Page 5 - Mesa Junction News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

As a candidate, Joe Biden made lots of promises for his first 100 days as president. He’s kept many, but not all. It’s also why national polls show a majority of Americans supporting Biden and his expansive agenda. His approval rating stands a few ticks above 50%; not flashy, but a level of backing Trump never achieved his whole time in office. “I don’t think he’s a knock-it-out-of-the-park president,” said independent Ivan Valles, 44, a geographer for a land survey firm who voted for Biden after his preferred candidate, Andrew Yang, failed to win the Democratic nomination. “But...

Pueblo activists came before City Council on Monday to plead their case for the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in the Mesa Junction neighborhood, sparking a contentious conversation about city leadership’s legacy in either protecting or removing the monument.   It is the latest action from the protesters who rallied at the site on Abriendo Avenue for 20 consecutive Sundays last year and began protesting again in March. Ultimately, they want the monument taken down and re-contextualized to give what they say is an accurate depiction of Columbus’s legacy of brutality and oppres...

Despite decreased chances for socialization caused by COVID-19 health restrictions, 2020 was ultimately a deadlier year from a crime perspective than those preceding it in the city of Pueblo. Fourteen homicides were reported by the Pueblo Police Department during 2020, up from 12 homicides in 2019 and up further from a reported eight in 2018. Aggravated assault reports were also up in 2020, rising to 627 reported assaults from 564 in 2019. However, officers reported fewer incidents of using force against a subject. In 2019, a total of 235 response to aggression/resistance reports were filed w...

Collectively 206 men and women are being named “Citizen of the Year” by the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce, and it comes at a time when the city’s police force could use a boost. During the chamber's 110th annual meeting — which can be viewed virtually throughout the weekend — the 2021 Citizen of the Year award will be presented for the first time to a group rather than just one individual. The Pueblo Police Department was nominated for the award for the “tireless commitment to proactive community policing while protecting the constitutional right of those who choose to protest and...

The Christopher Columbus Statue in Pueblo's Mesa Junction was shrouded Friday with a large banner reading "TAKE IT DOWN." The banner was one of a few set by a group of activists in honor of Rita Martinez, a dedicated community organizer and Chicana activist who died Dec. 10 after battling COVID-19 at Pueblo's Parkview Medical Center for 14 days. Her funeral was Friday. "It looks like some people wanted to commemorate my mom, Rita Martinez," Vicente Martinez Ortega said. "(Friday) is the day of her funeral and some folks wanted to commemorate her in their own way."  Martinez was best known...