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Local News

  • Jeffco one of two counties to bill Park County for help with snow disaster

    Jefferson and El Paso were the only two counties to bill Park County for assistance during a recent spate of snowstorms and high winds that spurred Parkco to declare a disaster, according to a Park County official, but Jeffco’s bill may be a simple misunderstanding.

    Larry Benshoof, director of Jeffco's Road and Bridge Department, said the charges Park County is referring to were not intended to be billed to Park County; rather, Jeffco officials expected a state emergency management fund would cover the costs.

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  • McCasky aims to remain focused on the issues

    If elected to a second term as county commissioner, Kevin McCasky said he'll be focused on infrastructure projects, including completing "the beltway."

    "It is critical for both transportation and mobility elements and planning to complete the beltway, to extend the Northwest Parkway through Jefferson County," McCasky said. "I believe it's critical for transportation purposes and significant economic benefits to all of Jefferson County in the next 30 years. It's critical to complete that connection as soon as possible."

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  • Jeffco dysfunction takes center stage at trial

    While scandal is a subjective term, Mark Paschall’s trial on charges that he solicited a kickback from an appointee once again opened a window on the strange doings and apparent dysfunction that have plagued Jeffco government over the past decade.

    Paschall, Jeffco's elected treasurer from January 2003 to December 2006, was found not guilty Feb. 15 on one of two felony charges. He'll be back in court Feb. 28 to see if the Jeffco DA wants to pursue the second count from his indictment.

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  • Driver in fatal head-on collision believed to have been drunk

    A man was drunk when his vehicle crossed into the opposite direction of travel Saturday morning and struck another car head-on, killing the woman inside, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

    Martin Lewis, 63, of Lakewood sustained minor injuries in the accident, but Malissa Coenen, 43, of Englewood was pronounced dead at the scene. Lewis was traveling north on Wadsworth and drove into the southbound left turn lane of Wadsworth at Jefferson Avenue, according to the State Patrol, slamming head-on into Coenen's 1995 Chevy Lumina.

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  • Bane officially kicks off campaign to unseat McCasky

    Mom and Dad came in with a box full of food. The woman who owned the home scrambled around, preparing for an unknown number of guests, putting out soda and wine, beer and water.

    If you had stumbled into Leona Lawrence’s Golden home on Feb. 12, you would have thought that a family and a few friends were preparing for a birthday party or some other celebration.

    It was a celebration, indeed, and it was a birthday of sorts, as Jason Bane’s campaign to unseat District 2 Jeffco Commissioner Kevin McCasky was officially born.

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  • Paschall found not guilty of soliciting kickback

    More than a year after being indicted in an alleged kickback scheme when investigators produced a recording that seemed to suggest guilt, former Jeffco treasurer Mark Paschall was found not guilty of one of the felony counts he was facing.

    The second count — compensation for past official behavior — left the jury deadlocked, and lawyers will come together at 8 a.m. Feb. 28 to determine if that charge will be retried or dismissed.

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  • School district weighs putting tax hike on November ballot

    Jeffco Public Schools is in early discussions regarding a possible bond issue and tax increase on the November ballot.

    Superintendent Cindy Stevenson said the district has begun talking about the idea of a bond and mill levy with its staff and the public. The decision ultimately lies with the school board, which has until August or September to move forward.

    “I would say there’s a likelihood we will, but the decision has to be formalized by the Board of Education,” Stevenson said.

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  • Paschall trial in the hands of jurors

    On Wednesday, the political appointee at the center of accusations that former Jeffco treasurer Mark Paschall solicited a kickback testified that she was the one being set up, not him.

    Testifying at the second day of Paschall’s trial on theft charges in Jefferson County court, Redmond said Paschall, her boss, offered her an $18,000 bonus in December 2006 on the condition that she give him a half.

    "I was the one being set up," said Kathy Redmond. "I was trying to find a way out."

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  • Paschall claims 'payback' as his trial begins

    Former Jeffco Treasurer Mark Paschall — on trial on two felony counts related to an alleged kickback scheme — will argue that Commissioner Jim Congrove set him up in a case of political “payback,” according to opening statements in Paschall’s trial.

    “This case is not about a kickback,” said David Lane, Paschall’s attorney. “It’s about a payback.”

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  • Neighborhood works to foster sense of pride

    A trip through the Columbine West neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon finds families playing at the Dutch Creek Elementary playground, couples walking their dogs and neighbors enjoying a quiet day.

    Nestled north of West Coal Mine Avenue and east of South Wadsworth Boulevard, Columbine West is a mature neighborhood where many residents have stayed after raising their families. And the sense of community is genuine, as those involved with the neighborhood’s civic association work to keep a close-knit feeling.

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