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Denver business owner fuming after grant request to mitigate homeless camp costs is rejected

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Denver business owner fuming after grant request to mitigate homeless camp costs is rejected


A Denver small business owner is fuming after the city denied her grant request to help alleviate some of the costs related to a nearby homeless camp despite meeting all criteria for eligibility.

“During this whole encampment situation, they said that funds are coming and don’t worry about everything,” Samantha Menendez, co-owner of “One Shot Back” bar in the Mile High City, told “FOX & Friends Weekend” on Sunday.

“[There were] 200 plus tents around our business and basically nothing came for us,” she continued. “They gave us nothing in the end, and we had to go through eight months of craziness, and we received nothing, so it’s a little bit sad to be quite honest.”

DENVER MAYOR TOUTS ‘AMBITIOUS’ PLAN TO GET HOMELESS OFF STREETS, TAKE BACK DOWNTOWN FOR FRUSTRATED RESIDENTS

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Downtown Denver skyline, photographed from the Jacquard Hotel rooftop in Denver, Colorado on November 15, 2018. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

Deborah Cameron, Chief Business Development officer at Denver’s Economic Development and Opportunity Office, addressed the disquiet, saying, “We definitely understand how frustrating it is to the business when they meet the eligibility criteria, but we just don’t have enough funds to spread them around.”

The problem went much deeper than homelessness, according to Menendez.

Drug deals, prostitution and physical offenders lingered outside her door. The conditions steered customers away and proved disastrous for business.

DENVER BUSINESSMAN DUMPS POOP FOUND OUTSIDE HIS BUSINESS ON CITY HALL STEPS, DEMANDS ACTION ON HOMELESS CRISIS

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People exercising homelessness gather belonging as crews work to cleanup a homeless camp in the RiNo neighborhood near the Platte River on May 17, 2022, in Denver, Colorado. (RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images))

“I physically got attacked inside my own bar by the same people that were sitting outside my bar, so, of course, no one wanted to come there,” she said.

“There’s people right across the street that couldn’t even get to our door, so decline was pretty quick. The first three months, it was fine. After that, it was pretty aggressive for the decline of business.”

Despite being handed a rejection herself, she claimed every surrounding business received $15,000, funds she believes could have yielded better benefits if spread out among more establishments.

‘ECSTATIC’ DENVER MAYOR SAYS CITY TRANSFORMED BY PUSH TO HOUSE HOMELESS, BUT CRITICS SAY JOB ISN’T DONE

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“Three thousand businesses applied, only 69 got them…” she said. “It doesn’t change anything for us.” 

Though the camp is gone now, and the bar is thriving in its absence. 

Menendez said that doesn’t mean it won’t return as the seasons change, but, in the meantime, the goal is to “keep trucking along.”

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KUSA (9NEWS Denver) is your source for breaking news, Colorado weather, traffic, and live coverage in Denver and across the Front Range. Get the latest updates from the 9NEWS team — from major local headlines and investigations to severe weather, community stories and the moments everyone’s talking about.
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Denver rally shows divided feelings over U.S.-Israel action against Iran

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Denver rally shows divided feelings over U.S.-Israel action against Iran


DENVER — More than 24 hours after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, Coloradans are continuing to express their feelings about what the attack means not only for the world, but here in our state.

For the second straight day, Coloradans expressed their opinions on the steps of the state Capitol about the attack by the US and Israel on Iran.

But instead of anger, as was the case on Saturday, the tone on Sunday was more cheerful.

“Today it’s a celebration about like getting our freedom back, and we would love to have people to be happy with us,” said Forzun Yalme, who helped organize the event with Free Iran Colorado.

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For some Iranian-Americans, the news of the attack brings a new sense of hope that freedom is near.

“For me to be Iranian-American, in 47 years here, I learned about democracy and human rights and what I like,” detailed Amir Tosh, another member of Free Iran Colorado. “I want to transfer what your values are for democracy, human rights, freedom to my country, my motherland.”

Denver rally shows divided feelings over U.S.-Israel action against Iran

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“My uncle and grandma, grandparents, they were all so happy about what happened, because we can, like, now feel the freedom,” explained Yalme.

But some Iranian-Americans are more cautious.

Colorado’s only Iranian-American state representative, Yara Zokaie, doubts the operation will have a significant impact to Iran’s leadership.

“I’m sympathetic to people who want regime change by any means necessary, but I think we also need to stop and realize what this actually means,” said Zokaie. “Regime change is not something that can happen in one airstrike.”

Zokaie admits she herself was elated to hear Iran’s supreme leader and other top officials were killed in the attack.

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But she hopes Coloradans remember the innocent people who have already been killed and those who are more likely to come.

“I ask that we remember the humanity of people in the Middle East as this news unfolds. I ask that we call for a peaceful resolution that we empower Iranian people who will bring change from within, and that we call for no war with Iran,” said Zokaie.

Several people at today’s event at the Capitol approached our Denver7 team. They shared their gratitude for President Donald Trump, the US military, and the Israelis for their action in helping bring freedom to Iran.

They hope others will see that as well. They plan on being here for the next hour and a half or so.





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Police searching for information after fatal assault in Denver

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Police searching for information after fatal assault in Denver


Denver police are looking for information that could help them identify the suspect in a fatal assault overnight.

Officers were called to the scene in the 9700 block of E. Hampden Avenue around 2:08 a.m. They said an injured man at the scene was taken to a hospital for treatment, but he has been pronounced deceased.

DPD says they’re investigating the case as a homicide. They did not provide the identity of the man who was killed or further details on the case.

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Police encouraged anyone with information about the attack or the possible suspect(s) involved to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.



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