HOMETOWN
November 26, 2015 VOLUME 92 | ISSUE 15
Special Section Inside!
LakewoodSentinel.com J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
Arrest made in Wheat Ridge shooting death Witnesses reported argument in parking lot before sound of gunshot By Glenn Wallace gwallace@colorado communitymedia.com
Students in the Green Mountain agriculture pathway dissect a flower on Nov. 19. The class recently finished the animal sciences unit and has started on plant sciences. Photo by Clarke Reader
Future leaders growing in Green Mountain class School’s agriculture program focuses on science, community
ABOUT THE SERIES
By Clarke Reader creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com
The Lakewood Sentinel will follow along with Green Mountain’s agriculture program for its first year. Check back on a monthly basis to see how the program develops.
The harvest season is over for the year, but at Green Mountain’s new Agriculture Pathway, plant season is just getting started. After several weeks of animal science focus, teacher Courtney Mayo is moving the class into the second half of the semester with a focus on crops, plants and soil. “We’re looking at how plant science is involved and relates back to them,” Mayo said. “We’re going
to be looking at Colorado’s biggest crops, and doing some soil work in class.” Interactive learning is the name of the game in the class, from germinating seeds in a vertical farm to dissecting flowers, as the class did on Nov. 19. “At the beginning of this unit, I asked them to name the parts of
the flower they knew, and most of the things they knew were about plants,” Mayo said. “So we’re taking a closer look at the flower so they can see how it works, and how similar it is in many ways to human reproduction.” Students took apart lilies and Peruvian lilies as a way to learn and identify flower features like pistil, anther and stamen. They also learned some surprising facts, like all flowers start out as male, and only certain species grow female parts as they mature. During the recently completed animal sciences unit, students learned the biology and taxonomy Class continues on Page 6
After nearly a year without a shooting homicide, that streak was tragically ended, when Guled Abdullahi Ige, 24, was found in a parking lot off of 44th and Wadsworth with a gunshot wound, around 8:20 p.m. on Nov 15. Police say the man was incoherent when they found him. Ige was transported to St. Anthony’s Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Patrol Commander Mark Cooney said witnesses at the scene reported some sort of argument taking place in the parking lot in front of the Walgreens, prior to the sound of a gunshot, and then a dark-colored Chevy Monte Carlo driving away. Local media was notified of the crime, and police circulated a photo of a woman who was seen on Walgreens surveillance cameras with Ige, prior to the shooting, and might have been a witness. That woman was later identified as Wenona Sims Begay, 26, who Begay presented herself to police two days after the shooting. “Turns out she wasn’t just a witness, but a suspect,” according to Cooley. Begay was arrested on charges of second degree murder. Cooley added that investigators believe her to have actually pulled the trigger, though a second suspect who was inside the Chevy remains at large. The Chevy was later recovered by police, and found to be stolen from the Glendale area. Cooley said more charges are likely for Begay, and that investigators are still looking to properly identify the other passenger in the vehicle. He said the exact motive of the crime is also still being investigated. “We’re still sorting it all out but there was definitely an altercation in the parking lot, prior to them leaving,” Cooley said. Anyone with information about the homicide is asked to call the Wheat Ridge Tip Line, 303235-2947.
Jeffco board changes over All five school board spots change hands By Crystal Anderson canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com It was a night for the changing of the guard at the Jeffco School Board, as an entirely new board was seated, and board Attorney Brad A. Miller announced his resignation. “Tonight we swear in five new board members, who will work hard to exceed all of our expectations and most importantly continue to rebuild trust in this board,” outgoing board member Leslie Dahlkemper said during her farewell thoughts. “It’s a very tall order for a volunteer position and it impacts the lives of 86,000 children they need our support and our very best thinking, they’ve got big issues to tackle ahead.” In a packed board room, members of the board of education — Ken Witt, Julie Williams, John Newkirk, Jill Fellman and Lesley Dahlkemper — relinquished their duties to the newly elected
directors — Ron Mitchell, Susan Harmon, Brad Rupert, Ali Lasell and Amanda Stevens. The handover gives the state’s second largest school district of 154 schools to a clean slate of individuals who promise to work together, collaboratively to restore the district to its former glory. “The campaign and election are behind us, and it’s time to begin the hard work of serving the needs of our district,” Mitchell said. “We can listen and consider diverse opinions in a respectful manner … Jeffco faces many challenges; we will listen and work collaboratively to all our stakeholders to move forward in a positive direction.” Following this, each of the directors unanimously elected directors to different positions on the board, including president (Mitchell), first vice president (Lasell), second vice president (Harmon), secretary (Stevens) and treasurer (Rupert). “The tone in this board room needs to change, and that starts with the six of us up here” Lasell said in her introductory comments, counting district superintendant Dan McMinimee. “It all Board continues on Page 6
“It was worth it, all worth it,” Lesley Dahlkemper, outgoing Jefferson County Board of Education member, said to several community members at the district’s farewell reception. Here she receives a “Jeffco Board of Ed Survival Kit” from Michael Clark, a community member who had voted for the majority, but switched his views in 2014. Photo by Crystal Anderson