By Quentin Young | editor
“We have heard residents of Weld County speak out at meeting after meeting about their concerns with the Global AI data center ... Those concerns were not heard, so now we're taking this to the voters. The commissioners had their vote. Now it's the people's turn.”
– Matt Cheroutes, campaign manager for POWER
Global AI is set to create a data center at the former Carestream Health property at 2000 Howard Smith Avenue W in Weld County. (Screenshot from Google Maps)
By Chase Woodruff
A citizens group wants Weld County voters to have the final say on county commissioners’ recent approval of a large data center project near Windsor — and to require voter approval of all such developments in the future. Two petitions backed by the group Protect Our Water and Energy Resources, or POWER, were approved for circulation Monday by the Weld County Clerk and Recorder’s office, the group said. One would force a referendum on the commissioners’ approval. The second would prohibit the county from issuing an occupancy permit to any data center unless “approved by a majority of the registered electors of Weld County voting at a regular or special election.”
Protesters demonstrate against Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the empty Hudson Correctional Center on Sept. 13, 2025. (Photo by Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline)
By Sara Wilson
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser sued the federal government on Tuesday in an effort to stop or delay the opening of a new immigration detention facility in Hudson, alleging that the agencies in charge failed to perform a statutorily-required environmental review or provide information to the public before finalizing the plan.
Former Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith testifies before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 29, 2026. (Screenshot from committee webcast)
By Ashley Murray
Former special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday defended before a U.S. Senate panel his past investigations of President Donald Trump’s possession of classified documents and alleged role in attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. In a heated exchange, Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., labeled Smith a “total dirtbag” and alleged he had perjured himself when Schmitt asked if Smith was in Atlanta on Feb. 3, 2024. Smith said he was not there. But it became clear Schmitt had bungled the accusations against Smith by mixing up the names of the Atlanta Hawks and Iowa Hawkeyes basketball teams, and the back-and-forth went viral on social media.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
| By Sara Wilson
Commentary: Protecting our water means prioritizing local voices | By Randy Willard
Cap on state revenue collection would rise under Colorado ballot measure | By Chase Woodruff
Commentary: Bring transparency back to Colorado courtrooms | By Quentin Young
Racial disparities ground challenge to Colorado Springs off-cycle elections | By Lindsey Toomer
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