Good morning southern Colorado and here's what you need to know on your Friday, August 7.
If you'd like to read the full story, be sure to click on the story headline.
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El Paso County Health unveils better data for COVID-19 dashboard
While the data and analytics team for El Paso County Health had a trial by fire due to COVID-19, they've delivered a robust product, that's now getting an upgrade. The new dashboard now shows the total number of tests administered (positive and negative), patients who have recovered, hospitalizations, total cases, and deaths.
Many people have come forward with valid concerns over whether they were seeing the complete picture of the pandemic in our region. Thanks to your input, you can now see pinpoint data on where COVID-19 is present and at what rate.
The analytics team says it was input from the public that helped them develop better data, to help you.
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Pueblo hires mediator in hopes of settling Columbus statue controversy
The Pueblo City Council has approved the hiring of a mediator to aid in the ongoing debate over the Christopher Columbus statue. The ordinance was passed on a 5-2 vote.
Thursday night's meeting comes after weeks of protests at the Mesa Junction monument. The protests have cost the city tens of thousands of dollars for the manpower to secure them, and has forced businesses to alter their normal work hours. For instance, the nearby library now closes on Sundays due to concerns about armed individuals attending protests.
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Lawsuit against Woodland Park claims civil rights violations
A lawsuit filed against the City of Woodland Park, the Woodland Park Police Department, Chief Miles De Young, and several officers and city employees identified claims a man's civil rights were violated after he commented on social media about an illegal marijuana grow search.
Delbert Sgaggio's lawsuit says because the city and police department use their Facebook pages as an official means of communication with the public, it is a violation of his First Amendment rights to remove his comments and to prevent him from commenting.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages from the city, and compensatory and punitive damage from the individual defendants
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President Trump signs order banning TikTok, WeChat in 45 days
President Donald Trump says that he has signed an executive order to shut down the use of Chinese-based social media applications TikTok and WeChat in 45 days. However, he's willing to change his mind if an American company buys the platform.
Trump cited privacy concerns for taking the action against the social media networks.
He said in his order that WeChat and TikTok “automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users -- threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information. In addition, WeChat captures the personal and proprietary information of Chinese nationals visiting the United States, thereby allowing the Chinese Communist Party a mechanism for keeping tabs on Chinese citizens who may be enjoying the benefits of a free society for the first time in their lives.”
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We will have a much less active day with no reason for a weather alert under dry skies. Expect high heat across the area in the 90s and triple digits, plus strong sunshine and a downslope wind effect. We'll be breezy tonight as a cold front blows through and we'll stay kind of mild. Follow the link for an expanded look to plan for your weekend.
