Author: I-70 Scout

Arapahoe County Public Health uses equity-focused approach to overdose prevention with new mobile service 

 

ARAPAHOE COUNTY – Feb. 22, 2024 – In an effort to better respond to the needs of people who use narcotics and other drugs—and to address the toll of opioids and overdose on the community—Arapahoe County Public Health is launching a new mobile harm reduction service called Prevention Point. On Tuesday, Feb. 27, County officials and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser will unveil the program and share more about this new initiative, as well as its impact on residents.  

The Arapahoe County Public Health Harm Reduction team has served clients through fixed-location services and street outreach since opening its doors in January 2023. However, during the department’s the first year of operation, the team identified a significant need to remove barriers to accessing services by offering them outside of public buildings.    

“When Arapahoe County Public Health received grant funding from the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council, it was crucial we utilized it to do something that could truly make a difference,” said Jennifer Ludwig, public health director.  “We know that opioids don’t discriminate, and we know that the opioid crisis has affected all communities in the Denver Metro Area. Our goal in starting mobile harm reduction services is to maximize impact and ultimately save lives.” 

Harm reduction services are proven strategies that keep communities safer and healthier. Evidence shows that strong harm reduction programs reduce the spread of disease, increase the rate of proper syringe disposal, and increase the likelihood of individuals accessing critical services, such as Naloxone for overdose reversal.  

Mobile services help build stronger relationships and trust with individuals, which is critical to accessing the services that can help change lives.  

Prevention Point offers Arapahoe County the opportunity to innovate for and partner with a community that is often overlooked and stigmatized, though they are acutely affected by the harm opioids have had on our society.  

Media are invited to learn more about Prevention Point and the importance of innovative harm reduction efforts in Arapahoe County and beyond. 

Who:     Arapahoe Board of County Commissioners 

What:   Mobile Harm Reduction Services Kickoff 

When:  8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024 

Where: 5335 South Prince Street, Littleton, CO 80120 

Additional Stops: 

·          Giving Heart Englewood—10–10:45 a.m.  

·         Town of Bennett Town Hall—1–1:45 p.m.  

·         Arapahoe County Public Health at Altura Plaza—2:30–3:15 p.m.   

 

Photo Opportunities: Tour of the vehicle. Board of County Commissioners, Board of Health, Public Health Officials, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser will be available for interviews.  

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Arapahoe County provides the best of everything Colorado has to offer. From babies to boomers and beyond, residents put down roots, raise families, start and run businesses, and embrace the endless opportunities and amenities that make the state unique. Arapahoe County spans 805 miles and features vibrant urban, suburban and rural communities, an unparalleled open space and trail system, major employment centers and a robust multimodal transportation network. Learn more at arapahoeco.gov. 

Residents encouraged to learn about new library and open space

 

THORNTON, Colo.–Feb. 19, 2024–Anythink Librariesand the City of Thornton will host an Anythink Nature Library Information Session on Wednesday, Feb. 28, from 6-7:30 pm at Trail Winds Recreation Center in the Cottonwood Room, located at 13495 Holly St., in Thornton. A Spanish language interpreter will be available. The meeting will also be held online via Zoom.

 

During the meeting, residents and community members are invited to learn about Anythink Nature Library project updates and open space improvements at the Aylor Open Lands property, located at 136^th Avenue and Quebec Street in Thornton.

 

In June 2022, Anythink and the City of Thornton entered an agreement to lease 15 acres to Anythink on the Aylor Open Lands property in order to build a 33,000-square-foot nature library. The other 140 acres of open space will be programmed by the Anythink team and reserved for nature learning and exploration on trails.

 

The Anythink Nature Library will be designed to help people find their place in nature and support the wellbeing of the Thornton communitythrough spaces, experiences and collections. The library will act as a natural extension of the Aylor Open Lands and will encourage people of all ages to spend time outdoors learning about stars, water, wildlife and seasonal changes to help build a culture of environmental stewardship.

 

The following data illuminates how the Anythink Nature Library can support healthy communities by providing the benefits of nature access, appreciation, and learning to people of all ages in a growing and evolving Adams County:

 

• Around 8 in 10 Adams County residents support funding open space preservation and related projects, according to the 2019 Adams County Quality of Life Report.
• 52% of Adams County residents think open space, parks and trails are considered essential to the county’s way of life, according to the 2019 Adams County Quality of Life Report.
• Thornton residents say it’s most important to expand or grow the city’s running/walking/biking trails (53%), natural open spaces (49%), and parks with playgrounds (34%), according to the 2023 City of Thornton Resident Survey Report.

The design phase of the Anythink Nature Library continues into 2024 with architects Davis Partnership and THK Associates. Construction for the library will tentatively begin late summer 2024, with an anticipated open date in mid-2026.

 

— Event Details — 

 

Anythink Nature Library Information Session

Wednesday, Feb. 28

6-7:30 pm

Trail Winds Recreation Center

 Cottonwood Room

13495 Holly St., Thornton, CO 80602

 

Learn more about the future Anythink Nature Library on the Aylor Open Lands property in Thornton during this info session. Staff from Anythink Libraries, Davis Partnership, THK Associates and the City of Thornton will provide an update on the project and answer questions from residents and community members. A Spanish language interpreter will be available. Free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

 

To participate in the Zoom meeting, visit https://thorntonco.zoom.us/j/83975846110 or call  1-346-248-7799 and enter Webinar ID: 835 1996 6887.

 

About Anythink^®

Anythink is a new style of library – a place of unlimited imagination, where play inspires creativity and lifelong learning. Anythink serves the residents of Adams County, Colo., with seven libraries and a bookmobile. With a focus on innovation, Anythink’s award- winning approach to library service is recognized by industry leaders and organizations across the globe. For more information, visit anythinklibraries.org.

Streaming services are on an upward trend by dominating 37.5% of US TV viewing, rising from 36.9% in 2022. PR Hub has also released its latest report on America’s Most Popular TV Shows by State, unveiling that the people of Colorado have a particular fondness for House of the Dragon.

Entertainment experts at PR Hub delved into the top Emmy Nominated TV shows for various genres to analyze the top 5 favorites in each state. While Ted Lasso emerged as the nation’s favorite topping in 8 states, the people of Colorado enjoyed watching House of the Dragon more. 

FAVORITE TV SHOWS IN COLORADO
(The most popular TV shows in Colorado ranked in order of popularity in 2024)

1. House of the Dragon
2. Ted Lasso
3. Better Call Saul
4. Succession
5. The White Lotus



Discover more about the Favorite TV shows in other states here.

DENVER- Last week, Governor Polis ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor former Colorado State Senator Keith King on the day of his memorial. The memorial has been scheduled for Wednesday, February 21 and flags are to be lowered that day from sunrise to sunset on all public buildings statewide. 

“I was devastated to learn about the passing of Keith King. He dedicated his life to public service, whether it was his time in Colorado’s General Assembly, serving on Colorado Springs City Council, or helping more students access quality education through the creation of Colorado Early College. Over the years we have worked closely on issues like education and workforce development, and I know that he will be missed by so many. My thoughts are with his family during this difficult time,” said Governor Jared Polis. 

February 7, 2024 – Statewide Safety News – Super Bowl Weekend enforcement period begins Thursday

CDOT se prepara para 20 días seguidos de campaña de DUI en español.

Statewide — Keep the points on the field and off your record this weekend. During the year’s biggest football celebration, plan ahead with a sober ride home. From Feb. 8 to 14, the Colorado Department of Transportation will support the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and 70 local law enforcement agencies for the Super Bowl Weekend DUI enforcement period. For safe celebrations surrounding the big game, saturation patrols across the state will remove impaired drivers from Colorado roads. Following the Super Bowl Weekend, DUI enforcement begins for the Presidents Day week from Feb. 15 to 28. Combined, these make up 20 straight days of elevated impaired driving enforcement.

Fans should never let other fans drive impaired. There were 231 DUI arrests during last year’s Super Bowl Weekend enforcement period. With the availability of safe-ride options such as rideshares, taxis and public transit, there is no reason to ever drive under the influence. If you have a designated driver, make sure they are not impaired before you head home.

“If you’re attending a watch party or gathering for the big game, be a good sport and plan ahead for a sober ride home,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Don’t risk getting a DUI or killing someone in a crash — the consequences of driving under the influence will cost you much more than a taxi or rideshare trip.”

In 2023, there were more than 15,000 DUI arrests in Colorado. It’s always better to call a sober friend than risk going to jail for a DUI. According to NoDUIColorado.org, first-time DUI offenders rack up an average cost of $13,530 in fines and penalties, including:

• Increased auto insurance: $3,600
• Ignition interlock service: $2,172
• Alcohol/drug treatment & education: $1,000
• Defense attorney: $3,650
• Arrest, court & legal fees: $2,300
• Department of Revenue & DMV fees: $773

“No matter which team you’re rooting for on game day, sober driving will always be the winning choice,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “Our message is simple: if you’re impaired, don’t get behind the wheel. Your fellow football fans are counting on you to make the right call this weekend.”

The recent Winter Blitz enforcement period concluded with 379 arrests across 78 participating agencies. The agencies with the highest arrests were Denver Police Department (48), Fort Collins Police Department (24) and Longmont Police Department (18). CSP reported 83 arrests. The next DUI enforcement period will be Presidents Week from Feb. 15 to 28.

For yearly impaired-driving crash and fatality data in Colorado, visit https://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety/data-analysis/fatal-crash-data. For local law enforcement agency plans, visit https://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety-reporting-portal.

About The Heat Is On

The CDOT Highway Safety Office provides funding to Colorado law enforcement for impaired driving enforcement, education and awareness campaigns. The Heat Is On campaign runs throughout the year, with 16 specific high-visibility impaired driving enforcement periods centered on national holidays and large public events. Enforcement periods can include sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and additional law enforcement on duty dedicated to impaired driving enforcement. Find more details about the campaign, including impaired driving enforcement plans, arrest totals and safety tips at HeatIsOnColorado.com. More information about DUI laws in Colorado can be found at NoDUIColorado.org. Learn more about CDOT’s dedication to keeping Colorado roads safe, including impaired driving enforcement objectives, arrest data and safety information at codot.gov/safety.

7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 7 outside the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the State Capitol. From 9 a.m. to noon, we’ll move to the Capitol Basement. Those who plan to attend should contact their legislators to arrange a 10 minute meeting on Feb. 7.   Register here. Bill’s in the House! As the Colorado Legislature opened for session on Jan. 10, State Rep. Karen McCormick introduced HB24-1075—Analysis of Universal Health Care Payment System,* into the Colorado House. The bill would task the Colorado School of Public Health with analyzing in-depth whether a single, nonprofit payer for health care would work in our state. Coloradans are hurting from our broken health care payment system that puts corporate profits above Coloradans’ health; most want real* changes to this system from the government, but there are tough questions that need answered—and that’s what HB24-1075 will do. This toolkit offers fact sheets*, the bill itself, talking points and more so you can contact your legislator and talk to your family and friends. Take Actions! Contact your legislators (resources in toolkit)  Find My Legislator | Colorado General Assembly Sign up Endorsers (resources in toolkit) Testify in-person, on Zoom, or send in written testimony Sign up: Navigating CO General Assembly Website Join the Grow the Grassroots meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30 on Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81444519990?pwd=UGI0RkFkWGZCQkVqM1I2c1p3OGIxZz09 Meeting ID: 814 4451 9990 Passcode: 857377 Sign and share our Universal Health Care petition! Thank you!

Collared gray wolf activity recorded by CPW from Dec. 18, 2023 to Jan. 22, 2024. Larger map is linked below and available at cpw.state.co.us. DENVER – A map published today on Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s website will inform the public, recreationists and livestock producers on where wolves have been in the past month. This map will be updated with new information on a monthly basis, produced on the fourth Wednesday of every month, and will reflect data for the prior month, give or take several days.  These maps are created using GPS collar data collected from all 12 collared wolves in Colorado. This includes the 10 animals reintroduced from Oregon, as well as the two collared wolves in North Park.  About the GPS collar data Currently, the collars are programmed to record a position every four hours. Once four locations have been recorded, the packet of four locations is then transmitted via satellite to CPW biologists. The frequency of both position recording and transmission of the data can be delayed by a number of factors such as dense cloud cover, closed terrain, etc. By looking at the data, CPW staff can learn where wolves have been, but they cannot tell where wolves are at a current point in time, nor can they predict where the wolves will go. To protect the wolves, specific GPS data will not be shared. Learn more about living and recreating in wolf country on our website. CPW also created this hands-on resource guide to help reduce wolf depredations on livestock.  CPW’s new Map Indicating Current Collared Wolf Activity in Colorado. This map depicts watersheds where the 12 collared wolves in Colorado have been for the last month. A watershed is a geographic unit that drains water into a specific waterbody. These are also known as Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUC). Information is shared at the HUC 10 level. Watersheds are the appropriate mapping unit to display wolf activity information because wolves are far more likely to use geographic features to affect their distribution than they are political boundaries. The HUC 10 scale provides detailed information that can help agricultural producers be informed of the general areas where wolf activity is known to exist without being too general (i.e. as a county level map would be), and also is not so specific so as to risk the protection of individual wolves (as a finer scale HUC12 map would be). More can be learned about HUCs at water.usgs.gov/GIS/huc.html. In order for a watershed to indicate wolf activity, at least one GPS point from the wolf collars was recorded within the boundaries of the watershed. Simply because a watershed indicates wolf activity, it does not mean that a wolf or wolves are present throughout the entire watershed nor that they are currently in the watershed. For example, a wolf has not yet been located south of I-70, even though the watershed in which a wolf was detected spans both north and south of the Interstate.  CPW reserves the right to buffer maps that will be shared with the public if doing so protects wolf welfare during sensitive times of the year (e.g., mating season). At this point, all known wolves in Colorado have functional GPS collars. This allows for an accurate depiction of the watersheds where wolves are known to be active. It should be expected that through immigration from other states and natural reproduction of pups, the proportion of wolves that have collars will be reduced over time. Therefore, the accuracy of this map will be diminished over time as the activity of uncollared wolves may not be included in this map.

(January 24, 2024—CBI—Lakewood, CO)— The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is hosting an open house for families who have missing loved ones who are interested in providing a family reference sample. The event will take place on January 31, 2024 at CBI Headquarters, 690 Kipling St, Denver, CO 80215.

A family reference sample is collected with a cheek swab obtained using a large Q-tip, and used for potential future comparisons. Ideally the CBI would like to collect two (2) family reference samples in each missing person case, from the closest blood relatives, either from the mother and father or siblings if available.

Additionally, if you have photos of your missing loved one and/or medical/dental records that you would like to provide please bring those as well. We will scan those records and send the originals home with you.

This event is for families who have already reported their loved ones as missing, but have not yet provided a reference sample. If you have a missing loved one and have not yet reported them to local law enforcement please do that before attending this open house.

Similarly, if a loved one has gone missing in another State, CBI is able to take your reference sample and provide it to that State for you.

If you would like to provide a reference sample but are unable to attend the open house, or if you have any questions or comments about the event please contact Audrey Simkins via email at .

Coordinated effort provides data on building comprehensive strategies to help end homelessness 

 

ARAPAHOE COUNTY—Jan. 18, 2024—Arapahoe County will participate in the annual Point in Time Count of those experiencing homelessness on Jan. 23, 2024.  Arapahoe County employees, volunteers and community partners conduct the count throughout the County. Similar action is taken by municipalities and local governments across the Front Range. 

 

The effort raises public awareness, promotes collaboration across the region, and provides updated data. The goal is to inform local government and community partner response efforts to help neighbors experiencing homelessness. 

The count is conducted in coordination with seven metro area counties through the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) and is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

 

“It is imperative to understand the extent of the unhoused in our community,” said Arapahoe County Commissioner Bill Holen. “The Point in Time count only provides us with a snapshot of the unhoused population on a given night, but the County uses this information to designate resources in the appropriate areas to have the greatest impact.” 

 

Arapahoe County counts those experiencing homelessness across all jurisdictions, except within the City of Aurora, which stands alone as an individual HUD entitlement entity. Homelessness knows no boundaries and the data collected across the metro region informs coordinated efforts to support our most vulnerable community members. Including Aurora figures, just under 1000 individuals were counted in 2023.  This was a small reduction from the 2022 count, but still demonstrates a large increase since our pre-pandemic counts. 

 

The Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners established the Homeless Coordinating Committee (HCC) to address the crisis of homelessness within Arapahoe County. The HCC was established through the coordinated efforts of a diverse group of local partners. The primary goal of the HCC is to develop a plan to address homelessness and affordable housing in partnership with over 100 local organizations and governmental agencies. The County is expected to adopt the HCC strategic plan for implementation in 2024.  

 

The 2024 Point in Time Count numbers will be released later this year. Data from 2023 is available from the MDHI website.