Colorado
Colorado Springs Airtanker Base aims to help fight wildfires statewide
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR) — The Metropolis of Colorado Springs and the U.S. Forest Service are set to unveil a model new airtanker base Wednesday, one they hope will assist combat wildfires statewide.
The Colorado Springs Airtanker Base would be the fourth of its form within the state, in keeping with the USFS, becoming a member of bases in Jefferson County, Durango and Grand Junction.
“On the subject of preventing fireplace, the extra sources now we have the higher off our guys on the bottom are going to be,” airtanker specialist Robby Cline mentioned.
Cline mentioned the bottom will permit firefighting plane to succeed in anyplace inside a 300-mile radius in a single hour. That features your entire state of Colorado, in addition to neighboring states, ought to assist be wanted.
“If there’s a fireplace and we’re requested, we’re going to be there,” he mentioned.
Cline mentioned the Colorado Springs airport has minimal industrial exercise in comparison with another bigger airports within the area, which ought to profit wildfire efforts.
“In the event that they’re preventing a fireplace in Boulder and so they can’t deal with as many planes or get the masses out sooner, we may even see some diverts coming down right here, the place we may help them maintain that sequence going and actually assist individuals up there,” Cline mentioned.
The bottom formally opens with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday. Cline mentioned they’ve already used the bottom to combat a number of early-season fires in Colorado, together with the latest Excessive Park Hearth.
Colorado
Toyota Game Recap: 12/22/2024 | Colorado Avalanche
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Colorado
Colorado authorities shut down low-income housing developer
The Colorado Division of Securities is pursuing legal action against a man whom it claims deceived investors and used the ownership of federally supported low-income housing projects to line his own pockets.
Securities Commissioner Tung Chan announced its civil court filings against Michael Dale Graham, 68, on Nov. 12.
Chan’s office filed civil fraud charges against Graham, and also asked for a temporary restraining order and freezing of Graham’s assets and his companies’. A Denver district court judge immediately granted both. Since then, two court dates to review the those orders have canceled; a third is scheduled for mid-January.
Graham operates Sebastian Partners LLC, Sebastiane Partners LLC, and Gravitas Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund I LLC (“GQOZF”), all of which were controlled by Graham during his “elaborate real estate investment scheme,” as described by the securities office in a case document.
The filing states Graham collected more than $1.1 million from eight investors to purchase three adjacent homes in Aurora. The Denver-based Gravitas fund and its investors purportedly qualified for the federal Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) program with the homes. Qualified Opportunity Zones were created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress in 2017. The zones encouraged growth in low-income communities by offering tax benefits to investors, namely reductions in capital gains taxes on developed properties.
Graham formed Gravitas in early 2019 and purchased the three homes located in the 21000 block of E. 60th Avenue two years later. He quickly sold one of them with notifying investors, according to the case document. While managing the other two, Graham and Gravitas transferred the fund’s assets and never operated within QOZ guidelines to the benefit of its investors or the community, according to the state.
Gravitas also transferred the titles for the two properties to Graham privately. As their owner, Graham obtained undocumented loans from friends totaling almost $600,000. The two loans used the two properties as security.
Gravitas investors were never informed of the two loans, according to the case document. Also, Gravitas never sent its investors year-end tax reports, the securities office alleges.
Graham used the proceeds of the loans for personal use. No specific details were provided about those uses.
“Effectively, Graham used Gravitas as his personal piggy bank,” as stated in the case document, “claiming both funds and properties as his own. Graham never told investors about the risks associated with transferring title to himself. On September 1, 2023, he sent a letter to investors, stating that the properties ‘we own’ are doing well and generating growth due to record-breaking home appreciation. But Gravitas no longer owned the properties.
“Gravitas no longer had assets at all.”
Furthermore, the securities office said Graham failed to notify investors of recent court orders against him in Colorado and California. In total, Graham was ordered to pay more than $1 million in damages related to previous real estate projects.
Graham’s most recent residence is in Reno, Nev., according to an online search of public records. He evidently has previously lived in Santa Monica, Calif., and Greenwood Village.
Colorado
Colorado weather: Temperatures staying in the 60s Sunday
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