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The I-70 Scout & Eastern Colorado News

Author: I-70 Scout

  • ArapCo seeks applicants for Citizen Redistricting Advisory Committee

    LITTLETON — Arapahoe County will redraw boundaries for county commissioner districts in 2023.

    To assist with the process, the county is seeking residents to serve on a Citizen Redistricting Advisory Committee that will help solicit public input and feedback and help draw proposed at least three draft district maps for consideration by the Board of County Commissioners. The process will last 10 months, from December 2022 to September 2023.

    Serving on a county committee can be a rewarding process. Applicants should be aware that committee members are expected to hold themselves to a high standard of privacy.

    Time commitments and a complete list of requirements are below. To apply, visit arapahoegov.com.

    Background

    Under state law, boundaries for county commissioner districts must be redrawn every 10 years based on the most recent U.S. Census. Because of a nationwide delay in states receiving the 2020 data, the Colorado State Legislature delayed the process for counties until 2023 to allow time to analyze it and prepare to redistrict. The new districts will be in effect for the 2024 election.

    Nine members are required for the committee: Three Democrats, three Republicans and three unaffiliated voters. Their voter registration must not have changed since the 2020 General Election, and all committee members must be Arapahoe County residents.

    Applicants will be interviewed by the Board of County Commissioners and selected based on:

    • party affiliation;

    • civic interest;

    • willingness to listen to, respect and understand diverse viewpoints;

    • experience working with others to reach outcomes or decisions;

    • commitment to a fair and equitable process;

    • geographic and demographic diversity; and

    • commitment to attending all meetings as required by law.

    Time Commitment

    • Limited, 10-month appointment  from December 2022 through September 2023;

    • monthly meetings (60-90 minutes each), beginning in December;

    • potential for bi-monthly meetings (60 minutes each), if necessary;

    • a minimum of three public engagement events over 10 months (60-90 minutes each); and

    • unless otherwise specified, applicants should expect to attend all meetings in person.

    Role and Responsibilities

    Consistent with state statute, commissioners create and present at least three proposed county commissioner district maps to the county commissioners for consideration. They must:

    • understand requirements, data and context to make recommendations;

    • provide input and direction to staff to draw initial maps for consideration in open meetings;

    • provide input on the proposed public engagement plan in open meetings;

    • participate in open advisory committee meetings;

    • advocate for resident engagement in the process;

    • review public feedback and provide direction to staff on incorporating the input into map revisions;

    • present recommendations to the county commissioner in open meetings;

    • recognize that members cannot engage in any discussion of this process with anyone outside of the established public process. Any discussions, “side conversations,” or requests for feedback cannot occur with any elected officials, political party officials, peers, staff or colleagues on this topic outside of scheduled public meetings;

    • conduct oneself in accordance with group norms;

    • recognize that all work is subject to Colorado Open Records Act requirements, including correspondence, work product and communications between and among colleagues and staff; and

    • be willing to submit to a background check.

  • Shots fired into multiple homes; Investigators asking for tips

    CENTENNIAL – Arapahoe Sheriff Investigators are asking for the public’s help in trying to find the person(s) who fired gunshots into multiple homes in Centennial. It happened around 8:30 p.m. on September 18, 2022. Dispatchers received reports from multiple callers about shots being fired near E. Progress Cir. and S. Flanders Ct. in Centennial. One person who called 911 said they heard five shots being fired, then a vehicle take-off at a high rate of speed while firing five more shots.

    •  Another resident who lives in the 5200 block of S. Flanders St. reported his home was struck by a bullet that went through the living room window. The bullet passed through another wall, through a box of toys, and through the armrest of a chair where a 7-year-old boy was playing on his computer (see attached photo). Because the boy was playing a video game, he was leaning forward and missed the bullet by just a few inches.
    • Another home in the 5200 block of S. Flanders St. was also struck when a bullet went through the master bathroom window into the shower.
    • A few blocks away, another house was hit with gunfire in the 5300 block of S. Dunkirk Way. That bullet went through the back wall of the house and into the kitchen hitting a microwave.

    Deputies located multiple shell casings in the area. No one was injured. The investigation is ongoing. The suspect vehicles are described as a black Mustang or Dodge with a loud exhaust and a black BMW 4-door sedan.  Investigators are asking residents who live in the area to please check your doorbell and/or surveillance cameras for any vehicles in the area during that time. If the public has any information about this crime, please contact our Investigations Tipline at 720-874-8477.

    Chair

  • Colorado Celebrates National Voter Registration Day

    Denver, Colo. – In celebration of National Voter Registration Day, Secretary of State Jena Griswold is encouraging eligible Coloradans to register to vote or make sure their current voter registration is up to date.

    “National Voter Registration Day is the perfect day to register to vote!” said Secretary Griswold.  “Registering to vote is the first step in making sure your voice is heard in our elections. I encourage all eligible Coloradans to make sure their voter registration is up-to-date and, if they haven’t registered to vote, to do so today!”

    Coloradans can register to vote or update their registration online at GoVoteColorado.gov. They can also register to vote in person at their local county clerk’s office. For a complete list of county clerks, click here.

    Colorado is one of the country’s leaders in percentage of registered voters. As of September 1, 2022, over 3.7 million Coloradans were registered to vote. During last year’s National Voter Registration Day, which took place on September 28, 2021, a total of 10,252 Colorado voters either registered to vote or updated their voter registration.

    National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan day dedicated to encouraging voter participation and increasing public awareness about state requirements for voting.

    County election offices may begin mailing ballots for the 2022 General Election to registered voters on October 17.

  • Colorado State Patrol Requesting Assistance Locating Hit and Run Driver in Fatal Crash

    Colorado State Patrol Requesting Assistance Locating Hit and Run Driver in Fatal Crash

    WELD COUNTY – Investigators with the Colorado State Patrol are requesting assistance from the public to locate Octavio Gonzales-Garcia after his suspected involvement in a crash that left another party dead.

    At approximately 5:31 PM on Sunday, September 18, troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash located at the intersections of Weld County Road 37 and AA Street.  Initial investigations show a 2006 Ford van was westbound on AA street; a 2021 Kawasaki motorcycle, driven by a 24 year old female from Windsor, CO, was southbound on CR 37.  The Ford Van proceeded from a stop sign at the intersection into the path of the motorcycle; the motorcycle collided its front with the passenger side of the van, causing the motorcycle to catch fire. The female motorcycle rider was declared deceased on scene.  No other parties were on or in either vehicle.  The identity of the deceased is being withheld while notifications are being made.

    Investigators believe Mr. Octavio Gonzalez-Garcia, DOB 5/25/86, was operating the Ford van and fled the scene on foot after the crash.  A search was conducted in the area but Mr. Gonzalez-Garcia was not located.  Mr. Gonzalez-Garcia is wanted for questioning related to the crash.  He is described as a Latino male, 5’7”, heavier build, with brown hair and brown eyes.  He was last seen wearing a blue shirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes.  He is last known to have resided in the Greeley area   Mr. Gonzalez-Garcia is encouraged to turn himself into the authorities.  Anyone with information to the whereabouts of Mr. Gonzalez-Garcia is asked to contact investigators at: 303-239-4501, reference case # 3A221639.  You can remain anonymous.

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  • Military academy shindig coming Thursday

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., is inviting high school students, family members, school administrators, and educators to the 2022 Virtual Military Academy Night from 5:30-7:45 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 22, via Zoom.
    The meeting addresses the application process for the U.S. Service Academies for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, Merchant Marines and Coast Guard and the required congressional nomination. Representatives from the ROTC will also be on hand.
    To participate, register at usafa-admissions.zoom.us for instructions on joining the meeting.
    Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage with all nine members of Colorado’s U.S. congressional delegation: Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper; and Reps. Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Lauren Boebert, Ken Buck, Doug Lamborn, Jason Crow and Ed Perlmutter.

  • VIDEO: Hickenlooper Urges Focus on Preventing Pandemics at Hearing with Fauci

    For video of the exchange, CLICK HERE

     

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper today called for more focused efforts to prevent future pandemics. In a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing, Hickenlooper asked National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci what more needs to be done to prevent future pandemics like COVID-19 and Monkeypox.

     

    Fauci called for more research into countermeasures before pandemics arise, an effort Hickenlooper has led in the Senate. Earlier this year, two Hickenlooper bills passed out of committee. The Early Countermeasure Discovery Act would improve the development of preventative treatment and research into pathogens before they cause the next pandemic. The Modernizing Biosurveillance Capabilities and Epidemic Forecasting Act would modernize and codify Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) programs that Hickenlooper, Cassidy Introduce Bill to Strengthen Surveillance and Forecasting of Pandemic-Causing Viruses focus on surveillance and forecasting of pandemic-causing viruses.’

     

    Hickenlooper: “In terms of the next public health emergency, how concerned are you that this next public health emergency will be one we don’t have vaccines or therapeutics for?”

     

    Fauci: “There are two approaches that we have described in detail in several publications and several of our white papers – what’s called the prototype pandemic and prototype pathogen response. In other words to look at multiple families [of viruses] and there are about 7-8 high priority families… and to do fundamental core research for example to get commonalities among the pathogens within a family and to start to develop vaccines, put them in phase one, and have them ready to go…”

     

    Hickenlooper: “I support that approach. I think that’s the right direction to go and make sure we are as prepared as one can be for what is unknowable.”

     

    For full video of the exchange, CLICK HERE.

  • Brady Mowbray: National Merit Scholarship semifinalist

    Brady Mowbray: National Merit Scholarship semifinalist

    ELIZABETH, Colorado – Elizabeth High School senior Brady Mowbray’s hard work and varied interests in school have resulted in him being named a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship. 


    Today, officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in Evanston, Illinois, unveiled their list of 16,000 semifinalists in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors.


    Brady, who currently ranks first in his class at EHS, is among the academically talented high school seniors who have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring. 


    To be considered for the Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. About 95% of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.


    What it takes to be a semifinalist
    High school juniors entered the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2021 Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.


    To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. 


    Out of the three times Brady has taken the SAT, his top score was 1,550. A perfect score on the test is 1,600. 


    “Math is probably my strong suit; I don’t think I’m very bad in any of the other subjects, either,” Brady said, understating his academic successes. According to EHS principal Bret McClendon, the lowest grade the senior has received in high school is a couple of A’s: Everything else has been an A+. 


    In middle school, Brady took most of the math classes that are required for high school students to graduate. In high school, he has taken the most difficult Advanced Placement calculus classes EHS offers and then took more advanced math through Arapahoe Community College. 


    “I just do the work and am good at test taking,” Brady said, noting that he’s able to focus more clearly when taking exams and is able to recall information more easily. “I have a positive mindset with tests.” He said he looked at the PSAT and SAT as challenges “because they’re bigger and … kind of fun in my mind.”


    Well-rounded scholar
    National Merit Scholarship semifinalists will be notified in February if they have achieved finalist status. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin or religious preference.


    Brady has a wide set of interests and perhaps an even wider path for potential success in college. Since middle school, he has run cross country, played baseball and, during track and field season, focused on the high jump as his primary physical competition. Meanwhile his main mental exercise regimen outside of the classroom includes Chess Club, Knowledge Bowl and the Dungeons and Dragons Club. This year, he also plans to participate in FBLA and theater. 


    Chess Club reigns as his favorite. “It’s like puzzle solving,” he said. “The main reason anyone would play chess is because it’s fun: It gets your brain thinking – makes you feel smarter when you make good moves.” How good is he? “I would rate myself not very good in the grand scheme of things, but everybody who doesn’t play chess would call me good.”


    As for other subjects in school, Brady said he likes history, especially AP European History and AP U.S. History. While he likes reading about a lot of different subjects, writing might be at the bottom of the list of all the classes in which he excels: “It takes a lot more thought to write an essay than it does to solve a math equation.” 


    Science classes have also been a highlight for Brady. He joked that he has learned about photosynthesis every year since third grade. Chemistry was his favorite science class, and it represents one of the many directions he’s thinking of pursuing in college. 


    Chemistry, chemical engineering, or any form of engineering lead the list. Math is a strong possibility given Brady’s aptitude for it, “but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’d want to become a mathematician.” Perhaps studying to become an accountant would match his skills, but then again, he also has interest in becoming an editor. Another route toward putting his considerable talent for analytical thought could be pharmacy studies. 


    With such a wide array of interests and abilities, Brady said choosing an excellent school with a quality liberal arts program is important to him so he can explore as many options as possible. Because he still has time before the application window opens, he is in the exploratory phase, with a constantly shifting list of more than a dozen institutions – all known for their rigor and excellence.


    About National Merit Scholarships


    NMSC, a not-for-profit organization which operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 340 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of excellence.


    Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2023. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 950 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 180 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 160 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who attend the sponsor institution. 


    National Merit Scholarship winners of 2023 will be announced in four nationwide news releases, beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join nearly 368,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

  • USCIS to Welcome 19,000 New Citizens in Celebration of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day

    WASHINGTON— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day this year by welcoming more than 19,000 new citizens in more than 235 naturalization ceremonies across the nation between Sept. 17 and Sept. 23.

    “Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration, USCIS has been working tirelessly in communities to raise awareness about citizenship consistent with our mission to uphold America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day celebrations provide a wonderful opportunity to highlight our agency’s efforts, while welcoming more U.S. citizens to our American family.”

     

    On Sept. 17, the nation observes Constitution Day and Citizenship Day as part of Constitution Week (Sept. 17 to 23). The commemoration honors both the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787, and an observance that began in 1940 as “I Am an American Day.” Citizenship Day began in 1952, signed into law by President Harry Truman and, in 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed the first Constitution Week.

     

    Each year, USCIS celebrates Constitution Day and Citizenship Day – and Constitution Week – by celebrating the connection between the Constitution and citizenship, reflecting on what it means to be a citizen of the United States, holding special naturalization ceremonies across the country, encouraging new citizens to take action to fully exercise their new rights and responsibilities including registering to vote, and releasing new tools and resources that can help aspiring applicants pursue citizenship. Following each naturalization ceremony, USCIS encourages new U.S. citizens and their families and friends to share their naturalization photos on social media using the hashtags #NewUSCitizen, #ConstitutionWeek, and #CitizenshipDay.

     

     

     

    This year’s Constitution Day and Citizenship Day-themed naturalization ceremonies include a naturalization ceremony held at Tumacácori National Historical Park in Arizona on Sept. 16; the World Food & Music Festival in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 16; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, on Sept. 19; U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 20; Homestead National Park in Beatrice, Nebraska, on Sept. 22; and George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia on Sept. 23. On Sept. 17, Director Jaddou will participate in a special ceremony at Ellis Island in New York Harbor and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas will participate in a ceremony in Los Angeles aboard the USS Iowa. For additional venues, please view a list of highlighted 2022 Constitution Day- and Citizenship Day-themed ceremonies.

    USCIS reaffirms its commitment to promoting citizenship and making the naturalization process accessible to all who are eligible. The agency has taken a number of steps to support implementation of President Biden’s Executive Order 14012: Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration System and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans, as well as implementation of the Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization, released on July 2, 2021. The Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization calls for a multi-faceted approach operating on the national, state, and community-based levels to encourage the roughly 9 million lawful permanent residents eligible for naturalization today to become citizens.

    In addition to holding more than 235 ceremonies across the country as part of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, USCIS will also host numerous activities throughout the month of September, all aimed at empowering immigrants to pursue citizenship along with the rights and opportunities that come with it. The agency will also publicly release an Eligible to Naturalize Dashboard to share statistical information about populations that may be eligible to seek naturalization in the United States and a “Two Generational Family Toolkit” to help families learn about citizenship and prepare for the naturalization test together. The dashboard provides statistics on those eligible to apply for naturalization by birth country and geographic location.

    For more information about USCIS’ Constitution Day and Citizenship Day activities, please see the USCIS Celebrates Citizenship Day 2022 Fact Sheet.

    For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

  • ArapCo seeks applicants for Citizen Redistricting Advisory Committee

    LITTLETON — Arapahoe County will redraw boundaries for county commissioner districts in 2023.

    To assist with the process, the county is seeking residents to serve on a Citizen Redistricting Advisory Committee that will help solicit public input and feedback and help draw proposed at least three draft district maps for consideration by the Board of County Commissioners. The process will last 10 months, from December 2022 to September 2023.

    Serving on a county committee can be a rewarding process. Applicants should be aware that committee members are expected to hold themselves to a high standard of privacy.

    Time commitments and a complete list of requirements are below. To apply, visit arapahoegov.com.

    Background

    Under state law, boundaries for county commissioner districts must be redrawn every 10 years based on the most recent U.S. Census. Because of a nationwide delay in states receiving the 2020 data, the Colorado State Legislature delayed the process for counties until 2023 to allow time to analyze it and prepare to redistrict. The new districts will be in effect for the 2024 election.

    Nine members are required for the committee: Three Democrats, three Republicans and three unaffiliated voters. Their voter registration must not have changed since the 2020 General Election, and all committee members must be Arapahoe County residents.

    Applicants will be interviewed by the Board of County Commissioners and selected based on:

    • party affiliation;

    • civic interest;

    • willingness to listen to, respect and understand diverse viewpoints;

    • experience working with others to reach outcomes or decisions;

    • commitment to a fair and equitable process;

    • geographic and demographic diversity; and

    • commitment to attending all meetings as required by law.

    Time Commitment

    • Limited, 10-month appointment  from December 2022 through September 2023;

    • monthly meetings (60-90 minutes each), beginning in December;

    • potential for bi-monthly meetings (60 minutes each), if necessary;

    • a minimum of three public engagement events over 10 months (60-90 minutes each); and

    • unless otherwise specified, applicants should expect to attend all meetings in person.

    Role and Responsibilities

    Consistent with state statute, commissioners create and present at least three proposed county commissioner district maps to the county commissioners for consideration. They must:

    • understand requirements, data and context to make recommendations;

    • provide input and direction to staff to draw initial maps for consideration in open meetings;

    • provide input on the proposed public engagement plan in open meetings;

    • participate in open advisory committee meetings;

    • advocate for resident engagement in the process;

    • review public feedback and provide direction to staff on incorporating the input into map revisions;

    • present recommendations to the county commissioner in open meetings;

    • recognize that members cannot engage in any discussion of this process with anyone outside of the established public process. Any discussions, “side conversations,” or requests for feedback cannot occur with any elected officials, political party officials, peers, staff or colleagues on this topic outside of scheduled public meetings;

    • conduct oneself in accordance with group norms;

    • recognize that all work is subject to Colorado Open Records Act requirements, including correspondence, work product and communications between and among colleagues and staff; and

    • be willing to submit to a background check.

  • ARAPAHOE LIBRARIES: DAVIES LIBRARY ADULT BOOK CLUB

    Adults are invited to their own book club on Monday, September 19, 6-7 pm at Davies Library, 128 2ND Ave., Deer Trail. This month, adults are invited to discuss Miracle Creek by Angie Kim.

    To save your spot or for more information, visit arapahoelibraries.org or call 303-769-4310.