STANDARD BLADE B R I G H T O N
SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1903
75cI
VOLUME 119
Issue 16
WEEK OF APRIL 21, 2022
RIBBON CUTTING
Brighton settles water rights suit City agrees to deal bringing 50 shares of new water rights to municipal supply BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
From left, students Seriah DeWalt and Natalee Garcia, Brighton High School Director of Infrastructure Michael Woodruff and students Jaden Boothe, Ashley Luna Zamora and Katie Zirker cut the ribbon during a ceremony held for the school’s new crosswalk. See story on COURTESY PHOTO Page 5.
With a suit about buying shares of water settled, some $2.8 million worth of water rights should flow Brighton’s way sometime this summer. City Councilors voted to accept a settlement agreement with the Castle Pines North Metropolitan District at a special meeting on April 12. City Attorney Alica Calderon said the agreement means that the city will own about 50 shares of water from the Fulton Ditch group. “This is water for the city to use in the future,” Calderon said. “It depends on how quickly the paperwork and the sale gets settled if it will have an impact on our SEE WATER, P13
Fentanyl bill passes first test as overdoses skyrocket in North Metro area Addiction experts say treatment, not jail, the best way to handle problem BYLUKEZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A bill that raises penalties for possession and distribution of fentanyl passed Colorado’s House Judiciary
Committee on April 13. After more than 11 hours of testimony on April 12, the bill passed 8-3 with an added amendment that makes knowingly possessing more than 1 gram of fentanyl or a fentanyl compound for personal use a felony. Adding the amendment passed on a 7-4 vote. The legislation comes as fentanylrelated deaths skyrocketed across the North Metro area in 2021. The Office of the Coroner for Adams and Broomfield counties reported
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that deaths where fentanyl toxicity is included in the primary cause of death almost tripled in Westminster from eight in 2020 to 22 in 2021, from four to nine in Northglenn and from one to three in Brighton. In Thornton, deaths decreased from 15 to 13 between 2020 and 2021 and in Commerce City from six to four. However, in Commerce City, deaths in 2022 surpassed the number recorded n 2021 in one day. On Feb. 20, five adults in Commerce City were found dead, and
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2 •Methodist Church 3 stained glass back to its 7 glory 8 15 • Page 3 18
SPORTS • Eagle Ridge Soccer wins easily
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according to a news release from the Commerce City Police Department, the deaths were linked to ingesting suspect fentanyl. Stiffer penalties House Bill 1326 would increase penalties for distributing, making, dispensing or selling fentanyl. Those found to possess with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of the drug could SEE FENTANYL, P17
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