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Tag: Douglas County

Two courts, one case: Judge to weigh prosecutor removal and child hearsay in Hawkins proceedings
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

Two courts, one case: Judge to weigh prosecutor removal and child hearsay in Hawkins proceedings

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice What began as criminal charges against retired Aurora Police Department sergeant Michael Hawkins has expanded into a dispute spanning two counties and two courts. While Hawkins faces felony allegations involving children, his former wife, Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins, was jailed after declining to follow a reunification therapy order issued during divorce proceedings. Two hearings that are set for February 19th inside a Douglas County District Court could subtly influence the course of People v. Hawkins. The hearings for case 24CR808 begins at 9:00 a.m and 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom C and are expected to be available through the Colorado Judicial Branch livestream.  The morning argument centers on a defense r...
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$4 million-plus in alleged Medicaid ride billing draws federal fraud charges in Colorado
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

$4 million-plus in alleged Medicaid ride billing draws federal fraud charges in Colorado

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado’s Medicaid transportation system operates on a straightforward premise. A ride is provided to a qualified Medicaid recipient. Documentation is submitted. The state reimburses the provider. For thousands of Coloradans, particularly those in rural communities or without reliable transportation — that structure makes routine medical care possible. But federal prosecutors now allege that in two separate cases, the reimbursement model itself was manipulated. Non-emergent medical transportation billing is the focus in the cases that have been filed in U.S. District Court this month regarding providers in Mesa and Douglas counties. The cases involve more than $4 million. On Feb. 10, the U...
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Why Community Standards Matter When Public Venues Market Events as “Family-Friendly”
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FAIR Colorado, Approved, Commentary, Local

Why Community Standards Matter When Public Venues Market Events as “Family-Friendly”

By: Dikki Schober | Commentary, FAIR Colorado Why community standards matter in publicly-supported spaces. Recent controversy surrounding a production of Shrek the Musical at the PACE Center in Parker has reignited an ongoing debate in Douglas County: how should publicly-supported institutions navigate community standards, parental expectations, and artistic expression—especially when events are marketed as “family-friendly”? This discussion is not unique to Shrek, nor is it limited to one performance or one community. In recent years, Douglas County residents have raised concerns about programming promoted as appropriate for families that, upon closer review, did not align with many parents’ reasonable expectations. The Shrek controversy fit...
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Douglas County Commissioners Emphasize Local Control Without New Home Rule Election
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Uncategorized, Approved, Local, The Denver Gazette

Douglas County Commissioners Emphasize Local Control Without New Home Rule Election

By Noah Festenstein | The Denver Gazette The future of Douglas County chasing “home rule” status may not be in the hands of commissioners, but rather by residents who are considering placing the issue back on the ballot, according to one commissioner. Last March, Douglas County commissioners proposed to become a home rule county. The three Republican commissioners asserted that home rule status would allow the county to gain “local control” within a Democratic-controlled state. Commissioners said future efforts to gain local control are still a possibility, despite voters overwhelmingly rejecting the proposal in June. Different from municipal home rule charters, home rule counties are rare in Colorado. Out of 64 counties, only four have adopted home rule: Pitkin...
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Douglas County Sees Political Shift in 2025 After Home Rule Vote and School Board Elections
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Douglas County Sees Political Shift in 2025 After Home Rule Vote and School Board Elections

By Noah Festenstein | The Denver Gazette Douglas County this year failed to achieve home rule status, voters elected a progressive-leaning school board and officials completed a land transfer to build a massive regional sports complex. Home rule campaign fails Douglas County commissioners sought to become a home rule county, but voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposal. The three commissioners argued that home rule status would allow the county to enact its own zoning policies, reorganize county departments or increase the number of commissioners. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Data Breach Fallout Leaves Douglas County Without Full Emergency Alert Coverage As Fire Danger Rises
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Data Breach Fallout Leaves Douglas County Without Full Emergency Alert Coverage As Fire Danger Rises

By Maggie Bryan | Denver7 The Douglas County Sheriff says his office is switching to Rave Alert to notify residents about local emergencies. The sheriff's office ended its contract with CodeRED last month after a data breach. CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — As high fire danger and strong winds are expected along the Front Range on Wednesday, a critical resource used to alert Douglas County residents to emergencies, such as fire evacuations, is in the midst of a transition. Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said his office signed a new contract to provide emergency alerts through Rave Alert, an emergency alert system owned by Motorola. In November, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) terminated its contract with CodeRED, an emergency alert system, after the company ex...
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Douglas County Cracks Down on Retail Theft With New Reporting Rules
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Douglas County Cracks Down on Retail Theft With New Reporting Rules

By: Olivia Young | CBS Colorado Douglas County Sheriff's Office says shoplifting is up in the county, but now county leaders want to crack down on the crime by encouraging businesses to report it. Douglas County Board of County Commissioners, the sheriff and the district attorney gathered Tuesday to reaffirm their support for strict penalties for theft and announced a new ordinance proposal. The ordinance would fine local businesses for not reporting theft. Leaders in Douglas County say the goal is to get corporations to change policies that disincentivize theft reporting. Nancy Schuster has worked at The Colorado Store for more than 15 years. "It's a small family business, so everyone kind of knows everyone, and it's definitely close knit," Schuster said. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CB...
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More Victims Coming Forward as Douglas County Tackles Growing Sex Crime Caseload
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

More Victims Coming Forward as Douglas County Tackles Growing Sex Crime Caseload

By Allie Jennerjahn | Denver7 Sex crimes can range from internet crimes against children, to adult sex assault, and George Brauchler said the county is working to find a solution. DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — District Attorney for the 23rd Judicial District George Brauchler is speaking out about a surge in sex crime cases and why he thinks there's an increase. Sex crimes can range from internet crimes against children, to adult sex assault and Brauchler said the county is working to find a solution. “It's unclear to me if we're seeing an incredible uptick in it, or if because this jurisdiction that has invested so heavily in public safety, including creating subject matter experts in rape cases … if that, in and of itself, hasn't caused an increase in the number of...
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Incoming Progressive Douglas County School Board Sparks Backlash With Early Swearing In
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Incoming Progressive Douglas County School Board Sparks Backlash With Early Swearing In

By Noah Festenstein | The Denver Gazette The new members of the Douglas County school board have already assumed their seats — in “secret,” according to the outgoing president. The move by incoming directors effectively kicked out the four outgoing members early, said the outgoing board president, who accused the new members of being less than transparent. Douglas County voters in November elected a group of progressive-leaning directors, flipping the once conservative Douglas County School District Board of Education.  Elected directors already started their positions before Tuesday’s special meeting, when the board is supposed to be formally sworn in, according to Christy Williams, the outgoing board president. “This action, conducted without transparency, appears to ...
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Families Mourn After Douglas County Crash Leaves Five Dead
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Families Mourn After Douglas County Crash Leaves Five Dead

By Noah Festenstein and Nick Smith | The Denver Gazette A week meant for family gathering around a table has turned into a time of grieving and standing vigil at local hospitals for relatives of victims in a car crash that killed two adults and three children in Douglas County on Monday. The Douglas County Coroner on Wednesday identified the victims in the crash as: Alvin Corado, 35, Toretto Corado, 8, MaKenlee Corado, 11, and Jase Green, 12, all of Colorado Springs. The stolen car suspect, a 31-year-old man from Denver, was not identified by the coroner “at the family’s request.” A week meant for family gathering around a table has turned into a time of grieving and standing vigil at local hospitals for relatives of victims in a car crash that killed two adults and three child...
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