Highlands Ranch Herald 092321

Page 1

September 23, 2021

FREE

DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

HighlandsRanchHerald.net

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 22

VOLUME 34 | ISSUE 42

Sentence meant to send message STEM shooter gets life in prison without parole, plus 1,282 years BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

People who attended the Aug. 24 Douglas County School Board meeting stood in support of comment they supported and faced PHOTO BY JESSICA GIBBS the back of the room when they disagreed with public comment.

County leaders grapple with raucous meetings COVID-19 response drives tense debates, disruptions BY ELLIOTT WENZLER AND JESSICA GIBBS EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Several security guards and

uniformed officers positioned themselves between the audience at an Aug. 24 meeting of the Douglas County School Board and the board’s seats at the dais. Confusion consumed the room as guards tried to clear the crowd of roughly two dozen. About half of the people left but the rest lingered,

trying to figure out if they would be let in later or if the meeting was over. Guards were not sure, but they needed people to leave, they said. Minutes earlier, the board directors had abruptly left the room. SEE MEETINGS, P20

Toepfer, Sweetwater parks sale still undecided Negotiation powers remain with Douglas County School District BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Months after Douglas County offered to purchase Toepfer and

Sweetwater parks, the ultimate decision still remains in the hands of the Douglas County School District. In June, Douglas County commis-

sioners gave county staff authorization to negotiate the purchase of the 10-acre Toepfer Park in

Breathless, Syketha Sprague tried to describe for a Douglas County judge the lifelong impact of a school shooting. Her voice started out as a strained whisper. Sprague uttered her words between gasps for air. Tears choked the visibly shaken woman. Then she made an admission to the packed galley. For more than two years, Sprague has struggled to look John and Maria Castillo in the eyes, she said. Sprague’s only son survived the May 7, 2019, shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch, which left senior Kendrick Castillo dead and eight other students injured. Every birthday, every holiday since, reminded her the Castillos lost their only son that day while she still held hers. As Sprague spoke, John put his arm around Maria, who wept into her mask. Just like every past hearing, the couple sat in the front row of the Castle Rock courtroom. Following a five-hour hearing on Sept. 17 hearing, District Judge

SEE PARKS, P13

SEE SHOOTER, P18

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