kitchen has experienced a significant increase in clients due to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) crisis, according to Kathy Cline, soup kitchen director. However, they have been equipped to handle the...
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Permanent and long-term resource options in Pueblo
Xcel Energy’s coal-fired Comanche Unit 2 is scheduled to close at the end of 2025, but a petition submitted to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) could change that. Xcel, the Colorado Energy Office, the Colorado Office of the Utility...
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‘WE COULD BE FACING A CRISIS’
With the retirement of the Comanche Unit 2 fast approaching in Pueblo County, U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd penned a letter to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on Oct. 31. Part of the coal-powered Comanche Generating Station, Comanche Unit 2 is scheduled...
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‘Not being affected as of right now’
While Essential Air Service flights from Pueblo to Denver are not yet affected by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s announcement that 40 major airports will see a 15%-20% cut in flights, Pueblo Memorial Airport’s lone airline, Key Lime Air, is...
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5 takeaways from the 2025 election
The November 2025 election in Pueblo County was not a clean sweep for Republicans or Democrats. Unofficial results, accurate as of Nov. 5 with only Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ballots and ballots that need curing yet to be...
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SNAP disruptions could hurt grocers
Like the millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, retailers are bracing for the effects of reduced or delayed funding to a program that typically injects billions of dollars into the U.S. economy each month. The...
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Ruiz Gomez, Boston poised for city council victory
Selena Ruiz Gomez and Brett Boston appear headed for victory in the sevencandidate race for two Pueblo City Council at-large seats. With only Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ballots and ballots that need curing left to be counted,...
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Where do ballot questions stand after election night?
A vast majority of Pueblo voters have sided with keeping the mayoral form of government. Ballot Question 2C asked voters if the city should get rid of its strong mayor form of government and revert to one led by a city manager. Proponents of 2C argued...
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Pueblo voters make their voices heard
Puebloans took to the polls for the 2025 election on Nov. 4 to make their voices heard on a variety of local races and a handful of important ballot measures. The stakes were incredibly high for an off-year local election, as the fate of Pueblo’s...
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It’s Election Day!
It’s Election Day, Pueblo! Once again, Puebloans are going to the polls today to make their voices heard on who they want to represent them in the days and years to come. In addition to determining the foreseeable future of Pueblo’s municipal...
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Election Day is tomorrow
It may be too late to request a mail-in ballot in Pueblo County, but there is still time to make sure your vote is counted. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4. If you have already filled out a mail-in ballot, it’s too late to put it in the mail for it to...
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PUBLIC OR PRIVATE?
Riverstone Academy, a new school in southern Colorado, has been billed as Colorado’s “first public Christian school” by its authorizer. Its website calls it a public elementary school. But some state and county officials say Riverstone is a private...
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Trump targets filibuster to end shutdown
WASHINGTON – As the shutdown drags on, President Donald Trump is urging Senate Republicans to go around Democrats to break an impasse with growing ramifications, with millions of Americans poised to lose federal food assistance. Trump called for an...
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Helping the community
With thousands of Puebloans set to be cut off from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, local businesses are rallying to support those in need. Almost one in four Puebloans receive SNAP benefits, which are set to run out on Nov....
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‘Fundamentally, the system is broken’
Colorado Congressional District 3 Rep. Jeff Hurd has cosponsored a bill to keep Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits funded as the government shutdown continues, he told Pueblo County commissioners in a meeting on Oct. 28. The...
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Protestors decry potential airport, ICE cooperation
Dozens of orange-clad protestors gathered during the Oct. 27 Pueblo City Council meeting to demand that Pueblo Memorial Airport not assist ICE in detaining or deporting individuals who may be held at a planned facility near Walsenburg. An Oct. 23 memo...
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‘It’s an absolutely critical resource’
A Pueblo County overnight camp that has taught local kids about hiking, camping, horseback riding, archery and more for more than 100 years is closing down due to declining usage and increasing costs. A petition to “Save YMCA Camp Jackson” had...
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‘Good faith and solidarity towards the community’
Pueblo County is moving to assist tens of thousands of residents who receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), which is set to be paused in November as the federal government shutdown continues. A total of 41,241...
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SNAP benefits for 40,000 Puebloans put on hold
The Colorado Governor’s Office has requested $10 million to provide aid to food banks statewide as the federal government shutdown suspends Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. SNAP benefits are on hold in November, impacting up...
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Persistent inflation up again in Sept.
Inflation rose again in September, revealing the persistence of rising prices as the job market showed signs of cooling and consumers begin to think about the holiday season. Consumer prices increased 3% from a year earlier, slightly up from 2.9% in...
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This ‘public Christian school’ opened quietly in Colorado
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters A group that authorized what its leader called Colorado’s “first public Christian school” told the state education department Tuesday that it would...
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Nonprofit completes $3M rehab of Greenhorn Park
After a four-and-a-half-year journey, Colorado City finally has its field of dreams. The project to transform the town’s only park, led by local nonprofit Valley First, celebrated its success with a formal ribbon cutting on Oct. 18, according to...
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‘Call to Action’
Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham referred to some members of Pueblo City Council as “petty, power-hungry politicians” while calling on voters to take action on Oct. 20. The mayor’s press conference was promoted as a “Call to Action for Puebloans.” She...
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‘Access to education should never be limited’
Pueblo Community College students can now ride free on Pueblo Transit with a student ID, according to a joint news release from the city of Pueblo and Pueblo Community College. “Access to education should never be limited by something as basic as...
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Hundreds protest Trump in 2nd ‘No Kings’ demonstration
For the second time in just over four months, hundreds of Puebloans took to the streets to protest President Donald Trump and his administration. Pueblo protestors joined millions of people across the country in taking part in “No Kings”...
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‘Largest incoming class in recent history’
Colorado State University Pueblo has implemented a slew of new initiatives in recent years to boost enrollment, and its efforts seem to be working. On Nov. 13, the university announced that 731 freshmen were welcomed to CSU Pueblo this fall, a 21%...
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President seeking charges for more foes
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton on Oct. 16 became the third high-profile Trump critic to be criminally charged after the president repeatedly attacked him publicly. All three maintain their innocence...
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‘A visible act of solidarity’
Two Pueblo organizations are set to participate in the second national No Kings protest on Oct. 18 to protest President Donald Trump and his administration’s “push toward authoritarianism.” Grassroots Pueblo will hold a protest at the corner of 4th...
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Mayor’s ethics complaint against Maestri fails 4-2
An ethics complaint filed by Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham against Pueblo City Councilor Regina Maestri was ultimately dismissed on Oct. 14. In her complaint, Graham alleged that Maestri leveraged her position on council to benefit her domestic partner...
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Trial postponed for Pueblo homeless shelter leader
A jury trial for a woman accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from unhoused clients at the shelter she formerly led has been continued until April 6. In a hearing on Oct. 10, Lori Arabie, the former shelter manager of the Pueblo Rescue...
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‘There were sacrifices made’
While Centennial High School’s old courtyard has been demolished, the tradition of honoring Pueblo veterans continues on a rededicated Veterans Wall outside the current school building’s entrance. ● Some names featured on the wall are in red to denote...
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