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Elbert 5.9.13-16
Elbert County
May 9, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourelbertcountynews.com
Elbert County, Colorado • Volume 118, Issue 15
Web predator convicted of molestation Elbert social services started case against Aurora man By Rhonda Moore
rmoore@ourcoloradonews.com An Aurora man was convicted in an Arapahoe County court for several counts of sexual assault on a child in a case launched by Elbert County social services. Matthew George, 32, was convicted April 26 in a case that involved a 14-year-old Aurora girl and a 12-year-old Centennial girl,
according to the office of 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler. According to the district attorney’s office, George began interacting with the victims in the spring of 2011 on social media websites, including IMVU.com and MocoGeorge space. On the IMVU.com site, one of the victims created an avatar, which she used to communicate with George. In the initial case, George arranged meetings and had sex with the victim in her
home multiple times. In the case of the second victim, George met her at a cemetery and drove her to an elementary school, where he had sexual contact with her. His crimes were discovered during an investigation by Elbert County social services, Brauchler says. Brauchler has established a special victims unit to investigate similar crimes. “My job is to help protect the most vulnerable members of our community, including our sons and daughters, from those who would target them for molestation. They must be removed from our communi-
ty,” Brauchler said. “In this particular case, Matthew George’s perverse plan to lure and then rape children in these places that were supposed to be safe havens is one of the most disturbing patterns of abuse I have encountered in a criminal case.” George was convicted of three counts of sexual assault on a child as a pattern of abuse, two counts of sexual assault on a child and two counts of enticement. Sentencing is set for 1:30 p.m. July 1 before Judge Kurt Horton in Division 204. George faces up to four years to life in prison.
Lawmakers seek wildfire solutions Republicans push better planning for public land By Alexandra Tilsley Associated Press
When the Town of Elizabeth decided it was time to spiff things up, it gave residents some added incentive. The town each year hosts a cleanup day to clean town parks, buildings and to help residents of Elizabeth take care of trash on their property. The event is manned by volunteers who spend the day emptying trucks and trailers full of trash, picking up at town parks and helping to spruce up public buildings. This year’s event on May 4 expanded from past years’ cleanup days with double the trash bins, provided free of charge to Elizabeth residents who need a little extra help removing accumulated trash from their properties. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helped unload trucks full of trash on May 4 in Elizabeth. In case the free service wasn’t enough to Four trash bins were provided to haul away trash that accumulated on properties in town. The police code enforcement motivate people to participate, the town’s division personally requested participation in the town’s cleanup day at more than 40 homes. code enforcement officer added a reminder that failure to remove debris could result in POSTAL ADDRESS a code violation. The reminder was enough to fill two trash bins within one hour of opening for business. Printed on recycled “This is an opportunity for public works newsprint. Please recycle this copy. to give back to the town,” said Michael Gibbs, public works director. “It’s also a way to give people pride in their properties and work together as a community.” Gibbs was joined by Mayor H. Clay Hurst
As the West prepares for what looks to be another long wildfire season, six Republican members of Congress are considering how states can help minimize their risks. U.S. Reps. Mike Coffman, Cory Gardner, Doug Lamborn and Scott Tipton of Colorado, Steve Pearce of New Mexico and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming convened May 2 at the Colorado Capitol in Denver to hear testimony from local experts and county commissioners about how to better protect Gardner national forests. The hearing was purely informational, as lawmakers consider what legislative steps might help mitigate wildfire danger. “It has become beyond clear that we need a change in the way that we manage our national forests,” Coffman said. Lawmakers talked of a need for federal action, and most witnesses said federal laws created barriers to local wildfire prevention efforts — though they also acknowledged a need for funding from Washington, D.C. The thrust of the Republicans lawmakers’ statements was that fires on lands owned by the Department of the Interior or other federal divisions can easily spread to private lands and neighborhoods, but the federal government isn’t doing enough to protect against forest fires. Former Interior Secretary Gale Norton, who served from 2001 to 2006, said the Obama administration seems to be more involved in forest management policies than the Bush administration. She said, however, the additional involvement hasn’t necessarily helped to protect potential burn areas. “In order for us to move ahead, we need to have the self-sustaining ability to thin our forests,” Norton said. She discussed the need for a larger market for forested products, noting that she was pleased to see a bin a local grocery store made from beetle-kill lumber. Mike King, executive director of Colorado’s Department of Natural Resources, echoed this, adding that the federal government needs to make it easier for the private sector to step in. “We as a state, and the federal government as well, do not have the resources to address this problem and, let’s be honest, we probably never will,” King said. “Until and unless there’s a private sector solu-
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Wildfire continues on Page 13
Elizabeth Town Trustee Rachel White enlisted the help of her daughters on May 4 to paint the handrail at town hall during Elizabeth’s annual cleanup day. Parks, buildings and residential properties are spiffed up in the event. Photos by Rhonda Moore
Elizabeth residents tidy up town Volunteers pitch in for annual cleanup By Rhonda Moore
rmoore@ourcoloradonews.com