douglas county
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DougCo approves $2M rideshare expansion to Castle Rock
Douglas County commissioners approved a $2 million agreement Tuesday to expand the county’s Link On Demand rideshare service into Castle Rock through a one-year pilot program scheduled to begin later this summer. The Board of County Commissioners approved a Master Services Agreement and an initial Scope of Services Agreement with River North Transit LLC, a…
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Douglas County seeks cost estimates for nuclear feasibility study
Douglas County commissioners on Tuesday directed staff to obtain cost estimates for a feasibility study examining whether small modular nuclear reactors or microreactors could be developed in the county. The discussion came during a work session in which county staff presented additional research on emerging nuclear technologies. “I think the capacity that nuclear energy has…
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Democrat Irene Bonham wins to face Republican nominee for Douglas County commissioner
Democratic voters in Douglas County picked Irene Bonham as their nominee for Douglas County commissioner representing District 1 after she faced no opposition in her party’s primary election. Bonham received 35,653 votes cast in the Democratic primary, according to an early and unofficial tally on Tuesday night. Bonham will now turn her attention to the…
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Colorado Supreme Court says intimate messages irrelevant to assault case
The Colorado Supreme Court decided on June 23 that a Douglas County judge acted reasonably by blocking evidence of a defendant’s BDSM-related conversations with the victim in his trial for assault and false imprisonment. While the Court of Appeals believed that the communications between Donald Louis Gerle and the victim were relevant to proving whether…
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Douglas County water plan entering public review phase
After more than two years of formal work, Douglas County officials are moving into the public review phase of a countywide water plan they say will help guide future development and water resources through 2050. The Douglas County Water Commission recently submitted an updated draft of the plan to county commissioners and is now seeking…
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Douglas County cracks down on illegal scooter, off-road vehicle use
Douglas County joined a growing list of local governments regulating electric scooters and motorcycles, setting standards and penalties for misuse. County commissioners approved an ordinance Tuesday regulating off-highway vehicles and low-powered scooters following broad community support and a presentation from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. More than 200 residents submitted comments on the proposal, according…
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Property owners may access evidence before eminent domain decisions, Colorado justices conclude
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that a Douglas County judge incorrectly believed he lacked the authority to allow a property owner to pursue evidence challenging a government entity’s legal right to take its property through eminent domain. In a June 23 opinion, Justice Susan Blanco wrote that the law does not explicitly provide…
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Douglas County moves to tighten rules on electric scooters, off-road vehicles
Douglas County commissioners advanced an ordinance Tuesday that would significantly expand regulation of electric scooters and off-highway vehicles, citing safety concerns and gaps in state law. The proposed measure, introduced by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, would raise fines for violations from the current $50 under state law to a range of $250 to $1,000.…
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Safe2Tell tip, corroborated details provided grounds to search backpack, Colorado justices rule
The Colorado Supreme Court decided this month that a tip submitted through the state’s confidential school safety system, plus a Douglas County administrator’s corroboration of some details, provided reasonable suspicion to search a student’s backpack for drugs. Someone submitted a tip through Safe2Tell, Colorado’s school safety reporting system, alleging a Chaparral High School student was smoking…
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Colorado Supreme Court to decide whether out-of-state defendant may be prosecuted for in-state crime
The Colorado Supreme Court recently announced that it will decide whether Douglas County prosecutors had grounds to pursue criminal charges against a woman in New York whose conduct occurred outside of Colorado. Erin Brennan and her children lived in New York, and her ex-husband moved to Colorado after their divorce. In 2022, she proposed a…