Adams County

Photos: Five benefits of Denver Airport City development for Adams County

On May 1, Adams County commissioners and other elected leaders gave Mayor Michael Hancock a week to provide a list of "tangible benefits" they would realize from Denver's plans to push forward with development around Denver International Airport. Hancock responded with a letter saying their demand h ... More >>

Reader: No surprise children are dying given flaws in system

Last week, Judge Chris Melonakis sentenced Donald Scarlett to 42 years in prison for child abuse leading to the death of a 22-month-old boy -- and in doing so, he blistered the Adams County human services department for what he saw as actions that could have prevented the tragedy but didn't. The fol ... More >>

Donald Scarlett guilty of killing toddler but system deserves blame, too, judge says

Unfortunately, instances of child abuse resulting in death happen far too frequently -- especially considering that "once" qualifies as "far too frequently." As a result, the sentencing of Donald Scarlett to more than four decades behind bars for the killing of 22-month-old Michael Harris was expect ... More >>

Dog shooting by deputy not his first: He claims self-defense in border-collie-mix killing

Update: Monday's shooting of border-collie mix named Ziggy by an Adams County deputy -- see our previous coverage below -- continues to spin off new developments. The latest? An attorney for deputy Wilfred Europe insists that his client shot the dog in self-defense, and denies that Europe and his fe ... More >>

Reader: Hysteria over shootings of dogs, elk is getting out of control

Our most recent post about the shooting of a dog by an Adams County deputy who'd gone to the wrong address has attracted plenty of posts critical of the officer. But one reader believes the amount of attention such cases have received is out of proportion with their importance.

Police group: Commerce City cop charged in dog shooting is victim of lynch mob mentality

Reports of an Adams County deputy killing a dog after responding to the wrong address undoubtedly caused a case of déjà vu for locals, since it followed a dog shooting by a Commerce City cop that was captured on video in November; see it below. That officer was subsequently charged with animal cru ... More >>

Operation Blood Sport: Meth and coke ring bust leads to discovery of cockfighting operation

If the Jefferson County DA's office is right, some of the sixteen people indicted in a drug ring bust weren't satisfied with dealing meth and cocaine. They were also allegedly involved with an illegal cockfighting operation featuring seventy roosters plus accoutrements that allowed the birds to slas ... More >>

Daniel Cooper, shmuck, seems pleased to have been busted for up to 100 burglaries

Not many mug shots show the arrestee looking absolutely thrilled to step before a booking-photog's camera. But in his close-up, Daniel Stewart Cooper, our latest Shmuck of the Week, seems pleased as punch to have been taken into custody -- although he was apparently less jazzed when he was rounded u ... More >>

Adams County's shmucky treatment of deaf suspect Timothy Siaki settled for $100K

According to a lawsuit filed by Timothy Siaki, he was cuffed and forced to the floor by Adams County deputies because he wasn't responding to verbal commands -- which isn't all that surprising, given that he's deaf. There's much more in the suit, filed against Sheriff Douglas Darr on behalf of the c ... More >>

Scott Gessler registration drive errors cause confusion, more voter suppression claims

This is not quite how Scott Gessler's plan was supposed to go. When Colorado's Secretary of State announced an unprecedented voter registration initiative last month, he told reporters that the effort wasn't a direct response to criticisms of voter suppression, though he said it would hopefully di ... More >>

Paul Weissmann will continue to serve the public as Boulder trustee

In the latest installment of a long-running saga, yesterday Governor John Hickenlooper reappointed five of the ten public trustees who resigned last month -- at his request. And he appointed three new trustees in three counties, including one who really puts the "public" in public trustee: sometime ... More >>

Grand Paladium and Oasis Cabaret razed to make room for truck parking

Since first opening in unincorporated Adams County at I-76 and Pecos a decade ago, the Grand Paladium -- which earned a nod in our 2004 Best of Denver issue for Best Metal Detector in a Club -- and later its eventual conjoined twin, the Oasis Cabaret gentleman's club, have had their share of struggl ... More >>

Charles and Michelle Wrenfrow accused of turning tow business into chop shop

Those of us who've had a car towed often gripe about the high cost required to get it back. But what if you had to buy it one piece at a time? That's the scenario presented by allegations against Charles and Michelle Wrenfrow, who allegedly turned their Adams County tow business, C & M Towing, into ... More >>

Photos: Twenty Colorado sex offenders who failed to register

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation maintains a website focused on convicted sex offenders in the state -- including those whose current whereabouts are unknown, because they've failed to register with authorities. We've collected photos and identifying information for twenty such creeps. If you re ... More >>

Gaylord hotel project: Meet the locals in love with it (and one guy against it)

Frank Gray is president of the Castle Rock Economic Development Council in Douglas County. Yet at a public hearing yesterday on six projects vying for big-bucks state tourism incentives, Gray eschewed his county's own project and, like many of the 23 people who testified, spoke in favor of Gaylord E ... More >>

Medical marijuana responsible vendor bill provides legitimacy, says senator

Proposals concerning medical marijuana banking and THC driving standards have gotten plenty of press. But one piece of weed-related legislation has received comparatively little attention thus far: Senate Bill 154, aka the responsible vendors bill. What would it do? Here's Senate Lois Tochtrop, the ... More >>

Mario Ybarra jail takedown prompts internal affairs investigation -- thirteen months later

We recently told you about Adams County's decision to fork over $20,000 after a deputy took down career criminal Mario Ybarra while trying to fingerprint him. At the time, attorney David Lane decried the lack of punishment for those who'd filed false reports. Now, the Adams County Sheriff's Office h ... More >>

Mario Ybarra brutality payout: Taxpayers should be mad, David Lane says

Another day, another cash payout for alleged law-enforcement brutality. This time, it's Adams County agreeing to fork over $20,000 after a deputy took down career criminal Mario Ybarra while trying to fingerprint him. And although attorney David Lane is happy to accept the money, he's upset that suc ... More >>

Jenna Breen and Tim Albo hit-and-run updates: Preliminary hearing, new legislation

We've been following a pair of tragic hit-and-run cases -- the January death of Jenna Breen and the horrific injuries inflicted on Tim Albo in 2010. There are new developments in both stories, including a hearing for the man accused of killing Breen and Albo-inspired legislation intended to give dru ... More >>

Operation Sweet Leaf: Jordan Buehrer accused ringleader in 25 grow metro-area megabust

Update: A just-released indictment related to Operation Sweet Leaf, in which 25 metro-area marijuana grows were raided, names 22-year-old Jordan Buehrer as the alleged ringleader of the scheme -- although Buehrer's LinkedIn profile suggests another name. The bare-bones page lists him as the owner o ... More >>

Colorado Business Committee for the Arts announces finalists for 2012 awards

Supporting the arts is just good business. That's the basic message of the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, which was founded in 1985 and has grown to over 130 members, just announced the finalists for the 25th annual CBCA Business for the Arts Awards. And not only does this award come with ... More >>

Behold Adams County, the "unquestioned epicenter of ethics problems"

James Hibbard: $1.6 million in settlements reached in coroner sex harassment fiasco

James Hibbard.​Former Adams County Coroner James Hibbard was term-limited out of a job last year, but folks in that county are still paying for the strange way he ran his office. County officials have agreed to shell out $650,000 to settle claims by a forensic pathologist who claimed Hibbard r ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Richard Wainwright case shows 6 plant limit can expand, attorney says

​Now that a dispensary ban has passed in Fort Collins, patients there will either have to go elsewhere for their medical marijuana or sign up with a caretaker who's ostensibly limited to six plants per person. But attorney Rob Corry says this limit isn't hard and fast -- and as proof, he point ... More >>

Five top Colorado birding spots from Mark Obmascik, author of The Big Year

​The Big Year, based on a 2004 book by former Denver Post writer Mark Obmascik and starring Steve Martin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Rashida Jones, Anjelica Huston and Rashida Jones, among others, debuts in theaters nationwide today. But before The Big Year got the big Hollywood treatment, it w ... More >>

Mom Norma Sisneros says she didn't realize daughter Tina Guerrero was robbing bank

Big pics below.​Update: Here's an interesting twist on the story of alleged mother-daughter bank robbers busted in Westminster yesterday. Mom Norma Sisneros was portrayed as the getaway driver for her daughter, Tina Guerrero. But Sisneros now says she didn't realize what the hell Guerrero was ... More >>

Sorry, Scott Gessler: Many county clerks began mailing ballots yesterday to all registered voters

Scott Gessler.​County clerks began mailing ballots out yesterday. And in Denver, Pueblo, Boulder and a half-dozen other counties, that also meant mailing ballots to voters labeled "inactive" -- some because they'd simply skipped one election cycle. Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler had ... More >>

Summer 2011: All's fair in Colorado this summer

A first look at the Fresh Breath Committee's new video for "The Dawn," featuring Andy Guerrero

Dudes in Denver are seriously stepping up their game. Just peeped the new video from the Fresh Breath Committee, and let's just say these cats aren't playing. The video, directed by Matt Hobbs of Vital Films, is for a new track called "The Dawn," illustrated here literally with shots of Crystal belt ... More >>

Betsy Long sentenced to 15 years in wrong-way drunk-driving crash that killed Mary Warren

9News​Betsy Long, the former green-biz entrepreneur who blew a .252 blood alcohol content following a crash that killed Mary Warren, a young woman bound for the Peace Corps, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and more in December. But accepting responsibility didn't result in a small sentenc ... More >>

Adams County deputies seeks three men in connection with Monday murder (1)

Adams County Sheriff's Office​The Adams County Sheriff's Office is searching for three men who were seen leaving an apartment where a murder occurred on Monday. The trio of men were all wearing masks, so no additional details are available. They were seen running from the apartment, which is a ... More >>

RTD: Building Gold Line station on Federal's east side right decision, says Kim Gillan

Near rejected site.​Update: Yesterday, we filled you in about RTD's decision to build a Gold Line station in Adams County on the originally approved east-side-of-Federal location rather than a west side plot favored by a Louisiana developer. After the publication of that item, we heard from Co ... More >>

Betsy Long pleads guilty in wrong-way crash, when her blood-alcohol level was .252

9News​A short time ago, 9News reports, Betsy Long, who was accused of causing a July crash that killed Mary Warren, a young CSU grad bound for the Peace Corps, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, leaving the scene of an accident and DUI. Regarding the last charge, Long re ... More >>

RTD station in Adams County: Fight over east, west Federal sites gets even more confusing

Near the site.​Update below: On Friday, we told you about a dispute about where to build an RTD Gold Line station in Adams County -- on a previously approved east-side site in a blighted area or a west-side plot near a wetland area and land owned by a Louisiana developer, the TOD Group. A meet ... More >>

RTD station slated near wetland area?: Inside Adams County-Federal Boulevard fight

Near station site.​Update: Moments ago, Kevin Flynn, public information manager for RTD, shared his thoughts about the debate over where a Gold Line commuter rail station in Adams County should be located -- on the east side of Federal Boulevard, where it was previously set, or on the west sid ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Mom Ann Marie Miller charged with felony for beef now a misdemeanor

A typical home grow.​In June, medical marijuana caregiver Ann Marie Miller said she was being prosecuted in Adams County because authorities counted dead plants she'd thrown out to say she was over the state-approved limit. The latest twist? She's charged with a felony for what's now a misdeme ... More >>

Douglas Taylor found guilty of Aurora arson that killed Jose De Jesus Martinez Espinoza in 2009

Larger photo below.​One of the earliest entries in our Mile High Murder archive involves a May 2009 arson-related murder in Aurora that led to the arrests of Douglas Taylor and Coy Dunn. The victim in the case was subsequently identified as Jose De Jesus Martinez Espinoza. More than a year la ... More >>

Letters:Will Tom Tancredo close off Colorado at the border?

Medical marijuana lawsuit against Westminster could challenge all local dispensary bans

Herbal Remedies' logo.​HB 1284, the medical marijuana regulation law signed by Governor Bill Ritter, includes the right for municipalities to ban dispensaries, and numerous cities, including Aurora and Broomfield, are taking advantage of it. But while MMJ attorneys have talked about issuing la ... More >>

Cory Voorhis, ex-ICE agent, sort of running for under sheriff job in Adams County

Cory Voorhis.​Cory Voorhis is still fighting to get his job back after being fired as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent for blowing the whistle in controversial fashion on a plea-bargaining practice. But he's also got his eye on a new gig. He's actively campaigning on behalf of Jam ... More >>

Betsy Long blew a .252 after crash that killed Mary Warren: Drunk driving times three

Betsy Long in a 9News image.​Alleged wrong-way drunk driver Betsy Long, a onetime green-biz entrepreneur, faces vehicular homicide charges and more in a July 5 crash that killed Mary Warren, a 22-year old bound for the Peace Corps. And according to prosecutors, she cleared the legal .08 blood- ... More >>

Ruben Hernandez is suburban superhero King of the 'Glenn: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

Full-sized comic below.​King of the 'Glenn Real name: Ruben Hernandez; Occupation: Communitarian; Suburb of operations: Northglenn; Hair: Black; Eyes: Smiling Suburban superhero skills: King of the 'Glenn has the coordination, endurance, strength and reaction time that is superior to any Nort ... More >>

Tim Tebow, Brady Quinn have a long way to go to catch Kyle Orton, says Josh McDaniels

"Three QBs' is the charm."​A mini-Denver blogs roundup. Mile High Report catches Josh McDaniels on Jim Rome's show saying Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn have a long way to go to catch Kyle Orton in the QB contest. The race is on. Ken at Denver Infill thinks the new zoning code could change Denver ... More >>

Amadeus Harlan, Broncos Impersonator, gets 48 years for a lifetime of scams

​He wooed women and got away with pricey sports cars by fooling people into believing he was a Broncos player. Eventually he'd get locked up, but he started the scam all over again as soon as he was free. Amadeus Harlan, aka Johnny Harlan, spent years stealing money, vehicles and hearts with ... More >>

Eric Dodd, accused Portfolio Bandit, taken directly to jail

Eric Dodd? The feds think so.​On Monday, we told you about an FBI alert pertaining to the so-called Portfolio Bandit, the latest scofflaw to wind up with a Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force-approved nickname, following in the footsteps of such luminaries as the H1N1 Bandit, the Tom Thumb ... More >>

Christian Benshoof and Ashley Johnson: DA says bloody shootout that killed these two bank robbers justified

Deputy Chief Tim Carlson and Senior Police Officer Sean Chandler were among those shot in the melee.​Adams County District Attorney Don Quick has determined that police actions were justified in an old-fashioned cops-versus-robbers gunfight in Westminster last November. And the details in Quic ... More >>

Operation Fortune Cookie: Adams County Sheriff Doug Darr calls lawsuit "a collection of false accusations and lies"

Adams County Sheriff Doug Darr​This past Monday, when Westword started making calls about a lawsuit that had just been filed by two former North Metro Task Force members alleging they faced retaliation for speaking out about corruption that occurred in Operation Fortune Cookie, a massive indoo ... More >>

Sgt. Brian Kelly Wells: Fort Carson soldier makes long drive to get busted for Internet luring

Presumably, Sgt. Brian Kelly Wells thought it would be worth the commute.​If charges against him are true, Sgt. Brian Kelly Wells, who's stationed at Fort Carson, wanted to have sex with an underage girl so badly that he was willing to drive all the way from Colorado Springs to Adams County to ... More >>

The way the Adams County Coroner is running his office could be dead wrong

Monster Mash