Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Local News

Former Jeffco Educator Claims District Made Her A Scapegoat After Ex-Boyfriend Scandal
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Former Jeffco Educator Claims District Made Her A Scapegoat After Ex-Boyfriend Scandal

By Sage Kelley | The Denver Gazette Courtney Capek claims her career was completely altered by the actions of another. The Lakewood native returned to the school she graduated from, Green Mountain High School, in 2023 to begin her career teaching and establishing a new era for the school’s theater program. Her dream job didn’t last long, though, with the district not renewing her contract just a few weeks after her ex-boyfriend, James Michael Chevrier, was arrested by the Lakewood Police Department on charges of sexual assault on a child. “What was done to me is not OK. I’m tired of being quiet about it,” she told The Denver Gazette. “The district essentially used me as their scapegoat to say, ‘Hey, we did something’.” ‘Pure disgust’ Capek and Chev...
Denver Audit Questions Spending On Alcohol And Meals For Taxpayer Supported Nonprofit
kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Denver Audit Questions Spending On Alcohol And Meals For Taxpayer Supported Nonprofit

By Shaul Turner | KDVR FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) —  A Denver addiction and mental health foundation spent thousands of taxpayers’ money on alcohol and food, according to a city audit. The city and county of Denver tells FOX31 the nonprofit Caring For Denver Foundation issued funds to organizations that submitted falsified and misleading information. The foundation refutes the claims but is now making some changes. Created in 2018, the Caring For Denver Foundation has awarded more than $185 million in grants to 270 different organizations.  Executive Director Lorez Meinhold issued a statement to FOX31 saying the Foundation “has helped make a meaningful difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Denverites suffering from addiction and ment...
External Audit Planned Following Superintendent Resignation in Cherry Creek
DENVER7, Approved, Local

External Audit Planned Following Superintendent Resignation in Cherry Creek

By: Natalie Chuck | Denver7 The superintendent resigned and the chief of human resources was placed on administrative leave within days of one another following a series of Denver7 Investigates stories. DENVER — "Immediate action was necessary." Those are the words of Cherry Creek School Board President Anne Egan amid the announcement of an external audit following a series of Denver7 Investigates reports which put district leadership under the microscope. In a statement released ahead of a public meeting on Monday night, the board of education announced additional reforms and changes are being made after drastic administrative changes. Just over one week has passed since Christopher Smith, the district's now former superintendent, resigned. ...
Massive Power Outage Leaves Nearly 200,000 Denver Area Residents in the Dark
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Massive Power Outage Leaves Nearly 200,000 Denver Area Residents in the Dark

By: Robert Garrison | Denver7 DENVER — A large power outage in the southeast area of the Denver metro on Sunday afternoon left nearly 200,000 people in the dark, affected airport operations, and 911 service in some areas. Xcel Energy said a transformer failure and the resulting equipment damage at one of its substations just before 3 p.m. Sunday was to blame for the outage that left more than 195,000 people without power. CORE Electric customers were also impacted. https://twitter.com/MaggieB_TV/status/2018186933889908989?s=20 READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
Arrest Made After Explosions Damage High Line Canal Trail Near Denver
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Arrest Made After Explosions Damage High Line Canal Trail Near Denver

By Austen Erblat | CBS Colorado An 18-year-old Colorado man has been arrested and now faces multiple charges related to recent explosions that damaged the High Line Canal Trail near Denver. The man, who was not identified by police, is accused of setting off multiple homemade explosive devices along the canal, mostly between October and December. Cherry Hills Village Police, however, said they observed a suspicious person on the trail through police cameras on Jan. 6. The suspect who was described by police in a public alert in December was seen riding a "higher wattage" e-bike with a dark frame, wide tires, and handlebar mittens, and the department said the person they saw on Jan. 6 had "clothing and mode of transportation" that matched previous descriptions...
Police Arrest Aurora Man in Massive Denver Construction Site Arson
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Police Arrest Aurora Man in Massive Denver Construction Site Arson

By Jesse Sarles | CBS Colorado An arrest has been made in connection with the five-alarm fire at a Denver construction site earlier this month, according to the Denver Fire Department. It was the largest fire in Colorado's capital city in decades, covering an area roughly the size of four football fields.  Tony BercerraAurora Police Investigators allegedly found that 37-year-old Tony Bercerra was caught on surveillance images entering and leaving the scene off Leetsdale Drive and Forest Street before the Harker Heights complex caught fire on Jan. 2. He will face arson charges. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
Feds Join Investigation Into Massive Denver Apartment Fire
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Feds Join Investigation Into Massive Denver Apartment Fire

By: Kaylee Harter | Denver7 "[W]e understand the immense challenges this fire has created for residents and businesses," the ATF special agent in charge said. DENVER – Federal agents have been deployed to help investigate the massive fire that broke out at an under-construction apartment complex Friday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced Tuesday. The fire near S. Leetsdale Drive and S. Forest Street smoldered for several days and stretched an entire city block, prompting evacuations and street closures, and injuring one firefighter, according to the ATF release. More than 150 firefighters worked to control the blaze, Denver7 reported, and roughly 18 million gallons of water were used to put out the fire, according to Den...
Denver Food Pantry Scrambles After Sudden Eviction Disrupts Aid to Thousands
kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Denver Food Pantry Scrambles After Sudden Eviction Disrupts Aid to Thousands

By Anna Coon | KDVR FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — A Denver nonprofit that provides groceries to about 5,000 families a month said it was forced to close its doors after it was kicked out of its warehouse space. Joy’s Kitchen, a food pantry that has operated in the Denver metro area for more than a decade, is now running pop-up food pantries in Lakewood, but organizers said they are desperate for a new permanent home. On Sunday, volunteers worked to pack up the group’s supplies, including thousands of pounds of food, so they could temporarily set up in the gymnasium at The River Church in Lakewood. The Sunday before Thanksgiving is typically one of the busiest days of the year for Executive Director Kathleen Stanley. Holiday weeks bring extra demand to the pantry, which she said usually...
Broomfield Church Defaced With Swastika as City Leaders Denounce Hate
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Broomfield Church Defaced With Swastika as City Leaders Denounce Hate

By Jesse Sarles | CBS Colorado Someone spray painted a large swastika on a church's sign in the Denver metro area over the weekend. That's according to elected officials in the City and County of Broomfield, who say the incident is under investigation.   Police believe it happened sometime Sunday morning at Beautiful Savior Church near Main Street and West 120th Avenue. The city's mayor and members of the city county jointly posted a statement on the city's website that said volunteers cleaned up the swastika along with other symbols that were painted on the sign. In their statement they wrote that the sight was "painful and deeply disturbing." READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
Beloved ‘Dog Heaven’ in Colorado Springs Closed Over Water Concerns
The Gazette, Approved, Local

Beloved ‘Dog Heaven’ in Colorado Springs Closed Over Water Concerns

By Seth Boster | The Gazette One recent afternoon near his Colorado Springs home, Sean Paige was hiking with Nellie the golden retriever en route to a favorite spot in Stratton Open Space: South Suburban Reservoir.  “She’s still anxious to get there, because she thinks it’s gonna be full of water,” Paige said.  But Colorado Springs Utilities announced the draining of South Suburban Reservoir in April 2024 for repairs to the dam. Nellie has been among dogs splashing in the water over the years — the place Paige has called “dog heaven” under the gaze of Cheyenne Mountain — but not the past couple of summers during the closure.  And not for summers to come, following an announcement by Utilities.  “Now it’s off-limits,” Paige lamented. “Try explaining that t...