LOCAL

Luxe O road specializes in custom SUV work and soil science

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Whether it’s modifying sports utility vehicles to drive on the dirt, hiring someone to dig in the dirt or someone to test it, a new Fort Lupton business said it’s ready to do it all.

Luxe Offroad custom vehicle shop has landed in Fort Lupton, bringing an umbrella of services to the 15,000-square foot warehouse at 2369 So. Rollie Ave. The company specializes in custom-built jeeps and trucks, vehicle wrapping, excavation services and applied sciences relating to soil testing.

“We discovered this building and we got extremely lucky, there was a company who had previously leased this building with the intent to move their operations from Minnesota down here. But for some reason, they could not fi nd a workforce,” said Larry L. Willis, Luxe OffRoad, VP, Business Operations.

The building has offi ces in the center with lots of space surrounding it. One of the buildings will house the off-road end of the operation with plenty of room to modify those vehicles.

Luxe Offroad had its soft opening on August 1 but will have a grand opening on Labor Day with a soiree and a band.

Dr. William Lindsey IV founded Luxe Offroad, Luxe Colour, and the applied sciences division and also developed the company’s agriculture and soil amendment technology.

“He has enormous contacts all over the country so it enables us to almost get what we want, as in terms of supplies and machinery,” Willis said.

“He’s a genius with amazing ideas such as the applications, carbon fi ber, agriculture and soil amendments. He put everything together so we can reinvent the market,” Willis said.

Three businesses under one umbrella

By the end of this year, Luxe Offroad hopes to have hired at least 16 people. They have three businesses under one umbrella.

The fi rst is the parent’s organization, Luxe Applied Sciences which specializes in wildfi re and soil reclamation, erosion control, and soil amendments – materials used to improve soil quality. The company does excavation, grading and foundation improvements.

Another service is Luxe Colour, which prints everything from vehicle wraps to graphics, banners, window screens and wall hangings.

“If you ever see restaurants with advertising that changes each month or quarter, that is simply a wall wrap that they install, and can remove and replace within an hour, “ Willis said.

When Luxe Offroad customizes a high-end Jeep or four-by-four truck, they can also wrap the truck with their in-house wrapping units.

“We take all of our heavy machinery from the applied sciences side, and we will wrap those ourselves so that it stands out when it’s on a job site. We currently have two heavy machinery units, a skid steer and an excavator wrapped in digital camo,” Willis said.

Luxe Offroad uses carbon fi ber technology to outfi t the trucks they customize rather than fi berglass. Willis said fi berglass is very solid and sturdy but weighs a ton. It can also crack in the cold or when it’s bumped into. Carbon fi ber is virtually indestructible and can repel almost any blunt force that it takes.

“We incorporate some of the carbon fi ber into the trailers we don’t build. But if people come in, we can build cabinets, upper and lower cabinets, and door drawers incorporating carbon fi ber into anything you can think of that is not metal,” Willis said.

Sometimes they can replace the metal with carbon fi ber while retaining its tensile strength. It weighs about one-tenth of fi berglass or aluminum and is sturdier.

“We have a proprietary blend, where we also mix it with Kevlar. It’s even stronger for the designs of trailers that are car haulers,” Willis said.

Willis said when they build cabinets, especially countertops, they blend magnetic powder.

“Let’s say you’ve been working in your trailer, you’re putting things away, you forget that wrench or whatever tool that’s metallic, it will magnetize to the countertop. So, when you’re driving around, it’s going to stay there,” Willis said.

The applications for carbon fi ber are endless when it comes to customizing accessories on cars, trailers or vehicle parts.

One popular application is for truckbed toolboxes. Willis said the toolbox prototypes weigh much less than the standard metal boxes but stand up to daily use better. The standard metal tools boxes absorb the heat from a sunny day and can get boiling hot inside while carbon fi ber acts differently.

“We tested a bag of ice in a carbon fi ber toolbox in the bed of his truck. We closed the lid, and after about an hour, we came back, and all there was a slight puddle of water underneath it,” Willis said. “The inside of the box was 50 to 70 degrees; it was cooled down by the ice instead of being heated by the sun. It repels the heat inside.”

Fort Lupton fortunate

Willis said the company was fortunate to fi nd Fort Lupton. Willis said he took over the original lease from a company that never set foot in the building.

“Honestly, it is the perfect site for us. Trying to fi nd something large enough that could house what we wanted to do, and how we wanted to do it, was the fun part. This building literally fell into our laps. We were also impressed with Fort Lupton and loved the city, “ Willis said.

Willis said he was impressed with the investments in commercial infrastructure that the city and other developers had made. He noted that his neighbors include Halliburton, the fi re department, and oil and gas companies.

“They have invested to build themselves up as a city. And we were very impressed with that commitment before anybody had signed on the dotted line,” Willis said.

New housing construction in Fort Lupton and other established companies were also part of the lure. There’s also room for expansion for growth for a lot of other companies, he said.

“The commercial market, real estate, or commercial real estate market here in Colorado, is fragile. Because we have lots of companies moving to Colorado, we have lots of companies in Colorado that are expanding or moving locations, Willis said.

“We can see companies will be moving into the area within the next fi ve years and we’re happy to be here fi rst.”

Finding roots

Luxe Offroad has its footprint in Denver with plans to establish in northern Colorado. Within a year, his goal is to be statewide and then go nationwide– if not global.

“The reason we’re happy with Fort Lupton is that we can absolutely bring all of the customers from Denver. We are not that far away from Denver and can bring our customers from northern Colorado as well,” Willis said.

For more information, visit http://www.luxeoffroadllc.com/

Luxe O road custom vehicle modifi cation to a Jeep.

COURTESY LUXE OFFROAD

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Rocky Mountain Metropolitan o ers daily fl ights

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Passengers across the Front Range have another option when it comes to flying from Colorado to California or Texas at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.

Air Carrier JSX came to RMMA on Aug. 4, offering public air charter daily direct flights to and from Dallas and Burbank twice a day, Sunday through Friday.

Two flights will be inbound from Burbank and two from Dallas. Then, two will be outbound to Burbank and two will be outbound to Dallas.

The company describes itself as a “hop-on jet service.” According to Airport Director Paul Anslow, they are not 14 CFR PART 139 certified, meaning while passengers still have to go through security, they don’t have to go through standard TSA.

“You can show up at the airport 20 minutes before your flight, get through the security check-in and be on your flight,” Anslow said. “(That) is a whole heck of a lot different than when you think about going down to Denver.”

Flight times are about 2 hours, according to Alex Wilcox, CEO of JSX. Ticket prices for August on the company’s website, www.jsx. com/booking/select, offer oneway flights to Dallas or Burbank for less than $300 and round-trip flights for about $500.

“If you are flying here, you’ll be at the destination by the time you get through security at DIA,” he said.

That perk also comes from the fact that the planes only have 30 seats. JSX remodeled planes that usually fit 50 seats down to 30.

“They’re all kind of like VIP first-class-style seats,” Anslow said.

Prices lower than expected

Wilcox said the airplanes are 20 years old and completely remodeled with a new interior.

Talks with JSX took about two years prior to the opening date, with most of the delay due to Covid. Actual negotiations occurred in the last 90-120 days.

Anslow estimates JSX will bring about half a million to three million dollars to the region while they just start out. That number will grow with increased passenger demand.

He also commented on the airline’s reasonable prices, which are much lower than he expected.

Wilcox said the company is able to do that by pricing to the market and what it actually costs to fly.

“We are just trying to make a margin,” he said.

JSX will add more frequent flights depending on how successful the beginning is, and Wilcox said he’s looking to expand into more markets.

Noise?

The move comes after airport operations increased 69% since 2011. According to Jefferson County Spokesperson Julie Story and Anslow, there were 119,353 operations in 2011 and 201,426 in 2021.

Anslow said he notified the Community Noise Roundtable group in June, which is normal as he would not brief the group until a certain level of certainty is reached. Though, the new service will only increase operations by eight for an entire week.

At the same time, the surrounding communities — Arvada, Broomfield, Louisville, Superior and Westminster — have increased their populations by about 13%. The total number of residents of all communities increased from 299,295 in 2010 to 338,806 in 2019. From 1990 to 2019, there has been an overall 68% increase in population, according to Story.

Both increases may have resulted in noise complaints, which have risen by almost 492% in the past 10 years. According to Anslow, noise complaints in 2011 were 481 and had grown to 2,845 in 2021.

In 2011, the number of distinct households complaining was 84, making the average complaint per household 5.7. By 2021, the number of distinct households was 402, averaging 7.1 complaints per household.

“This is a great partnership between our airport and JSX,” Jefferson County Commissioner Tracy Kraft-Tharp said. “We’re excited to open these opportunities to our community.”

A rainbow glistens as North Metro Fire and Rescue welcome the fi rst JSX plane to land at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI

Pinuelas draws 40-year sentence for second-degree murder conviction

STAFF REPORT

A 23-year-old man drew a 40-year sentence in the state department of corrections after he plead guilty to a second-degree murder charge.

Guillermo Pinuelas entered his plea in early June.

The incident happened in Northglenn in April 2021. A press release said Pinuelas went to the home of 24-year-old Kaid Dunlap to collect a debt. Dunlap didn’t have the money, and Pinuelas returned the next night. Dunlap didn’t have the money then, so Pinuelas shot Dunlap 13 times on the balcony of the apartment. The statement said Dunlap’s brother held him in his arms as Dunlap died.

Bullets penetrated the doors and walls of the apartment. The victim’s brother, sister-in-law and their child were home at the time.

The statement said police arrested Pinuelas in his apartment the next day after he disposed of the murder weapon and after trying to bleach his car and wash his clothes.

In the statement, 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason called the crime “horrifi c and senseless.”

“Thirteen shots into an occupied apartment, a cold-blooded murder, a young life lost, a family forever altered. For what? To settle a perceived score? It’s truly outrageous,” Mason said in the statement. This kind of violence will be met with thorough investigation and swift prosecution, as it was here.”

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might have been hugging, might have been sharing towels, things like that where we know we can see transmission,” he said.

Men who have sex with men account for the vast majority of cases — between 95% and 99% — and Douglas said the effort is getting those at risk vaccinated.

“If you use somebody else’s towel and you dried your back off, you can get it on your back. If you’ve got it on your arm and then you touched your face, you can sometimes transmit it from one place on your body to another. If it’s contact involving your areas of intimate exposure during sex, your genital area or your anal area, you can see lesions show up there,” Douglas said.

There is treatment available and if someone gets a rash, a sore or a blister in an area where they had close contact with others, they should see a doctor.

“We’re most worried about it right now because it’s pretty uncomfortable to have it even though it’s not nearly as bad as COVID and certainly not as bad as Smallpox,” Douglas said.

To avoid the virus, Douglas recommends men having sex with men to reduce their sexual partners or abstain from having sex. As well, get the vaccine when possible. Douglas said the health emergency declared by Biden may send more resources for education, testing and vaccines.

COVID-19

While average COVID-19 cases are on the decline in Colorado, Douglas notes that a large number are left out of the count.

“Some estimates are that as many as only one in seven of people infected are actually being picked up through the surveillance,” he said.

However, another measure officials use is wastewater surveillance since the virus is secreted through stool and that presence has been declining for the past four weeks.

The reason for the most recent uptick in cases is due to a new variant called BA.5. Douglas said it’s more contagious and somewhat immune evasive.

“If you’ve been previously vaccinated, frankly, even up-to-date vaccination, or if you’ve had a previous infection — those two ways of getting immune protection — don’t seem to work as well against BA,5 as some of the earlier variants,” he said.

Vaccination still leads to a much lower chance of becoming reinfected with the BA.5 variant, Billings said.

“Unvaccinated individuals are more than twice as likely to be reinfected than people who have received the third booster,” Billings said, “Reinfection, as the definition, is having a positive test for COVID-19 and then testing positive again, after your symptoms have resolved within a 90-day timeframe,” she said.

Despite rising cases, hospitalizations and deaths remained low and the BA.5 variant doesn’t appear to be more serious.

With each new variant, the severity of the disease has continually decreased and whether that will continue with the next variants is hard to predict. Billings noted scientists look at two characteristics to determine the level of severity.

“How easy does it create an infection and how easily does it spread? And we look at its severity and severity has an immune escape component to it. So does it evade the immunity that a body has already established either through vaccination or natural infection?” she said.

That’s why both Billings and Douglas do not think COVID-19 is over. Each new variant can behave very differently.

“We are so much more knowledgeable in how to protect and move with the curve that the virus throws at us,” Billings said.

Herd immunity

Douglas explained that determining whether the public reached herd immunity for COVID-19 is difficult because the virus is constantly evolving.

He said that if immunity levels, mostly through vaccination, are at 92% or greater, then transmission of the virus is very unlikely. However, since COVID-19 varies frequently, it’s very difficult to measure immunity.

Billings said that if the virus stops producing variants, then it could warrant herd immunity.

She said the fact that a summer spike occurred, which for respiratory illnesses usually occurs in the winter, is a sign herd immunity hasn’t been reached.

Situational masking

With the upcoming fall and winter seasons, mask mandates from Jefferson County Health Department and Tri-County Health Department don’t seem likely.

Douglas said unless a new variant that was more severe and very immune evasive than past variants, a mandate isn’t in the future. But both Billings and Douglas said the departments will always recommend masking based on situations.

“If I am unvaccinated and we’re at a high (case) level and I’m going to an indoor concert, I probably want to put a mask on,” Billings said.“If we’re in CDC level low or medium and I’m at an outdoor event, I probably would think about my individual risk: am I at risk for severe complications? (if so,) then I’d probably wear a mask. But if you’re fully vaccinated and we’re in CDC level low, mask-wearing is recommended, but it’s not necessarily something that would be the first tool that I would pull out of my COVID toolbox for mitigation of COVID.”

Blast from the past

Billings said the department is aware of one case of Polio in New York.

She said the Center for Disease Control is working to understand how and where the individual was infected. There is no cure for Polio, but it is preventable through safe and effective vaccination.

For Coloradoans, there is no immediate risk. The most effective defense against the disease is vaccination.

“There is no immediate risk to residents in Jefferson County, however individuals who are unvaccinated, including those who are pregnant, those who have not completed their polio vaccine series previously, or community members who are concerned they might have been exposed, should get vaccinated,” Billings said.

Douglas notes few remember the initial outbreak in 1948.

“Very few people remember what it was like with Polio, it was a horror show,” he said.

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Finding smoother air through the turbulence

All of us who have fl own have experienced turbulence. Some of us experience anxiety and fear as we drive our fi ngernails into the armrest or the arms of the person sitting next to us. Many regular fl yers have come to know and trust in the pilots and aircraft and are confi dent that we are okay. While some even treat the turbulence like a thrill ride or roller coaster.

On a fl ight from Denver to Phoenix several years ago, our plane went through incredibly intense turbulence. My seatmate was not a frequent fl yer and was already anxious about the trip, and the choppy air had her holding onto the armrests with a white-knuckled death grip. And when the plane took a tremendous jump, her fi ngernails left the armrest, and she immediately dug them into my forearm.

Is there turbulence in the world? Absolutely. This is not a shock to anyone. When pilots experience turbulence, they attempt to fi nd smoother air, and most times, they seek higher altitudes to see if they can get us to less bumpy airspace so we can feel better and have a more enjoyable remainder of our fl ight. I have noticed throughout my life that when faced with turbulent or diffi cult times, situations, or people, looking for a higher altitude means taking the high road. And I would have to say that by fi nding a higher altitude in almost every turbulent and trying situation, taking the high road has made all the difference in fi nding that smooth air so we can move on with a more enjoyable and safer fl ight through life.

Trying, challenging, and diffi cult times know no prejudice. We all eventually go through seasons of life that are incredibly hard, causing us great pain physically, mentally, and spiritually. And for so many of us, we react hastily and maybe even angrily instead of taking a moment, responding favorably as we look for the onramp to the high road. And by the way, I can share with you that when taking the high road, we never run into a traffi c jam as many people would prefer to stay in the fi ght or keep perpetuating an argument, failing to fi nd smoother air and peaceful resolutions.

There are undoubtedly turbulent global situations that we cannot infl uence at all. Yet we can still fi nd a higher ground or a higher altitude to try and maintain order and fi nd peace. The events, arguments, and divisiveness going on right now are causing a tidal wave of differences of opinions and creating a breeding ground for violent responses, chaos, and confusion. My encouragement is that when we fi nd ourselves right in the middle of it, we can stop, pause, and remember to fi nd a higher altitude and smoother air by taking the high road.

There is a classic and great song by Buffalo Springfi eld titled “For What It’s Worth.” And some lyrics should remind us of what’s happening around us and that we can fi nd our way to being less combative, more cooperative, less angry, and more agreeable, even if it is agreeing that we can disagree. The lyrics go like this, “There’s battle lines being drawn, nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong.”

Instead of rushing to judgment where we feel others are wrong, we should try to navigate through the turbulence by fi nding a higher altitude. Stephen Covey and others have encouraged us to “Seek fi rst to understand and then to be understood.” Many have forgotten this effective technique and only look to push their agenda, beliefs, and opinions.

How about you? Have you experienced a smoother ride through the turbulence by taking the high road? Or could you use a little reminder to help you fi nd higher altitude and smoother air? Either way, I would love to hear your story at mnorton@ xinnix.com, and when we can navigate through the turbulence, it will be a better than good year.

WINNING WORDS

Michael Norton

Michael Norton is the grateful president of XINNIX, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator to businesses of all sizes.

What advocates of nuclear must also talk about

Anuclear reactor might be a nice addition to the economy of Craig, the community in northwestern Colorado. But can Colorado afford nuclear power?

Three coal-burning units at Craig will be closed between 2025 and 2030. Those plants and associated mining provide the Moffat County School District with roughly 20% of its property tax base and many jobs that pay uncommonly well for rural Colorado.

A nuclear power plant rising like a phoenix from the ruins of coal could use existing high-voltage transmission and deliver at least some of the lost jobs.

Too, a new-generation nuclear power plant could supplement Colorado’s abundant wind and solar generation. Utilities say they have fi gured out how to achieve 85%, possibly even 90% emissions-free electricity from renewables without risking reliability and raising rates extravagantly. Nobody yet has the answer for that last 10% to 15%. Nuclear could help.

The Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado, a fi ve-county planning agency based in Rifl e, has emerged as a fulcrum for this conversation. As fi rst reported by the Grand Junction Sentinel, members met in June with State Sen. Bob Rankin, a Republican from Garfi eld County, to talk about the potential. Rankin in the last legislative session tried to get fellow legislators to appropriate $500,000 (amended to $250,000) to study the potential for nuclear. “If we really believe that climate change is an existential threat, then how can we not look at every option?” said Rankin in introducing his bill.

Some who testifi ed at the committee meeting cited environmental concern. A couple of self-identifi ed environmentalists testifi ed in support because, they said, nuclear does provide emissions-free energy. More than 19% of all U.S. emissions-free electricity comes from nuclear.

Conspicuously absent was support from the administration of Gov. Jared Polis. The bill failed 3-2 on a party-line vote.

Nuclear has a nagging problem, though. It’s expensive. Advocates rarely mention this. Costs of Georgia’s Plant Vogtle, the only U.S. nuclear power plant under construction, have ballooned from $14 billion to now $30 billion-plus. In South Carolina, investors pulled the plug on a nuclear power plant after spending $9 billion. It has become among the very costliest of energy sources, only slightly less than rooftop solar, according to Lazard, the fi nancial analyst.

Modular nuclear reactors have been promoted as a way to shave costs. Specifi c projects have been conceived in both Idaho and Wyoming. Bill Gates is an investor in the latter. Maybe they will overcome this cost problem. We won’t really know for another 10, maybe 15 years.

State Sen. Chris Hansen remains skeptical. He has expertise unsurpassed among legislators. He set out to become a nuclear engineer after fi rst laying eyes on a reactor when a high school junior from the farm country of Kansas. He got his degree but had already turned his attention to economics. He went on to earn degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and, from Oxford, a Ph.D. in resource economics.

Nuclear, he told a county commissioner from Sterling in 2019, simply does not compete in cost. That was the fi rst time I heard him answer this question. Last week, when we talked, he offered more detail.

“I think those technologies will have to prove themselves,” he said of modular nuclear reactors. “Right now, in the best-case scenario it looks like they will deliver electricity at $60 to $70 per megawatt-hour. Wind and solar are coming in at less than $20.”

The sun doesn’t always shine, the wind doesn’t always blow, and we have very little long-term storage.

“Absolutely there is extra value for a power plant that you can operate at the fl ip of a switch, but keep in mind those (coal-burning) units have high rates of unreliability because of maintenance needs and breakdowns, and some nuclear plants have had the exact same problems,” he said.

Hansen suggests that reliability may more economically be provided by less expensive alternatives. For example, he has pushed

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Commerce City picks consultant to lead Police Department

Richard W. Myers named Interim Chief will permanent replacement sought

STAFF REPORT

Commerce City will hire a Colorado-based police consultant with 30 years of police chief experience to run the Police Department until a permanent chief can be found.

The City of Commerce City said Aug. 2 that it will hire Richard W. Myers as interim chief of police, effective Aug. 8. He will replace Clint Nichols who retired from the position effective July 25.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve as interim chief of police for Commerce City,” said Myers. “I look forward to working with everyone from the line level employees to the command staff to help prepare the department for its next chief.”

Myers was chief of police for the Colorado Springs Police Department from 2007 to 2011. He then started a police consulting fi rm and has mostly resided in Colorado since that time, except for one year as interim chief in Sanford, Fla. and nearly four years as chief in Newport News, Va. Myers is a Certifi ed Law Enforcement Executive by the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police.

Myers has served as a chief or interim chief of police in eight different jurisdictions spanning six states since 1984. He also served the board for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies from 2009-17 and as the group’s president in 2015. Myers also spent two years (2017-2019) as executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association and is currently an executive fellow for the National Myers Policing Institute. “Chief Myers brings a wealth of experience and recognition in the public safety fi eld to our organization,” said City Manager Roger Tinklenberg in a written statement. “He is a proven leader with a history of positive results both as a permanent and interim chief, in Colorado and across the country.”

Myers said he hopes Commerce City residents will communicate with him about what they need.

“While I have some familiarity with the agency, I would like to hear the community’s needs and expectations for the department, as well as hearing from the people who do the hard work every day on how I can help them continue to improve public safety services in Commerce City,” Myers said.

Former chief Nichols left the position amidst some controversy after he was stopped for traffi c violations in Utah while traveling between Commerce City and his family’s home in Las Vegas in 2020.

Tinklenberg said he’s confi dent that Myers will help the department.

“I am confi dent in his ability to bolster communication within the department, evaluate organizational needs and move the department forward until a permanent chief is in place,” Tinklenberg said.

A nationwide search for CCPD’s next permanent chief of police will begin immediately, starting with a solicitation for a professional recruiting fi rm to conduct the process.

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transmission and passed legislation to create organized markets that will allow electricity to be moved across broader geographic areas in response to consumer demands. Colorado is currently an island with limited bridges to other areas.

Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest utility, also has a wait-and-see attitude. In June, I asked Alice Jackson, who now directs planning for Xcel Energy across its eight-state service territory, what her company must see. “Costeffective investment in construction of the new versions,” she said. Xcel, she added, will be paying attention.

Will the new generation of nuclear become cost-effective? Perhaps. We don’t have all the answers to 100% emissions-free electricity even as we expand its use into buildings and transportation. Nuclear could be an answer. But it does come at a high cost. Any serious conversation must acknowledge that.

Allen Best writes about the energy and other transitions underway in Colorado at BigPivots.com.

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