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More than two months of local cheer-leading and a social media campaign that included help from Gov. John Hickenlooper and even “Miles” the Denver Broncos mascot, Pueblo edged past Williamsburg, Va., to win the Leslie B. Knope Award, named after actress Amy Poehler’s character on the NBC show “Parks and Recreation,” which distinguishes the winner the best in the country.

Last week, Pueblo trailed by more than 1,000 votes through Thursday, but was able to pull ahead by 4,000 votes Friday and never looked back.

“This is just an awesome thing for Pueblo and we have really been overwhelmed with all of the support and kind words about our library district and the community,” Midori Clark, director of community relations for the library district said Monday.

“Pueblo already has so many great things in it. It’s nice to know that we will also now be known for having the best public library and it’s something we can all take a lot of pride in.”

Learn the final tally results and read the full article here!

WASHINGTON — The outdoor recreation industry accounted for an estimated 2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product last year — with $374 billion in economic activity — according to a government report out Wednesday.

“We’ll be able to show that we have government-backed data that talks about the importance of investing in recreation,” said Amy Roberts, executive director of the Boulder-based Outdoor Industry Association.

That comes into play, she added, when policymakers are considering “whether to allow mining or whether to allow energy exploration or whether to set aside an area for recreation.”

“Outdoor recreation is a driving force behind Colorado’s economy, which is why this report is so important,” said [Republican U.S. Sen. Cory] Gardner in a statement. “I look forward to reviewing the findings and know this data will be used by industry leaders and policymakers moving forward.”

Read the full story here!

The U.S. added 200,000 jobs in January, continuing the trend of steady job growth for another month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday.

That means the economy has now added jobs for 88 months in a row. Average hourly earnings rose by 9 cents to $26.74, with a year-over-year growth of 2.9 percent — the highest rate of growth the BLS recorded since June 2009.

The rise in employment was driven by the construction industry, restaurants, health care and manufacturing, all sectors that added jobs last month.

NPR has the full article.

By the end of 2017, U.S. utilities were generating 89,077 megawatts of electricity from wind turbines. Of that, 3,104 MW were generated in Colorado.

Colorado ranks higher as a developer of wind energy technology. The state has 17 manufacturing facilities including the Vestas blade and turbine plants in Northern Colorado, according to the report. Those manufacturing facilities place the state fourth among the states in wind energy employment with between 6,000 and 7,000 jobs either directly or indirectly in the industry.

About 17 percent of the electricity consumed in the state comes from wind power, the report said.

Read full article that mentions PEDCO member Vestas here!

Photo courtesy of B. Rivera

“US News and World Report lists Colorado in the top ten states for percentage of residents employed.  The periodical lists Colorado as having the second most job growth in the country and among the best suited for the ‘new economy’. Factors taken into consideration include growth of companies, a highly educated workforce and the number of inventor patents held by companies in the state.”

Colorado’s economy is bolstered by the growth and expansion of Outdoor Recreation, hemp, and energy. Read the full article here and learn more about how the different economic regions bring more people to Colorado each year and maintain jobs!

The renovation was presented to the public Tuesday to thunderous applause — and even a few howls — from school officials, staff, students, elected officials and the public. They crowded into the new facility’s “Great Hall” for a grand opening and re-dedication. Students were seen going about their business in the facility in the beginning of this new semester.

Associated Student Government President Jake Harmon thanked student leadership involved in the project. “Without your leadership — the student leaders — we wouldn’t be where we are today,” he said. “This is an amazing facility … It’s fantastic to finally see it all come to fruition.”

Read full article on The Chieftain!

U.S. manufacturing expanded in December at the fastest pace in three months, as gains in orders and production capped the strongest year for factories since 2004, the Institute for Supply Management said on January 3.

The group’s factory index climbed to 59.7 from 58.2 a month earlier.

The gauge of new orders advanced to 69.4, the highest in nearly 14 years, from 64.

The acceleration in bookings indicates production will remain robust in coming months as factories race to limit mounting order backlogs amid declining customer inventories. Increasing export orders underscore improvement in global markets.

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