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Aurora lawmaker’s reckless recall gambit is nothing but political theater at its worst
Voters need to ring down the curtain fast on Aurora Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky’s kabuki clown act insisting that the region’s new district attorney must be fired in a recall election.
Just barely six months into her term, 18th Judicial District Attorney Amy Padden faces a recall effort created and spearheaded by Jurinsky.
Yep. It’s the same Jurinsky who is the center of nearly every exhausting and sometimes dangerous political performance on Aurora’s government stage. It’s the same first-term, at-large city lawmaker who’s facing her own election battle this fall. And it’s the same tense-and-terse politico who has for about a year snuggled up to the Trump campaign in an outlandish melodrama focusing on a grotesque anti-immigrant scheme to rid the city of Venezuelans.
Now, Jurinsky has invented an effort, along with some other usual statewide Republican activist suspects, to claim that Padden has mishandled a juvenile vehicular homicide case and others. As is almost always the case, the facts available simply do not support the new claims of villainy in Jurinsky’s latest epic opera.
This recall is not about justice. It’s about drama, misinformation, and opportunism. Jurinsky is using a deeply tragic case to stoke outrage without presenting a single piece of verifiable evidence of misconduct.
This is nothing more than revenge partisan politics seeping down from the corrupt regime of Donald Trump into the already complicated lives of people in Aurora, Centennial and Arapahoe County.
By pursuing this flat and embarrassing dramatic scene, Jurinsky is undermining the rule of law and further politicizing Colorado’s judicial process. And she does this at great public expense.
DAVE PERRY Editor
Her target, Padden, assumed office Jan. 14. One of the realities of the local political audience Jurinsky and other Republicans have found so irksome and inconvenient is that Aurora and Arapahoe County are now dominated by Democratic Party elected officials, other than the city council. Democratic votes have so outnumbered Republican votes in the past few elections that the party had to drag former GOP Arapahoe County DA Carol Chambers out of her long-gone career in an effort to even find a GOP opponent to run against Padden last November.
Not only does this transparent recall road show fall flat on plot and verse, Jurinsky is playing to an audience that doesn’t much appreciate cornball karaoke.
One of the central claims in Jurinsky’s campaign is that Padden allowed a teenage, undocumented immigrant who killed 24-year-old Caitlin Weaver while speeding at over 90 mph to receive just two years of probation. The tragedy of Weaver’s death is real and deeply painful, but it’s separate from Jurinsky’s narrative, which hinges on a dangerous distortion of both fact and law.
Under Colorado law, any case involving a juvenile is confidential. This means Padden and her office are legally prohibited from publicly discussing the specifics of the case, including sentencing rationale or prior prosecutorial commitments. This confidentiality exists to protect due process rights and to promote rehabilitation. That is a fundamental principle of juvenile justice.
Despite that, Jurinsky has continued to demand public answers that Padden cannot legally provide. The councilmember has cited unconfirmed media reports and social media posts to build her case. Those sources lack the transparency and accountability of official court records, which remain sealed by law.
There is no verified evidence that Padden or her team acted improperly, negligently, or in contradiction to state guidelines.
What Jurinsky does, inadvertently, is make a
strong case for is persuading state lawmakers to allow for at least enough information about juvenile justice cases, especially when there is a fatality, to help the public understand what’s actually happening.
We don’t know the terms of the probation in this case, because Padden won’t, and can’t, divulge them. It’s unclear whether probation includes counseling, some other kind of rehabilitation or what.
Also, the two years of probation and mandated community service were determined under the juvenile justice system’s statutory guidelines, which emphasize accountability and rehabilitation over incarceration. This sentencing was approved by a judge, not Padden.
The claim that Padden “overrode” a previous DA’s pledge to seek the maximum penalty remains completely unsubstantiated at this point.
In addition to the juvenile case, Jurinsky has pointed to the handling of Solomon Galligan, a man with a lengthy history of mental health issues who has now been ruled mentally unfit to stand trial. He is accused of wandering onto a school playground in an incoherent daze and trying to grab a kid during recess.
In a recent statement, Padden refuted Jurinsky’s misleading claims that her office had simply let Galligan go free. Galligan is being held in a state mental hospital, receiving inpatient psychiatric care.
While Jurinsky and her supporters may not like it, in the United States, insanity and mental incompetency are an affirmative defense. Up until now, we have not prosecuted or executed people who are so mentally deranged that they are incapable of knowing right from wrong.
Padden rightly noted that decisions regarding competency and dismissal are not up to prosecutors. They are judicial decisions governed by state law. A court, not the district attorney, ruled Galligan unfit for trial. Prosecutors in Colorado have no authority to override such determinations, no matter how serious the alleged crime.
Padden is actively advocating for reform of the competency dismissal statute. It’s a law she publicly disagrees with. That shows leadership, not negligence.
Jurinsky, meanwhile, offers a campaign built on a simplistic, binary view of justice: punish harshly or be punished politically.
The real science contradicts that “lock ‘em up” mentality, ushered out of Colorado in the 1980s. It simply costs taxpayers billions in prison and jail costs and boosts recidivism, creating real crimi-
nals out of miscreants.
This reckless approach is not justice. It’s demagoguery.
The recall effort itself is not just a distraction. It’s a costly one.
Arapahoe County and state election officials estimate that a special recall election would cost more than $860,000.
That money could be used to hire more cops, which the dearth of, rarely on public patrol, is part of the problem. The money could be used to expand mental health services, fund restorative justice programs, or improve police training.
Instead, those dollars are being burned on a politically motivated campaign that has yet to demonstrate any legitimate basis.
Don’t be fooled. This is not an isolated grassroots outcry. It’s the latest scene in a partisan playbook designed to remove a lawfully elected official under flimsy pretenses.
Jurinsky’s campaign is so far supported by attorney Suzanne Taheri, a long-time Republican political operative who previously represented GOP Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman in an unsuccessful attempt to restructure the city’s government.
Recall mechanisms exist to protect the public from serious abuses of power. They do not serve as political do-overs or emotional responses to painful tragedies. Using them prematurely or without cause erodes the democratic process and weakens the institutions that ensure justice is carried out fairly and legally.
No one has provided any credible detail or evidence so far showing that Padden has done anything to warrant removal from office.
Jurinsky’s crusade, by contrast, has been reckless, inflammatory, and devoid of substance. In using public grief as a tool for political leverage, she disrespects the very memory of the lives she claims to champion.
We can and should hold elected prosecutors accountable. And state lawmakers must work to provide more transparency in the justice system, something the Sentinel and every other media entity in Colorado have long clamored for.
Accountability demands facts, not speculation. It requires evidence, not innuendo. It depends on law, not mob rule. This recall effort fails so far on all counts. Voters should reject signing a petition to move it forward, and we all should reject the toxic politics behind this weary show.
Follow@EditorDavePerryonBlueSky,Threads,Mastodon,TwitterandFacebookorreachhimat303-7507555ordperry@SentinelColorado.com
Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky talks with Jeff Fard on his livestreamed Brother Jeff show May 6, 2025. SENTINEL SCREEN SHOT
AROUND AURORA
A closer look at the trial of a Aurora dentist accused of poisoning his wife
The trial of James Craig, an Aurora dentist accused of killing his wife Angela Craig by gradually poisoning her, is winding down. Jurors have heard from some of her relatives and also women James Craig had been having affairs with, all called by prosecutors. Closing arguments are expected this week.
Angela Craig, 43, was a mother of six children who friends and family say was devoted to her family. She was the youngest of 10 siblings herself and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Described as organized and dependable, she had taken over her mother’s role as the genealogist for her birth family, an important role in their faith. Her older brother Mark Pray said she had been “happy and positive” since she was a child. But her sister Toni Kofoed testified that her sister had confided in her about struggles she was having in her marriage. However, pushing back against defense suggestions that her sister may have killed herself, Kofoed said her sister had a “broken heart” but not a “broken mind.”
Angela Craig died in 2023 during her third trip to the hospital in a little over a week. Toxicology tests later determined she died of poisoning from cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient found in over-the-counter eye drops. Early on, James Craig had purchased a variety of poisons before his wife’s death and had put some in the protein shakes he made for her, according to police. During the trial, prosecutors alleged that he also gave her a dose of cyanide as she lay in her hospital bed on March 15, 2023, as doctors tried to figure out what was ailing her. She was declared brain dead soon afterward and never recovered.
In a notes file later found on James Craig’s phone by police, he said Angela Craig had asked him to help kill her with poison when he asked for a divorce after having affairs. In the document, which was labeled “timeline,” Craig said that he had eventually agreed to purchase and prepare poisons for her to take, but not administer them. Craig said that he had put cyanide in some of the antibiotic capsules she had been taking and also prepared a syringe containing cyanide.
According to his timeline, Craig wrote that just before she had to go to the hospital on March 15, 2023, she must have ingested a mixture containing the tetrahydrozoline, the eye drop ingredient, because she became lethargic and weak, before then taking the antibiotic laced with cyanide that he said he prepared for her. Mark Pray, who was visiting to help the Craig family because of his sister’s mysterious illness, testified that he gave Angela Craig the capsules after being instructed to do so by James Craig, who was not at home. Pray said his sister bent over and couldn’t hold herself up after taking the medicine. He and his wife then took her to the hospital.
The lead investigator, Detective Bobbi Olson, testified that James Craig’s timeline account differed from statements he had made to others about what had happened, including accusing Angela Craig of setting him up to make it look like he had killed her.
Craig is also charged with trying to hire a fellow jail inmate to kill Olson.
The defense argues that the evidence doesn’t show that James Craig poisoned and killed his wife and have seemed to suggest that Angela Craig may have taken her own life. They in-
troduced into evidence Angela Craig’s journal from the years before she died, in which she talks about the struggles in their marriage and her husband’s infidelity. In one entry she wrote, “He doesn’t love me and I don’t blame him.”
In opening statements, one of Craig’s attorneys, Ashley Whitham, repeatedly described Angela Craig as “broken,” partly by Craig’s infidelity and her desire to stay married, since they were part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
— COLLEEN SLEVIN
Associated Press
Aurora OKs regs for event centers, cabarets, citing public safety concerns
Aurora will now require open-room and private event spaces to get liquor and dancing licenses after recent safety concerns and shifting entertainment trends.
“This will put the onus on them,” Councilmember Danielle Jurinksy, the bill sponsor, said during a study session in June. “This will put the responsibility on them. They will need a trained bartender. They will be under the same rules as bars and restaurants with checking IDs and over-serving.”
The change was approved by city lawmakers unanimously at the July 14 city council meeting.
For more than 40 years, Aurora has required cabaret licenses for liquor-licensed establishments that feature a dance floor, which include bars, breweries and hotel restaurants, said Treavor Vaughn, the city’s licensing manager, during the Monday study session.
The previous regulations didn’t require private event spaces to obtain a liquor license or maintain the same safe alcohol serving practices as other establishments, and it also didn’t allow for a standing-room-only environment like a music venue to obtain a license, which has become more of a staple in many modern concert venues, Vaughn said.
Increasingly, the venues have draws concerns about public safety, city officials say.
In 2024 alone, Aurora documented four shootings, including one homicide, at so-called event centers, many operating outside liquor licensing rules. Of the 12 event centers expected to be impacted by the ordinance, six hosted events that should have had liquor licenses but didn’t, according to the city council packet.
The problems aren’t new. In 2021, a mass shooting at Mississippi and Peoria left one dead and five injured after 100 rounds were fired during an unregulated late-night event. That center was reportedly owned by a church and rented out to a group with “questionable ties,” Vaughn said. That same year, five people were shot in a separate event on East Colfax.
Mayor Mike Coffman cited this shooting as a primary reason for working on and approving the change in the July 14 meeting.
The events are essentially underground nightclubs with no video surveillance, no crowd control, and no accountability, Vaughn said in June.
The proposed changes are two-part. First, to create a new open floor cabaret license for venues with more than 250 patrons, and second, to extend licensing requirements to private event centers that allow liquor consumption and dancing without having a liquor license.
Vaughn and Jurinsky said that a large venue in Aurora recently expressed interest in this type of setup, prompting the city to consider a new “open floor”
cabaret license class.
“It’s a common type of license that a lot of jurisdictions have to address the higher intensity uses that come with late-night entertainment, particularly when they’re connected to alcohol,” Vaughn said.
Jurinsky said that as they were examining the changes, she and Vaughn decided they could address another issue they had noticed by incorporating private event spaces into the change.
One of the more urgent reasons for the ordinance stems from the city’s growing frustration with private event centers, which rent out space for parties and events but aren’t required to hold a liquor license.
“A number of these have had illegal
events,” Vaughn said.
The city has been seeing birthday parties that are concerts with door charges, security and no oversight, he said
The new ordinance will now permit venues with standing-room-only setups to apply for an open-floor cabaret license, and require private event spaces to do the same.
Venues would need to obtain Fire Department approval for their crowd management plans to prevent so-called “crowd crush” incidents, which occur when large, unmaintained crowds cause people to get trampled. The 250-person threshold is based on National Fire Code standards, which also trigger requirements for crowd control planning and
management, Vaughn said.
Under the proposed ordinance, event centers where alcohol is consumed and dancing occurs would now be required to obtain a cabaret license, even if they don’t hold a liquor license.
The ordinance establishes a new Open-Floor Cabaret license class for businesses with a capacity of over 250 persons that intend to operate with a standing-room-only environment.
This will require a fire department-approved crowd control plan and prohibits the service of glass bottles, bottle buckets or bottle service unless patrons are provided with a table and seating, the packet said.
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Vaughn said that one main reason they would prohibit glass bottles is that they can be used as projectiles.
use liquor-licensed caterers or develop a liquor control plan for events serving alcohol after 10 p.m., even if those events do not otherwise require a liquor permit, according to the packet.
and the event center owners saying, ‘Well, here’s the keys. Have a great day,’ and they just take off.”
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VIP bottle service will be limited to 750ml distilled spirit bottles and restricted to parties of at least three patrons. Additionally, it requires the establishments to keep 14 days of video surveillance available to police enforcement, with one reason being that the homicide that happened last year was made more challenging for police officers because there was no surveillance, Vaughn said.
Essentially, it will ensure that event hosts are of “good moral character,” meaning they can pass a background check similar to that required for liquor license holders, and it will encourage the hiring of state-licensed liquor caterers to manage alcohol service.
The city also plans to exempt municipal facilities and permitted special events that already fall under regulated liquor service, focusing enforcement on full-time, for-rent, private venues.
Jurinsky said that the people who own the event centers and apply for the cabaret license will now be held to the same standards as establishments with a liquor license, which include providing proof of lease or property ownership, undergoing a background check and demonstrating good financial standing.
“It is a pretty scrutinous process to apply for a liquor license,” Jurinsky said.
State legislators created a new caterer’s liquor license in 2023, but it hasn’t been funded or finalized, Vaughn said. The city expects that to be addressed in the upcoming legislative session. In the meantime, event centers will be expected to create improved alcohol service plans for late-night events.
The ordinance also requires businesses to maintain either liquor liability insurance or general liability insurance with a liquor liability endorsement.
— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer
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Event centers without a liquor license will now be subject to the cabaret license requirement if they permit alcohol consumption and feature a dance floor, similar to establishments with a liquor license. The license will also ensure accountability for managing noise and other negative impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. The license will also be required for establishments to either
PUBLIC NOTICE
Buckley Space Force Base
Restoration Advisory Board Meeting
“One thing that this will do is this will end people renting out these event spaces,
The Air Force Civil Engineer Center is holding a virtual Restoration Advisory Board meeting for Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado. Space Force officials will provide an update on Environmental Restoration Program Sites and the investigations related to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Restoration Advisory Board Meeting
August 14, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. MT
RAB attendance is required for RAB members and is open to the public.
The RAB meeting will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. To access the virtual meeting, please use the meeting link below or scan the QR code.
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/ 19%3ameeting_NTQ4MmU1YjEtMGQ3NS00YmY4LTkwMzQtZGJlMjgwYmQ1Nzcx%40thread. v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%223061117b-4a0d-4f05-adf6a8dff08626ef%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22399c1c71-6f8b-4fd4-8946-c507cbdeb8b2%22%7d
For additional information, please contact Scott Wilson, Buckley SFB Restoration Program Manager, via email at: scott.wilson.7@spaceforce.mil
River District proposes compromise to Aurora, Front Range in Shoshone water rights clash
In an effort to head off concerns about the state’s role in a major Western Slope water deal, a Western Slope water district has offered up a compromise proposal to Front Range water providers.
In order to defuse what Colorado River Water Conservation District General Manager Andy Mueller called “an ugly contested hearing before the CWCB,” the River District is proposing that the state water board take a neutral position on the exact amount of water tied to the Shoshone hydropower plant water rights and let a water court determine a final number.
“Although we believe this would be an unusual process, the River District believes it would address the primary concern (i.e., avoiding the state agency’s formal endorsement of the River District’s preliminary historical use analysis) that we heard expressed by your representatives at the May 21, 2025 CWCB meeting regarding the Shoshone instream flow proposal,” Mueller wrote in an email to officials from the Front Range Water Council.
The River District worked with CWCB staff to draft the proposal, but it may not go far enough to address Front Range concerns.
The River District, which represents 15 counties on the Western Slope, is planning to purchase some of the oldest and largest non-consumptive water rights on the Colorado River from Xcel Energy for nearly $100 million. The water rights, which are tied to the Shoshone hydropower plant in Glenwood Canyon, are essential for downstream ecosystems, cities, endangered fish, and agricultural and recreational water users. As part of the deal, the River District is seeking to add an instream flow water right to benefit the environment to the hydropower water rights.
The effort has seen broad support across the Western Slope. The River District has raised $57 million toward the purchase from at least 26 local and regional partners. The project was awarded a $40 million Inflation Reduction Act grant in the waning days of the Biden administration, but those funds have been frozen by the Trump administration.
“These water rights are foundational to the Colorado River,” said Amy Moyer, chief of strategy at the River District. “It’s the number one project for the Western Slope. It’s the top priority to move forward.”
Critically, because its water rights are senior to many other water users —
See METRO, 7
they date to 1902 — Shoshone can force upstream water users to cut back. The Shoshone call has the ability to command the flows of the Colorado River and its tributaries upstream all the way to the headwaters.
Putting a precise amount on how much water the plant has historically used is a main point of contention between the River District and the Front Range Water Council, a group that includes some of Colorado’s biggest municipal water providers: Denver Water, Colorado Springs Utilities, Aurora Water and Northern Water. These entities take water that would normally flow west, and bring it to farms and cities on the east side of the Continental Divide through what are called transmountain diversions. About 500,000 acre-feet of water annually is taken from the headwaters of the Colorado River and its tributaries to the Front Range.
Estimates by the River District put the Shoshone hydro plant’s average annual use at 844,644 acre-feet using the period between 1975 and 2003 — before natural hazards in the narrow canyon began knocking the plant offline regularly in recent years.
But Front Range Water Council members say this estimate is flawed and could be an expansion of the historical use of the water right. They have requested a hearing at the September CWCB meeting to hash out their concerns.
“The preliminary analysis that has been presented appears to expand historic use and creates potential injury,” Abby Ortega, general manager of infrastructure and resource planning at Colorado Springs Utilities told the CWCB at its May meeting.
Determining past use of the Shoshone water rights is important because it will help set a limit for future use. While changing the use of a water right is allowed by going through the water court process, enlarging it is not. The amount pulled from and returned to the river must stay the same as it historically has been.
As part of the River District’s deal to buy the water rights, the CWCB — which is the only entity in the state allowed to hold an instream flow water right — must officially accept the water right and then sign on as a co-applicant in the water court change case.
But Front Range water providers said that doing so would amount to an endorsement of the River District’s historical use estimate, which would mean taking a side in the Front Range versus Western Slope disagreement.
“If you agree to accept the right and as I understand it, the instream flow agreement, you’re agreeing to be a co-applicant, which risks you accepting their analysis,” said Alexandra Davis, an assistant general manager with Aurora Water, at the CWCB’s May meeting.
Some members of the Front Range Water Council have asked that the CWCB remain neutral during the water court change case. In May 9 and June 9 letters to the CWCB from Marshall Brown, general manager of Aurora Water, he said the CWCB should refrain from endorsing any specific methodology or volume of water.
“… [T]he CWCB should remain neutral in the water court proceedings and defer to the court’s determination of the appropriate methodology and volumetric quantification,” the May 9 letter reads.
The River District’s offer does just that: It proposes that the CWCB
›› See METRO, 14
RMBM Ambassador64 Notes from The Western Slope
Rocky Mountain Public Media, the home of Rocky Mountain PBS, KUVO Jazz, and TheDrop303 has developed a partnership with Colorado Ethnic Media Exchange to launch this monthly essay series, as part of our vision to co-create a Colorado where everyone feels seen and heard. Sentinel Colorado is a member of the CEME group. These stories are sourced from community members across the state — told in their own words and selected from our 64-county community ambassador program. They are not editorial products of the RMBS nor Sentinel journalism team, but are first-person reflections on life in Coloradobuilding bridges through empathy. To learn more about all of our RMPBS brands and content, check us out at www.rmpbs.org/about.
We’re starting the series with a piece written by one of our team members, JJ Caric, who relocated to Grand Junction 2.5 years ago for a job with us and found so much more:
Iwas born in May of 1997 in a rural town in Southern China. Time unknown. Weight unknown. Length unknown. First fifteen months of life unknown. In August of 1998, I was adopted by Italian and German parents from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. My parents were and are the best parents that could’ve adopted me. I found support in every corner of my life growing up.
However, a throughline of my childhood, teen years, and still sometimes in my adulthood is the resistance and refusal to acknowledge my Chinese background. Jokes were made to my friends that I was 100% Italian and 0% Asian. Arguments were had between my mom and me about not wanting to go to Chinese dance class and instead go to cheerleading, or gymnastics, or any other activity like all the other girls my age attended.
Growing up, I also only surrounded myself and became friends with white kids, thinking that was popular, mainstream, accepted, and beautiful. Not accepting my natural hair, I dyed it blonde from the age of 13 until this past year, when I turned 28.
During this time of life, I also resisted and hated living in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh wasn’t a “real” city…I was destined for Los Angeles or New York City, which were the only cities where I applied to college.
I ended up going to New York for my first year. Maybe it was the movies I watched as a kid, but ever
since I was little, New York was like a fever dream. It was exciting, fast, entertaining, glamorous, and full of energy. Quite honestly, up until recently, the past three or four years, I think I was chasing what everyone else considered beautiful or “the dream.” It’s glorified on social media, magazines, and celebrity culture to look a certain way and live a certain lifestyle.
Little did I know, about two and a half years ago, my impulse decision to accept a job and move to Grand Junction, Colorado, would have everlasting and profound positive effects on the way I see myself and the world. To have a chance at happiness in Colorado, I decided to say yes to everything. Mountain biking, climbing, skiing, hiking, camping, you name it.
I also decided to make friends with anyone and everyone I had a connection with. My first Asian friend was someone I met in my first week in Grand Junction. She’s still one of my closest friends today, and funny enough, she’s in New York now getting her master’s degree. My time so far in this beautiful Rocky Mountain state has been beautiful, messy, confusing, and peaceful, and it has made me discover and meet myself for what seems like the very first time. Who knew, I do enjoy camping and skiing, and large city crowds actually give me anxiety.
Who knew, I felt the most comfortable in my skin for the first time, so I decided to change my hair back to black. My Colorado journey is not over yet, but so far, my time on the Western Slope has been transformative in the most budding and blossoming way.
We Want to Hear from You
We’re inviting community members across the state to share their own stories of living in Colorado — of identity, discovery, and what it means to belong.
Tell us about a moment or a place in Colorado that changed how you see yourself or your community. Share your reflections at ambassador64@rmpbs.org
This is part of Ambassador64, our statewide listening initiative to ensure public media reflects the voices of all 64 counties in Colorado — starting with yours.
JJ Caric, as a baby, above, and now in her home in Grand Junction.
Friend or foe?
TEENS SAY THEY ARE INCREASINGLY TURNING TO AI FOR FRIENDSHIP
BY JOCELYN GECKER, AP Education Writer
No question is too small when Kayla Chege, a high school student, is using artificial intelligence.
The 15-year-old asks ChatGPT for guidance on back-to-school shopping, makeup colors, low-calorie choices at Smoothie King, plus ideas for her Sweet 16 and her younger sister’s birthday party.
The sophomore honors student makes a point not to have chatbots do her homework and tries to limit her interactions to mundane questions. But in interviews with The Associated Press and a new study, teenagers say they are increasingly interacting with AI as if it were a companion, capable of providing advice and friendship.
“Everyone uses AI for everything now. It’s really taking over,” said Chege, who wonders how AI tools will affect her generation. “I think kids use AI to get out of thinking.”
For the past couple of years, concerns about cheating at school have dominated the conversation around kids and AI. But artificial intelligence is playing a much larger role in many of their lives. AI, teens say, has become a go-to source for personal advice, emotional support, everyday decision-making and problem-solving.
‘AI is always available. It never gets bored with you’
More than 70% of teens have used AI companions and half use them regularly, according to a new study from Common Sense Media, a group that studies and advocates for using screens and digital media sensibly.
The study defines AI companions as platforms designed to serve as “digital friends,” like Character. AI or Replika, which can be customized with specific traits or personalities and can offer emotional support, companionship and conversations that can feel human-like. But
popular sites like ChatGPT and Claude, which mainly answer questions, are being used in the same way, the researchers say.
As the technology rapidly gets more sophisticated, teenagers and experts worry about AI’s potential to redefine human relationships and exacerbate crises of loneliness and youth mental health.
“AI is always available. It never gets bored with you. It’s never judgmental,” says Ganesh Nair, an 18-year-old in Arkansas. “When you’re talking to AI, you are always right. You’re always interesting. You are always emotionally justified.”
All that used to be appealing, but as Nair heads to college this fall, he wants to step back from using AI. Nair got spooked after a high school friend who relied on an “AI companion” for heart-to-heart conversations with his girlfriend later had the chatbot write the breakup text ending his two-year relationship.
“That felt a little bit dystopian, that a computer generated the end to a real relationship,” said Nair. “It’s almost like we are allowing computers to replace our relationships with people.”
How many teens are using AI? New study stuns researchers
In the Common Sense Media survey, 31% of teens said their conversations with AI companions were “as satisfying or more satisfying” than talking with real friends. Even though half of teens said they distrust AI’s advice, 33% had discussed serious or important issues with AI instead of real people.
Those findings are worrisome, says Michael Robb, the study’s lead author and head researcher at Common Sense, and should send a warning to parents, teachers and policymakers. The now-booming and largely unregulated AI industry is becoming as integrated with ado-
lescence as smartphones and social media are.
“It’s eye-opening,” said Robb. “When we set out to do this survey, we had no understanding of how many kids are actually using AI companions.” The study polled more than 1,000 teens nationwide in April and May.
Adolescence is a critical time for developing identity, social skills and independence, Robb said, and AI companions should complement — not replace — real-world interactions.
“If teens are developing social skills on AI platforms where they are constantly being validated, not being challenged, not learning to read social cues or understand somebody else’s perspective, they are not going to be adequately prepared in the real world,” he said.
The nonprofit analyzed several popular AI companions in a “ risk assessment,” finding ineffective age restrictions and that the platforms can produce sexual material, give dangerous advice and offer harmful content. The group recommends that minors not use AI companions.
A concerning trend to teens and adults alike
Researchers and educators worry about the cognitive costs for youth who rely heavily on AI, especially in their creativity, critical thinking and social skills. The potential dangers of children forming relationships with chatbots gained national attention last year when a 14-year-old Florida boy died by suicide after developing an emotional attachment to a Character. AI chatbot.
“Parents really have no idea this is happening,” said Eva Telzer, a psychology and neuroscience professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “All of us are struck by how quickly this blew up.” Telzer is leading multiple studies on youth and AI, a new research area with limited data.
Telzer’s research has found that children
as young as 8 are using generative AI and also found that teens are using AI to explore their sexuality and for companionship. In focus groups, Telzer found that one of the top apps teens frequent is SpicyChat AI, a free role-playing app intended for adults.
Many teens also say they use chatbots to write emails or messages to strike the right tone in sensitive situations.
“One of the concerns that comes up is that they no longer have trust in themselves to make a decision,” said Telzer. “They need feedback from AI before feeling like they can check off the box that an idea is OK or not.”
Arkansas teen Bruce Perry, 17, says he relates to that and relies on AI tools to craft outlines and proofread essays for his English class.
“If you tell me to plan out an essay, I would think of going to ChatGPT before getting out a pencil,” Perry said. He uses AI daily and has asked chatbots for advice in social situations, to help him decide what to wear and to write emails to teachers, saying AI articulates his thoughts faster.
Perry says he feels fortunate that AI companions were not around when he was younger.
“I’m worried that kids could get lost in this,” Perry said. “I could see a kid that grows up with AI not seeing a reason to go to the park or try to make a friend.”
Other teens agree, saying the issues with AI and its effect on children’s mental health are different from those of social media.
“Social media complemented the need people have to be seen, to be known, to meet new people,” Nair said. “I think AI complements another need that runs a lot deeper — our need for attachment and our need to feel emotions. It feeds off of that.”
“It’s the new addiction,” Nair added. “That’s how I see it.”
Bruce Perry, 17, demonstrates the possibilities of artificial intelligence by creating an AI companion on Character AI, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Russellville, Ark. AP Photo/Katie Adkins
City Park Jazz returns with free concerts on
Sundays through August
City Park Jazz will launch its 39th annual summer concert series June 1, bringing 10 weeks of free Sunday evening performances to the City Park Pavilion through Aug. 3.
scene & herd
Check it out — Aurora library books farmer’s markets for the summer
Residents near the Hoffman Heights Library are getting a farmer’s market all summer.
“Libraries are more than just books—they’re hubs for healthy, thriving neighborhoods and this collaboration is a perfect example of how we’re re-imagining library grounds into a space for connection while serving our community,” said Ginger White Brunetti, director of Library and Cultural Services, in a statement.
Aurora Public Library is partnering with the mission-driven organization Rebel Marketplace to bring a monthly farmers market to Hoffman Heights Library through September, according to a statement from the city.
“The farmers market at Hoffman Library was created to be an authentic neighborhood marketplace run and operated by surrounding community businesses, with the library as the hub,” the statement said.
Rebel Marketplace is a local group of urban farmers in Aurora who started growing produce in their backyards and aims to build a “food sovereign neighborhood.” The Johnson family’s story of starting the Rebel Market was reported on last year by the Sentinel.
“The Rebel Marketplace believes that there is enough talent and businesses in a six-mile radius to fully supply and stand up a neighborhood marketplace,” the Rebel Marketplace website said. “By creating a singular, locally run access point for goods and services, we envision a vibrant, cooperative and healthy community.”
Each farmers market will host multiple programming events as well.
“We’re thrilled to launch this unique partnership with Rebel Marketplace to bring fresh, local food and community connections right to the doorstep of Hoffman Heights Library,” Brunetti said in the statement.
IF YOU GO
Where: Hoffman Heights Library, 1298 Peoria St.
When: Dates vary below. The library will also stay open late on those nights for its programs and additional services. The Hoffman Heights Library will also host storytimes at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., a kids’ play area at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., and a teen game space from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The lineup:
• Block-printed totes, customize your own tote, 6 p.m., Aug. 6
• Intro to pickling, by learning to make pickle brine with ingredients provided, 6 p.m., Sept. 10
The 2025 lineup celebrates the diversity of jazz and features an all-local roster, including returning favorites Chris Daniels and The Kings with Freddy Gowdy, ATOMGA, Dzirae Gold, and Buckner Funken Jazz. The series will also showcase internationally recognized Zimbabwean percussionist
Blessing Bled Chimanga and a tribute to late Denver jazz pianist Neil Bridge featuring The Bridge 12 and his wife, Karen.
This year’s season finale on Aug. 3 will start at 5:30 p.m. and feature a three-hour “Brass Band Extravaganza” with performances by Colorado Youth Bands Brass Band, Rowdy Brass Band, Tivoli Club Brass Band and Guerilla Fanfare.
Concerts run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays and attract crowds of up to 12,000 people. The family-friendly events include a curated selection of vendors and food trucks. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and refillable containers for filtered water, while adhering to Denver park rules prohibiting glass.
IF YOU GO
Aug. 3: Brass Band Extravaganza
Featuring:
Colorado Youth Bands Brass Band, Rowdy Brass Band Tivoli Club Brass Band and. Guerilla Fanfare
Time: 6 p.m.
Where: Denver City Park Pavillion: 2001 Steele St, Details: CityParkJazz.org
IF
YOU GO
Date: Aug. 6, 5p.m.–9 p.m.
Place: Bicentennial Park, 13655 E. Alameda Parkway.
Tickets: Free
Details: AuroraGov.org/SummerVibes
Creative Action by Teens returns to DAVA for hands-on art and design
Young artists are invited to level up their creativity through Downtown Aurora Visual Arts’ (DAVA) Creative Action by Teens (CAT) program, a free opportunity for ages 13 to 17 to dive into visual arts, graphic design, ceramics, and collaborative projects.
Participants will develop their creative voices while building skills for future jobs or college, all in a supportive studio environment. Projects will be showcased in the DAVA Gallery, and the program includes field trips and a stipend for consistent attendance.
Organizers say teens should expect to commit 4–6 hours per week across flexible summer sessions. “Join a community of creative teens, explore new media, and have fun while working hard,” they encourage.
IF YOU GO
Date: Begins Aug. 1; weekly hours Wed. 1 p.m.–4 p.m., Thurs. 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Fri. 1 p.m.–4 p.m.
Place: Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA), 1405 Florence St.
Tickets: Free; application required
Details: davarts.org and 303-367-5886
Centennial Under the Stars returns with live music and family fun
iphino.
Families can enjoy a kid’s zone packed with bubbles, face painting, crafts, and more, while food trucks will offer a variety of eats and treats throughout the night.
“Bring your blankets and chairs,” organizers say, but note that pets, outside alcohol, and tents are not permitted. Parking at the park is limited, with additional nearby lots available.
IF YOU GO
Date: Aug. 9, 5 p.m.–close
Place: Centennial Center Park, 13050 E. Peakview Ave.
Tickets: Free
Details: centennialco.gov
Community conversation dives into disinformation at Koelbel Library
Arapahoe Libraries continues its 2025 Community Conversation Series on Aug. 7 with an evening dedicated to navigating truth in today’s media landscape. Titled Decoding Fact from Fiction in the Era of Disinformation, the third installment of the four-part series invites attendees to engage in a thoughtful discussion guided by expert facilitator and panelists Laura Frank, Vera Azuka Idam, and Mike Littwin. Organizers say the series is designed to spark meaningful dialogue and understanding among community members. “These events are meant to connect people through shared stories, insights, and respectful conversation,” they note. Light refreshments will be provided.
IF YOU GO
Date: Aug. 7, 6 p.m.
Place: Koelbel Library, 5955 S. Holly Street
will feature live music, food vendors, local artists, and vintage lawn games and crafts set among the museum’s gardens. Guests are also invited to explore the museum with free general admission during public hours. “It’s a joyful way to honor the state’s history while enjoying summer in Denver,” organizers say. The celebration continues just two blocks away at the History Colorado Center, where additional Colorado Day events will be happening throughout the day.
IF YOU GO
Date: Aug. 2, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Place: Center for Colorado Women’s History, 1310 Bannock St.
Tickets: Free; reservation recommended
Details and tickets: tickets-womenshistory.historycolorado.org
Art in the Park food and market series at the Aurora Highlands
A fusion of art, shopping, food and community are slated for Aug. 2 at Winged Melody Park as part of a free market in the park series.
Participants are invited to explore other pieces in the huge, open-air gallery of large-art installations across the park, including “Broken but Together” by Michael Benisty and “The Only Way Out is Through” by Snyder and Olivia Steele.
a Cause
MSterious JaMS : A Concert for
Enjoy live performances from four local tandout bands (Students from Youth On Record, Card Catalog, The Meaty Ogres, and Tony Exum Jr.) and enjoy food by Los Tres Potrillos, The event benefits MSterious Miracles, a Colorado-based nonprofit group providing essential resources and support for those living with MS.
The event is sponsored by The Drop 104.7 radio and is free for anyone living with MS.
IF YOU GO
When: Aug. 2, 3 p.m. - 9p.m.
Where: The People’s Building, 9995 E Colfax Ave.
Tickets: Free, $40 or more for a VIP table
Details: www.thepeoplesbuilding.com
Glow in the Park brings free teen fun to Bicentennial Park
Teens and pre-teens are invited to light up the night at “Glow in the Park,” part of the Summer Vibes free event series hosted by the City of Aurora. The evening will feature a live DJ, glowin-the-dark mini golf, and a full lineup of LED glow games. Designed for ages 10 to 17, this free event is all about mu sic, motion, and glowing fun as the sun goes down. Everything from the enter tainment to the activities and prizes is completely free for participants.
The City of Centennial invites the community to its 19th Annual Centennial Under the Stars on Aug. 9. It’s a free, family-friendly evening of music, food, and activities at Centennial Center Park.
Set beneath the summer sky at the award-winning amphitheater, the event features performances by Denver fa-
Tickets: Free; RSVP encouraged Details: arap.li/44vwl8i
Celebrate Colorado Day at the Center for Colorado Women’s History
Mark Colorado’s 149th birthday with a full day of festivities at the Cen-
“Pack your blankets, lawn chairs, and coolers,” organizers say. “Everyone is welcome to bring their own food and drinks, or get treats from nearby food trucks.” This week’s vendors include: The Progressive Pantry, Hooked by Shan, Korf Kreations, Mamas Money My Treats, La Bloom, Corf Coffee Mobile, StephanieH TupperAdvantage, Snowy Leopard Art, Natural Cottage Pantry, Blizzful Beech, Jordan Crafts Co, Mouna’s Boutique.
IF YOU GO
Date: Aug. 2, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m..
Place: Winged Melody Park at Highlands Creek, 24495 E 35th Drive in the Aurora Highlands
Tickets: Free
Details: theaurorahighlands.com
Jordan Ivey is ready to usher Vista PEAK Prep into its next stages of growth.
The burgeoning Aurora Public Schools high school has spent the last decade-plus growing incrementally — keeping pace with the surrounding neighborhood — and is primed to take another step forward, especially in athletics.
Ivey is looking forward to nurturing that growth as the school’s new athletic director and assistant principal.
“I’ve been involved with athletics my entire life, so I felt the urge to get back into it,” Ivey said. “There are a lot of connections from Legend when I taught and was a head coach, so when I saw the Vista PEAK job was open, I reached out to some of those people.
“After hearing everything they started to list about the school and the different options and pathways and talking with Principal (Mehran) Ahmed several times, it became clear to me that this is a place I wanted to be, right at the precipice of developing from a small school to a big school.”
Back in the game
“There is incredible opportunity and potential right now for Vista PEAK,” Ivey told the Sentinel “There have been some phenomenal athletic directors over the years and they have set it up incredibly well. So to come in and build off of that and have the opportunity to usher Vista PEAK into this big school realm is really exciting to me.”
BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports Editor
Ivey knows there are big shoes to fill in the athletic director position at Vista PEAK Prep, as he follows a quality lineage made up of Mike Hughes (who is now at Lakewood), John Sullivan (who moved into a role as an assistant commissioner with the Colorado High School Activities Association) and David Benedict (who recently departed for Smoky Hill).
Ivey has previous experience himself as the athletic director at Ponderosa High School, a role he left to become exclusively an assistant principal for the past two years at Fox Ridge Middle School in Cherry Creek Schools. He found himself in need of a way to reconnect with athletics at the high school level and found that chance when he discovered the intriguing opening at Vista PEAK Prep.
The Vista PEAK Prep job (which Ivey said he accepted “without hesitatation” when it was offered) included a bonus. Ivey spent a decade as a social studies teacher at Legend and the assistant principal role will allow him to get in the classroom as well.
“It was special position because it is the first time Aurora has done that,” he said. “Being able to be in the classroom and still do instruction on occasion as well is an opportunithy that doesn’t come around often.”
Athletically, Vista PEAK Prep has good continuity in its coaching staff save in football (where Kyle Reese takes over) as well as boys wrestling, where Robb Steven moves up from an assistant role to the head job after Benedict left the school.
The Bison finished 3-7 with Jalin McKinnon serving as interim coach the rest of the season and Reese hopes to restore some stability to the situation. Vista PEAK Prep will be in search of its first postseason appearance since 2021.
The biggest highlight for Vista PEAK Prep last season came on the wrestling mat as twins Ian and Amelia Bacon on the first state championships for the boys and girls programs, respectively. The Bison finished seventh in the 5A girls standings, while the boys were 22nd.
Among the other highlights for Vista PEAK Prep in 2024-25 included a City League championship and 16-win campaign for the softball team, a 9-3-4 season for the boys soccer team that yielded a Class 5A first round state playoff home game,, first round wins for the boys and girls basketball programs in their first seasons moving up to the 6A classification, a fourth-place finish in the 4A girls golf state tournament for Sophia Capua and Amaya Rogers’ fourthplace finish in the 100 meter dash at the 5A girls state track meet.
For more on these stories, visit sentinelcolorado. com/preps
“To be able to walk in and have such well-established programs already is big,” Ivey said. “Right now, for me it is about listening and learning. It’s just been meet and greet with the coaches and having them tell me about the programs and how I can help, so we can really start to forecast a vision of what Vista PEAK can become.”
Half of the small contingent of new coaches is Reese, a former head coach at Overland who has taken over the football program that went through some turmoil in 2024 when Mike Campbell stepped down midway through his first season.
Ivey’s athletic director experience came as part of a school in the Continental League, which is vastly different than the City League — formerly the Denver Prep League — that Vista PEAK Prep joined a few years ago after the dissolution of the EMAC.
NOTES: The opening of the 2025 fall prep sports season is near, as Aug. 4 marks the first day that that Colorado High School Activities Association allows teams in football and boys golf to officially practice. The remainder of fall prep sports — girls volleyball, boys soccer, softball, cross country, flag football, boys tennis, field hockey, gymnastics and Unified Bowling — can begin practice Aug. 11. Boys golf is the first sport that can start competition, which is allowed on Aug. 7, followed by softball and boys tennis (Aug. 14) and flag football (Aug. 16) and the remainder on Aug. 21.
Head of Herd: Jordan Ivey, who has taken over as the new athletic director at Vista PEAK Prep, poses in front of the athletics entrance at the school July 25. Ivey — who served in the same role previously at Ponderosa — fills the post left by David Benedict, who moved across Aurora to Smoky Hill. He will also be an assistant principal. (Photo by Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel)
Spartans, assemble!
Players and coaches from several Aurora area prep football programs — Cherokee Trail, Eaglecrest, Regis Jesuit, Smoky Hill and Vista PEAK Prep — helped run teams from the Aurora Spartans Youth Organization through a three-day camp at Cherokee Trail High School, which wrapped up July 24.
PHOTOS BY COURTNEY OAKES/ AURORA SENTINEL
PROSECUTING THE PROSECUTOR
Aurora city lawmaker heads up campaign to recall local district attorney just six months into her tenure
BY CASSANDRA BALLARD, Sentinel Staff Writer
Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky is heading an effort to recall 18th Judicial District Attorney Amy Padden, but the road is long and already riddled with what DA employees say is misinformation.
“The effort to recall Amy Padden is underway,” Jurinsky, a Republican, said during the city council meeting July 14. “I look forward to working around the clock to gather the signatures that I must in honor of Kaitlyn Weaver. I will not let her life be in vain.”
Jurinsky’s pursuit of recalling Padden, a Democrat, began after a 24-year-old Aurora woman named Kaitlyn Weaver was struck and killed in July 2024 by a noncitizen immigrant 15-year-old boy whose family was seeking asylum. The juvenile was reported to be driving faster than 90 miles per hour in a residential area and without a license in 2024, according to CBS News and Jurinsky, who posted the report on her Facebook and her X account while demanding a recall of Padden, May 16.
Since the case involved a juvenile, Arapahoe County DA officials say they are unable to release any court documents, citing restrictions under state law. CBS News and Jurinsky have reported that the boy received two years of probation with community service, and the Denver Gazette reported in May that the boy and his family were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jurinsky said she planned to recall Padden for only giving him two years of probation, after the previous 18th Judicial District Attorney allegedly told Weaver’s family they would pursue the maximum sentence in youth corrections, according to media reports.
In any court case, including this one, the prosecution, being the district attorney’s office, will make a recommendation for sentencing, but the judge makes the final decision for the outcome, Padden said.
Jurinsky is up for re-election to her at-large seat on the city council this November.
Padden and the deputy district attorney, Ryan Brackley, who determined the sentence request for the boy, both said they were unable to comment about the decision or the boy’s term of probation because he is a juvenile.
Jurinsky said one reason she waited until now to recall Padden was that she had to wait until she had been in office as the district attorney for six months before she could begin a recall process.
In July, there was a new public controversy over a case where a man identified as Solomon Galligan, 34, was ruled incompetent to stand trial in an Aurora 2024 kidnapping case. He has previously been accused of incidents of assault, and he was ruled incompetent to stand trial in some of those cases, according to Colorado court records.
In the Aurora April 2024 case, Galligan is accused of attempting to kidnap a young boy at Black Forest Hill Elementary School. A court date last week in the 18th Judicial District was vacated after his lawyers requested a competency evaluation.
Jurinsky has made multiple claims that Padden abandoned the case over competency concerns and that Galligan was going to be allowed back onto the streets without court intervention or concern on Padden’s part.
After mostly silence on Padden’s part, she pushed back on a Facebook post last week.
“That comprehensive, 63-page report by a licensed doctor concluded that Galligan suffers from multiple mental health conditions and is mentally incompetent to stand trial and not restorable to competency within the foreseeable future,” Padden said in a statement, refuting Jurinsky’s inaccurate claims.
Padden said in her statement that she had no power to decide whether to dismiss Galligan’s case, that it was a matter for a court and judge, not a prosecutor.
“If the court decides that the defendant is incompetent and unlikely to be restored or to maintain competency during the pendency of the case, the court is required by statute to dismiss the charges, and our office is legally prohibited from taking this case to trial,” Padden said in the statement.
She has stated previously that she disagrees with Colorado state lawmakers who passed laws making the action mandatory.
“As the District Attorney, I have many concerns about this statutory process and its impact on community safety in situations where charges must be dismissed,” she said in the statement.
“Even before the defense’s motion to dismiss was filed in this case, I was speaking with legislators about proposed reforms to the statute. I will continue those discussions to collaborate about a solution that promotes community safety.”
Padden also said that Galligan will not be released, as Jurinsky alleged.
“If the motion to dismiss is granted here, Galligan will not be released into the community at that time,” Padden said in the statement.
“Although they were previously released when courts in other jurisdictions dismissed prior cases, this defendant has been civilly committed for continued treatment in a state mental health hospital, which provides secure, inpatient psychiatric care.”
Jurinsky also claimed, without providing details, that Padden has mishandled many other cases by not seeking sufficient justice, dismissing cases, or offering probation instead of harsher prosecution. She told the Sentinel that on Monday night at a scheduled city council meeting, she would provide a list of names and cases that Jurinsky thinks the 18th Judicial District Attorney has mishandled.
Tuesday, Jurinsky said she would wait for a procedural event linked to the recall petition request before releasing the list of names and cases.
From Jan. 14, when Padden took office, to July 23, Arapahoe County has filed 1,572 felonies, 8,303 misdemeanors, and 553 petty infractions, totaling 10,428, according to Eric Ross, the spokesperson for the 18th Judicial District.
Monday is also the deadline for the 18th Judicial District to file a response to a Gallagan motion to dismiss the charges against him.
“Regarding Solomon Gallagan’s competency evaluations, those are suppressed and not public record,” Ross said. “Competency evaluations in any criminal case are suppressed.”
A recall petition was submitted for approval by the Colorado Secretary of State, and a recall committee has been created for Padden, according to secretary of state records. The committee and recall petitions have been filed by Denver
attorney Suzanne Taheri as the registered agent. The status of the recall can be tracked on the Secretary of State’s website.
Taheri was the Colorado Deputy Secretary of State for seven years, where she worked on election issues and chaired the state Initiative title setting board. Last year, she represented Republican Mayor Mike Coffman in a failed 2023 effort to ask voters to create a different form of Aurora government.
Since the recall paperwork was filed, Padden has been given until Wednesday to respond to the petition request.
If the request to circulate recall petitions is approved, the committee will have 60 days to collect “25% of the total votes cast at the last preceding general election for that office,” according to the Secretary of State.
In Padden’s case, that would be 82,737 signatures. Before the recall is filed, the “designated election official” must be notified to provide a written cost estimate of conducting the recall election.
The approximate cost was immediately unclear for a petition campaign to collect the required signatures to force an election.
Typically, elections take a lot of time to collect signatures. Committees usually hire professional signature collection firms, but Jurinsky said she plans “to work around the clock” to get the signatures.
Coffman’s 2023 campaign raised more than $120,000 in an effort to collect about 20,000 signatures. The campaign failed to collect the required signatures in time to get the question on the fall ballot.
“We haven’t received petition format approval from the state and likely won’t until Thursday, so we are not taking donations until that happens,” Taheri said in an email. “Everyone involved (including me) is a volunteer, so there is no ‘firm’ handling the campaign or price estimate.”
The logistics mean that if the recall petition effort is successful, it would force a special election, unless it coincides with the primaries next summer, which is unlikely.
A recall election for Arapahoe County is estimated to cost the county $863,280, according to Arapahoe County clerk officials.
“Arapahoe County would be responsible for 55% of the final costs. The Department of State would be responsible for 45% of the final costs,” Jack Todd, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State, said in an email. “Should the DA remain in office after all is said and done, the Department of State would also be responsible for the costs expended by the DA in support of her defense.”
If the petition is approved and the signatures are received within 60 days, several additional steps must be taken before a recall election is conducted. These steps include a signature verification process, a protest period, a hearing and determination on the protest, and a nomination of a successor.
“I thank you to everybody who has reached out, who has donated, who is continuing to donate, who is volunteering and planning events,” Jurinsky said during Monday’s city council meeting. “I am doing this in honor and in memory of Kaitlyn Weaver, a 24-year-old Aurora resident. Her death will not be in vain, and I have promised her father that justice will be served.”
Padden says she is just getting started
Amy Padden calls herself a change agent as the newest district attorney for the 18th Judicial District.
During and just after her election, she has pledged to promote greater transparency and reduce recidivism through strategic, preventive measures involving people convicted of crimes.
The Sentinel conducted two interviews with Padden, one in November, after she won the election, and again in March of this year. The Sentinel also followed up in May to track her progress on her goals in office.
Padden has decades of experience, working in positions ranging from executive assistant to U.S. attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, to Colorado’s special assistant Attorney General, and Deputy District Attorney in the 11th and 5th Judicial District.
Throughout her election against former Arapahoe County DA Carol Chambers, Padden said a focus on diversion and rehabilitation would be key to reducing crime in the region.
“My ultimate goal is to make our community safer and to reduce crime, and I think we will do that through these programs,” Padden said to the Sentinel after winning her election in November.
“It’s not something where we’re going to see an immediate result, but I am very optimistic that at the end of four years, we will find our communities safer than they are right now.”
Transparency, enhancing the diversion program and the Conviction Integrity Unit, and taking additional steps to ensure that people are being treated equitably within their community are also areas Padden said she wanted to start with.
The Conviction Integrity Unit reviews potentially wrongful convictions and takes actions to improve or correct prior wrongful convictions.
Transparency, prosecution data and equity in courts
“An increase in transparency is helpful,” Padden said to the Sentinel in March. “That said, we’re bound by ethical rules that include what we can say about a pending case or a pending investigation.”
While Padden hopes to be transparent, there are reasons they keep some privacy. Information
Amy Padden
can influence the jury pool, and they have to consider safety considerations and grand jury secrecy. There are also state laws and mandates that require district courts to maintain individuals’ privacy, such as in cases involving juveniles or the suppression of competency evaluations.
“There’s a bunch of competing instruments, and so we’ll have to find the right balance of making sure we’re complying with our ethical and legal obligations by the same time, giving the public the information, as much information as we can, consistent with those obligations,” she said.
During Padden’s campaign, she said she wanted to make outside audits of prosecution data public. Although it won’t be easy, it will be one step toward greater transparency in the district.
“It’s a big project,” Padden said.
Prosecution data could be used to create more transparency through the Prosecutor Performance Indicators, she said. This can help the district examine race, ethnicity and other factors that may reveal discrepancies in sentencing.
“I think something that could help with that data is I want to have a Conviction Integrity Review unit,” Padden said.
A Conviction Integrity Unit reviews past cases to investigate integrity and potential wrongful convictions. Oftentimes, District Attorney’s offices only look at cases of actual innocence, and that’s what the 18th traditionally did, Padden said. Some other counties, such as Jefferson and Denver Counties, also examine aspects like equity and sentencing.
Padden used the example of disparities in sentencing in the 1990s linked to convictions for using and selling crack cocaine and powder cocaine. It was a justice disparity she observed first-hand working in the federal court system at the time.
Historical data shows that white people convicted of power cocaine crimes received substantially lesser sentences than Black people convicted of crack cocaine crimes.
“Everyone realizes now that those sentence disparities had a disparate impact on Black men. They just did, and so once we look at this data, I think we may find other instances of disparities,” She said. “We may have people come to us asking for a reduction in sentences based on disparities.”
These disparities were also historically known for creating higher recidivism rates in the Black community, creating the pipeline of single-parent households and poverty in Black families, according to many studies, including the study “The Severely-Distressed African American Family in the Crack Era: Empowerment is not Enough,” published in the National Library of Medicine.
One thing that is entirely within the DA’s discretion is whether to file habitual sentence enhancers for someone with three prior felonies, greatly enhancing the mandatory minimums, she said.
Previous district attorneys in the 18th Judicial District, like Carol Chambers, regularly used many “sentence enhancements” to increase penalties for sentencing, with some cases in which Padden said she might be interested in going back and looking at whether someone would have been prosecuted as harshly if they had been in a different district.
“My constituents really wanted this,” Padden said in November. “They want a review process like this to make sure that we have equity within our sentencing system and to address the inequities where we find them.”
Padden said she planned to apply for a federal grant to fund staff for the Conviction Integrity Unit, but the grant is no longer available due to recent actions by the Trump administration and cuts to Federal funding. She said her other option would be to request more funding in her budget from Arapahoe County, but that only occurs at certain times of the year, and she will need to wait. She said she is also looking into private grant funding and other forms of financing.
“That unit’s on hold right now, but we’re still working on developing a process for any requests that we have that come through the door, right now,” Padden said. “We’re working on that process, and we’ll at least be able to get an internal process going, hopefully shortly. It still is my goal to stand up that unit. It just is going to take me a little longer than I anticipated at this point.”
In an attempt to reduce recidivism, Padden made minor changes to the diversion program by adding more diversion counselors and “front-loading” the diversion decision. Now, a referral for someone to be placed on diversion occurs during the intake process, rather than later on.
When a case arrives at the office, the intake unit reviews it and determines the charges that will be filed, and then it is assigned to a prosecutor who will handle the case. Previously, the prosecutors handling the case made diversion decisions, which meant that a number of different prosecutors made those decisions at various points in time, Padden said.
“We have front-loaded that into the intake division, and so they’re able to make those decisions early, which frankly, are going to get the offenders into diversion earlier and connect them with resources in the program earlier,” Padden said.
Retention and staffing after the split of the district
In 2020, state lawmakers decided to remove Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln County cases from the dockets in the 18th Judicial District by 2025, leaving the remaining 18th Judicial District to handle cases from Arapahoe County, where more than 80 percent of Aurora residents reside.
This split resulted in vacancies and turnover in the 18th Judicial District, as some employees chose to relocate to the new judicial district due to factors such as distance, time and overall preference.
“We’ve got a lot of really great experienced prosecutors who really want to stay in Arapahoe County,” Padden said. “They want to serve Arapahoe County in particular.”
As of May 21, the 18th hired nine new prosecutors and has no existing vacancies. The 18th Judicial District is budgeted for 72 prosecutors, including Padden, according to Eric Ross, the spokesperson for the 18th Judicial District. They were able to fill all vacancies with eight new prosecutors this year.
Burnout is common among prosecutors due to the high volume of work and the demanding nature of their responsibilities, industry officials say. Being understaffed exacerbates the issue, making it harder for districts to prevent burnout.
“We see really terrible things, and it’s easy for folks to get burned out,” Padden said. “I want to make sure that we’re doing what we can to make sure that the caseloads are manageable.”
Padden said she wants to continue looking at the caseload of Arapahoe County, especially with the change in reconfiguring the district.
Before the split, the 18th Judicial District had 267 employees; now, it has 182, including the district attorney. These positions include attorneys, investigators, victim-witness advocates and other judicial officers.
On the court side, which is staffed separately and funded through the state, the state’s funding was less than what was requested to handle additional misdemeanor domestic violence cases that began being transferred from Aurora Municipal Court to Arapahoe County in July, following an Aurora City Council vote last year.
“We were supposed to be getting in the 18th Judicial District in Arapahoe County, another county court judge, and county court judges handle misdemeanor cases,” She said. “Unfortunately, that got stripped.”
The state budget for the 18th did not provide the additional funding the courts were requesting. This resulted in a $3.1 million shortfall to staff a judge, 24 probation officers, and super-
visors, as well as cover additional operating expenses. There are concerns that misdemeanor cases may be dropped due to staffing shortages, especially with the increased volume from domestic violence cases from Aurora.
“So while we are prepared,” Padden said. “Unfortunately, it looks like the court and the public defender on probation are not getting additional resources, and they’re going to need to absorb those within the existing case load. So I don’t know how that’s going to work, because I don’t have any control over that.”
What’s to come
Padden said there are other ideas to come depending on how the system works while she is working as the district attorney. She said she will continue to review policies and procedures in areas such as officer-involved shootings and bail and bonds. If she identifies areas for improvement, she will consider making those changes as needed.
Many of the changes made so far are new to the district and will take time to see results, but should have noticeable impacts in the next year, Ross said.
No doubt, the process linked to a recall election will be time consuming for Padden, and then even more so should a recall question make the ballot. For now, she said she’s focused on the job.
“It’s not a super fast process when you’re looking at grants, or you’re looking at hiring, and modifications to diversion or things of that nature, but we are working diligently to make those changes and tweak the office a little bit to better serve the constituents,” Ross said. “I think you will see those results down the road. It’s just not an instantaneous process. So bear with us as we’re making those changes.”
should not take a position regarding the determination of historical use of the Shoshone water rights.
“We heard the issues that are most front and center from these entities,” Moyer said. “And so we are trying to find a path forward that works for everyone.”
But even if Front Range Water Council members are in favor of the proposal, it is unlikely to result in a cancellation of the hearing. CWCB Executive Director Lauren Ris said in an email that under the board’s rules, they are required to hold a hearing. And Jeff Stahla, public information officer at Northern Water, said they will still be asking for the hearing to proceed.
Spokespeople from Colorado Springs Utilities, Aurora Water and Denver Water all declined to comment on the River District’s proposal because it was marked as confidential.
Some members of the Front Range Water Council have concerns beyond CWCB neutrality that could be addressed at the September hearing.
In a May 14 letter to the CWCB, Denver Water’s CEO Alan Salazar said the water provider also wants to carry over some provisions from existing agreements like the Shoshone Outage Protocol. This agreement has an exception in cases of extreme drought that allows Denver Water to keep taking water if its reservoirs fall below certain levels and streamflows are low. Denver Water added that by omitting the last two decades of Shoshone water use, the River District’s study period is skewed, and that using an upstream stream gauge to measure historical use is improper.
The hearing is scheduled for the next CWCB board meeting Sept. 16-18. The
board can approve or disapprove the acquisition of the water rights, or make changes to the proposal and adopt the amended proposal. The board is required to take action at the September hearing unless the River District approves an extension. Pre-hearing statements are due by Aug. 4.
CWCB board members Brad Wind, who is general manager of Northern Water, and Greg Johnson, manager of resource planning at Denver Water, recused themselves from the July 17 CWCB board meeting discussion of the Shoshone water rights and plan to recuse themselves from future Shoshone discussions and decisions.
— Heather Sackett, Aspen Journalism
ICE arrests 243 immigrants in metro area enforcement operation
Federal immigration agents arrested 243 immigrants lacking permanent legal status during a nine-day enforcement operation in the Aurora metro area, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced this week.
The arrests occurred from July 12 to July 20. The agency said it had support from Homeland Security Investigations Denver, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, ICE’s Dallas field office, the Internal Revenue Service and a handful of other federal agencies.
It provided details for about 50 of the alleged crimes people were arrested for, including assault, theft and driving under the influence. One person was wanted for murder, and another was wanted for human trafficking.
ICE said 50 of the people detained are subject to removal orders. Four are
alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
“By partnering with federal agencies, we have successfully apprehended individuals who pose a significant threat to public safety,” Robert Guadian, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Denver Field Office director, said in a statement. He criticized Colorado’s law that prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE and holding people past their jail release time for the purpose of immigration enforcement.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for more information about the charges involved with the arrests and how many people from the operation have since been deported. The announcement names one person who has been deported following a murder and DUI conviction.
The arrested immigrants are from 17 countries, including Mexico, Venezuela, Honduras and Nicaragua.
The number of ICE arrests in the operation was an increase compared to recent similar time periods, according to figures from the Deportation Data Project, with information that runs through the end of June. Over nine-day periods since the start of May, there have been an average of about 104 arrests in Colorado. Between June 9 and June 17, there was a peak of 165 arrests, 60 of which were for people convicted of crimes.
Karen Orona, communication manager for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, wrote in a text message to Colorado Newsline that “every detention steals from our communities.”
“ICE’s hollow claims about targeting criminals have been exposed as lies, most shockingly when they deported legally present immigrants to a known
torture camp in El Salvador. ICE targets asylum seekers, green card holders, and parents of U.S. citizens, then denies them due process in a system where legal help is a privilege, not a right,” she wrote. “No human being deserves to be disappeared into detention camps or deported to danger.”
The recently-enacted federal tax cut and spending bill set aside about $170 billion for immigration enforcement and $75 billion for ICE specifically, which could supercharge immigration enforcement across the country as the Trump administration pushes for more detentions and deportations.
Six locations in Colorado have been floated as potential new ICE detention facilities, according to documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union. There is already a private immigration detention center run by GEO Group in Aurora.
— Sara Wilson, Colorado Newsline
AND COURTS
COPS
Speed and alcohol suspected in fatal Aurora crash on I-225 at
Alameda
An unidentified man was killed July 27 when the SUV he was driving went off the road and hit a barrier at East Alameda Avenue while driving north on I-225.
Witnesses told police the man driving the GMC Yukon was weaving through traffic at about 5:15 p.m. when the crash occurred, police said in a statement.
At one point, the car began to veer to the right and struck a concrete barrier at
the exit ramp for Alameda Avenue.
Rescuers said the man was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
“The driver was not wearing a seatbelt,” police spokesperson Gabby Easterwood said in a statement. “Speed and alcohol are both believed to be factors in the crash.”
The scene was closed down and restricted to traffic for several house as police investigated the crash.
— Sentinel Staff
Man seriously injured after being shot in Aurora apartment parking lot
“An unidentified man told police he was shot and seriously wounded when “unknown individuals” confronted him at a south-Aurora apartment parking lot just after midnight July 27.
The man told investigators that he was inside his car in the parking lot of Cherry Ridge apartments, 929 S. Peoria St. when “unknown individuals” approached him, Aurora police spokesperson Agent Matthew Wells-Longshore said in a statement. “After a brief verbal exchange, he was shot.”
The man was driven to a nearby hospital, but police did not say who drove the man.
Police said the injured man was unable to provide a clear description of the suspects.
As of that morning, the man remained hospitalized and in serious condition.
Police said anyone with information can call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000, police said.
— Sentinel Staff
Because the people must know
COMBINED NOTICEPUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103
FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0293-2025
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice
is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On May 16, 2025, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.
Original Grantor(s)
Daniel A. Nutter
Original Beneficiary(ies)
MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR GUARANTEED RATE, INC., ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt
CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC
Date of Deed of Trust
April 25, 2022
County of Recording
Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust
April 28, 2022
Recording Information (Reception No. and/ or Book/Page No.)
E2047061
Original Principal Amount
$455,840.00
Outstanding Principal Balance
$434,748.90
Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the deed of trust and other violations thereof. THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
LOT 4, BLOCK 2, SUMMER VALLEY SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 13, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.
Purported common address: 4806 S Pagosa Cir, Aurora, CO 80015. THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST. NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust. THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 09/17/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.
First Publication 7/24/2025 Last Publication 8/21/2025
Name of Publication Sentinel Colo-
rado IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE
A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED; DATE: 05/16/2025 Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado By: /s/ Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee
The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is: Alison L Berry #34531
N. April Winecki #34861 David R. Doughty #40042 Lynn M. Janeway #15592 Janeway Law Firm, P.C. 9540 Maroon Circle, Suite 320, Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 706-9990
Attorney File # 25-034642
The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.
©Public Trustees’ Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015
COMBINED NOTICEPUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103
FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0283-2025
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust: On May 13, 2025, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records. Original Grantor(s) JASON CULVER Original Beneficiary(ies) MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Current Holder of Evidence of Debt UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC.
Date of Deed of Trust August 15, 2024 County of Recording Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust August 22, 2024 Recording Information (Reception No. and/ or Book/Page No.)
E4054548 Original Principal Amount
$586,894.00 Outstanding Principal Balance
$585,915.27
Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations of the terms thereof THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN. LOT 1, BLOCK 3, TOLLGATE CROSSING SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 8, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO. Purported common address: 4732 S COOLIDGE ST, AURORA, CO 80016. THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust. THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 09/10/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.
First Publication 7/17/2025 Last Publication 8/14/2025 Name of Publication Sentinel Colorado
IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED; DATE: 05/13/2025 Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado
By: /s/ Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee
The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is: Anna Johnston #51978 Joseph D. DeGiorgio #45557 Carly Imbrogno #59533 Randall M. Chin #31149 David W. Drake #43315 Ryan Bourgeois #51088 Barrett, Frappier & Weisserman, LLP 1391 Speer Boulevard, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80204 (303) 350-3711 Attorney File # 00000010442788
The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.
©Public Trustees’ Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015 COMBINED NOTICEPUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103
FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0268-2025
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On May 2, 2025, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records. Original Grantor(s) Amber Duran AND Elijah Winn
Original Beneficiary(ies)
MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRA-
TION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE, INC., ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt
COLORADO HOUSING AND FINANCE
AUTHORITY
Date of Deed of Trust December 27, 2022
County of Recording Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust
December 29, 2022
Recording Information (Reception No. and/ or Book/Page No.)
E2121409
Original Principal Amount
$404,537.00
Outstanding Principal Balance
$322,053.46 Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are
hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the deed of trust and other violations thereof. THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
LOT 22, BLOCK 7, BURNS AURORA FIRST FILING, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.
APN#: 1973-02-3-27-022 NOTARY
CORRECTION AFFIDAVIT RECORDED ON 7/18/2023 AT RECEPTION NO. E3048552. Purported common address: 785 Iola Street, Aurora, CO 80010. THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.
If applicable, a description of any changes to the deed of trust described in the notice of election and demand pursuant to affidavit as allowed by statutes: NOTARY CORRECTION AFFIDAVIT RECORDED ON 7/18/2023 AT RECEPTION NO. E3048552.
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 08/27/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.
First Publication 7/3/2025
Last Publication 7/31/2025
Name of Publication Sentinel Colorado IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED; DATE: 05/02/2025
Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado
By: /s/ Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee
The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is: Alison L Berry #34531 N. April Winecki #34861
David R. Doughty #40042
Lynn M. Janeway #15592 Janeway Law Firm, P.C. 9540 Maroon Circle, Suite 320, Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 706-9990
Attorney File # 25-034627
The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.
©Public Trustees’ Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015
COMBINED NOTICEPUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103
FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0271-2025
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust: On May 2, 2025, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.
Original Grantor(s)
Darren J. Kipp and Michelle L. Klindera
Original Beneficiary(ies)
Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Beneficiary, as nominee for Amerifirst Financial, Inc., its successors and
assigns
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt
Citizens Bank, N.A.
Date of Deed of Trust
April 25, 2022
County of Recording Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust
April 28, 2022
Recording Information (Reception No. and/ or Book/Page No.)
E2047017
Original Principal Amount
$517,750.00
Outstanding Principal Balance
$497,774.17
Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to make timely payments as required under the Evidence of Debt and Deed of Trust
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
LOT 12, BLOCK 7, TOLLGATE VILLAGE
SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 6, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.
Purported common address: 17704 East Tennessee Place, Aurora, CO 80017. THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST. NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust. THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 08/27/2025, at The East
Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.
First Publication 7/3/2025
Last Publication 7/31/2025
Name of Publication Sentinel Colorado
IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED; DATE: 05/02/2025
Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado By: /s/ Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee
The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
Amanda Ferguson #44893
Heather Deere #28597
Toni M. Owan #30580
Halliday, Watkins & Mann, PC 355 Union Blvd., Ste. 250, Lakewood, CO 80228 (303) 274-0155
Attorney File # CO21531
The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.
©Public Trustees’ Association of Colorado
Revised 1/2015
COMBINED NOTICEPUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103 FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0252-2025
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On April 25, 2025, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.
Original Grantor(s)
Adrian H Neal
Original Beneficiary(ies)
Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. as beneficiary, as nominee for Marketplace Home Mortgage, LLC
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt
PennyMac Loan Services, LLC
Date of Deed of Trust
June 30, 2016
County of Recording
Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust July 01, 2016
Recording Information (Reception No. and/ or Book/Page No.)
D6070265
Original Principal Amount
$216,930.00
Outstanding Principal Balance
$235,442.14
Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the deed of trust and other violations thereof THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN. SEE ATTACHED EXHIBIT A Exhibit A
Parcel A:
Condominium Unit 204, Building No. 10, The Homestead at Saddle Rock East Phase 7, according to the Condominium Map recorded September 22, 2006 at Reception No. B6136586 and as defined and described in the Declaration for The Homestead at Saddle Rock East, recorded December 18, 2001 under Reception No. B1218549 and First Amendment recorded August 15, 2002 at Reception No. B2148722 and Second Amendment recorded March 5, 2003 at Reception No. B3048577 and Third Amendment Recorded May 27, 2003 at Reception No. B3113067 and Fourth Amendment recorded August 6, 2003 at Reception No. B3171167 and Fifth Amendment recorded February 14, 2006 at Reception No. B6019733 and Sixth Amendment recorded September 22, 2006 at Reception No. B6136587 in the office of the Clerk and Recorder of Arapahoe County, Colorado.
County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado.
Parcel B:
Garage Unit G9-B, The Homestead at Saddle Rock East
Phase 7, according to the Condominium Map recorded September 22, 2006 at Reception No. B6136586 and as defined and described in the Declaration for The Homestead at Saddle Rock East, recorded December 18, 2001 under Reception No. B1218549 and First Amendment recorded August 15, 2002 at Reception No. B2148722 and Second Amendment recorded March 5, 2003 at Reception No. B3048577 and Third Amendment recorded May 27, 2003 at Reception No. B3113067 and Fourth Amendment recorded August 6, 2003 at Reception No.
B3171167 and Fifth Amendment recorded February 14, 2006 at Reception No. B6019733 and Sixth Amendment recorded September 22, 2006 at Reception No. B6136587 in the office of the Clerk and Recorder of Arapahoe County, Colorado. County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado. Purported common address: 22560 E Ontario Dr Unit 204, Aurora, CO 80016. THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 08/27/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.
First Publication 7/3/2025
Last Publication 7/31/2025
Name of Publication Sentinel Colo-
rado
IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED; DATE: 04/25/2025
Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado By: /s/ Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee
The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is: Alexis R. Abercrombie #56722
Scott D. Toebben #19011
Aricyn J. Dall #51467
David W Drake #43315
Randall S. Miller & Associates PC 216 16th Street, Suite 1210, Denver, CO 80202 (720) 259-6710
Attorney File # 19CO00296-4
The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.
©Public Trustees’ Association of Colorado
Revised 1/2015
COMBINED NOTICEPUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103
FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0253-2025
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On April 25, 2025, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.
Original Grantor(s)
Raymond D. Slaymaker
Original Beneficiary(ies)
Sooper Credit Union
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt
Sooper Credit Union
Date of Deed of Trust
February 15, 2018
County of Recording
Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust March 02, 2018
Recording Information (Reception No. and/ or Book/Page No.)
D8020355
Original Principal Amount
$80,000.00
Outstanding Principal Balance
$78,953.56
Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows:
Failure to make installment payments of principal, interest, taxes and/or insurance as provided for in the Deed of Trust and Credit Agreement
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
Lot 24, Block 1, Trail Ridge Subdivision, Filing No. 2, County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado. Purported common address: 21878 E Powers Dr, Centennial, CO 80015. THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST. NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust. THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 08/27/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. First Publication 7/3/2025
Last Publication 7/31/2025
Pursuant
of
that
The failure to pay the full monthly payments due and owing under the Loan Documents dated as of September 19, 2023, as of July 1, 2024, as required under said Deed of Trust and the Debt secured thereby. THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
See Exhibit A Exhibit “A” Legal Description Lot 2, Block II, BUENA VISTA SUBDIVISION, County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado. Purported common address: 1375 Helena Street, Aurora, CO 80011. THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.
NOTICE OF SALE The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust. THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 08/27/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence
upon which the objector will be emailed an invoice for paying the fee online. If the objector is unable to provide the objection via email please contact 303-866-3581.
First Publication: July 24, 2025
Final Publication: July 31, 2025
Sentinel
BEFORE THE ENERGY AND CARBON
MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
IN THE MATTER OF THE PROMULGATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF FIELD
RULES TO GOVERN OPERATIONS FOR THE NIOBRARA FORMATION, DJ HORIZONTAL NIOBRARA FIELD, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO
CAUSE NO. 535
DOCKET NO. 241100285
TYPE: OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT
PLAN SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
TO THE following interested parties:
Arthur R. Hoglund
Estate of Bernice Schuler McKelvey, deceased Charlotte Logsdon
Estate of Elaine A. Rydiger, deceased
Estate of Marvin D. Schuler, deceased
Estate of Minnie M. Manchester Averill, deceased
Estate of John W. Grund, deceased
Estate of L. M. Nelson, deceased
Estate of Lawrence R. Rydiger, deceased
Estate of Margaret Hoglund, deceased
Estate of Walter J. Grund, deceased
You are hereby summoned and may appear and respond to the Application filed with the Commission in this docket. Pursuant to Sections 34-60-101 – 130, C.R.S., Bison IV Operating, LLC (Operator No. 10670) (“Bison” or “Applicant”), filed an Application for an order to approve an approximate 5,749.64-acre Oil and Gas Development Plan for the development and production of 18 total horizontal wells, to be developed from one new Oil and Gas Location on the below-described lands (“Application Lands”) (the “Friendly Skies OGDP”):
Township 3 South, Range 65 West, 6th P.M.
A copy of the Application may be obtained from the Commission’s eFiling system or Applicant’s attorney.
ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO By Elias J. Thomas, Hearings Manager
Dated: July 15, 2025.
Energy and Carbon Management Commission 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, Colorado 80203 Website: https://ecmc.colorado.gov/ Phone: (303) 894-2100 Fax: (303) 894-2109
Attorneys for Applicant: Jamie L. Jost Kelsey H. Wasylenky Jost Energy Law, P.C. 3511 Ringsby Court, Unit 103 Denver, CO 80216 720-446-5620 jjost@jostenergylaw.com kwasylenky@jostenergylaw.com
First Publication: July 24, 2025
Final Publication: August 21, 2025 Sentinel
DISTRICT COURT, ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION INTERESTED PERSONS AND OWNERS BY DESCENT OR SUCCESSION
PURSUANT TO § 15-12-1303, C.R.S. Case No.2023PR31322
In the Matter of the Estate of: MARK ALLEN EMOND, a/k/a MARK A. EMOND; Deceased.
To all interested persons and owners by descent or succession: Greg Emond.
A Petition for Determination of Heirs has been filed alleging that the above Decedent died leaving the following property:
Titled Ownership: Estate of Mark Allen Emond
Description of Property: 100% of Decedent Estate of Mark Allen Emond
Location of Property
Arapahoe County District Court probate case 2023PR31322
3 South, Range 66 West, 6th
1: S1/2
2: S1/2 Section 3: SE1/4
10: E1/2 Section 11: All
12: All
Surface Location:
747 Pad: approximately 18.24-acres in the W½NW¼ of Section 8, Township 3 South, Range 65 West, 6th P.M., City of Aurora, Adams County, Colorado.
Nearby Public Crossroads: C.R. 64 & Jackson Gap St.
The Commission scheduled this matter for hearing on:
Dates: September 24, 2025
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Place: Virtual Hearing with Remote Access via Zoom
To participate virtually navigate to https:// ecmc.state.co.us/#/home and locate the Zoom meeting link on the left side of the webpage.
Energy and Carbon Management Commission The Chancery Building 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, Colorado 80203
To oppose the Application, you must file a written petition with the Commission pursuant to Commission Rule 507. You must file your protest on or before August 25, 2025. Please see Commission Rule 507 at https://ecmc.colorado.gov/ , under “Regulation,” then select “Rules.” Please note that, under Commission Rule 510.l, the deadline for petitions may only be continued for good cause, even if the hearing is continued beyond the date that is stated above. Pursuant to Commission Rule 507, if you do not file a proper petition, the Hearing Officer will not know that you wish to formally participate in this matter and the date and time of the hearing may change without additional notice to you. Parties wishing to file a petition must register online at https://oitco.hylandcloud.com/ DNRCOGExternalAccess/Account/Login. aspx and select “Request Access to Site.” Please refer to our “eFiling Users Guidance Book” at https://cogcc.state.co.us/ documents/reg/Hearings/External_Efiling_ System_Users_Guidebook_20201109.pdf for more information. Under Commission Rule 508, if no petition is filed, the Application may be approved administratively without a formal hearing.
If you file a petition, you must be able to participate in a prehearing conference during the week of August 25, 2025, if a prehearing conference is requested by the Applicant or by any person who has filed a petition.
If you fail to file a timely petition, the Commission may enter an order affecting your interests in the Application Lands without further notice. This matter may be continued to a future Commission hearing date, but that does not change your petition deadline.
and file or register any objections thereto.
EASTPARK70
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
By: /s/ David Solin
Publication: July 31, 2025
Sentinel
HARVEST CROSSING
Secretary
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 3
NOTICE CONCERNING 2024 BUDGET AMENDMENT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested parties that the necessity has arisen to amend the Harvest Crossing Metropolitan District No. 3 2024 Budget, and that a copy of the proposed Amended 2024 Budget has been filed at the District’s offices, 141 Union Boulevard, Suite 150, Lakewood, Colorado, where the same is open for public inspection; and that adoption of Resolution Amending the 2024 Budget and will be considered at a public hearing of the Board of Directors of the Districts to be held on Thursday, July 31, 2025 at 3:30 p.m. This District Board meeting will be held via Zoom without any individuals (neither Board Representatives nor the general public) attending in person.
Zoom information: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5469119353?pwd=SmtlcHJETFhCQUZEcVBBOGZVU3Fqdz09
Phone Number: 1-719-359-4580
Meeting ID: 546 911 9353
Passcode: 912873
Any elector within the Districts may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the Resolution to amend the 2024 Budget, inspect and file or register any objections thereto.
HARVEST CROSSING
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 3
By: /s/ David Solin Secretary
Publication: July 31, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE CONCERNING PROPOSED INCLUSION INTO THE BOUNDARIES OF THE AEROTROPOLIS REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
Thence along the Southerly line of said Northwest quarter of Section 13, South 89°40’33” West, a distance of 2,567.49 feet to the Easterly right-of-way of Picadilly Road as described in Special Warranty Deed recorded April 17, 2006 at Reception No. 20060417000386390 in said Official Records;
Thence departing said Southerly line along said Easterly right-of-way, North 00°01’58” West, a distance of 2,646.91 feet to the Northerly line of said Northwest quarter of Section 13;
Thence departing said Easterly rightof-way along said Northerly line, North 89°39’00” East, a distance of 2,562.89 feet to the point of beginning.
NOTICE BY: AEROTROPOLIS REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY By: /s/ Thomas N. George
Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF 2024 BUDGET AMENDMENT HEARING TRAILS PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested parties that the necessity has arisen to amend the District’s 2024 Budget; that a copy of the proposed Amended 2024 Budget is on file at The Trails Recreation Center, 16799 East Lake Avenue, Centennial, Colorado 80016, where the same is available for inspection by the public Monday through Friday during normal business hours, (i.e., 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Board of Directors of the Trails Park and Recreation District will consider the adoption of the proposed amended 2024 Budget at a public hearing to be conducted during a regular meeting of the Board of Directors to be held at The Trails Recreation Center, Gold Rush Room, 16799 East Lake Avenue, Centennial, Colorado 80016 on August 19, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.
contractors, at any time up to and including the time for final settlement for the work contracted to be done, is required to file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid, and an account of such claim to: The Connextion Group, LLC 4785 Tejon St., Suite 101 Denver, CO 80211, on or before the date and time herein above shown for final payment. Failure on the part of any claimant to file such verified statement of claim prior to such final settlement will release the Sky Ranch Community Authority Board, its directors, officers, agents, consultants, and employees, of and from any and all liability for such claim.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SKY RANCH COMMUNITY AUTHORITY
BOARD
By: The Connextion Group, LLC, Barrett Marrocco, PE District Engineer for the Sky Ranch Community Authority Board
First Publication: July 24, 2025
Final Publication: August 7, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE OF FINAL PAYMENT
NOTICE is hereby given that the Aerotropolis Area Coordinating Metropolitan District of Adams County, Colorado, will authorize final payment on or after August 12, 2025 to SRM Holdings, LLC, a Colorado limited liability company, of Centennial, Colorado, for all work done by said contractor in construction or work on Stormwater Management Services, performed within the Aurora Highlands development in Aurora, County of Adams, State of Colorado.
The point of contact for Aurora Water is Christian Nelson, Public Relations Manager, (303) 676-5999
Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON INCLUSION (2.31 Acres)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested persons that a Petition for Inclusion of Property (the “Petition”) has been or is expected to be filed with the Board of Directors of Aurora Crossroads Metropolitan District No. 2, City of Aurora, Arapahoe County, Colorado (the “District”). The Petition requests that the property
The hearing on the petition will be held at the following time and location or at a later date to which the hearing may be continued:
Date: September 4, 2025
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Address: 7325 S. Potomac St, Centennial, CO 80112 Courtroom or Division: 12
This is a hearing without appearance; attendance is not required or expected.
Note: You must answer the petition on or before the hearing date and time specified above.
Within the time required for answering the petition, all objections to the petition must be in writing, filed with the court and served on the petitioner and any required filing fee must be paid.
The hearing shall be limited to the petition, the objections timely filed and the parties answering the petition in a timely manner.
If the petition is not answered and no objections are filed, the court may enter a decree without a hearing
Personal Representative: Marco D. Chayet, #29815, 18th Judicial District Public Administrator
Jennifer R. Oviatt, 18th Judicial District Deputy Public Administrator Chayet & Danzo, LLC 650 S. Cherry St., Ste. 710, Denver, CO 80246
P.O. Box 460749, Denver, CO 80246
Phone Number: (303) 355-8520 Fax Number: (303) 355-8501
E-mail: PublicAdministrator@ColoradoElderLaw.com
First Publication: July 17, 2025
Final Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel
EASTPARK70 METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
NOTICE CONCERNING 2024 BUDGET AMENDMENT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVENto all interested parties that the necessity has arisen to amend the Eastpark70 Metropolitan District (the “District”) 2024 Budget, and same has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the District; and the copy of the proposed Amended 2024 Budget has been filed at the District’s offices, 141 Union Boulevard, Suite 150, Lakewood, Colorado, where the same is open for public inspection; and that adoption of a Resolution Amending the 2024 Budget will be considered at a public hearing of the Board of Directors of the District to be held on Friday, August 8, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. This District Board meeting will be held via Zoom without any individuals (neither Board Representatives nor the general public) attending in person.
Zoom information: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5469119353?pwd=SmtlcHJETFhCQUZEcVBBOGZVU3Fqdz09
Meeting ID: 546 911 9353 Passcode: 912873 Dial In: 1-719-359-4580
Any elector within the District may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the Resolutions to Amend the 2024 Budget, inspect
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a request to include certain property into the boundaries of the Aerotropolis Regional Transportation Authority, City of Aurora, County of Adams, State of Colorado (the “Authority”), pursuant to Section 43-4-605, C.R.S., has been made and may be considered by the Board of Directors of the Authority at a meeting and public hearing to be held at 11:00 a.m. on August 27, 2025, which meeting and public hearing will be held by telephone and videoconference only. Information regarding public attendance and participation by telephone and videoconference will be available at least 24 hours prior the meeting and public hearing online at www.aerotropolisrta.org or may be obtained by contacting Anna Jones, Authority Manager, by email at anna.jones@claconnect.com or by telephone at 303-793-1478. All persons having objections to the proposed inclusion may appear at the public hearing by telephone or videoconference to object to the proposed inclusion.
The property proposed to be included into the boundaries of the Authority is described as follows:
A parcel of land being all that certain parcel described as Parcel B within Special Warranty Deed recorded December 10, 2004 at Reception No. 2004001258230, that certain parcel of land described in Quit Claim Deed recorded June 28, 1985 at Book 3019, Page 266 in the Official Records of the clerk and recorder of Adams County, State of Colorado, and a portion of the Northwest Quarter of Section 13, all situated in the North half of Section 13, Township 3 South, Range 66 West of the Sixth Principal Meridian, in said County and State, more particularly described as follows:
Beginning at the North quarter corner of said Section 13;
Thence along the Northerly line of said Northeast quarter North 89°41’25” East, a distance of 1123.11 feet to the Northwest corner of Parcel TK-116 of the E-470 Public Highway Authority described in Book 4667, Page 306 in the Adams County Office of the clerk and recorder;
Thence along the Westerly boundary of said Parcel TK-116 the following seven courses;
1) Departing said Northerly line of the Northeast quarter, South 00°01’29” East, a distance of 100.00 feet;
2) South 86°50’04” East, a distance of 893.46 feet;
3) South 59°49’05” East, a distance of 90.03 feet to the beginning of a non-tangent curve concave Northeasterly having a radius of 908.51 feet, the radius point of said curve bears North 81°41’26” East;
4) Southerly along said curve through a central angle of 08°20’42”, an arc length of 132.32 feet;
5) Tangent to said curve, South 16°39’16” East, a distance of 349.92 feet to the beginning of a tangent curve concave Westerly having a radius of 1,055.92 feet;
6) Southerly along said curve through a central angle of 15°30’43”, an arc length of 285.87 feet;
7) Tangent to said curve South 01°08’33” East, a distance of 1,700.86 feet to the Southerly line of said Northeast quarter of Section 13;
Thence departing said Westerly boundary of Parcel TK-116 and along said Southerly line South 89°40’22” West, a distance of 2,293.83 feet to the center quarter corner of said Section l3;
Any interested elector of the Trails Park and Recreation District may inspect the proposed 2024 Budget Amendment and file or register any objections or comments thereto at any time prior to the final adoption of the Amended Budget.
Dated this 17th day of July 2025.
TRAILS PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT By:/s/ Delos Searle
Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF ABANDONED PROPERTY
Location of Property: 6049 S Yakima St, Aurora, CO 80015
Date: 07/21/2025
Former Resident Name: Josefina Leonen
Street Address: 6049 S Yakima St City: Aurora State: CO Zip Code: 80015
Forwarding Address Left by Resident: 12642 Magnolia Dr, Moreno Valley, CA 92555
The abandoned property is described as follows: Various storage bins/racks, gardening items, a mattress, clothing, and various other personal affects.
You are hereby notified that you must contact the lienholder and arrange for removal of your personal property from the location identified above no later than 15 calendar days from publication of this notice. Previous attempts were made by the lienholder to contact you via text at your last-known, good phone number on 06/20/2025, and via certified mail at the forwarding address above, with attempted delivery on 07/05/2025. Neither attempt was met with a response, nor was there an attempt to claim the undelivered notification. As such, your personal property will be sold or disposed of at the lienholder’s discretion if not claimed and retrieved by you in the established timeframe, without exception.
The lienholder will make the property available for removal by the former resident by appointment at reasonable times.
Lienholder: Michael A. Logsdon
Address: 6049 S Yakima St, Aurora, CO 80015
Telephone: (951) 897-2614
Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF FINAL PAYMENT
NOTICE is hereby given that Sky Ranch Community Authority Board of Arapahoe County, Colorado, will make final payment at 2001 16th St. Suite 1700 Denver, CO 80202, on or after August 8, 2025, to the following:
Martin Marrietta Materials, Inc. 1627 Cole Blvd., Suite 200 Lakewood, CO 80401
For all work done by said Contractor in construction or work on Sky Ranch CAB Filing 4 Paving and performed for the Sky Ranch Community Authority Board in the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado. Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender, or other supplies used or consumed by such contractors, their subcontractors or suppliers, in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that supplies rental machinery, tools or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work, and whose claim therefore has not been paid by the contractors or their sub-
Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender, or other supplies used or consumed by such contractor or its subcontractors, in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that supplied rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work, and whose claim therefor has not been paid by the contractor or its subcontractors, at any time up to and including the time of final settlement for the work contracted to be done, is required to file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid, and an account of such claim, to the Aerotropolis Area Coordinating Metropolitan District, c/o AECOM, Inc., 7595 Technology Way Suite 200, Denver, CO 80237, on or before the date hereinabove shown for final payment. Failure on the part of any claimant to file such verified statement of claim prior to such final settlement will release the Aerotropolis Area Coordinating Metropolitan District, its directors, officers, agents, and employees, of and from any and all liability for such claim.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AEROTROPOLIS AREA
COORDINATING METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
First Publication: July 24, 2025
Last Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR CHERRY CREEK WELLFIELD PFAS TREATMENT FACILITY AURORA, COLORADO
Date: September 2, 2025
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Aurora Public Library, Central Library Small Meeting Room Address: 14949 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora, CO 80012
Topic: Cherry Creek Wellfield PFAS Treatment Facility
A public hearing will be conducted for informing citizens and soliciting public input, written or oral, regarding the Cherry Creek Wellfield PFAS Treatment Facility project description and Environmental Assessment (EA). The project description details the project as proposed, including project necessity, alternatives, and components. The project description also describes how the project is being funded. The reports are being submitted to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to qualify the City of Aurora Water Department (Aurora Water) for a Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant.
Project Purpose: Aurora Water has five raw water sources that supply their three water purification facilities (WPFs) providing clean drinking water to the Aurora Water community of 404,219 people. These include the Rampart Reservoir, Aurora Reservoir, Quincy Reservoir, the South Platte River (via the North Campus), and the Cherry Creek Wellfield (CCWF).
The CCWF source water comes from ten wells: six shallow alluvial wells and four deep aquifer wells. Most of the wells have PFAS concentrations that exceed the regulation that goes into effect in 2028. The CCWF historically has only provided flow to Griswold WPF but in 2026 will also provide flow to Wemlinger WPF. This is an important water source for Aurora Water as it provides an alternate source to the Rampart Reservoir.
Aurora has paused using CCWF for several years because of PFAS concentrations above the maximum allowed by the upcoming regulations. This project’s purpose is to reduce the PFAS compounds from the CCWF supply before blending the flows at the Griswold and Wemlinger WPFs.
The proposed treatment facility will reduce PFAS via six pressure vessels with single-use ion exchange media.
Capital cost estimate: $18,449,228.00
Copies of the project description and EA are available for public review prior to the Public Hearing at the following location: City of Aurora – Office of the City Clerk 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora, Colorado 80012.
that vacancies currently exist on the board of directors of the Eastpark70 Metropolitan District (“District”). Any qualified, eligible elector of the District interested in filling a vacancy and serving on the board of directors should file a Letter of Interest with the board of directors of the District on or before 9:00 a.m. on Monday, August 11, 2025, at the office of the District’s General Counsel. Forms of Letters of Interest are available and can be obtained from and should be returned to: Eastpark70 Metropolitan District, c/o David Solin at Special District Management Services Inc., 141 Union Boulevard, Suite 150 Lakewood, CO 80228-1898, phone 303-987-0835.
EASTPARK70
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT By: /s/ David Solin Manager for the District
Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Aurora Housing Authority will submit an application to the Colorado Division of Housing (DOH). The purpose of this application is to request $ 700,000 to develop 43 units of rental housing at 1280 S. Potomac St Aurora, CO 80012. The request of funding from DOH is to benefit persons with low and moderate incomes by increasing the availability of affordable housing in Aurora. It is not the intent to cause displacement from any existing housing; however, if persons are displaced from their existing residences reasonable housing alternatives shall be offered. All interested persons are encouraged to contact the applicant for further information. Written comments should be sent to mpetrov@aurorahousing.org and will be forwarded to DOH for consideration during the application process.
Members of the public may request a public meeting and should arrange a request with the Applicant. Applicant shall post notice of meeting (Date, Time, and Location) to ensure other members of the public are aware of meeting. If reasonable accommodations are needed for persons attending the public meeting, please contact the Applicant.
Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
A confidential nonprofit client is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to provide General Contractor Preconstruction Services for an upcoming development project.
Interested parties may request the full RFP by emailing Info10SUS40@gmail.com.
Proposals are due by August 11, 2025.
Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS/ PROPOSALS
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT Aerotropo-
lis Area Coordinating Metropolitan District, a quasi-municipal corporation and political subdivision of the State of Colorado, is soliciting qualifications and proposals from qualified contractors to be selected as the E470 Landscaping Contractor for the Aurora Highlands Project in Aurora, CO.
Please be advised that the Aerotropolis Area Coordinating Metropolitan District is planning to publish this Request for Qualifications/Proposals contemporaneously on BidNet. A full copy of this Request for Qualifications/Proposals will be available at the following link: https://www.bidnetdirect. com/private/supplier/solicitations/search, use the BidNet search tool for open solicitation named “E470 Landscaping” Reference No. 0000393595.
Qualification/Proposal submittals must be electronically submitted via BidNet before 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Thursday, August 28, 2025. Qualifications/Proposals will not be accepted after the foregoing submission deadline, and hardcopies of Qualifications/Proposals will not be accepted.
A public opening will be held at 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Thursday, August 28, 2025 via Microsoft Teams. A link to this event can be found in the Request for Qualifications/Proposals. For further information contact:
Charlotte Russell Civil Engineer I charlotte.russell@aecom.com
Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel SECOND CREEK RANCH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOTICE OF FINAL PAYMENT
Re: Public Works Construction/Improvement Contract Streetlight Design and Installation Tibet Road Phases 2 and 3 Project Pro Systems Professional Electrical Systems, Inc. CONTRACT DATED: August 21, 2023
Notice is hereby given that the SECOND CREEK RANCH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT (the “District”), Adam County, Colorado, will make final payment on or after the August 10, 2025 to Pro Systems Professional Electrical Systems, Inc. (the “Contractor”), for all work done by said Contractor for the above-referenced project concerning construction work performed.
Any individual, corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, limited liability company, partnership, association, or other legal entity that has furnished labor, materials, sustenance, or other supplies used or consumed by such Contractor or its subcontractors, in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that has supplied laborers, rental machinery, tools or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work, and whose claim therefor has not been paid by the Contractor or its subcontractors, at any time up to and including the time of final settlement for the work contracted to be done, is required to file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid, and an account of such claim, to the SECOND CREEK RANCH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT, c/o Schedio Group, LLC, 809 14th Street, Suite A, Golden, Colorado, 80401 Attn: Fahim Jaffer, with a copy to: Icenogle Seaver Pogue, P.C., 4725 South Monaco Street, Suite 360, Denver, Colora-
and whose
therefor has not been
by the Contractor or its subcontractors, at any time up to and including the time of final settlement for the work contracted to be done, is required to file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid, and an account of such claim, to the SECOND CREEK RANCH METROPOLITAN
DISTRICT, c/o Schedio Group, LLC, 809 14th Street, Suite A, Golden, Colorado, 80401 Attn: Fahim Jaffer, with a copy to: Icenogle Seaver Pogue, P.C., 4725 South Monaco Street, Suite 360, Denver, Colorado 80237, on or before the date and time hereinabove shown. Failure on the part of any claimant to file such verified statement of claim prior to such final settlement will release the District, its Board of Directors, officers, agents, and employees of and from any and all liability for such claim.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SECOND CREEK RANCH
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
First Publication: July 24, 2025
Final Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel
SECOND CREEK RANCH
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOTICE OF FINAL PAYMENT
Re: Public Works Construction/Improvement Contract
Tributary-T Phase 2 Box Culvert Project MLL, Inc.
CONTRACT DATED: May 20, 2024
Notice is hereby given that the SECOND CREEK RANCH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT (the “District”), Adam County, Colorado, will make final payment on or after the August 10, 2025 to MLL, Inc. (the “Contractor”), for all work done by said Contractor for the above-referenced project concerning construction work performed.
Any individual, corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, limited liability company, partnership, association, or other legal entity that has furnished labor, materials, sustenance, or other supplies used or consumed by such Contractor or its subcontractors, in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that has supplied laborers, rental machinery, tools or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work, and whose claim therefor has not been paid by the Contractor or its subcontractors, at any time up to and including the time of final settlement for the work contracted to be done, is required to file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid, and an account of such claim, to the SECOND CREEK RANCH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT, c/o Schedio Group, LLC, 809 14th Street, Suite A, Golden, Colorado, 80401 Attn: Fahim Jaffer, with a copy to: Icenogle Seaver Pogue, P.C., 4725 South Monaco Street, Suite 360, Denver, Colorado 80237, on or before the date and time hereinabove shown. Failure on the part of any claimant to file such verified statement of claim prior to such final settlement will release the District, its Board of Directors, officers, agents, and employees of and from any and all liability for such claim.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SECOND CREEK RANCH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
First Publication: July 24, 2025
Final Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel
VEHICLES FOR SALE
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Extreme Towing 303-344-1400
Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR290
In the Matter of the Estate of MARVELLA MAE EMERICK, Deceased. All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 17, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Cheryl M Emerick
Personal Representative 1652 S Vaughn Street Aurora, CO 80012
First Publication: July 17, 2025
Final Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30309
Estate of Jeffrey Allen Krieger aka Jeffrey A. Krieger aka Jeffrey Krieger, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 8, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Janet P. Payne
Personal Representative 6025 S. Lima St. Englewood, CO 80111
First Publication: July 17, 2025
Final Publication: July 31, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.
Case No. 2025PR30320
Estate of Douglas G. Carlsen, Deceased. All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before December 1, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Bruce Carlsen
Personal Representative 6686 Apache Ct. Niwot, CO 80503
First Publication: July 31, 2025
Final Publication: August 14, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.
Case No. 2025PR30332
Estate of Jerome Edward Veen, Deceased. All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado, on or before November 17, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Julie A. Cook 29726 Shenandoh Lane Canyon County, CA 91387
First Publication: July 17, 2025
Final Publication: July 31, 2025
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PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.
Case No. 2025PR30395
Estate of Douglas Lyle VonVoltenburgh, aka Douglas L. VonVoltenburgh, aka Douglas VonVoltenburgh, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 30, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Danielle M. VonVoltenburgh
Personal Representative 1140 Antelope Drive West Bennett, CO 80102
First Publication: July 31, 2025
Final Publication: August 14, 2025
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NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.
Case No. 2025PR30400
Estate of INEZ RAMBERG LEVIN, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado, on or before November 10, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Robert G. Levin
Personal Representative 2922 Central Ave. Cheyenne, WY 82001
First Publication: July 31, 2025
Final Publication: August 14, 2025
Sentinel
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PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.
Case No. 2025PR30460
Estate of William Mitsuo Okubo aka William Mitsuo Okubo, Jr. aka William M. Okubo aka William M. Okubo Jr., Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado, on or before November 17, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Randall K. Okubo
Personal Representative 782 S. 6th Ave. Brighton, CO 80601
First Publication: July 17, 2025
Final Publication: July 31, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.
Case No. 2025PR30624
Estate of Samuel E. Wing aka Samuel Everett Wing aka Sam Wing, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Wendy Wing
Personal Representative 100 Steele St., #317 Denver, CO 80206
First Publication: July 24, 2025
Final Publication: August 7, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.
Case No. 2025PR30653
Estate of Isabelle Alexander Wetzel aka Isabelle Wetzel aka Isabelle A. Wetzel, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 24, 2025 or the claims may be forever barred.
James Wetzel
Personal Representative 1372 S. Argonne Circle Aurora, CO 80017
First Publication: July 24, 2025
Final Publication: August 4, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30684
Estate of Charles Norman Riggleman aka Charles N. Riggleman aka Charles Riggleman, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 17, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Dianna Swenson c/o 3i Law, LLC
2000 S. Colorado Blvd., Tower 1, Suite 10000 Denver, CO 80222
First Publication: July 17, 2025
Final Publication: July 31, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30705
Estate of James Patrick McMahon aka James P. McMahon aka James McMahon, Deceased. All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 30, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Susan M. McMahon Personal Representative 6598 E. Euclid Pl. Centennial, CO 80111
First Publication: July 31, 2025
Final Publication: August 14, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR31
Estate of Jeffrey Scott Miller, Deceased. All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Dena Gonzales
Personal Representative 2945 S. Logan St., Apt. B Denver, CO 80112
First Publication: July 24, 2025
Final Publication: August 7, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30644
Estate of Henry J. Beckwitt aka Henry Joseph Beckwitt aka Henry Beckwitt, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before December 1, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Robert Beckwitt
Personal Representative 111 West 67th St., 33E New York, NY 10023
First Publication: July 31, 2025
Final Publication: August 14, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30652
Estate of Patricia Anne Waite aka Patricia A. Waite, Deceased. All persons having the claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 17, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Attorney for Personal Representative Robert D. Taylor, P.C. Atty Reg #: 9989 6500 S. Quebec St., #300 Centennial, CO 80111
First Publication: July 17, 2025
Final Publication: July 31, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30726
Estate of John Price Ganister, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Attorney for Personal Representative Krista Beauchamp, Atty Reg #47615 Law Office of Alexandra White, P.C. 12625 E. Euclid Drive Centennial, CO 80111
First Publication: July 24, 2025
Final Publication: August 7, 2025
The wanton killing and starvation in Gaza is genocide. Make it stop
In fewer than two years, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. About 19,000 of them were children. The widespread carnage inflicted by an unhinged and unrestrained Israeli government has now been made even more gruesome by a government-imposed campaign of starvation and famine.
It is indisputable that the Israeli government has conducted a mission of genocide in Gaza and must be stopped. This is state-sanctioned mass killing.
That’s the assessment of nearly every credible world government and organization, the majority of European powers and even far-right Trump sycophant and top congressional supporter of Israel, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia.
“It’s the most truthful and easiest thing to say that Oct. 7 in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned,” Greene said Monday in a social media post. “But so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza.”
The World Health Organization reported this week that there have been 63 malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza in July, including 24 children under the age of 5. That’s an increase from 11 such deaths during the previous six months.
Gaza’s health ministry said the number of starvation deaths is even higher. It cited 14 in the past 24 hours.
The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, is headed by medical professionals and is seen by the U.N. as the most reliable source of data on casualties. U.N. agencies also often confirm numbers through other partners on the ground.
Beyond a humanitarian crisis, this is a cataclysmic failure of moral leadership of a government and a genocidal campaign run by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It has left blood on the hands of the international community, and especially the United States, for complicitly standing by as the Israeli government has carried out its modern genocide with relative impunity.
The war began following Hamas’ abhorrent Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people and took hundreds more hostage. That brutal day rightly drew outrage in Israel and across the globe. But what followed has gone so far beyond any legitimate military retaliation. It has become a campaign of systematic destruction, displacement, starvation, and slaughter.
Whether the indiscriminate mass killing is the product of an unscrupulous Netanyahu regime, or its total incompetence, it must be stopped immediately.
A Gaza health system on its knees continues to count the dead with grim regularity. They have reported 145,000 wounded among the tens of thousands killed. These are mothers and fathers crushed beneath rubble. Infants starved to death. Children were shot while reaching for bags of flour. Families vaporized in tents.
In recent days alone, Israeli airstrikes killed 30 people in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Among the dead, 12 were children, 14 were women. Dozens more were gunned down around an aid convoy. Fourteen more died near an Israeli-backed aid contractor site. As of this week, more than 1,000 desperate Palestinians have reportedly been killed while simply trying to access food.
Even as famine stalks Gaza’s streets, Israel continues to control the flow of aid with an iron grip. Promised “humanitarian corridors” have been lies. The Israeli military claims to shoot “warning rounds,” but the bodies piling up around food convoys tell another story.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has called the situation “a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions.” The evidence backs him. This is engineered starvation. It is cruel, deliberate and an inarguable violation of international law.
To deny food and medicine to a civilian population is not an unfortunate consequence of war. It is a war crime. To strike children and women seeking shelter in refugee camps is not a tactical misstep. It is an atrocity.
The Israeli government remains, however, unmoved. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismisses the world’s concern about hunger as a “distorted campaign.”
Meanwhile, in Gaza, fathers are swimming into the sea to retrieve food air-dropped into the wrong zone, emerging with soaked packets of biscuits and cans of beans. One man nearly drowned trying to grab what little aid had been dropped from the sky, according to Associated Press reports.
This is what a siege looks like in 2025. This is not just a war of indiscriminate slaughter by missiles and tanks. It’s elevated by starvation as a strategy and displacement as a doctrine.
The world’s silence and inaction are complicity.
The defense offered by Israel, that Hamas embeds itself among civilians, does not justify the wholesale destruction of civilians. A military’s obligation under international law is to distinguish between combatants and civilians, even when the enemy does not.
The scale of Palestinian casualties, especially among women and children, makes a mockery of Netanyahu’s claims that they’re doing the best they can.
Israel insists that it targets only “Hamas infrastructure.”
An infant buried in rubble is not an enemy combatant. A young mother incinerated in her sleep was not part of a militant network. A 5-year-old starving to death is not a legitimate target.
Most of Gaza remains inaccessible to humanitarian workers, and what aid does enter cannot reach those who need it most, due to a collapse in order and a state of near-anarchy created by the very war Israel continues to escalate.
The numbers tell the story. There are 60,034 dead at the hands of the Israeli government, and nearly half of them were children and women. Those facts do not call for any kind of embellishment. They demand accountability.
Never again is now.
How Dem leaders threaten America
The leadership of the Democratic party has changed. It once included rational people who worked alongside Republicans to try to improve people’s lives. Despite having different views on specific topics, they were tails to the Republicans’ heads on an all-American coin. Today’s Democratic leaders are not just frustrating or annoying, they are dangerous. The result has been policies that, collectively, threaten to destroy our country physically, financially, and spiritually.
Sadly, many Democratic voters don’t understand how dangerous their leadership has become, getting their news exclusively from left-leaning sources – The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, NPR, MSNBC, social media, etc. – and interacting only with liberal friends and co-workers, they live in a self-affirming information bubble that distorts reality to enforce a narrative that Democrats are good and Republicans are evil.
The free market is a beautiful, vital, self-correcting system the helps ensure that our limited resources are used efficiently and effectively. It’s the major driver of prosperity and health for a large portion of the world. The principles of free markets were first laid out by Adam Smith in “The Wealth of Nations,” published in 1776. The most quoted phrase from his book is that every individual, acting in his own self-interest, is “led by an invisible hand” to promote the public interest. But Democrats see it as an evil, exploiting force that only benefits the rich. They see greed instead of self-interest.
The U.S. Constitution is a brilliant political document designed to limit government, safeguard individual liberty, and protect the rights of the minority. Despite being written more than 200 years ago, it gives a clear, sound direction while providing enough flexibility to adapt to today’s world. However, Democrats don’t understand or agree with the thinking behind it and often try to subvert it to their own ends.
Propaganda is an intentional and systemic effort to use language to achieve a defined set of goals. It is dogmatic, the opposite of an open exchange of ideas. It promotes lies and distorts the truth through omission and distortion. Democrats are experts at this. They are deceptive about their proposed policies, the reasons for their proposed policies, the results of their past policies, and the ideas and character of their opponents.
A major initiative of the Democratic party was stacking universities with left-leaning professors. In the 1960s, many bright and affluent students in elite universities avoided the Vietnam era draft by staying in school to earn post-graduate de-
grees. They tended to be anti-war Democrats. Many chose university teaching careers to influence the next generation of students and ultimately controlled which faculty members were hired and who would receive tenure. Today, university professors are overwhelmingly Democrats who advocate for extreme liberal philosophies and policies and actively disparage and suppress conservative ideas.
Once established at the university level, Democrats were positioned to influence ensuing generations of K-12 public-school teachers who then passionately advocated for liberal ideas and social policies. Today, class curriculums are peppered with liberal propaganda, our public schools are controlled by Democrats and will be for decades. With control of public schools, they influence and indoctrinate children. Given the political leanings of its members who overwhelmingly vote for Democrats, the major teacher unions are megaphones for the Democratic party. The Democrats they elect return the favor with lucrative salaries, benefits, and pensions for their members…
DISCLOSURE: While I agree with everything you’ve just read, these aren’t my words. They’re a sampling condensed from a new book by Drew Baker, “Why Democrats are Dangerous.” Drew earned a bachelor’s degree in economics at Dartmouth and an MBA from the University of Chicago. After a successful banking career, he moved to North Carolina where he taught economics and business in college.
I knew Drew when he was growing up and I became his brother-in-law. In 1970, when he was 15, I bought him a subscription to National Review magazine, William F. Buckley’s conservative flagship, and introduced him to the works of Milton Friedman and Ayn Rand. I, too, changed course from my business career to join the war of ideas as a rare conservative in the liberal media. A great source of gratification is to have mentored young people to join that cause. I couldn’t be prouder of Drew.
In about 100 concise pages, his book packs loads of wisdom and factual examples of Democrat duplicity in plain talk that makes it a great primer for young people and a reaffirmation for all who want to restore America. You can get it at AuthorHouse.com or at your favorite online bookstore.
Longtime KOA radio talk host and columnist for the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News Mike Rosen writes for CompleteColorado.com, where this column was originally published.
MIKE ROSEN, GUEST COLUMNIST
