Arapahoe Community College Receives Historic Gift Of Up To $10 Million from Sturm Family Foundation
State-of-the-Art Sturm Collaboration Campus Will Establish Industry-Aligned Higher Education Model Castle Rock, Colorado (March 15, 2019) – Arapahoe Community College (ACC) has received a gift of up to $10 million from the Sturm Family Foundation, the largest in the history of the 13-institution Colorado Community College System. A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY With an over $5 million match opportunity, bringing the full potential of the gift in excess of $15 million, the funding will be used in its
Community invited to celebrate March 21 Chick-fil-A opening in Castle Rock
Community invited to celebrate March 21 Chick-fil-A opening in Castle Rock Up to 100 guests to earn free year of Chick-fil-A meals by participating in unique March 20 Road Trip event CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (March 21, 2019) – Chick-fil-A will open its second Castle Rock restaurant on March 21, locally expanding its handcrafted food and award-winning customer service, commitment to community engagement and hands-on mentoring for nearly 90 newly hired Team Members. Local franchise owner and Operator Joe
Under The Dome, Week 10, 2019
Highlights of the Week This week, the Joint Budget Committee began setting the budget for the larger departments including the Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing which runs the state’s Medicaid program, K-12 education in the Department of Education, and the state’s behavioral health programs in the Department of Human Services. Under the Dome, there were several late nights in committee debating newly introduced, controversial bills and the legislature finally reached the halfway
Under the Dome, Week 9 (2019)
Highlights of the Week On Monday, the House Energy and Environment Committee met to discuss a bill to distribute plastic straws only upon request in restaurants and a second bill to extend and modify Colorado’s innovative vehicle tax credit. HB 1143, Distribute Plastic Straws Upon Request Only, was brought by the Colorado Restaurant Association in an attempt to get in front of a potential full plastic straw ban. However, environmental groups testified in committee that the bill did not go far enough
Strength of U.S. Economy Bodes Well for Colorado
The United States economy is performing better than realized; which bodes well for the Colorado economy. In December when economists were preparing their annual forecasts, the equity markets were in turmoil. As a result, some economists predicted doom and gloom for 2019, some thought the sky might be falling, and a few predicted the economy would be okay. This month’s economic analysis takes a deeper dive into the U.S. economy as a way of understanding what lies ahead for Colorado. It provides
Under the Dome, Week 8 (2019)
Under The Dome, Week 8 Highlights of the Week Two high priority bills for Democrats saw lengthy hearings this week and, in each case, moved ahead. SB19-085, Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, combines several policies from attempts in previous sessions to address the wage disparities based on sex. HB19-1177, Extreme Risk Protection Order, or the Red Flag bill, was heard in committee on Thursday late into the evening. The bill would create a temporary order to remove and restrict access to firearms
Fire Fighting Funds Awarded to Douglas County Rural Fire Districts
$100,000 in federal monies will fund training, supplies and equipment Published on February 12, 2019 in 2019, Breaking News & Personal and Public SafetyPhoto Caption: Jackson 105 Volunteer Firefighter and EMT-B Ryan Smedra checks equipment necessary to fight wildland fires in the national forest. New equipment will be purchased with federal PILT monies the Fire District received from Douglas County. Five rural Douglas County fire protection districts that respond to incidents in the Pike National Forest
Under The Dome, Week 7 (2019)
Highlights of the Week HB19-1174, Out-of-network Health Care Services, and SB19-134, Out-of-network Health Care Disclosures And Charges, are two bills to require disclosures about out-of-network care to patients and to sets rates of reimbursement to providers and facilities for services provided that were out-of-network. Recent years have seen bill to address this issue fail, but bi-partisan support has brought the issue back to the forefront this session with insurers/consumer groups supporting
Under the Dome, Week 6 (2019)
Highlights of the Week On Tuesday, Perry Will was appointed to the last vacant House seat. The House District 57 seat was left open when Senator Rankin was appointed to the Senate to replace Senator Randy Baumgardner, who recently resigned from his position. Representative Will spent 40 years of his career working for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, most recently as a supervisor. Senator Rankin’s wife, Joyce Rankin, was one of the contenders for the vacancy. This is the first week of the session where
Mixing Old With New in Historic Downtown Castle Rock
Rapid growth in suburban community has not affected its identityBY KEVIN TILSON Published: 2019.01.24 03:00 PM A Castle Rock building that dates back to 1918, the B&B Café, was once the site of an infamous gunfight where a fugitive shot and killed the Town Marshall. A bullet hole from the gunfight can still be seen in the café’s tin ceiling, reminiscent of Castle Rock’s rich western history. The streets of Castle Rock are lined with historic structures with stories of their own about
Under the Dome, Week 5 (2019)
Highlights of the Week This week at the Capitol the perennial bill to take Colorado off of daylight savings time died in Committee, the building was filled with members of the public on Wednesday to testify on a bill to update Colorado’s comprehensive sex education requirements, and legislation to create a program to import drugs from Canada passed its first committee. On the Senate Floor Monday, there was a lengthy debate about SB19-042, National Popular Vote. The bill would enter Colorado into an
Under the Dome, Week 4 (2019)
Highlights of the Week It was a busy week under the gold dome with a filibuster on the Senate Floor, several health bills moving forward in committee and on the floor, and Governor Polis signing his second executive order to create a new state office. A lively debate took place on the House Floor this Wednesday about SB19-039, Interdistrict Transportation of Students. The bill would remove language from a section of statute created last year by HB18-1306, Improving Education Stability for
Political Advocacy Update from Chamber President, Pam Ridler
The Douglas County Business Alliance is in full swing and monitoring legislation that affects business. Today we took the following positions on these bills:HB 1008 - Include Career and Technical Education in Building Excellent Schools Today Program (Support)HB1013 - Child Care Expenses Tax Credit for Low Income Families (Support)HB1096 - Colorado Right to Rest (Oppose)SB5 - Import Prescription Drugs from Canada (Oppose)SB6 - Electronic Sales and Use Tax Simplification System (Support)SB34 - Local
Castle Rock celebrates community successes through annual report and video
The start of a new year often brings a mix of reflection and anticipation. The Town takes great pride in looking back on community accomplishments, while planning for the year ahead. Several major accomplishments from 2018 include: · Opening Fire Station 152 in Crystal Valley, and adding 12 new Fire staff positions · Reconstructing Meadows Parkway and installing new traffic signals · Beginning to receive WISE water in the Town’s journey toward a sustainable
Ridler Graduates from U.S. Chamber Foundation Education and Workforce Fellowship Program
Fellowship Provided State and Local Chambers with Opportunities to Engage Nationally on Critical Education and Workforce Issues WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation today announced Pam Ridler, President/CEO of the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce graduated from its premier business leadership program. The inaugural Business Leads Fellowship Program trained and equipped leaders from state and local chambers of commerce with resources, access to experts, and a network of peers to build
Under the Dome, Week 3 (2019)
Capitol will be closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Day DCBA bill tracker: https://bit.ly/2SDrzzp Highlights of the Week On Thursday, Governor Polis signed an executive order containing directives to create a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Program, to use Volkswagen settlement dollars to electrify the state’s fleet of vehicles, to form a Transportation Electrification Workgroup, and to develop a clean transportation plan. Under the Executive Order, the Colorado Department of
Colorado Economic Growth Will Taper off in 2019
From an economic perspective, 2019 is going to be an interesting year. The 2019 cber.co economic forecast projects that momentum from 2018 will carry into 2019. There will be solid growth in the first half of the year followed by slower growth in the second half. There is more downside risk than upside potential. A few of the things to watch for in 2019 are:The slowing in the global and U.S. economies will be felt in Colorado.Colorado will add 61,000 jobs in 2019.The economy is operating inefficiently
6 Popular Misconceptions About the Chamber That Could Be Limiting Your Business
Chamber membership is good for business because it influences the community's perception of you. However, many business owners don't know exactly what the chamber does and so they don't take advantage of the help and resources it offers. For a minimum investment, the chamber can help your business grow in ways that may be difficult for you to do on your own. But if you believe these popular chamber misconceptions, you've likely put off joining and that could hurt your business. 1.Membership Costs a Lot
U.S. Chamber Awards Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce with 4-Star Accreditation
U.S. Chamber Awards Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce with 4-Star Accreditation The United States Chamber of Commerce today awarded the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce with 4-Star Accreditation for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the community. “Business leaders are a critical voice in conversations about promoting economic growth and job creation in their communities.” said Raymond P. Towle, IOM, CAE, U.S. Chamber vice president of Federation Relations and
Community Recognition
Castle Rock is a top Town The numbers, facts, research and databases help tell the story residents live every day - Castle Rock is a great place to be. In fact, our Town ranks among the best both locally and nationally, according to a variety of national publications and studies.Money Magazine: Top Place to Live Money magazine recognized Castle Rock in its top places to live in 2011, 2012 and 2014. Most recently, Castle Rock ranked in the Top 10, coming in at No. 4. Narrowing the list is difficult, of
