A new tool was launched this month to assist Coloradans facing natural disasters: the Colorado Disaster Recovery Navigation Tool.
The resource was established under the Governor’s Office of Climate Preparedness and Disaster Recovery, which, a press release from the office said, is one of its many investments in proactively addressing the risks of disasters increasing because of climate change.
The centralized tool offers state residents access to guidance, best practices and resources for recovering from a disaster, with information tailored to property owners, renters, landlords, business owners, agricultural producers and the unhoused population.
The resource is broken into three components: ‘My Journey’ offers simple checklists as a “roadmap to recovery;” the Resources section offers a database of searchable services and supports, from document replacement to rebuilding property; the Best Practices section offers “simple guidance and advice to help people through recovery.”
To learn more about the tool or check it out, visit sites.google.com/state.co.us/coloradodisasterrecovery/home.
Colorado’s Legislature passed a bill earlier this month that will remove barriers for Coloradans to pursue civil litigation related to damages incurred by sexual orientation “conversion therapy.”
A press release from the Colorado Senate Democrats said the law is a “vitally important” protection in response to the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling against Colorado’s 2019 ban on state-licensed health care providers, which allows the medically disproven service to return nationwide.
Pending the Governor’s signature, the law will remove a requirement that lawsuits related to conversion therapy are filed within two years of the alleged damages.
The bill will also enable the representative of an impacted individual who has passed away to file a survival action within five years of the represented’s death.
According to a 2024 report from the Trevor Project, approximately 14% of LGBTQ+ youth in Colorado have been “threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy.”
The Red Cross of Western Colorado will host blood drives across the region from May 20-22.
According to a press release from the organization’s regional chapter, the Red Cross supplies more than 40% of the nation’s blood supply through donations.
The first drive will occur at the Gypsum Rec Center, 52 Lundgren Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 20.
The next day, Grand Junction residents will have an opportunity to donate through the city’s West Stake Center, 2542 G Road, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Red Cross will then stop in Eagle County on May 22, where locals can donate through Eagle County Paramedic Services, 1055 Edwards Village Blvd., between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
“Blood is a vital resource that can’t be manufactured, and donations from those here in Western Colorado help save lives, both here and across the country,” Red Cross of Western Colorado Executive Director Christie Caster said.
Individuals interested in donating can book a time by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.
Safe2Tell, Colorado’s anonymous tipline for K-12 students, saw more than 3,000 reports in April — a 19% increase from March.
According to a press release, the growth signals “that students and community members continue to speak up when they see safety concerns or peers in crisis.”
Among those thousands of tips, less than 2% were false reports, and roughly 10% were duplicate reports.
Outliers aside, the most frequently reported concerns were: school safety (18.8%), bullying (16.9%), mental health (15.5%) and substance use (11.9%).
“Safe2Tell continues to see sustained reporting activity at historic levels,” Safe2Tell Director Stacey Scardino said. “All of Safe2Tell’s top 10 reporting months have occurred since spring 2024, and nearly half happened during this school year alone. That trend shows growing awareness of the program and increasing trust from students and communities across Colorado.”