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September 9, 2021
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
SouthPlatteIndependent.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 28
VOLUME 76 | ISSUE 44
As COVID cases rise, local hospital ICUs fill up ‘Vast majority’ of hospitalized virus patients are unvaccinated BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A sign read, “I don’t co-parent with the government” during a protest against mask requirements at the Arapahoe County administration building in Littleton. PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD
meeting of the Arapahoe County commissioners. Others couched their opposition to the mask mandate in similarly dramatic fashion, with Jillian Garramone, a Jefferson County resident, saying: “You came for our kids; you should expect a war.” (Some speakers at the Arapahoe meeting were from neighboring counties.)
As COVID-19 cases continue to go up across the metro area due to the highly-transmissible delta variant, hospitals are admitting more patients to ICU beds, and UCHealth and Kaiser Permanente are postponing non-urgent medical procedures. According to the Tri-County Health Department, as of Sept. 1, hospitals in Douglas County had reached 95% capacity for ICU beds. Inpatient beds were exceeding 85%. In neighboring Arapahoe County, ICU beds were at 83.4% capacity to start the month of September. Adams County increased to 91.3% capacity. As hospitals are dealing with the increase in cases, UCHealth made
SEE MASKS, P2
SEE COVID, P6
Some urge county to break from Tri-County Health over masks ‘You mess with parents’ kids, you will see rebellion’
BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
In emotional tones, parents pleaded with Arapahoe County’s elected leaders last week to oppose
the local public health agency’s COVID-safety mask requirements for students, with some speakers asking the county to pull out of the agency altogether. “We need to get back to what America is about: Standing up for rights. And you don’t want to cross that line, because as parents, grandparents, we have the responsibility to stop it,” said a woman who identified herself as Becky, of Centennial, during an Aug. 31
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REMEMBERING 9/11 COMRADES Memorial Stair Climb pays tribute, raises funds P16