AM
Denver
Friday, January 23rd, 2026
Good morning, Denver. Here's your local news at a glance for Friday, the 23rd of January.
CULTURE NEWS
- ➤ The 120th National Western Stock Show, a 16-day event steeped in family tradition, is set to conclude Sunday, Jan. 25 in Denver. Generational exhibitors have recorded champion wins and promising auction results that may change lives. Denver7
EDUCATION NEWS
- ➤ The Elizabeth School District dropped its appeal Tuesday to remove banned books from school libraries, ensuring the titles remain available for students. A Denver appeals court dismissed the case and criticized the district's late filing — a decision that ends the legal challenge. Colorado Public Radio
- ➤ On Thursday, the largest union of Colorado educators rallied outside the Capitol urging lawmakers to put a measure on the ballot to raise the TABOR spending cap; the proposal would let extra revenue—about $4 to $4.5 billion each year—be directed to funding schools instead of refunded to taxpayers. Denver7
ENVIRONMENT NEWS
- ➤ Vaulted Deep, a Houston-based climate startup, seeks EPA and Weld County approval to build Monarch Fields near Wiggins by drilling eight wells 6,000 feet deep (about 1 mile) to sequester agricultural waste and reduce carbon emissions. The company will host a town hall this summer to discuss the project plans. Colorado Public Radio
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ On Thursday, farm worker advocates and Latino community leaders held a press conference in Denver to express concern over a proposed bill that would raise overtime thresholds from 48 to 60 hours. They urged lawmakers to keep 2021 protections + support fair work standards amid food and labor shortages. Denver7
HEALTH NEWS
- ➤ Good Samaritan Medical Center launched its pilot ACE unit in Lafayette in April 2025 to help older adults stay active and reduce complications. Early results show improved mobility and fewer readmissions (with plans to expand the program across Intermountain Health underway). Denver7
- ➤ Lincoln Community Hospital in Hugo faces rising labor costs and sharp Medicaid cuts that put the only facility serving a 75-mile radius at risk — hospital executives said during a Jan. 20 roundtable with Sen. Hickenlooper, stressing that current funding is insufficient to cover increasing expenses. Colorado Public Radio
- ➤ The state health department confirmed that a child under 5 has died from flu this season, making it the third pediatric fatality since Oct. 1 and prompting experts to urge residents, especially those at high risk, to get a flu shot. Colorado Public Radio
- ➤ At the National Western Center, the Temple Grandin Equine Center uses donated therapy horses such as Chunka Whisper and Buckey to help children with disabilities take first steps and say their first words. Developed with Colorado State University research, the program changed Medicaid law and now faces a wait list of about 300 families. Denver7
TODAY'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
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Reveal the authorAbout AM Denver
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