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August 12, 2021
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
SouthPlatteIndependent.net
VOLUME 76 | ISSUE 40
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 16 | SPORTS: PAGE 20
How local school districts differ on mask rules Some say policies go too far; others say not far enough BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
circumstances. “It’s important for us to make those connections so that when we do go to their neighborhood that they know we’re just a bunch of officers trying to help the community and keep it safe,” said Hal Mandler, patrol commander on the graveyard shift for Littleton Police. Mandler also organized this year’s event.
School districts across metro Denver and beyond have been revising their mask-wearing policies and other rules to address the threat of COVID-19 as the new school year approaches. And frequently, those policies have met with strong objections from many — some feeling the rules go too far and some saying they don’t go far enough. Some districts, such as Denver, Jeffco and Englewood, have announced mask-wearing requirements inside schools, while others, like Douglas County, are strongly urging they be used but not mandating them in school buildings. Colorado’s public-health department released new K-12 school
SEE NIGHT OUT, P13
SEE MASKS, P21
Sebastian Paternoster, 3, calls for backup on the Littleton SWAT radio at the city’s National Night Out event held Aug. 3. PHOTO BY SHANNA MAXCY
Event connects cops, community Littleton welcomes residents for National Night Out BY SHANNA MAXCY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Three-year-old Sebastian Paternoster sat in the driver’s seat of the Littleton Police SWAT vehicle with
the radio in his hand. He pretended to call for backup. He was one of many community children to take a tour of the vehicle Aug. 3 at the Littleton Police Department’s annual National Night Out event. National Night Out is a community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships. Held nationwide on Aug. 3, the event aims to provide an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive
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DIVERSE FAITHS
A variety of religions, beliefs found across metro area P14