SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E
VOLUME 34 32
C I T Y
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ISSUE48 3 ISSUE
WEEK OF ANUARY 20, TUESDAY , NJOVEMBER 24,2022 2020
WALK ON BYgatherings New COVID-19 restrictions personal Adams 14 endswill prohibit indoor dining,
management contract
BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Adams 14 School District and Adams 14 School Succeed, also known as MGT America Consulting, are business partners no more. The district’s board terminated the contract Jan. 11. The notice takes effect April 11. The board cited activities on the part of MGT that launched an investigation by the Adams County District Attorney’s Office. “Our office was recently contacted by a representative of the Adams 14 school board,” said a statement from DA spokesman Chris Hopper. “He (the board member) asked us to review some documentation that he provided to us on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021. We are in the process of doing so to see if there is any additional action that needs to be taken.” In a press release, Adams 14
spokesman Robert Lundin said the board also stressed that the conduct of A14SS (MGT Management) “has undermined statutory public trust obligations and included actions believed by the board to constitute attempts to illegally influence public servants.” Officials with MGT have not responded to a request for comment. The press release also said the board named several instances to engage with the management firm to address concerns “but were not afforded the dignity of any response.” The state ordered the district to hire an outside management firm three years ago because of the district’s poor academic standing. The three-month window between the board’s decision and termination of the contract allows the district to find a new management firm. The board’s Jan. 11 vote was unanimous.
This customer ignores the picket line at the King Soopers store in Reunion Jan. 13, the first day of a strike by grocery store workers. Employees at 78 stores – including both in Commerce City – walked off the job, demanding better safety precautions, higher PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH wages and affordable health care.
Commerce City begins redistricting work Survey, meetings to shape city districts, City Council representation
city, and city officials will use those new numbers to draw ward boundaries that make sure each ward contains a similar number of residents. The city is mailing a governance survey to residents collect resident feedback about the makeup and structure of City Council seats. STAFF REPORT Depending on community input, council could callsite a special cials plan to of Brighton’s A Commerce long line ofCity carsoffi outside the city rapidthen testing at election in November 2022 to change begin rewriting the city’s ward Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had to close early many days in recent the composition of City Council. boundaries, starting with a survey weeks due toofhigh demand. Adams County’s 14-day City test positivity rate Commerce has four wards. and a series virtual and in-person in each ward elect one of the public was 15.9meetings. percent, as of Nov. 17, accordingVoters to Tri-County Health Department. eight members the City Council. The new boundaries come with Brighton and Commerce City’s test positivity rates wereofboth higher than The remaining four councilors are the updated 2020 census look at the
13 percent. Forty-five people in Brighton and 29 in Commerce City have died from COVID-19 related health issues. To limit the spread of COVID-19, at least 15 counties moved to tighter restrictions that prohibits indoor and personal gatherings.
elected at-large, by all voters in the city. According to the city’s website, the city could maintain the current arrangement, do away with at-large voting and choose all councilors from within the wards or divide each ward in a half and elect all eight councilors from within new By Ellis Arnold wards. Colorado Community Redistricting the city’sMedia wards to ensure they meet constitutional As Denver metro counties continue to requirements (such as equal populainch toequality, local stay-at-home orders tion,closer racial communities of interest, etc.)system following the 2020 under Colorado’s of coronavirusCensus. related restrictions, the state announced
a new level of rules that prohibits indoor dining and personal gatherings — a change that applies to the majority of the Denver metro area and many counties in other regions. efforts to keep kids in school and state’s whichare has on The track to COVID-19 graduate dial, on time been in effect since September, is the set working,” 27J Schools Superintenof different levels of restrictions that each dent
The city plans to host virtual and in-person information sessions to provide an overview of these two processes and answer questions from residents. Please check back at c3gov.com/redistricting for updates. The first virtual meeting was scheduled for Jan. 19, butbased virtual county is required to follow on the meetings scheduled at 6 p.m. severity of aare county’s local virus spread. Feb. 2 and at noon Feb. 12 via the The dialnetworking grew out of the state’s safer-atZoom application. home order —meetings the policyare thatscheduled came after In person the stay-at-home order this Recfor statewide 6 p.m. Feb. 16 at Bison Ridge reation Center and 6 p.m. March spring and allowed numerous types of2 at Eagle Pointe Recreation Center. businesses to reopen.
The state recently switched to color identifiers — levels blue, yellow and orange rather than numbered levels — to avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red meant a stay-at-home order. Now, level ment. “Earning that high-school red — “severe risk” — to is the seconddiploma is critical any stu-
27J’s graduation rate increases for a fourth year
STAFF REPORT
The graduation rate in 27J Schools increased for a fourth year in a row, according to a press
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statement. The ratePhoto increased two percent by Belen Ward to 88.2 percent, an all-time high, said the district. “This is proof positive that our
Chris Fiedler said in the state-
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•27J Schools •Adamsmoves City football • Vestas to lay off 200 online-only Dec. 1 standout Johnson optsemployees for college in California
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dent’s success whether they
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