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Castle tow truck driver receives 16 year prison sentence for auto theft scheme
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Castle tow truck driver receives 16 year prison sentence for auto theft scheme

By Sydney Isenberg | DENVER 7 The 23rd Judicial DA's Office confirmed to Denver7 that sexual exploitation of a child/possession of child sexual abuse material charges against Brian Chacon were dropped as part of a plea deal. DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A Castle Rock tow truck driver was sentenced to 16 years in prison for orchestrating an auto theft scheme that spanned across the Denver metro area. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said its investigation began in December 2023 after a detective with the Auto Theft Unit was assigned a stolen vehicle case. The detective later learned that the case may be related to several incidents involving Eagle Wing Towing. According to the 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office, between April 2023 and February 2024, Brian Chacon, 34, owner o...
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Why the Douglas County School Board Election on November 4th  Matters More Than Ever
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, Local, Top Stories

Why the Douglas County School Board Election on November 4th  Matters More Than Ever

By Andy Jones | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice As the leaves turn in Douglas County, so does the page to another pivotal moment in our community's story: the school board election on November 4, 2025. For parents juggling carpools, teachers fine-tuning lesson plans, and students eyeing college applications, this vote might feel like just another item on a crowded ballot. But in a district that has clawed its way back from the depths of COVID-19 disruptions to become a beacon of educational excellence, the stakes couldn't be higher.  The Douglas County School District (DCSD) led by a conservative majority, has engineered a remarkable turnaround since 2022, with soaring graduation rates, top-tier test scores, and innovative programs that are the envy of the state. Yet, thi...
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Douglas County outrage grows after judge hands out probation in violent crime case
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Douglas County outrage grows after judge hands out probation in violent crime case

By: Allie Jennerjahn | Denver7 District Attorney for the 23rd Judicial District and stalking victim "outraged" over judge's decision to only sentence stalker to probation CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — A Douglas County judge is under fire for two separate probation decisions she’s made in just one week. District Attorney for the 23rd Judicial District George Brauchler told Denver7 he’s “outraged” by the ruling, but he never specifically said who the judge was. “I don’t think judges exist in this jurisdiction to do what the DA says. That doesn’t make sense. I don’t think that [ruling] protects defendants appropriately either,” Brauchler said. “My respect for the bench doesn’t mean that I like all of their decisions, and in this particular case, I think this one is too risky for the p...
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DA Slams Court Over Probation Sentence For Convicted Stalker
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kdvr.com, Approved, Local

DA Slams Court Over Probation Sentence For Convicted Stalker

By Maddie Rhodes | KDVR Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — Prosecutors are speaking out after a Douglas County judge decided to sentence a man convicted of assault and stalking to probation. The 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office said Taylor Wayne Burrows, 31, of Lakewood, was convicted of assault and stalking. While the victim and prosecutors were looking for a prison sentence, the district attorney’s office said the judge sentenced him to probation and told Burrows to “work on his demons.” This comes after Burrows was convicted of assaulting his former fiancée, Aubrey Cadwell, in 2023 in her Highlands Ranch home. Burrows accused Cadwell of cheating on him, then strangled her before she could escape to a neighbor’s home. Burrows was arrested, then in 2024, he strangled another person in...
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Deputies sound alarm over risks of ‘Senior Assassins’ student game
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Fox31, Approved, Local

Deputies sound alarm over risks of ‘Senior Assassins’ student game

By: Jacob Factor | FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday issued a “public safety announcement” warning the community of the risks associated with a high school tradition after two “alarming” calls of students playing “Senior Assassin.” The game, in which high school students—typically seniors—hunt for at “shoot” each other with sometimes realistic-looking water or toy guns, has been the subject of many law enforcement warnings around the country and has even led to students being shot by police or injured while playing.Police across US issue warnings about ‘senior assassin’ game: What is it? The sheriff’s office, in a Facebook post and video, detailed the two incidents that happened earlier this month related to the game. “...
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Douglas County water future tied to $2.75M in federal budget
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Douglas County water future tied to $2.75M in federal budget

By: Noah Festenstein | The Denver Gazette Select Douglas County water districts are poised to receive up to $2.75 million combined for projects dealing with sustainable drinking water or new pipelines. That’s on top of $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding already allocated for a wastewater project in northwest Douglas County. Back in May, U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, had requested $9 million in federal funding for the Louviers Water & Sanitation District’s drinking water distribution replacement and Castle Rock Water’s Plum Creek to Reuter-Hess Reservoir pipeline projects. On July 22, the federal House Appropriations Committee advanced a bill that included $1.75 million specifically for Castle Rock’s project. The panel also a...
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Lone Tree residents push back on 343-home development proposal
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Fox31, Approved, Local

Lone Tree residents push back on 343-home development proposal

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — Many locals are worried about open space land after the city of Lone Tree announced a proposal to build hundreds of homes on land west of Interstate 25. The City of Lone Tree Government said staff are currently reviewing a proposal from Brookfield Residential and RidgeGate Investments for the “Mesa Tops” residential project, which would build a 343-home neighborhood on 392 acres of mesa land on the southern edge of Lone Tree.Traffic backs up after 80K pound construction equipment falls on I-25 The city posted the plans on Facebook for a residential project west of I-25. While this plan is currently just a proposal, many locals have already raised some concerns about the potential development in Lone Tree. The city said this project...
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Douglas County sheriff defies Freedom From Religion Foundation after it targeted Grandparents4Kids story hour
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Local, Top Stories

Douglas County sheriff defies Freedom From Religion Foundation after it targeted Grandparents4Kids story hour

By Steve McKenna, Grandparents4Kids Board Member | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice A funny thing happened on my way to my 60s. Concepts of tolerance my parents, teachers, and others taught me as a child evolved. In the 1960s, tolerance meant accepting others, not persecuting them because they were different from you or your friends. Now, in my 60s, it seems more about persecuting those who fail to tolerate to the satisfaction of a bullying minority of ideologues. Case in point. To celebrate “See You at the Library” on July 16, Grandparents4Kids, a nonpolitical group I am fortunate to be a part of, planned to have Douglas County Deputy Sheriff read Kevin Sorbo’s book “The Test of Lionhood” at a story hour presented at, but not sponsored by, the Highlands Ranch library. The book...
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Four candidates launch common-sense campaign for Douglas County school board
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories

Four candidates launch common-sense campaign for Douglas County school board

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Platform centers on academic excellence, parental rights, teacher support and protections for female athletes In Douglas County, a new slate calling itself Common Sense DCSD is stepping into the school board race. The group — Matt Smith, Keaton Gambill, Dede Kramer and Steve Vail — says the district’s future depends on keeping academics and safety at the forefront. They argue that balanced leadership has helped produce high test scores, a strong graduation rate and standout career training programs, and they want to carry that momentum forward. Smith, a former sheriff’s deputy, military veteran, global IT leader and father of a Douglas County student, said his goal is to keep the district centered on students.  “I’m running for school...
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Denver housing sales tracking at slower pace as inventory hits highest since 2011
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Denverite, Approved, Local

Denver housing sales tracking at slower pace as inventory hits highest since 2011

By Andrew Kenney | Denverite There were 14,000 single-family homes, condos and townhomes for sale around the Denver metro at the end of July.  That meant homebuyers had more options than at any time since 2011 — though it was only a slight increase in inventory from the month before, according to the latest report from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors. Housing inventory is piling up because homes are selling more slowly. Just a few years ago, most homes were selling in under a week. But the typical single-family home now takes 20 days to sell, and some sit around much longer.  The DMAR report covers 11 counties around Denver, including Boulder, Jefferson, Douglas, Adams and Arapahoe. The slower pace of sales also gives buyers more time and leverage to ask...
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