September 16, 2021
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
HighlandsRanchHerald.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 23
VOLUME 34 | ISSUE 41
How state law will guide county’s new health agency Choosing a health director a key first task for board BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
filed against the state Medicaid program. The lawsuit so far includes three
As Douglas County proceeds with breaking away from the TriCounty Health Department and building its own public health agency, the next major step for the agency will be selecting a public health director. The director, who will serve as the head of the county health department, will be required by state statute to hire all personnel for the new department, issue public health emergency orders and enforce all public health laws, among other duties. Both the county director’s responsibilities and qualifications for the role are specifically detailed in Colorado law. Finding someone who fits those requirements will be one of the primary tasks for Douglas County’s new board of health. “I would say it’s going to be among the first things it’s important for them to address,” said Barbara Drake, deputy Douglas County manager. The three Douglas County commmisioners agreed at a Sept. 7 work session that they would name two of their own to the health board — commissioners Lora Thomas and George Teal — as well
SEE SUIT, P31
SEE NEW AGENCY, P20
Flour Power students work with instructor Shaylee Smith to make the sauce for sloppy joes.
PHOTO BY THELMA GRIMES
Flour Power franchise has full plate of classes Young people learn the art of cooking, appreciating food BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Parents struggling to get children to eat a vegetable might want
to consider enrolling them in a cooking class with Flour Power Kids Cooking Studio in Highlands Ranch. During a Tuesday night class
in August, the Flour Power instructors focused on lunchtime favorites, teaching a small group of students how to make homemade onion rings and sloppy joe sandwiches. SEE CLASSES, P16
Suit targets Colo. child mental health gaps Plaintiffs include hospitalized teens from Castle Rock, Northglenn BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN
Colorado has lapsed on its obligation to provide mental health care
REMEMBERING 9/11
Colorado communities mark the 20th anniversary of a sorrowful day P4-10
for needy children, leaving them to cycle in and out of emergency rooms instead of receiving appropriate long-term care, according to a federal class-action lawsuit
PANDEMIC FASHIONS
Sustainability shapes style trends
P14