Author: Noah Festenstein

A Douglas County judge on Tuesday ruled that the county’s “home rule” election next month may go on as planned, ruling in a lawsuit filed by three residents claiming the commissioners violated open meetings laws. Douglas County District Judge Robert Raymond Lung said there is no sufficient evidence to cancel or delay the June 24…

Castle Rock town councilmembers Tuesday night approved on first reading a Douglas County landowner’s proposal to annex a 535-acre unincorporated ranch into town for major development, a proposal that has drawn ire from the town and residents for over 20 years. Castle Rock Town Council unanimously approved Pine Canyon Ranch annexation, allowing landowners to move…

Douglas County commissioners’ push for home rule power could result in a change they don’t want: the expansion of the board from three commissioners to five. “Few problems are solved by more politicians,” Douglas County’s Board of County Commissioners Chaiman Abe Laydon said after the public raised the idea at Tuesday’s meeting. A few residents…

After a decade of planning and 15 months of construction, veterans residing near the heart of Douglas County now have access to an exclusive health care clinic in Castle Rock. The new Castle Rock U.S Department of Veterans Affairs health center offers a variety of services for roughly 8,000 veterans residing in the area, including primary care…

The Colorado State Patrol has launched an investigation into who vandalized two cars owned by state legislators outside the Capitol building this week. In a news release Thursday, CSP officials said the vandalism took place on the east side of the Colorado State Capitol parking lot on Wednesday. In the parking lot, two vehicles about…

A former Cherry Creek High School teacher and running coach filed a federal lawsuit against the school district and former colleagues, alleging he was wrongfully terminated after reporting sexual harassment of his athletes and discriminated against for his military status. Craig Clark, currently an active duty military member, coached cross country and track since 2016…

Decades after first attempting to annex their land into Castle Rock, a Douglas County family is poised to do so again in order to redevelop the unincorporated, 535-acre Pine Canyon Ranch. But again, more time is needed. On Tuesday night, without further discussion, Castle Rock Town Council approved to postpone Pine Canyon’s first of two…

A new ordinance in Douglas County enforces new regulations when it comes to commercial or recreational vehicles parking in unincorporated, high density urban areas. During the April 22 land use meeting, Douglas County commissioners approved regulations on commercial vehicles parked on public roads, which the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office argues will enhance safety of nearby…

Douglas County’s commissioners are balking at several proposals at the state Capitol that they said would diminish local control. In a resolution, the commissioners said lawmakers have “repeatedly injected state policies into long-standing matters of local concern, including local elections and land regulation.”  The resolution, which the commissioners approved on April 22, identified four specific proposals…