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Colorado Officials Target Christian Bakery With Heavy-Handed Zoning Rules
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Local, Approved, The Federalist

Colorado Officials Target Christian Bakery With Heavy-Handed Zoning Rules

By Helen Raleigh | The Federalist A cherished French bakery in Jefferson County, Colorado, is facing potential closure because of the county’s harsh enforcement of exclusionary zoning regulations. This situation underscores how overly restrictive regulations create unnecessary hurdles that stifle entrepreneurship, especially when the local economy is struggling. Lookout Mountain, Colorado, is celebrated for its breathtaking views, luxurious homes, and as the final resting place of Buffalo Bill. Just 12 miles from downtown Denver, it has become a must-visit destination for hikers, mountain bikers, and tourists from all over the globe. This charming mountain community has long grappled with one significant drawback: the lack of a quality café. For many years, residents and visitors ...
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Ranger Accused of Creating False Stabbing Emergency Sparks School Lockdowns
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Local, Approved, Fox News

Ranger Accused of Creating False Stabbing Emergency Sparks School Lockdowns

By: Louis Casiano | Fox News A Colorado park ranger who claimed to have been attacked and stabbed has been arrested after investigators determined his story was allegedly part of a hoax that prompted authorities to launch a search and lock down several schools. Callum Heskett, 26, was taken into custody Thursday and charged with attempting to influence a public servant and tampering with evidence, both felonies. He also faces misdemeanor charges of false reporting to authorities, reckless endangerment, obstructing government operations and second-degree official misconduct. Investigators said inconsistencies in his story began to emerge during a probe of the incident. Heskett, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife seasonal ranger at Staunton State Park, radioed at 9 a.m. Tuesday saying...
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Self-inflicted wound leads to hoax investigation at Staunton State Park
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, Local

Self-inflicted wound leads to hoax investigation at Staunton State Park

By Olivia Prentzel | The Colorado Sun After launching a widespread manhunt for a person accused of stabbing a Colorado Parks and Wildlife ranger, officials said Thursday the ranger who claimed to be attacked in Staunton State Park this week was never in any danger.  Callum Heskett, 26, was arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges Thursday for the “elaborate hoax” that sent Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies and other first responders out looking for the attacker, put thousands of residents on alert and placed several schools on a lockdown, the sheriff’s office said.Authorities say Heskett stabbed himself and was airlifted to a hospital after reporting the attack. Heskett, a seasonal ranger at the park, radioed for help at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, claiming he had been attacked a...
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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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Jeffco Kids First report reveals 33 staff misconduct cases in Jefferson County Schools
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories

Jeffco Kids First report reveals 33 staff misconduct cases in Jefferson County Schools

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice An alarming report released by Jeffco Kids First, a grassroots advocacy group led by teacher turned activist Lindsay Datko, has exposed 33 cases of sexual abuse and misconduct by staff in Jefferson County Public Schools since 2022. The article “33 Documented Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Cases in Jeffco Schools” presents a disturbing image of a district with systemic failures.  The data reveals a pattern of misconduct going unreported to the Colorado Department of Education. The scope of abuse: 33 cases and counting Superintendent Tracy Dorland has received pushback regarding the handling of these incidents, with critics citing inadequate communication and insufficient safety protocols. The report documents six ar...
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‘It’s not safe’: Lakewood residents push back on Denver’s growing homeless spillover
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

‘It’s not safe’: Lakewood residents push back on Denver’s growing homeless spillover

By Sage Kelley | Denver Gazette Rising homelessness in Lakewood sparks concern over lack of resources and public safety risks. Timothy Harris stood a block away from West Colfax Avenue in Lakewood, his items methodically packed in a cart, a tent propped up beside him.  Harris, who is homeless but originally from Mesa County, has lived in Lakewood after being in Denver for years. To him, Lakewood offers more safety and accessible open space. "Downtown Denver is kind of scary. It's a little intimidating," Harris said. "There are shootings and crime. But, back home, people freeze or get attacked by animals. There's a difference in death, but it weighs out the same." Chanel Lewis, a homeless woman who has been in the Denver metro area since 2002 and now lives in Lakewood, a...
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A crisis of cradle and classroom: How Colorado’s baby bust is closing schools
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

A crisis of cradle and classroom: How Colorado’s baby bust is closing schools

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado’s classrooms are getting quieter – not because kids are learning, but because there are fewer of them. Across the state, dropping birth rates and shrinking enrollment are forcing schools to close, merge – or sit half-empty. And the trend isn’t slowing down. In May, the Common Sense Institute released a report warning that Colorado’s birth rate has been declining since 2005 and has fallen faster than the national average since 2011. The report projects the state will lose more than 15,000 children under age 18 by 2030 – roughly the equivalent of the entire Thompson R2-J school district. Denver Public Schools is already deep into closures. According to CSI’s analysis, DPS has approved the closure of seven schools and partial restructur...
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Vote of no confidence for JeffCo Superintendent Dorland follows union letter calling it necessary
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Vote of no confidence for JeffCo Superintendent Dorland follows union letter calling it necessary

By Carly Moore | Fox31 JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Tracy Dorland was given a vote of no confidence by a teachers’ union during a meeting Thursday night. Dorland has been in the position since April 2021, but last night the Jefferson County Public Schools teachers’ union said they’re not pleased with the overall direction the district is going. In a letter to the district board of directors on their website, the Jefferson County Education Association Representative Council and Operational Board said the vote of confidence was a necessary step. The letter said that under Dorland’s leadership, there is a disconnect between administration, education and families, and that her leadership has exacerbated tensions and damaged the dis...
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Student safety advocacy group offers summertime tips for relationships with teachers
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Student safety advocacy group offers summertime tips for relationships with teachers

By Greg Nieto | Fox31 News JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — The founder of one of the most prominent student safety groups in Colorado is offering tips for parents this summer regarding safeguarding relationships with their teachers. Lindsay Datko is the founder and head of Jeffco Kids First, which goes by the motto, “Restore, Repair and Rebuild.”   Datko founded the organization in July 2020, during the pandemic. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX31 NEWS
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Former Jeffco high school employee faces sex assault, drug charges
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Former Jeffco high school employee faces sex assault, drug charges

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox31 News DENVER (KDVR) — A former high school staff member in Jefferson County was arrested after a Safe2Tell report accused a staff member of sexually assaulting a student. On Tuesday night, the Lakewood Police Department took James Michael Chevrier, 38, into custody. Chevrier was formerly employed at Green Mountain High School, Bear Creek High School and other schools in the area in recent years. Chevrier is being held in Jefferson County Jail on suspicion of: READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX31 DENVER
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