SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E
32 VOLUME 34
C I T Y
50cI
ISSUE ISSUE48 7
TUESDAY ,N 2020 TUESDAY , FOVEMBER EBRUARY 24, 9, 2021
New COVID-19 will prohibit indoor dining,to personal gatherings Suitrestrictions against Adams County sheriff proceed Deputies allege Adams County Sheriff Richard Reigenborn retaliated against them for supporting predecessor BY LIAM ADAMS LADAMS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Varholak ruled on Jan. 26 that a lawsuit against Adams County’s sheriff can proceed. Sheriff Richard Reigenborn and his office sought to dismiss the suit filed by four former deputies claiming wrongful termination. Former senior-level officers James Coates, Gene Claps, Mark Mitchell and Kevin Currier claim Reigenborn didn’t provide sufficient reasoning for firing them. The four plaintiffs served under
Reigenborn
former Sheriff Michael McIn-
Anythink libraries reopen Branches to keep COVID protocols in place
in the building, better ventilation and quarantine of all returned library materials up to one week. Customers will have to keep 6 feet from staff and other visitors. The staff will encourage visits be BY STAFF REPORTS limited to 60 minutes. Masks are required; freetesting masks site areat availreopened A Anythink long line ofLibraries cars outside the city of Brighton’s rapid able. their doors Feb. 1, thanks to a Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had“We to close early many days in recent are eager to welcome everydecline in coronavirus cases in weeks due to high demand. Adams County’s 14-day testlibraries,” positivity rate one back to our said Adams County. Director Pam Sandlian The libraries was 15.9 percent,in asThornton, of Nov. 17, accordingAnythink to Tri-County Health Department. Smithrates in the statement. “They Brighton andCommerce CommerceCity’s city test positivity Brighton and were both higher than are designed to be warm and will be open from noon to 6 p.m. 13 percent. Forty-five people in Brighton and 29 in Commerce City have inviting, and we look forward to Mondays through Thursdays and died from COVID-19 related health issues. To limit the spread of COVID-19, reconnecting with our customers from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and in person.” Saturdays. at least 15 counties moved to tighter restrictions that prohibits indoor and Curbside service will be availA pressgatherings. statement said the personal able at all locations. The statelibraries will resume COVID-19 ment said visitors should place precautions that have been holds in advance, park in a desin place since the start of the ignated spot and by remain in their pandemic. Those include more Photo Belen Ward vehicles. janitorial services, less capacity
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tosh, who was in office between 2014 and 2018. Coates was captain of the detective division, Claps, the jail division chief, Mitchell, the patrol captain and Currier, commander and coordinator of the 17th Judicial District. The four also supported and were major donors to McIntosh, who ran as a Republican, in the 2014 and 2018 elections against Reigenborn, a Democrat. Furthermore, before Reigenborn ultimately won election in 2018, he held leadership roles in the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 1, where he led the charge for collective bargaining, according to the suit. The four plaintiffs, who were part of the same lodge, opposed collective bargaining. After Reigenborn assumed office in January 2019, the sheriff notified the four deputies he was terminating them. In an email dated Jan. 9, Reigenborn told the four, “I have my own vision for
Adams City High School returns to in-person learning BY STAFF REPORT
Adams City High School returned to a form of learning this Byin-person Ellis Arnold week. Colorado A letter from Community PrincipalMedia Paul Sandos to parents outlined the first As Denver continue week’s plans.metro The counties second day of in-to inch closer to local stay-at-home orders person orientation for ninth-graders is Tuesday , Feb.system 9. under Colorado’s of coronavirusThe rest of the for the related restrictions,schedule the state announced combination in-person/hybrid a new levellooks of rules that prohibits indoor learning like this: dining and personal gatherings —a Wednesday, Feb. 10: change that applies the majority of the • All students intocohort A (Blended Learning Group In-Person MonDenver metro area and many counties in day Wednesday) will resume otherand regions. in-person learning, based on their The state’s COVID-19 dial, which has individualized schedule. been in effect since September, is B the set • All students in the cohort of differentLearning levels of restrictions each (Blended Group inthat Person Tuesday and Thursday) will partici-
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2 • Unemployment •27J Schools moves 3 benefits arrive for some online-only Dec. 1 6 Coloradans, but not for all 8 • Page 3 • Page 10 11
how to best meet the needs and objectives of the Office. After careful review and deliberation, I do not believe retaining you is in the best interests of the organization,” according to the suit. The next week, the four deputies met individually with Reigenborn to discuss their terminations, who said he would let them resign instead. According to the suit, Reigenborn didn’t point to a specific reason he was terminating the deputies, which a state statute requires. The plaintiffs allege the sheriff ’s true reason for terminating them was their support for McIntosh and opposition to collective bargaining. They claim the sheriff violated their First Amendment rights by retaliating against them and their Fourteenth Amendment right to due process. The case will continue moving forward in the U.S. District Court of Colorado.
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pate in asynchronous learning this day. All online students begin their online schedule. county is required to follow based on the Thursday , Feb. 11local virus spread. severity of a county’s • All students in cohort B (Blended The dial grew out ofIn-Person the state’s safer-atLearning Group Tueshomeand order — the policy came after day Thursday) willthat resume the statewide stay-at-home order in-person learning, based on this their individualized schedule. spring and allowed numerous types of • All students in cohort A (Blended businesses to reopen. Learning Group In-Person Monday state recently switched to colorin andThe Wednesday) will participate identifiers — levels blue, yellow asynchronous learning this and day. All orange rather thanbegin numbered — to online students theirlevels online schedule. avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red Friday , Feb. 12 meant a stay-at-home order. Now, level All students will be asynchronous. red — “severe risk” — is the second“Our teachers are thrilled to welcome students back to school for in-person learning,” Sandos’ letter Please see RESTRICTIONS, Page 2 said.
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