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Local News

  • Foothills seeking 3-mill tax hike; at least one resident opposed

    The proposed 3-mill increase being sought by the Foothills Park and Recreation District in May is needed for capital repairs and increased operating expenses, according to district spokeswoman Mary Pat Adams, who has said the district may have to cut services this summer if the tax increase isn’t approved.

    Dennis Weyl, a South Jeffco resident for the last 29 years, doesn’t agree.

    “Frankly, I think they need to tighten their belts and live within their means,” Weyl said. “The rest of us do.”

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  • Make it rain

    SOUTH JEFFCO — When you gotta go, you gotta go. But please, try to find a bathroom. Last week a sheriff’s deputy pulled into a parking lot at South Simms Street and West Brandt Place, and he observed a young man urinating on the sidewalk. Why on Earth would he be urinating on the sidewalk, the deputy inquired. “I’m not sure,” the young man said, adding that he had been drinking at a nearby bar with a friend.

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  • Special commitment: Officers undergo grueling tests to vie for spots on Jeffco SWAT Team

    Members of the Jefferson County SWAT Team couldn’t precisely reproduce the stressful conditions they face in the field for a handful of SWAT Team candidates last week. But they sure gave it a mighty effort.

    Eight candidates from the Arvada Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office were trying out for three spots on the elite squad. The candidates had a general idea of what they were getting themselves into, but had no way of knowing how difficult it would actually be.

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  • Remodel of 2nd-floor civil courts area to yield new courtroom

    A room on the second floor of the Jefferson County Courts and Administration Facility will be converted into a courtroom to make room for an additional district judge at a cost of $574,000 to $684,000.

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  • South Precinct sheriff's captain brings community-oriented focus

    When Capt. Patricia Woodin comes to work every day at the South Precinct of the Jeffco Sheriff’s Office, her focus is squarely on customer service.

    “We’re responsible for customer service,” Woodin said recently in her office. “A lot of government agencies don’t have that take.”

    Part of that approach is providing the “same level of service with a little bit less,” a reference to the fact that the sheriff’s office is dealing with budget cuts along with all other county-funded operations.

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  • Man kills himself in Jeffco sheriff's parking lot

    A man shot himself in the head in the Jeffco sheriff’s parking lot March 17.

    John Mark Bower, 56, shot himself about 2:30 p.m. March 17 in the lower west lot, according to Jacki Kelley, spokeswoman for the sheriff. Deputies responded quickly, and an ambulance transported the man to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

    One witness to the shooting was questioned in an attempt to piece together what exactly happened. Kelley said a weapon was recovered at the scene. Next of kin were notified later in the evening of March 17.

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  • Charges filed in theft from sports association

    Carrie Ann Smith was charged with theft of more than $20,000 and two counts of forgery of checks March 17 in the theft of more than $100,000 from the South Jeffco Sports Association.

    During the time Smith served as office manager for the South Jeffco Sports Association, an audit showed $102,580.65 in misappropriated funds between September 2005 and September 2007. The theft charge is a class 3 felony, and the two counts of forgery are class 5 felonies.

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  • Neighbors oppose development on 170-acre Fehringer Ranch parcel

    The development group that plans to turn a set of empty fields known as Fehringer Ranch into 2 million square feet of office, retail and residential space told a group of angry homeowners last week that the debate about whether the land should be open space is in the past; the question now is the mix of uses it will support.

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  • Public can weigh in on Jeffco's master plan

    Jefferson County Planning Director John Wolforth likes to quote the words of 19th-century architect Daniel Burnham when describing the ideals of his department: “Make no little plans; they have no magic.”

    Wolforth is proud of how “aggressive” the county has become at long-range planning: The planning commission and county staff are working to update the comprehensive master plan, and Wolforth’s department is also implementing a new public outreach program.

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  • Gardens' neighbors hear sour notes: Homeowners not convinced measures will blunt sound from concerts

    Homeowners near the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield are not convinced that repositioning the concert stage and adding landscaping will mean less music filling their ears on summer evenings.

    But Botanic Gardens officials say changing the stage’s alignment — from facing almost directly north toward Chatfield Bluffs homes to facing northeast toward the intersection of C-470 and Wadsworth — should go a long way toward reducing the noise level for area homeowners.

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