Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Weld County

Matt Turner launches 2026 campaign for Weld County sheriff
Greeley Tribune, Approved, Local

Matt Turner launches 2026 campaign for Weld County sheriff

By Trevor Reid | Greeley Tribune Turner, a captain at the agency, has been with the sheriff’s office since 2012 Since 1987, there have only been three Weld County sheriffs: Ed Jordan, John Cooke and Steve Reams. In November 2026, Matt Turner hopes to add his name to that list. “We have a rich history in Weld County of building our sheriffs in the office,” Turner said. “Not seeing that person freaks me out. So I don’t want to say I feel like I have to do this, but I don’t see anybody else. And I want to make sure the sheriff’s office is taken care of.” Turner lists five primary things he plans to focus on if he is elected as the 40th sheriff of Weld County. First, he wants to attack what he believes is at the root of just about every crime: drugs. “All crime has a ...
Victims Urge Accountability as Weld County Ex-Coach Awaits Sentencing in Child Sex Abuse Case
Local, Approved, kdvr.com

Victims Urge Accountability as Weld County Ex-Coach Awaits Sentencing in Child Sex Abuse Case

By Hanna Powers | KDVR Fox 31 WELD COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — A former basketball coach in Weld County has been convicted of sexually abusing multiple players and is now awaiting sentencing. George “JR” Sagner was found guilty on multiple felony counts, including sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust. Prosecutors said Sagner used his role as a coach to groom and abuse players for years. He is scheduled to be sentenced in January and faces a minimum of 12 years and up to more than 100 years in prison. The case began with a Safe2Tell tip in 2022, but court records show allegations stretching back to 2012. During a trial that wrapped up last week, jurors heard weeks of testimony about a pattern of abuse that took place during practices, in cars and at Sagner’s home. ...
Colorado sheriffs warn new gun licensing law threatens constitutional rights
Complete Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado sheriffs warn new gun licensing law threatens constitutional rights

-By Sherrie Peif | Complete Colorado DENVER – A major gun licensing law enacted by the Colorado legislature during the 2025 session is leaving some Colorado sheriffs with a bit of heartburn. Although Senate Bill 25-003 won’t take effect until Aug. 1, 2026, the sweeping changes to how Colorado residents can purchase certain firearms puts the onus on local sheriffs to enforce, but no help with funding of the new state mandates. Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams said all this bill has done is put him in a situation where his constituents think he is helping Democrats enforce a violation of their Second Amendment rights. “They ask me all the time why I just don’t refuse to enforce it,” said Reams, who has previously refused to enforce gun laws enacted during his time as she...
Father and son among six victims of deadly Keenesburg dairy accident
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Father and son among six victims of deadly Keenesburg dairy accident

By Óscar Contreras | Denver7 The Weld County Coroner's Office released the identity of the six people who likely died from lethal exposure to a toxic gas on Wednesday. KEENESBURG, Colo. — The Weld County Coroner's Office on Friday released the identities of the six people killed at a dairy earlier this week, as questions remain about the deadly accident in Keenesburg. Six people, including a high school student and his father, died in what Weld County authorities initially called a “dairy accident” at a dairy at Prospect Ranch. The victims are all male, and their ages range from 17 to 50. Denver7 continues to learn more about the victims of the deadly accident, who were identified as follows. Oscar Espinoza Leos, 17, of Nunn 17-year-old Oscar Espinoza Leos was a student a...
Gas Exposure Suspected After Six Found Dead On Weld County Dairy
Local, Approved, kdvr.com

Gas Exposure Suspected After Six Found Dead On Weld County Dairy

By : Brooke Williams, Heather Willard | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — Six people are dead after what is being described by officials as a “dairy accident” in Weld County on Wednesday. Around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the Southeast Weld Fire District responded to a confined space rescue at a dairy in the 32000 block of Weld County Road 18, which is the location of Prospect Ranch. In a press release on Thursday, the agency said that when crews responded, they prepared to enter the confined space to perform rescue operations. Crews ended up recovering the bodies of six people from the space. Later, the Weld County Coroner’s Office said that all of the victims were male, and that their names and ages will be released after they are identified and next-of-kin had been notified. The W...
Heidi Ganahl Rallies Conservatives at Northeastern Colorado Women’s Event
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories

Heidi Ganahl Rallies Conservatives at Northeastern Colorado Women’s Event

By Drake Hunter | RMV NE CO Newsroom, Rocky Mountain Voice The Greeley Republican Women (GRW) hosted a packed event at Ben’s Brick Oven Pizza in Hudson, Weld County, where former 2022 candidate for Colorado governor and Rocky Mountain Voice founder Heidi Ganahl delivered the keynote address. Stacey Casteel of GRW led the gathering and drew notable attendees, including Weld County Commissioner Perry Buck and State Senator Scott Bright. The venue itself, owned by Ben Skoglund and family, was highlighted by Ganahl as an example of businesses willing to stand firm in their values despite cultural and political pressures. Ganahl opened with humor, but quickly pivoted to the challenges facing Colorado. “Colorado’s kind of a mess right now,” she said, stressing that Weld County remain...
GOP vacancy committee to fill House District 64 seat at September 13 meeting after Armagost resignation
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

GOP vacancy committee to fill House District 64 seat at September 13 meeting after Armagost resignation

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics A GOP House District 64 vacancy committee will meet at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13 to choose a replacement for Rep. Ryan Armagost, R-Berthoud. Armagost recently resigned to take a new job in Arizona. Armagost's resignation is effective Sept. 1. He was first elected in 2022, and in the 2025 session served as minority whip. The vacancy committee will meet at the New Life Church in Berthoud. The meeting will be held in person only and will not be livestreamed. HD64 chair and Weld County Commissioner Scott James said two people have formally announced their intent to seek the seat, and a third is interested. Scott Slaugh of Johnstown is an Army veteran and owner of Fall River Homes. He has filed for the seat for the 2026 election. Col...
Armagost to Step Down: What His Departure Means for House District 64
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories

Armagost to Step Down: What His Departure Means for House District 64

By RMV Staff | Rocky Mountain Voice In a move that marks the end of an era for one of the most outspoken conservatives in the Colorado legislature, House Minority Whip Ryan Armagost announced Monday that he will officially resign his seat in House District 64, effective September 1. A former sheriff’s deputy, gun rights advocate, and steady voice against progressive overreach, Armagost cited personal and professional reasons for his departure. “As difficult as this decision is, it comes at a time when I must prioritize my life, health, and happiness,” he said in a written statement. The lawmaker has accepted a job opportunity in Arizona, where he also plans to relocate his firearms training business and join the board of a national Second Amendment advocacy group. But for those wa...
Friday vigil and fundraiser planned as Weld County mourns teacher killed in tragic car crash
Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Friday vigil and fundraiser planned as Weld County mourns teacher killed in tragic car crash

By Brooke Williams | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — Community members are planning to gather for a vigil in honor of a beloved middle school teacher who was killed in a crash in Weld County. Christine Schwarz, a 57-year-old seventh-grade science teacher at La Salle North Valley Middle School, was one of three people who were killed in a crash on April 30. Colorado State Patrol previously said that the crash happened when a suspected stolen vehicle fled from deputies and crossed over into oncoming traffic on Highway 85 in Platteville. A spokesperson for the Weld County Sheriff’s Office told FOX31’s Vicente Arenas that they are not sure if a pursuit was happening at the time of the crash. Both agencies are investigating. When news broke of Schwarz’s death, classes at the school ...
Hwy. 34 reopens in Weld County after potential pipe bomb investigated during traffic stop
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Hwy. 34 reopens in Weld County after potential pipe bomb investigated during traffic stop

By Jennifer McRae | CBS Colorado Highway 34 was closed in Weld County early Wednesday morning after Colorado State Patrol troopers investigated a possible pipe bomb inside a vehicle during a traffic stop. Shortly after 6 a.m. the highway reopened and the 40-year-old driver was arrested for suspicion of DUI. Just before 1 a.m., state troopers stopped a black 2023 Honda Accord for speeding in the westbound lanes of the highway at mile marker 101. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO