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Monday, Jan. 05 9 a.m. edition |
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2 More news from the Rockies |
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Community 
Hispanic influx brings bilingual needs to Idaho law officials As Hispanic populations increase in the Treasure Valley, the need for bilingual police officers and social service personnel is increasing, as well. Idaho Statesman; Jan. 5 Denver hopes zoning change will ease housing woes The median price for a home in Denver topped $200,000 in 2003 and city officials are hoping to streamline a zoning process that will allow building of affordable housing on surplus city lots. Denver Post; Jan. 5 County residents fight annexation to Salt Lake City As Salt Lake City's tax rates have increased, so has opposition to annexation in the unincorporated parts of the county; residents see no benefit to paying higher taxes for services they now enjoy for free. Deseret News; Jan. 4 Opponents hope to strike down Arizona immigration proposal Nearly 70 percent of Arizonans surveyed supported Protect Arizona Now, a ballot measure that would deny public assistance to illegal immigrants; its opponents say displaced anger is fueling the support and plans are in place to defeat the plan in November. Arizona Republic; Jan. 4 Tribes
Navajo Nation, cities debate cashing in on gaming Lack of employment, loss of local funds to outside gaming interests and the fear of the predatory effects of gambling are shared by the leaders of the Navajo Nation and two California cities as they decide whether to allow gambling in their communities. First in a series. Farmington Daily Times; Jan. 4 University of New Mexico takes on Indian diabetes The New Mexico Office of Native American Diabetes Programs is in the middle of a five-year, $1.8 million National Institutes of Health study that hopes to pre-empt the effects of diabetes on American Indian women through education and lifestyle changes. Albuquerque Tribune; Jan. 3 Environment
Wyoming ranchers bear the brunt of ESA Ranchers say the Endangered Species Act is simply a tool to drive land-use decisions; state and federal officials say conservation agreements focused on helping at-risk species before they become endangered is a better use of the Act. Casper Star-Tribune; Jan. 4
A draft environmental impact study released last week said that the BLM's proposed two-year cycle of decision-making, coupled with the five-year phase-in time for those decisions, could degrade the health of some rangeland in the short term. Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Jan. 3 Utah Nature Conservancy tallies its success in acres In the past 20 years, the Utah Nature Conservancy has brokered 140 conservation agreements to protect 880,000 acres of land, among them the 5,167-acre Dugout Ranch at the entrance to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. Deseret News; Jan. 4 Politics
New Mexico governor wants clear picture on gambling rehab Gov. Bill Richardson is asking for a gaming regulation change that would make public how the state's horse track and casino operators spend the funds set aside to treat compulsive gambling. Santa Fe New Mexican; Jan. 4 Medicaid cuts high on N.M. governor's list Medicaid costs are expected to cost the state $55 million more this year than last, and the cuts proposed by Gov. Bill Richardson would most affect the elderly and children whose families depend on the program for services. Santa Fe New Mexican; Jan. 4 Legislature
Colorado Legislature gears up for new session Lawmakers say issues such as education, water and transportation will require a bipartisan effort and party wrangling will have to take a backseat, but 2004 is an election year and some say partisan bickering is only going to get worse. Denver Rocky Mountain News; Jan. 3
Economy
Utah economy shows signs of recovery The state will see job growth of 1.1 percent, a considerable improvement of the 0.8 percent loss of jobs in 2002, the worst decline since 1954. Salt Lake Tribune; Jan. 4
Job growth is predicted to hit 1.5 to 2 percent in 2004, but Colorado's economy may be slower to recover than the nation overall, due to the high energy costs and taxes that repels new businesses. Denver Rocky Mountain News; Jan. 3 Bankruptcies up 21.3 percent in Colorado in 2003 Individual filings account for most of the increase and those individuals are facing tougher restrictions that require them to pay off more of their debt obligations. Denver Post; Jan. 4
insight and analysis
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News is a project of the Center for the Rocky Mountain West
at the University of Montana. |
