Thanks to state taxes, Pueblo County was able to distribute $1.95 million in scholarship funds drawn from excise taxes on marijuana sales.
The funds, titled the Pueblo County Scholarships, were distributed to Colorado State University Pueblo, Pueblo Community College, Pueblo African American Concern Organization, the Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation and the Southern Colorado Press Club.
The funds were distributed as a one-time out-of-cycle award allocation that was deemed necessary to aid in balancing the marijuana excise tax scholarship program account.
The funds are to be distributed to students for the 2021 spring semester and were divided among the institutions based on the applications sent in. The size of an institution as well as academics were weighed in the applications.
Monday marked the beginning of the spring semester for Swallows Charter Academy, and with that 75% of the students returned for in-person learning.
To provide a safe learning environment for the students and staff of the alike, Executive Director Cindy Compton said the Pueblo West charter school is utilizing tactics that proved successful in the first 10 weeks of the fall semester.
Compton said implementing schedule changes, cohorts and other precautions were a large piece of the school’s success in providing in-person learning while easing some of the anxieties staff may feel.
“(Students in) eighth grade and older are cohorted by their math class,” Compton said. “They stay together in the same room all day, and the teachers move from class to class so there is no passing period in the hallway.
No. 1: COVID-19 pandemic
In Pueblo West 2020 was the year of coronavirus concerns which changed everything about day-to-day life and made new heroes for the community.
Frontline workers like medical staff became heroes in the fight against the virus while grocery store employees saved the community from going hungry. Since March, the community has seen shutdowns, stay-at-home orders, outbreaks and quarantines.
While COVID-19 pushed schools to mostly online classes, forced restaurants and bars to do business via takeout and had many employees working from home, things like online meetings became the new normal. In Pueblo West, one local baker whose livelihood was idled by coronavirus concerns Brenda Huffman, owner of Foodhearts Custom Cakes sewed more than 1,500 face masks deploying them to Parkview nurses and anyone else in need of some extra protection.
A holiday miracle came a bit early this year for 63 Pueblo West families struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic as they received much-needed food and toy-laden baskets Saturday.
The Pueblo West Parks and Recreation Department carried out its annual Christmas elf program providing the baskets with a lot of help “from many generous organizations and residents from our community,” said Carol Cosby, director for the parks and recreation department.
The department hosted the giveaway in a drive-through style so that families could stop and get their items safely.
“The annual food and toy drive has been going on for 23-plus years and it is something we look forward to every year,” Cosby said. “It is a lot of work, but the reward in the end is seeing the families’ faces it just melts our hearts. “
Pueblo West land given to Black Hills
For the citizens of Pueblo West the County Commissioner s meeting of December 8, 2020 should be a day of infamy.
Commissioner (Chris) Wiseman and Commissioner (Garrison) Ortiz voted to give land deeded to the citizens of Pueblo West to Black Hills Energy for FREE.
The Wild Horse Creek area was deeded to the citizens of Pueblo West in 1977 by the McCulloch Corporation.
Commissioners Wiseman and Ortiz gave our land to Black Hills Energy without our vote or any kind of payment.
The Pueblo West Metro Board also stood idly by and let them do it. It s just amazing how a large corporation has more power over our elected representatives than the citizens who elect them.