Colorado policymakers had massive ambitions to assist kids within the juvenile justice, foster care and psychological well being programs this yr.
Lawmakers spurred by grim information about suicide, despair and the long-term results of institutional care have been fired up about passing new legal guidelines that will increase the prosecution age from 10 to 13, be sure that children who couldn’t go residence after they have been detained had a protected place to sleep, and reform the state’s troubled residential therapy facilities for youths in foster care.
A few of these big-idea reforms for kids have been pushed to the facet or relegated to process pressure conversations, although Colorado authorized “once-in-a-generation” funding for kids’s psychiatric care.
The $55 million Youth and Household Behavioral Well being Care Act will create new psychiatric therapy beds, substance abuse therapy beds and a 16-unit neuro-psychiatric heart for kids. It additionally units up a respite care program for foster children and households in seven areas statewide.
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Right here’s a wrapup of different developments:
A process pressure will examine youth residential heart runaway downside
A monumental, two-part plan to reform Colorado’s residential facilities for kids and youths was lowered to a single plan to create a examine group.
The invoice got here after high-profile scrutiny of the 24/7 facilities, that are for foster kids who’ve already lived in a number of foster houses and for youths with such extreme behavioral well being issues that they’re out of their dad and mom’ management. A joint Colorado Solar/9News investigation discovered that youngsters are operating away from the facilities each day and that two boys who ran away from completely different services have been struck by vehicles and killed.
The unique proposal known as for an enormous overhaul of the facilities, together with an analysis system that will permit households to see which facilities had probably the most runaways and overdoses, in addition to greatest psychological well being outcomes. The plan from Colorado Little one Safety Ombudsman Stephanie Villafuerte and Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, a Commerce Metropolis Democrat, would have had the state companion with baby welfare consultants on the College of Denver and Colorado State College to develop the quality-assurance system.
Villafuerte modeled the concept after one in Florida, which companions with Florida State College.
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However after an unexpectedly giant fiscal observe — which estimated the overhaul would price $99,500 — that portion of the laws was scrapped.
Lawmakers nonetheless handed the opposite a part of the proposal, which creates a process pressure to find out how greatest to forestall children from operating away from residential facilities.
Colorado Solar/9News partnered for a joint sequence analyzing residential therapy facilities the place Colorado homes foster youth and youngsters with extreme behavioral points.
The panel is known as after Timmy Montoya-Kloepfel, who was 12 when he ran away from Tennyson Heart for Youngsters in Denver in June 2020 and died after he was hit by a Chevy Tahoe. His mom, Elizabeth, attended the invoice signing final month.
The ombudsman is taking purposes for the panel, which is able to embrace individuals who’ve lived in youth residential facilities.
Creating short-term shelter for youths detained for minor crimes
A yr in the past, district attorneys throughout the state fired off a letter to the state baby welfare division complaining that kids have been sleeping on flooring of county workplace buildings and spending hours at the back of police vehicles as a result of there isn’t a place to ship them for the night time.
State prosecutors stated Colorado has failed to supply a spot to sleep for youths who can’t return residence after they’ve been detained both as a result of they don’t have households or it’s unsafe for them to go residence. The state has no beds for youths who’re picked up for crimes not critical sufficient to justify locking them up, the district attorneys wrote.
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Beforehand, these children would go to a detention heart, no matter whether or not their alleged crime was extreme sufficient to warrant lockup. However state and federal legal guidelines have prohibited the apply.
A brand new regulation signed in June units up a plan to deal with these kids, with the state giving $137,000 to the state Division of Human Companies to contract with neighborhood service companies for shelter beds. The state system is required to dispense the cash to judicial districts throughout the state beneath a formulation to be decided by a brand new process pressure.
The funds can pay for as much as 5 nights of short-term shelter for kids and youths whose alleged crimes are usually not critical sufficient to require going to a juvenile justice heart. After 5 days, children should go residence or to a foster care placement.
The unique laws, additionally from Rep. Michaelson Jenet, would have allowed county human providers companies to contract with native homeless shelters, youth residential facilities or different companies to supply short-term shelter. The invoice was rewritten to place this system answerable for the state human providers company.
Panel to take a look at baby abuse reporting necessities
The demise of a 7-year-old woman whose mom was convicted of medically abusing her by mendacity to docs and inventing signs is prompting modifications to Colorado’s baby abuse reporting regulation.
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A 34-member process pressure is ready to check the state’s so-called obligatory reporting legal guidelines over the following two years. The unique proposal known as for main modifications to the regulation following the demise of Olivia Gant, who died in 2017. Regardless that employees at Youngsters’s Hospital Colorado have been involved the woman was abused, they didn’t alert authorities and as a substitute investigated the matter internally, in response to a Denver Put up investigation.
The state presently requires folks in 42 professions — together with docs, lecturers and coaches — to report suspected baby abuse and neglect to baby welfare authorities. The preliminary wording of the laws this yr would have made clear that hospitals can’t conduct their very own investigation and keep away from making a report back to the kid welfare system. As an alternative, the duty pressure will decide make the regulation simpler, prepare obligatory reporters and the way colleges, hospitals and others ought to deal with suspected baby abuse.
The obligatory reporting regulation, created 30 years in the past, has had little scrutiny since then, in response to the state’s baby safety ombudsman’s workplace. A number of occasions, lawmakers have added professions to the checklist of obligatory reporters however it’s unclear what number of of these professionals really obtain any coaching.
The panel’s remaining report is due in January 2025.
A process pressure will examine arrests of 10-12-year-olds
The unique model of this invoice would have eliminated children 10, 11 and 12 years outdated from juvenile court docket jurisdiction, besides in instances of murder. Solely children 13 and older would have confronted the opportunity of prosecution and time in a locked juvenile jail.
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As an alternative of an instantaneous change in juvenile justice regulation, the regulation signed by Gov. Jared Polis created a 32-member panel of consultants — regulation enforcement officers, baby safety officers and individuals who hung out in juvenile detention facilities — to check the matter. The group has till the top of the yr to report again on how the youngest offenders would get entry to providers and therapy exterior of the state’s youth corrections system.
A typical room exterior a boys’ pod within the Lookout Mountain Youth Companies Heart in Golden. Colorado’s Division of Youth Companies has reworked areas to seem extra like a house than a correctional facility. (Marvin Anani, Particular to The Colorado Solar)
Younger kids who’re arrested usually tend to find yourself within the grownup jail system, expertise violence whereas in lockup and have psychological well being issues as adults. They’re additionally much less prone to graduate from highschool. Additionally, children of coloration are extra possible than white kids to be sentenced to time in a juvenile justice heart.
Colorado is one among 15 states that arrest and prosecute children as younger as 10, whereas 28 states don’t have any minimal age.
Proponents of the change in regulation, whereas upset the invoice was lowered to a process pressure, stated it’s a primary step towards change.
We imagine very important data must be seen by the folks impacted, whether or not it’s a public well being disaster, investigative reporting or holding lawmakers accountable. This reporting relies upon on assist from readers such as you.
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ORLANDO, Fla. – Travis Hunter wore custom-made football cleats in Saturday night’s game against Central Florida – a pair of gold-colored shoes with a graphic on them depicting the mountains and trees of Boulder, Colorado.
They had quite a night. First he scored a 23-yard touchdown in them in the first quarter. Then he made an interception and flashed the Heisman Trophy pose in them in the third quarter. After his Colorado team won the game, 48-21, Colorado’s two-way superstar even took those cleats off his feet and gave them to somebody in the stands here at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
“That’s who he is, man,” Colorado football coach Deion Sanders said of Hunter’s big night.
By the time it was over, Hunter had caught nine passes for 89 yards and a touchdown, snagged one interception, broke up one other opposing pass attempt and recorded two tackles before walking back to the locker room in his socks.
Mr. Everywhere had done it again.
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But this time was different.
Why was this win different for Travis Hunter and Deion Sanders?
Hunter’s team also rose to the occasion around him to play what might be its best all-around game in Sanders’ two seasons as head coach.
It also came on a homecoming of sorts for both Sanders and Hunter, both Florida natives coming home to lead the Buffaloes (4-1) to their third straight win.
“I can’t even tell you how emotional I am about these young men and seeing what they could do when they put it all together and seeing what we’re capable of when we put it all together,” Sanders said afterward.
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The win effectively puts the Big 12 Conference on notice. The Buffs are hot, on the move and might even come close to cracking the national Top 25. The Buffs led 27-14 at halftime and held the nation’s No. 1 rushing offense to 177 rushing yards, nearly 200 under UCF’s season average before Saturday.
Here’s how they did it Saturday and what it means:
What did Deion Sanders say about win?
He was in a playful mood after a warm, humid game that started about 50 minutes late because of lightning in the area. He poked fun of Hunter, who is known to wear onesie pajamas and doesn’t always like talking to the news media after games.
“Knowing Travis, he ain’t coming,” Sanders said at the postgame news conference. “He’s probably on the bus with a onesie on.”
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Sanders also poked fun of his quarterback son Shedeur, who threw an interception on the game’s opening drive before leading the Buffs on scoring drives in six of their next seven possessions in front of an announced sellout crowd of 45,702 at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Shedeur Sanders completed 28 of 35 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns. He added three carries for 28 yards and was only sacked twice despite the loss of a starting guard to injury this week.
“C’mon Grown, they want to ask you about the interception,” Deion Sanders said to his son as the quarterback entered the post-game news conference.
That’s what Sanders calls Shedeur: “Grown” – as in mature beyond his years.
Shedeur Sanders showed it by settling down after the initial turnover and letting his running game take some pressure off of him for a change. The Buffs compiled 128 rushing yards on 29 carries, led by 39 from running back Isaiah Augustave, a native of Naples, Florida.
UCF gave up two interceptions and two fumbles to Colorado, including one that was returned 95 yards by safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig for the final touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter.
What did Shedeur Sanders say afterward?
He was asked how he stays focused amid the hype and all the football legends that come to see him and his father at games. On Saturday, Cam Newton, the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner, greeted him before the game. Hall of Fame receivers Michael Irvin and Terrell Owens watched him from the Colorado sideline, too.
So how does he do it? Shedeur Sanders answered by saying he collects personal slights, either real or imagined. He said he remembers being described as “just an HBCU kid who couldn’t do it at the Power 5 level,” referring to Jackson State, a historically Black college where he played in 2022 before transferring to Colorado last year.
“I don’t forget anything,” Sanders said. “I don’t forget what anybody ever said, and personally I’m not one to make friends or feel like just because success is going on, now I’m going to forgive everybody. Nah, whatever you said at any point in time, I’m not really a forgiving type.”
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That kind of mindset drove him to dominate a team Saturday that was favored by two touchdowns. He spread the ball around to eight different receivers and knocked the Knights (3-1) out of their comfort zone by forcing them to pass the ball more to keep up.
“To keep up with our type of scoring, that gets them out of their comfort zone and provokes them to throw the ball a little more than they’d like to,” Deion Sanders said.
His team now gets some rest heading into a bye weekend in Boulder. The Buffs resume play at home on Oct. 12 against Kansas State.
Deion Sanders talks about his record
Sanders pulled a trick on the news media afterward to make a point. With four wins, his team now has matched its win total from last year, when the Buffs finished 4-8 in his first season in Boulder.
“I’m so darn proud of where we are,” Sanders said. “We could be in a whole different place right now, but look it… We’re going into the break. What’s the record?”
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“Four-and-one,” the news media responded.
“Say it again,” Sanders said, acting like he couldn’t hear.
“Four-and-one,” the room said again.
“I just wanted to hear y’all say it collectively, and y’all fell for it,” Sanders said with a laugh.
“We’re 4-1 going into the break, and I’m so excited, you have no idea,” Sanders said. “It’s gonna be a really good plane ride tonight.”
ORLANDO, Fla. — Shedeur Sanders threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns Saturday to help Colorado match its victory total for all of last season with a 48-21 rout of UCF.
Two-way star Travis Hunter had a TD catch and interception for the Buffaloes (4-1, 2-0 Big 12), who have won three straight games following a lopsided road loss to Nebraska.
Hunter scored on a 23-yard reception in the first quarter, struck a Heisman pose after his second-half inteception, and finished with nine catches on nine targets for 89 yards.
Sanders. son of coach Deion Sanders, also had TD throws of 47 yards to Will Sheppard and 10 yards to LaJohntay Wester on the way to completing 28 of 35 passes with one interception.
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Colorado’s improved defense stood tall, too, slowing down an offense that entered game averaging a nation-leading 375.7 yards per game rushing. The Buffaloes forced four turnovers — intercepting KJ Jefferson twice, once in the end zone — and also denying UCF points on one drive that stalled inside the Colorado 1.
Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig finished off the strong defensive performance by picking up a fumble in the closing minutes and returning it 95 yards for Colorado’s final touchdown.
Both teams were coming off exciting comeback wins in their conference openers, with Colordao beating Baylor after forcing overtime on Sanders’ 43-yard Hail Mary TD to Wester on the last play of regulation and UCF wiping out a 21-point deficit on the road to defeat TCU 35-34.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders walks along the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Central Florida, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. Credit: AP/Phelan M. Ebenhack
Welcoming the Buffaloes to Orlando for the first meeting between the teams capped a day in which UCF hosted the FOX Big Noon Kickoff pregame show on campus, giving coach Gus Malzahn’s program the most national exposure the Knights have received since entering the Big 12 last season.
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Jefferson completed 20 of 35 passes for 284 yards, including TDs of 75 yards to RJ Harvey and 15 yards to Xavier Townsend. The quarterback also scored on a 7-yard run.
THE TAKEAWAY
Colorado: Shedeur Sanders had another big day passing, but the Buffaloes ran the ball well, too, finishing with 128 yards rushing on 28 attempts.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) is sacked by Central Florida defensive end Nyjalik Kelly, right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. Credit: AP/Phelan M. Ebenhack
UCF: The Knights secondary was exposed in their narrow victory over TCU. Sanders was sacked twice, but on far too many occasions when the quarterback escaped pressure he was able to find receivers running wide open.
UP NEXT
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Colorado: Bye week before hosting No. 23 Kansas State on Oct. 12
Ranked as the sixth most beautiful golf course in the U.S. in The Golf Book of Lists, The Estes Park 18-Hole Golf Course is set in a wide mountain valley and offers breathtaking panoramic views of Meeker and Longs Peaks. It also is home to some of the 3,200 elk roam that freely roam the surrounding area.
The vast majority golfers who come in contact with the resident elk will simply pick up or wait it out until they have a clear shot but there are some who blatantly disregard Section 33-6-128 of Colorado State Law that expressly prohibits harassment of any wildlife.
The following video was taken at the driving range and shows man purposely hitting a golf ball at group of elk. The person shooting the video threatens to send the video to the cops if the golfer continued to hit balls at the elk and comments that this is not the first time he has witnessed this type of heinous behavior.
Estes Park 18-Hole Golf Course does not have any specific wildlife guidelines for golfers on their website but they really should. The USGA does have rule 16.2 for Dangerous Animal Condition whereby a golfer is granted relief when a dangerous animal is near a ball as it lies.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed they are investigating this incident as wildlife harassment.
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