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July 29, 2021
ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
ElbertCountyNews.net
VOLUME 126 | ISSUE 24
Intersection’s frequent wrecks worry residents Dirt-road crash claimed the life of a high school senior BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Residents who travel in the area south of Elizabeth have voiced concerns about the safety of the intersection of Elbert County Roads 9 and 118. The two dirt roads intersect at a sharp curve. CR 118 encounters a steep ledge before curving into CR 9. There are no guardrails to prevent drivers from skidding off the ledge into the property below. Recently, an Elbert County resident who lives near the intersection voiced a complaint about the abundance of wrecks on the road and the impact on their personal property. “We have three to five cars a month fly off the road and land in our field,” said the resident, who requested anonymity due to possible repercussions for complaining. “I have pleaded with the Elbert
‘We need to talk about where we go from here’ BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
of Colorado had just three known bald eagle nests by the end of the 1970s. Today, the state is home to more than 200 nests — some in “unconventional” locations, like the Front Range. This could explain why people who frequent Denver’s City Park have become accustomed to seeing bald eagles in the area.
Despite a court ruling that freed Bill Cosby years after his sexual-assault conviction, a Douglas County resident says progress is being made to help victims come forward and find justice in cases of rape and sexual assault, but more needs to be done. Heidi Thomas, who has testified in court that Cosby sexually assaulted her in the 1980s, said that when she read a news story announcing he would be released from prison, it was a “punch in the gut.” “I had no idea this was coming,” said the Castle Rock resident and Littleton native. “It just came out of the blue.” Cosby was released on July 1 after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his 2018 conviction. The actor and comedian had been sentenced to serve three to 10 years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand. On the date of his release, Cosby had served three years. Before, during and after the trial, Cosby has vehemently denied allegations that he used drugs to sexually assault dozens of women.
SEE STUDY, P15
SEE CHANGE, P4
Zeke Cabrera, an 18-year-old who died in a car crash at the intersection on May 10.
SEE WRECKS, P10
COURTESY OF AIMEE CABRERA
Study focuses on bald eagle boom Front Range corridor includes nests of birds once rare in the state BY KYLE COOKE AND CLARISSA GUY ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS
It’s no secret that the human population on Colorado’s Front
Bill Cosby accuser now spotlights change
Range is expanding. State officials predict that in the 10-year range from 2019 to 2029, Colorado will grow by more than 800,000 people, with about 87% of them settling in the Front Range. More perplexing, however, is that another population is growing in that same densely populated urban corridor: bald eagles. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), the whole state
INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 7 | VOICES: PAGE 8 | LIFE: PAGE 9
ON AN UPSWING Pickleball is still popular among seniors, but now younger generations are discovering the sport
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