Author: Sage Kelley
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Douglas County Board of Commissioners selects new chairman
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The Douglas County Board of Commissioners will have a new chairman in 2026, but not a new face. Commissioner George Teal was chosen to serve as chairman on Jan. 13 after serving on the board since 2021, according to a news release from Douglas County. The commissioners switch leadership each year based upon a majority…
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Parents still waiting for Jeffco counselor plea deal on sexual assault charge
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A plea deal has been delayed again for the Jeffco Public Schools counselor who allegedly started a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student. Chloe Castro appeared in a Jefferson County District Court room in front of Judge Diego Hunt on Tuesday afternoon. Her defense attorney, Marshall Breit, noted that Castro would likely take a plea…
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Denver ranked 5th in metro areas with highest homeless population, report says
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Denver is one of the major metropolitan areas in the country with the highest homeless population, and affordable housing may not be the main reason why — a new report claims. A new study by the Common Sense Institute found that metropolitan Denver ranked fifth for total number of homeless people among the 50 largest…
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Lakewood zoning petitions deemed sufficient, may lead to special election
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The year-long quarrel regarding Lakewood’s new zoning code is stretching into the new year, with petition signatures potentially taking the issue to the ballot this spring. A nearly 400-page zoning code update was sent to the City Council in February and was officially approved on Oct. 13. It took effect at the beginning of the year.…
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Centennial Airport announces new snow equipment to keep air ambulances in flight
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It may not be a snowy season in metro Denver — yet — but the Centennial Airport is prepared. The airport, which houses multiple aircraft for local hospitals and lifesaving organizations, announced the addition of two “state-of-the-art snow removal vehicles” to its fleet, according to a Thursday news release. The two new vehicles include “advanced…
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Former Arvada teacher arrested for allegedly creating child sex exploitation material
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Boulder police arrested a former Arvada high school teacher for allegedly filming sexual exploitation videos of juveniles and distributing them on various websites. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office arrested 39-year-old Patricio Alejandro Illanes after a four-month investigation by Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab detectives and members of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force,…
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Report: 57 Colorado counties don’t meet herd immunity threshold for measles
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Colorado measles vaccination rates are falling behind other states, leading to a lower herd immunity among children. A recent data analysis by The Washington Post found that Colorado has an 88% herd immunity status regarding the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine between 2023 and 2024 — well below the 95% threshold set by doctors across the country. Ultimately,…
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Jefferson County struck by tragedy; affordable housing issue debated
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There was a plethora of news in Jefferson County in 2025, but the entire state — as well as the country — was appalled by the tragedy that struck the small mountain town of Evergreen in September. On Sept. 10, 16-year-old Desmond Holly entered Evergreen High School with a revolver and fired around 20 rounds,…
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Jefferson County sends out surveys for Hazard Mitigation Plan
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Jefferson County officials asked residents to chime in on potential hazards to their communities to help secure mitigation funding in the future. The county sent out its Hazard Mitigation Plan Survey on Saturday, asking residents to categorize the risk levels of certain natural disasters in their areas. These included floods, severe wind, hail and extreme…
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Proposed Lao Hmong memorial in Westminster shelved
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A nearly $80,000 Vietnam memorial is not coming to Westminster despite being planned for over a decade. City Manager Jody Andrews announced to the City Council on Dec. 15 that the National Lao Hmong Memorial Foundation has decided to relocate its planned memorial away from the city’s Armed Forces Tribute Garden. The memorial was set…