STANDARD BLADE B R I G H T O N
SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1903
75cI
VOLUME 118
Issue 40
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
MEETING OF THE ARTS
Beloved former high school to be razed Commerce City structure has seen much abuse in years since closing BY YESENIA ROBLES CHALKBEAT COLORADO
Shayden Conquering Bear, left, is half Lakota Indian on his mom’s side and Chumash Indian on his dad’s side. He dances Northern traditional. Clement Janis, right, is a painter of all the Indian art behind him. He grew up on the Crow reservation in South Dakota. PHOTO BY BELEN WARD See more photos on page 8.
Littleton cop shooter suspect arrested BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Brighton police and Adams County sheriff’s deputies arrested a suspect wanted in connection with the shooting of two Littleton police officers earlier this week. Details on the arrest were not immediately clear. Valles Rigoberto “Rigo” Dominguez Valles Dominguez was taken into custody around 10:40 p.m. There were no injuries to officers or the suspect, accord-
ing to a police department tweet. The incident started around 3:45 p.m. in the area of 27th Avenue and Bromley Lane, just east of Observatory Park During a mid-evening briefing, Brighton Police Department Deputy Chief Matt Domenico said police received a tip that Dominguez was in a home in the 1100 block of South 27th Avenue. Domenico wasn’t at liberty to say how police learned that Dominguez was in the area. Dominguez was wanted in connection with the shooting of two Littleton police officers early Tuesday morning at an apartment building on West Powers
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OBITUARIES LOCAL SPORTS LEGALS CLASSIFIEDS
Avenue. One of those officers, David Snook, sustained wounds to his arm, leg and torso, according to Littleton police. As of Sept. 24, Snook was in stable condition but still in intensive care. A police corporal also sustained wounds. The situation in Brighton forced a closure of 27th Avenue between Eagle Boulevard and Bromley Lane. The Adams County bomb squad was on the scene. A fund has been set up to support Officer Snook and his family during his recovery. Donations may be made to the Rocky Mountain Federal Credit Union in David Snook’s name.
REGION
2 • Oil driller nets second3 largest fine in state 15 history 19 22
• Page 3
SPORTS • Long time Prairie View educator, coach Nate Howard dies
• Page 15
Heartbroken but worried about potentially fatal hazards, the Adams 14 school board has made way for the demolition of a beloved former school building that has endured a fire, squatters, and likely a meth lab. Continuing safety threats are so severe that demolishing the old Adams City High School is the best choice, an insurance representative told the board last week. The decision was difficult for members of the board and public who had hoped to realize previous plans to renovate the campus for usable public space. “It’s unfortunate the district in the past hasn’t taken care of these buildings to let them get to this kind of disrepair,” board President Ramona Lewis said. The former high school has been empty since 2009 when the district moved high school students to a new building off of Quebec Parkway. The insurance representative told the school board of vandalism and break-ins over the last 12 years. People who have broken in have destroyed at least 15 pianos and other school furniture left in the building. This summer, a fire damaged the roof of the building where people were known to break in and have parties. The structure is so unstable that it poses a risk to anyone walking in, officials have determined. Even the insurance representative SEE SCHOOL, P9
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