Colorado
New law requires Colorado middle and high schools to provide free period products in bathrooms
Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law this week requiring Colorado middle and high schools to provide free period products in girls’ bathrooms by 2028.
The legislation, HB24-1164, phases in the mandate with 25% of applicable bathrooms needing to comply by June 2025, then increasing the total by another 25% each year until full compliance is met in 2028.
“Periods don’t wait — and this important law ensures that Colorado students can access the menstrual products they need, when they need them,” Rep. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada, one of the bill’s sponsors, said in a news release. “Without access to menstrual products, our students risk missing out on valuable learning time and can experience emotional distress. Our new law makes menstrual products free and accessible in schools to Colorado’s teens.”
According to a study commissioned by Denver nonprofit Justice Necessary — an organization focused on ending period poverty — 80% of female teens in Colorado have missed class due to lack of menstrual products and 90% have unexpectedly started their periods in public without proper menstrual products.
The law also expands the Menstrual Hygiene Grant Program, signed into law in 2021, to provide free menstrual hygiene products to students. The legislation requires the General Assembly to appropriate $200,000 toward the grant program in the 2024-24 fiscal year.
The grant program lets schools use grant money to purchase menstrual hygiene products and install dispensers and disposal receptacles. The expansion intends to provide more grant access to small, rural school districts and charter schools.
“By signing this bill… Governor Polis is ensuring every student across the state can go to school without worrying about when your period might arrive, or if you have the products you need to manage it,” said Diane Cushman Neal, founder and president of Justice Necessary, in a news release. “I am proud to live in a state that ensures students can attend class without the worry of having the necessary products to manage their periods, because access to period products, just is necessary.”
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Police are looking for the person responsible for a shooting at a gas station in the Denver metro area on Sunday afternoon.
The Commerce City Police Department said the shooting took place at the gas pumps of a 7-Eleven located at Highway 2 and 72nd Avenue.
They say the victim was taken to the hospital for treatment and is in critical condition.
The CCPD says they have identified a suspect and are currently searching for them. They have not released information on what led up to the shooting, but assured that they don’t believe there is a threat to the general public.
Hundreds turn out to see Big Boy No. 4014
The world’s largest steam engine made a whistle stop in Greeley, Colo., on Oct. 23, 2024, to the delight of hundreds who lined the tracks.
The world’s largest operating steam locomotive will come through Colorado at the end of July to wrap up a tour of the United States in conjunction with the nation’s 250th anniversary.
By the time Big Boy No. 4014 rolls back into Cheyenne, Wyoming, on July 29 to complete a coast-to-coast tour, it will have been exhibited at large displays in eight cities and dozens of whistle stops in 10 states.
The locomotive has no large public displays scheduled in Colorado, but its three whistle stops planned in the state will be the public’s last chance to get near it on its tour.
What is Big Boy No. 4014?
The Big Boy No. 4014 is the largest operating steam locomotive in the world, checking in at 133 feet long and 1.2 million pounds, according to Union Pacific.
It was one of 25 giants built starting in 1941 to lug heavy wartime freight between Cheyenne and Ogden, Utah. It has a hinged body to allow it to negotiate curves in the tracks and racked up more than 1 million miles before being retired in 1961. Union Pacific reacquired it from a rail industry museum in 2013 and set about refurbishing it.
Seven other Big Boys are on public display around the country, including ones in Denver and Cheyenne, but No. 4014 is the only one still operating.
Where can you see the Big Boy train in Colorado?
Big Boy will pass through Illinois, Missouri and Kansas between July 17 and when it enters Colorado on July 27. It has no formal events open to the public while in Colorado, but it has three whistle stops planned along with a private event that are its last activity before arriving home in Wyoming.
- Kit Carson, Young Street crossing on July 27. Arrive 10:45 a.m., depart 11:15 a.m.
- Strasburg, Main Street crossing on July 27. Arrive 3:45 p.m., depart 4:15 p.m.
- Denver, private Union Pacific employee event with no public access, July 28
- Greeley, 10th Street crossing on July 29. Arrive 1:15 p.m., depart 2 p.m.
How do you see Big Boy at a whistle stop?
Whistle stops are relatively short opportunities to see the Big Boy. Admission is free, although parking may involve a charge.
You might not be able to get close, as the Big Boy will be behind a fence or other perimeter in some cases, Union Pacific says on its website.
How to track Big Boy
Union Pacific has a real-time location tracker so fans can track the locomotive.
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network, with an emphasis on consumer finance, legal issues and state laws.
Watch previous related coverage in the video player above.
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — On Saturday, July 18, a chef-owned market, Urban Grocer, opened in Downtown Colorado Springs, expanding access to fresh food and everyday grocery essentials for the community.
The grocer, located at 29 West Cimarron Street, was created by Chef James and Shaundy Africano, owners of the Warehouse Restaurant. The grocer expands Downtown’s grocery options with a concept that combines restaurant-quality food with the convenience of a neighborhood market.
The market features fresh produce, a full-service deli, butcher, and seafood counters, chef-prepared meals, artisan cheeses, house-made pasta and sauces, baked goods, pantry staples, and Colorado-made products.
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