December 17, 2020
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
LoneTreeVoice.net
INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 11 | VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | SPORTS: PAGE 23
VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 45
Outbreaks rock county’s assisted-living facilities Coroner begging residents to wear masks as vulnerable populations weather pandemic BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Douglas County Coroner Jill Romann sat in her office with Lauren Stockton, one of her certified death investigators, going down the list of recent pandemic victims who came through the office. “Seventy-eight, 89, 63, 92, 81, 82, 76, 79, 99, 93,” Romann said, reading Romann off their ages. The bulk of people from Douglas County to die of COVID-19 in recent weeks are older than 65 and coming from assisted living or specialized nursing facilities, Stockton said. State data shows there are nine active outbreaks at assisted living, skilled nursing and similar centers in the county, with at least 36 deaths across them. The data also shows that Douglas County nursing facilities are seeing their largest outbreaks yet amid the pandemic. “Our senior community is extraordinarily vulnerable to this disease. And I get questioned all the time, ‘Did they die of COVID or with COVID,’” Romann said. “It doesn’t matter if they died ‘of ’ or ‘with.’ They died because of COVID. Their life was shortened because of COVID and the question SEE COVID, P8
Elaine Caras uses a fake, cardboard candy cane to delivery parting gifts to families leaving the Lone Tree drive-thru holiday PHOTOS BY NICK PUCKETT experience Dec. 13 at the Lone Tree Arts Center.
Getting holiday cheer in gear Lone Tree holds drive-thru experience outside arts center BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A jazz band playing at the Lone Tree drive-thru holiday experience Dec. 13 at the Lone Tree Arts Center complemented the tour of the parking lot with various winterthemed activities.
NEW TRADITIONS Families find new ways to celebrate the holidays
P14
Elaine Caras held an oversized, plastic candy cane over her head, tilting one end into the open window of a car to a child giggling in the back seat. Caras used the hollow, red-and-white striped mechanism to transport parting gifts for families exiting the drive-thru tour of lights and holiday-themed activities at the Lone Tree Arts Center Dec. 13. SEE HOLIDAYS, P4
NOT READY FOR TIP-OFF Basketball is among the winter sports that will have a later start due to COVID-19 P23