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Week of February 3, 2022
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 11 | VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | SPORTS: PAGE 16
Arvada City Council recognizes local philanthropist, extends gift card drive Shelley Long wins BPW Woman of the Year, Marshall Fire fundraiser donations continue BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Arvada City Council held a business meeting on Jan. 24, with most councilmembers returning to the dais after weeks of discussing how to hold meetings in light of the recent Jefferson County Public Health Department mask mandate. Council recognized the Northwest Metro Business and Professional Women’s Organization’s 2021 Woman of the Year and discussed the recent Arvada Resiliency Taskforce’s gift card drive to benefit victims of the Marshall Fire. Councilmember Bob Fifer attended the meeting via Zoom because of a persistent cough, while Councilmember John Marriott Zoomed in due to not being in compliance with JCPH’s order. Woman of the Year City council recognized Arvada resident Shelley Long for earning the Northwest Metro Business and Professional Women’s Organization’s 2021 Woman of the Year award. Long is the co-founder of Grace Church, a congregation in Arvada that works to aid people without housing. In 2016, Long started the Facebook group One By One Helping Arvada Homeless, which now has over 2,400 members. In 2020, One By One Helping Arvada Homeless raised and paid for 322 hotel nights for 71 different individuals, costing nearly $20,000 and providing shelter on sever weather nights. “Tonight, we recognize a truly phenomenal member of the community for the work she’s done,” Councilmember Lauren Simpson said. “City council would like to thank Shelley for her work in our community.” Long said she felt humbled by the award and emphasized her
VOLUME 17 | ISSUE 33
Man sentenced to 24 years-to-life for child sexual assault at ARC Thrift Store in Arvada Ronn Gregory Wyman, previously convicted of murder, sentenced for January 2020 incident BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
their lives,” Long said. Long said her favorite part of her work was being able to see the progress of the individuals she serves. One family Long has worked with since the early days of One By One sought out the organization when they were homeless
A man with an extensive criminal history was sentenced to 24 years-tolife by the First Judicial District Court on Jan. 27 after a child sexual assault incident that took place at the ARC Thrift Store in Arvada on Jan. 12, 2020. Ronn Gregory Wyman, 63, was convicted on May 12, 2021 of Sexual Assault on a Child - Victim Less Than 15 after assaulting an 11-year-old girl at the thrift store. Wyman has an extensive criminal record and was released from prison in Nov. 2018 after serving over 20 years for second-degree murder. On Jan. 12, 2020, a mother called Arvada Police after her daughter reported that a man had grabbed her buttocks inside the store. The mother reported that she chased Wyman out of the store and physically blocked him from driving away. When police arrived, they took Wyman into custody and confirmed through security camera footage the 11-year-old’s statement that Wyman had been circling her and making eye contact before grabbing her. Wyman has an extensive criminal history which includes sexual offences against children dating back to 1987. At that time, he was convicted for indecent exposure in front of children in California. The next year, he was sentenced to a year in jail for attempted kidnapping of a child. Wyman again faced kidnapping and indecent exposure charges in 1989 and was sentenced to 16 months in prison for indecent exposure in 1991. In 1993, Wyman was convicted in Denver for second degree murder and
SEE COUNCIL, P4
SEE SENTENCED, P2
Councilmember Lauren Simpson (left) presents Shelley Long (right) with a recognition for winning the Northwest Metro Business and Professional Women’s PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN Organization’s 2021 Woman of the Year award.
love of working with people in need. “I am very grateful and thankful and feel very undeserving, honestly. There are so many amazing organizations in our community and people who are doing so much more. it’s a privilege to get to meet people on this level and just see the power of people improving