Local News

Two Bailey residents accused of stealing hundreds of pieces of mail from residential mailboxes in Evergreen, Morrison, Conifer and Pine have been linked to "several" Jeffco burglaries, according to a statement from the Jeffco Sheriff's Office.

Michael Pantera, 27, and Sophie Shafer, 18, were arrested on suspicion of felony theft Dec. 22 in the 27000 block of Richmond Hill Road with more than 375 pieces of stolen mail, gift cards, cash, and a batch of homemade cookies that had been sent through the mail.

A public hearing on whether the Jefferson County Public Library System should form its own district has been scheduled after more than a year of planning.

The hearing — scheduled for 5:30 p.m. March 11 in Hearing Room 1 at the Jeffco government center — will be an opportunity for county residents to tell the commissioners how they feel about the library becoming its own district. The commissioners could vote on the proposal that night.

The Foothills Park and Recreation District will hold an election May 6 — that much is certain. Whether it will be a mail ballot or a polling-place election is yet to be decided.

Three seats are open on the district’s board of directors. A polling-place election will suffice should Foothills’ leadership decide that those positions will be the only things on the ballot. But the pending decision on whether to put a mill-levy increase on the ballot could change that.

A decision on a rezoning request for The Rock of Southwest Baptist Church — a process that began in late 2006 — will have to wait even longer.

The Jefferson County Planning Commission gave the church an opportunity to adjust its official development plan to account for community concerns by granting a 60-day continuance Jan. 23. The Rock will return March 26 with a submittal that addresses sight corridors, the building envelope and other issues that may stand in the way of its proposed expansion.