Top News Coming out of Colorado for 2020

Colorado News

Overview

Like the rest of the US, Colorado has a vibrant media. This takes the form of TV, Radio, and newspapers. Media channels in Colorado include the following:

KOAA (TV)

KRDO (TV)

KVOR Radio

The Denver Post (newspaper)

Boulder Weekly

There are other organizations which advocate for a wider media space, and promote the access of the media by the people of Colorado. For example, the Colorado Media Project is concerned about the future of media news and are concerned about the ability of the future media to produce high quality content.

One particular observation to note is that national and global have colonized the American media space. After all, they have the resources that can help them go deep into a story and carry out an investigation. However, there are still people who prefer local news. Here, the term local news includes anything from the state level to small towns, neighborhoods, and outskirts.

This article will guide you on the major events and discourses in the year 2020 as covered by the media in Colorado.

COVID 19

Like other states in the US, and indeed many parts of the world, the shocking news of COVID 19 continued to affect the people of Colorado. The first case of the virus was reported in March 5, 2020, and on that day, two cases were confirmed. On the two cases, one of the patients had travelled to Italy, and the other had taken a cruise in international waters. With such an exposure, it is not surprising that the two had contracted the virus.

By then, little was known about the virus, and a lot of information was based on what was already known. Like in other places, the virus led to panic as the people feared for the worst. By then, Wuhan china was already facing a big challenge when it comes to the management of the virus.

On December 30, 2020, Joe Sutton and Jason Hanna reporting for CNN reported that there was a second case of corona virus in Colorado (a variant originating from the UK). This variant is known to be more contagious, though it does not mean that one is going to be more sick. The man in the second case has no travel history. This made the people fear that they might be facing another medical nightmare. Luckily, some vaccine manufactures have stated that they are able to manage the new strain too.

The seriousness about Corona Virus made the authorities in Colorado to be more pro-active in its management. For example, Denver Public Health states that to give ample data and information about what COVID 19 is the symptoms, prevention modalities, and treatment. Individuals took more responsibility in the management of the virus.

The following are the major incidences and impact related to COVID 19 in Colorado:

-Deaths, starting on March 13, 2020, when an 80-year old woman from El Paso County. The woman had other health problems.

-Cancellation of conferences, eg Conference on World Affairs, University of Colorado, Boulder.

-At some times, downtown ski areas were closed

-Cancellation of sports events

-Closing of schools

-Banning of gatherings

-First box of COVID 19 arrived in Colorado

Like the rest of the Colorado, the people of Colorado were taking major steps in order to reduce the transmission of the virus. The main methods used, as it is recommended by WHO, includes the following:

-Washing of hands

-The use of sanitizers

-Quarantine measures if one knew he or she was sick

-Going for treatment

The 2020 Elections, Colorado

The year 2020 was an year of anticipation, euphoria, and uncertainty due to the American elections. Early enough, Denver was to host the Democratic Convention but declined stating that it had other major commitments. Though there was no confirmation yet that Denver would host the convention, Colorado Politics reported that the city had withdrawn its expression of interest thereby stating that it would rather concentrating on hosting other events in the region.

 international sportsmen’s exposition

Sports Events

Despite the challenges that have faced the nation due to COVID 19, Denver was able to host the international sportsmen’s exposition. This was a premier expo targeted at anglers, hunters, and sportsmen.

The 2020 Rocky Mountain State Games was held on July in Colorado Springs. The origins of the games are in New York in 1978 and the tradition has been retained ever since. The major games in the event include archery, badminton, diving, cricket, tennis, and weightlifting. The event also invited volunteers to take part in the games.

Generally, when it comes to sports, the year 2020 was a year of cancellation due to the far reaching impact of the corona virus. Some of the major sports events that were cancelled in Colorado include the following:

-NBA was suspended in March

-Major League Baseball was suspended in March 12

Real Estate

The opportunity to own a home is one of the most desirable opportunities in the US. It takes long and a lot of planning to own a home, more so if one is looking for a home in a strategic location. The desire to search for a home is no different to the people of Colorado.

There were a lot of discussions on real estate in Colorado. Hunters for houses have faced an increasing number of challenges in their search four houses in the city. The local area has faced an unexpected boom making it difficult to get a house at desirable prices. In short, there are more buyers than the number of available homes making it difficult to match the supply with demand. The Colorado Association of Realtors, the prices of homes in Colorado is going up thereby making it difficult to manage the prices as it stands at the moment. This could signify a dangerous market as far as buying of a home in Colorado is concerned.

Despite the challenges, the real estate industry in Colorado remodeling is going to be more vibrant. Of course, there are challenges which come with doing transactions during the time of COVID 19. For example, there are more challenges when it comes to the closure of a transaction. However, those are just superficial challenges which do not matter much in the long run.

Having stated that, one should try and secure a home in Colorado before the prices spiral even further. One way of doing this is through having a concrete saving plan or using the services of mortgage. Whatever decision that you make, you need to seek the help of financial advisors who can help you make informed decisions.

The following are the main steps towards buying a home in Colorado:

-Evaluate your financial situation (you need a credit score of at least 620). If the credit score is lower than 620, then it is time to think about the best ways of improving it. Note that you are also going to require a down payment of 20 %

-Evaluate the neighborhoods available and choose the right one

-Seek the services of a real estate agent in Colorado. The agent should understand the real estate landscape in Colorado

-Apply for the mortgage seeking pre-approval

-Inspect the home and identify potential weaknesses

-Closure

Colorado Fires

On August 20, 2020, Colorado Public Radio (CPR), reported the issue of fires in Colorado, more so in Glenwood Canyon. The news agency reported how smoke would burn the eyes of the residents. Scientists in Colorado blamed the fire incidences to carbon emissions and the impact of global warming not just in the US but in the world as a whole. With carbon emissions, when summer comes, it comes hotter than other summers in the past years. Of course, there is a lot of individual responsibility when it comes to starting fires, and this could over-whelm the firefighters.

The Washington Post states that some states in the US are now 2 degrees Celsius warmer than they were before. The Western slope is particularly known to be vulnerable to fires. There are three main ingredients to a fire: dry conditions, fuel for burning, and a spark. The summers are becoming highly stressful for the people of Colorado as they devise ways of staying safe.

CPR reports that it is unrealistic for the people of Colorado to leave the burden of fires to the fire fighters, simply, they are going to be over-whelmed. It is the responsibility of everyone in the society to fight the problem that comes with fires, and the people of Colorado realize this as much.

Earthquake

Colorado is not new to earthquakes though they are minor earthquakes. In December 2020, Bedrock, Colorado, experienced a minor earthquake at the Colorado-Utah boarder. This was reported by Seismographs Stations, University of Utah. The residents were able to feel it. The earthquake was triggered by an underground saltwater injection.

Death of Elijah McClain

The death of Elijah McClain was one of the most shaking moments in Colorado. Elijah McClain was working as a massage therapist. His family had moved to Aurora from Denver for the purpose of escaping gang violence. When he died, the results of the autopsy were not conclusive and the coroner was not able to determine the exact cause of death.

In June 2020, Aurora City Center Park was the center of protests and speakers presentation. This was in protests on the death of Elijah McClain and the way the police behaved. The day was a day of another showdown with the police, though no one was arrested. The conflict and tension continues as the people continue to seek answers.

Such incidences have damaged the reputation of the state more so in cases where the community feels that justice was not done well.

Crime in Denver

In the year 2020, sociologists noted a strong co-relation between crime and homicides. Between January 1 and July 13, there were 45 instances of murder in Denver. The death of a family member leaves others in emotional frustration, and leaving them without a steady source of income. This has made the residents have a poor perception of some states which they perceive as unsafe.

The time of COVID 19 brought a lot of frustrations on the ability to keep a job leave alone getting a job. When a community is deprived of its source of income, then they can easily turn to crime.

Unfortunately, Denver has observed a poor relationship between the police and the community. When such a relationship is poor, then, the community is not able to assist the police in their day to day work. This has made it difficult to manage crime in the state.

Impact on the Media Itself

The year 2020 had some very interesting news for the media itself. To start with, it was reported that Alden Global Capital hedge fund was planning to acquire Gannet, the most prominent newspaper in Colorado. This gathered a lot of interest because Alden Global Capital hedge fund is known to be quite aggressive in acquisition and has spread its tentacles in the country.

Critics of Alden Global Capital have termed the company as a vampire which has the ability to bleed a newspaper dry, and it has done so a number of times. The management of the company has been criticized for their tendency to maximize profits. The company strongly favors downsizing, and companies such as the Denver Post have made an open revolt against the company.

The merger of Gannett and GateHouse is one of the largest mergers that have been recorded by newspapers. This effort was approved by the European Union and the US Department of Justice. Researchers from the University of North Carolina notice that one in every five newspapers has the name Gannett.

Conclusion

The year 2021 will be a year of optimism. It is hoped that the COVID 19 vaccine is going to reach everyone who is interested in having one. Operation Warp Speed was a watershed moment in the management of COVID 19. With the right strategies, the vaccine will reach all the residents this year.