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whole life in Littleton, and nothing really happens that’s too big. So I was just confused about what could happen.”

Laura Mehew, a Littleton High School mother, said she is concerned about the impact of swatting on students, especially considering how many are being victimized by these incidents.

“These kids have been exposed to so much, they’re almost becoming desensitized to it a little bit, which is, in my opinion, a defense mechanism,” she said. “It’s in the hundreds, I would say the thousands of students who are being impacted by (swatting)… It causes trauma.”

Littleton High School alone has approximately 1,300 students, so thousands of Colorado students have been victims of swatting in recent weeks.

Mehew is particularly concerned because her family was involved in an active shooter situation a few years ago. The suspect in that situation ended up being unarmed, making her familiar with the trauma that threat situations can cause, even if they do not end up causing physical harm.

Yongue said swatting is “frustrat- have their inventories up already,” said Evans. “I found a way to nd a bunch of local businesses across the U.S. that had websites with all their products and consolidate them all to one site so they can shop directly from that store on.” e name Harvester was inspired by a machine that takes place in the process of deforestation, as seen in the Amazon rainforest. e machine is called a harvester.

With Harvester, online shoppers can freely shop trending local businesses by entering their zip code. ey can also search for an item they are looking for and use the lter to sort by distance, price or relevance.

Shoppers can create an online account with Harvester and follow their favorite businesses.

“ at’s kind of where I got the idea,” said Evans. “Because a lot of local businesses were losing a lot of their businesses to huge online retailers like Amazon. And so I thought, it’s kind of like a tongue in cheek.”

As Harvester includes local businesses with online stores, Evans said he would like for his website to expand to a point where stores that do not have an online presence will join Harvester.

Evans hopes to grow the number of users so he can adjust the app as necessary to make it fun for the users to come back.

“I hope to kind of put the fondness of local shopping in the digital form, kind of make the digital mainstreet of sorts,” said Evans. “I want to make it so any day of the week, you can browse your local stores and shop directly from your phone.” ing” and “disgusting.”

“(Kids) have this true threat that they deal with, and we as parents deal with every day that we send our kids to school,” she said. “To have somebody exploit that is — I don’t understand how you get to a state of mind where you think, ‘This is what I’m going to do today.’ And it’s even more frustrating to know that they will most likely never be caught.”

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, those who post or send false threats can receive up to five years in federal prison, or they can face state or local charges. In Colorado, false reporting of an emergency is a class 1 misdemeanor, but can be raised to a felony if injury occurs.

The Littleton Police Department said they are working with local partners and the FBI as investigations into the incident move forward.

Mehew said she is grateful for those who work to keep students safe when situations like this occur.

“Our school people are put on the frontlines of so many issues that kids are facing right now,” she said. “Education and trying to educate them is just one part of it. They’re having to help these kids through so much more. So I’m very appreciative of the school and of the Littleton Police Department.”

Interested in becoming a foster parent?

Information nights are open to anyone interested in learning about foster care. Information nights are free and via Zoom on March 11 from 9-10:30 a.m. and March 20 from 6-7:30 p.m. For information, call 303.636.1KID or register online at collaborativefostercare.com and select Information Night.

Business Personal Property Tax Declarations due by April 15

Business Personal Property Tax Declarations may be filed online at DouglasFilesOnline.org Business owners who own or lease business personal property with a total market value of greater than $52,000 must report the property to the County Assessor. For more information, visit douglas.co.us/assessor

Do you have old electronics around the house collecting dust?

Douglas County residents may dispose of unwanted electronics free of charge at Techno Rescue, 3251 Lewiston St. in Aurora. Drop off weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and occasional Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proof of residency is required. For a list of acceptable items, Saturday drop-off dates and more, visit douglas.co.us and search for Electronics Recycling.

Need help with rising heat costs?

Rising heating costs may be hard to budget for this year, but help is available to Douglas County residents who are struggling. If you or someone you know needs assistance, apply now through April 30, 2023, for energy assistance through the State of Colorado’s LowIncome Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). For more information, visit douglas.co.us and search LEAP or email LEAPHELP@discovermygoodwill.org

Do you have...

Mysterious insects? Trees in trouble? A need for gardening advice?

CSU Extension is here for you. We provide answers and education. For more information call 720-733-6930 or visit https://douglas.extension.colostate.edu