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‘Handouts don’t help’: How a Colorado county reduced homelessness by 86% in 2 years
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

‘Handouts don’t help’: How a Colorado county reduced homelessness by 86% in 2 years

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette Amid a homeless crisis plaguing Colorado’s most populated city, a county just south of Denver claims to have found an effective solution to curbing homelessness in its communities. In a campaign to mitigate homelessness, Douglas County officials emphasized one simple message: “Handouts don’t help.” They urged residents, for example, against giving money to homeless people on roadways or sidewalks. From 2022 to 2024, Douglas County witnessed a steep drop in homeless people living on the streets, from 43 to six, according to a recent point-in-time count report conducted by several local third party nonprofits. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Boll: Individual rights are trampled in the name of ‘safety’
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Approved, Commentary, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Boll: Individual rights are trampled in the name of ‘safety’

By Laureen Boll | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Imagine the following scenario: you’re at a public park that is fenced off for an event; the host of the event is a non-profit entity that has received a taxpayer-funded grant; and the city police has a large presence with several cars, at least a half dozen police officers, several drones and three snipers on the roof of a nearby building. So where are you? Donald J. Trump rally Pride event If you guessed “B”, you are correct! This was the scene of the PrideFest event hosted by Douglas County Pride (formerly Castle Rock Pride) on Aug. 4 at Salisbury Equestrian Park in Parker.  Per their website, the mission of Douglas County (DC) Pride is to “build a supportive community for LGBTQIA+ residents of Douglas County and s...
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Demonstrators denied entry to Douglas County PrideFest, say it shows event was not inclusive
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Demonstrators denied entry to Douglas County PrideFest, say it shows event was not inclusive

By Olivia Young | CBS Colorado Douglas County PrideFest 2024 was decidedly calmer than last year's event in Colorado. "Everyone I've talked to has said the vibe is significantly more relaxed," said Anya Zavadil, president of Douglas County Pride.  In 2023, PrideFest had to deal with a number of different attacks. Someone vandalized the fairgrounds and several cars, writing the word "groomer." The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says a suspect was never identified and that case was closed. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Paralyzed mountain lion found in Colorado is first case of “staggering disease” in North America
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Paralyzed mountain lion found in Colorado is first case of “staggering disease” in North America

By Michael Booth | The Colorado Sun In May 2023, a homeowner in Douglas County was astonished to find a partially paralyzed mountain lion taking cover between her basement window well and a spruce tree, dragging itself forward with its front paws. The year-old female couldn’t stand up, a phenomenon clear in the video the owner took while safely inside the house. Wildlife officers tranquilized the debilitated lion, then euthanized her with a gunshot to the chest to protect brain cells for a necropsy.  After a year of studying the animal, researchers are declaring her the first North American case of “staggering disease” in a mountain lion, according to Colorado State University veterinarian and former Colorado Parks and Wildlife pathologist Karen Fox. READ THE FULL STORY AT...
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1st Amendment claim of fired Douglas County school employee will be heard by jury
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

1st Amendment claim of fired Douglas County school employee will be heard by jury

By Michael Karlik | Colorado Politics A jury will decide whether a Douglas County charter school fired an employee because of her protected online speech about vaccinations, a federal judge ruled last month. At the same time, U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott T. Varholak determined Jennifer Webb's repeated reports of alleged financial improprieties were not protected by the First Amendment. Consequently, jurors would not evaluate whether Aspen View Academy retaliated against her for raising concerns of embezzlement. Webb was the business manager for Aspen View, an elementary and middle school in Castle Rock, between 2017 and 2021. Her job generally entailed bookkeeping and financial oversight. Webb soon became concerned about financial malfeasance by the school's principal, Robert Barbe...
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Douglas County approves $312K senior transportation services grant, but at less than requested
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Douglas County approves $312K senior transportation services grant, but at less than requested

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette Douglas County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $312,728 grant for providing transport services to seniors and people with disabilities. However, the grant is more than $250,000 less than what the county’s Community Development Department requested for six months ago — thus severely limiting the number of one-way trips provided for people who need the service. Back in January, Douglas County requested $453,000 from the Denver Regional Council of Governments, which is a "planning organization where local governments collaborate to establish guidelines, set policy and allocate funding in the areas of transportation, personal mobility, growth and development, and aging and disability resources," according to its website. Douglas County req...
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Boll: Local media demonizes engaged conservative community members
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Approved, Commentary, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Boll: Local media demonizes engaged conservative community members

By Laureen Boll | Guest Columnist, Rocky Mountain Voice I’m quite close to recent events happening at the Douglas County School Board, given my role as a parent advocacy leader in Douglas County and being a parent of two children whose K-12 years were spent in Douglas County School District (DCSD). Much of my role as a parent advocate is monitoring laws and regulations against the rights of individuals upheld by the U.S. Constitution, and speaking up when it appears that the rights of parents and/or students are being violated by the government, in this case taxpayer-funded schools.  The Douglas County School District recently updated its Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity policy to incorporate a new state statute titled “Concerning Protections for Students Against Discrimin...
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Following backlash, Douglas Co. school board delays discussion, action on trans student policy
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Approved, Douglas County News-Press, Local

Following backlash, Douglas Co. school board delays discussion, action on trans student policy

By McKenna Harford | Douglas County News Following backlash from a group of parents, elected officials and others opposed to updating discrimination policies to include transgender students, the board for the Douglas County School District has indefinitely delayed a vote on the matter.  Proposed changes to the policies would have explicitly prohibited discrimination and harassment against transgender and nonbinary students, mirroring new language in the federal Title IX law as well as a 2023 Colorado law.  Board president Christy Williams said the board received over 100 emails about the proposed changes prior to a meeting on Tuesday night and that she wanted to delay action on the matter to give the board more time to get information about the impacts of ...
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Two Democrats vying for nomination to unseat Douglas County Republican commissioner
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Approved, Douglas County News-Press, Local

Two Democrats vying for nomination to unseat Douglas County Republican commissioner

By Ellis Arnold | Douglas County News-Press Incumbent Douglas County Commissioner George Teal, a Republican, is running unopposed in the upcoming June 25 primary. That places him automatically on the ballot for November, where he will face a Democratic challenger. The question for Democratic voters in the county is: Which one? Angela Thomas and Julien Bouquet are on the party’s primary ballot. Both Democrats are positioning themselves as an alternative to the status quo — to the all-GOP board of county commissioners, which they consider politically extreme. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DOUGLAS COUNTY NEWS-PRESS
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Jeffco GOP chief aims to force vote to remove Dave Williams as Colorado Republican Party chairman
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Jeffco GOP chief aims to force vote to remove Dave Williams as Colorado Republican Party chairman

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics Colorado Republican Chairman Dave Williams faced mounting calls to step down Saturday amid a push by the GOP chair of one of the state's largest counties to oust him from the top party position. "It is an aggressive move, but what Dave has been doing for the past few months is just unacceptable anymore," Jefferson County GOP Chairwoman Nancy Pallozzi told Colorado Politics after launching a petition on Friday to force a vote to fire Williams. "He is not speaking on behalf of the Republican Party. He is speaking for himself," Pallozzi said. Williams told Colorado Politics he isn't going anywhere. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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