Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Douglas County

Lone Tree residents push back on 343-home development proposal
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...
Douglas County sheriff defies Freedom From Religion Foundation after it targeted Grandparents4Kids story hour
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...
Four candidates launch common-sense campaign for Douglas County school board
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...
Denver housing sales tracking at slower pace as inventory hits highest since 2011
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...
A Highland Ranch student’s final act of courage becomes a case for sainthood
The Gazette, Approved, Local

A Highland Ranch student’s final act of courage becomes a case for sainthood

By By Debbie Kelley | The Gazette Many hailed 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo as a hero for trying to stop a shooter at his charter school just a few weeks before he was to graduate in May 2019. But did the STEM School Highlands Ranch senior live a life of “heroic virtue,” before it was tragically ended by a gunman, who also injured eight people? Two priests at St. Mark Catholic Church in Highlands Ranch, which is part of the Diocese of Colorado Springs, believe so. And six years after Castillo was murdered, they’ve initiated a process that they hope will end with worldwide public recognition of how saintly his selfless actions were. Rushing at the shooter and giving other kids time to move away from the gunfire — which was credited with preventing more fatalities — ...
Outsiders Commit Most Crimes in Douglas County Despite Declining Rates
Local, Approved, kdvr.com

Outsiders Commit Most Crimes in Douglas County Despite Declining Rates

By Vicente Arenas | KDVR Fox 31 CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (KDVR) — New information shows there has been a drop in crime rates in Douglas County in the last six months. However, 23rd Judicial District DA George Brauchler said the majority of people committing crimes in Douglas County are from other counties. The DA showed a dramatic video of Castle Rock police trying to capture a man driving a stolen car. The man behind the wheel can be seen trying to get away from officers by driving the vehicle back and forth, as it was pinned between two other cars. The driver is eventually able to speed away but is captured by officers from the Castle Rock Police Department moments later after a loud crash. “My best advice is, follow the freaking law. If you won’t do that, do yourself and us ...
Garbo: Sheriff Darren Weekly is the exception that proves the GOP’s problem
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Local, Top Stories

Garbo: Sheriff Darren Weekly is the exception that proves the GOP’s problem

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In 2022, Darren Weekly wasn’t supposed to win. At least not according to the self-appointed gatekeepers of Republican purity in Douglas County. Branded a “RINO,” derided as “Tony 2.0,” and accused of being soft on Second Amendment rights due to the endorsement of outgoing Sheriff Tony Spurlock, Weekly was the target of aggressive intra-party attacks. The purist wing of the GOP put its full weight behind John Anderson, another outstanding, articulate, and Constitution-minded candidate whose campaign centered on resisting the Red Flag law and defending liberty.  I was among Anderson’s vocal supporters - endorsing, donating, campaigning, and even hosting events on his behalf. But Weekly won. By just over one percentag...
Gilmartin: Attacks on John Adams Academy show what happens when excellence disrupts control
Colorado Politics, Approved, Commentary, Local

Gilmartin: Attacks on John Adams Academy show what happens when excellence disrupts control

By Kim Gilmartin | Commentary, Colorado Politics In response to a recent CoPo column about John Adams Academy Douglas County (JAADC), columnist Paula Noonan’s opinion piece is heavy on rhetoric and light on facts. As a co-founder of JAADC, I am compelled to correct the misinformation and misleading claims for the sake of the public, not the punditry. First, one of the core accusations, that JAADC’s curriculum is outdated, narrowly ideological and dismissive of modern disciplines like science and technology, could not be further from the truth. JAADC’s curriculum includes a full complement of science and math courses grounded in logic, inquiry and observation, which are foundational elements of the scientific method. Classical schools nationwide are not only producing though...