Author: Noah Festenstein

Mike Polhemus and his team at The Rock Church in Castle Rock say all they seek in return for providing shelter is to witness those they help achieve a healthier, more sustainable life beyond homelessness. After a recent settlement with Castle Rock over land use laws, the church, also known as The Rock, is continuing its temporary…

Authorities have lifted an evacuation order for residents in Louviers, a small unincorporated town in Douglas County south of Chatfield Reservoir, after firefighters gained control of two brush fires burned nearby Sunday afternoon. As of 8:45 p.m., the fire is 90% contained after burning 130 acres, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The fire,…

In 2015, roughly 44,000 people moved to metro Denver. A decade later, that number has dropped to about 13,000. The nearly 70% decrease in net migration between 2015 and 2025 holds ramifications for the region’s economy and offers a worrying insight into its ability to compete with peers elsewhere in the country, according to the…

Back home for summer break, former STEM School Highlands Ranch student Ellie Wyse first saw the new street signs along the renamed Kendrick Castillo Way, a reminder of what she described as a tedious mental health recovery process after the tragic 2019 school shooting. The roadway signs, Wyse said, is “just a constant reminder that…

A proposed ordinance in Castle Rock, about 25 miles south of Denver, has met criticism as officials there aim to preserve its small town character by further limiting how tall downtown buildings can be. On June 17, the Town Council asked staff to develop an ordinance to limit new developments to a maximum of four…

Douglas County voters must now decide whether to grant its Republican-dominated county south of Denver “home rule” power three months after commissioners established a special election. With a home rule charter, Douglas County commissioners seek to gain local control and fight against state policies. But whether the majority of its constituents are on board with…

Less than a week away from a special election, questions remain among Douglas County voters on whether its county home rule charter would speak for the residents, not just for commissioners or staff. On Tuesday night, Douglas County officials offered constituents 90 minutes to ask questions in an online Q&A on becoming Colorado’s third home…

Employees at four Colorado Safeway locations went on strike Sunday, forming picket lines after negotiations between their union and the grocery store chain broke down. The labor action, organized by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, began at 6 a.m. Sunday at stores in Estes Park, Fountain, Pueblo, and the Safeway Distribution Center in…