Latest news with #ArapahoeCounty
CBS News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
119th annual Arapahoe County Fair kicks off this weekend in Colorado
The smell of kettle corn, the sound of rodeo fans cheering, and the sight of kids carrying giant stuffed animals can only mean one thing: the Arapahoe County Fair is back. Now in its 119th year, the Arapahoe County Fair has grown from a small agricultural gathering in the early 1900s to one of Colorado's most popular summertime traditions. Originally a showcase for local ranchers and farmers, the fair has expanded to feature everything from unlimited carnival rides and rodeo events to pig races and mutton bustin'. This year, organizers are introducing several new attractions, including a silent disco, axe throwing, BMX stunt shows, Polynesian fire dancers, and gel blasters. "This is something that provides an opportunity to bring the community together," said Michael Roy, Environmental Health Specialist with Arapahoe County Public Health. "People from all walks of life can come to the fair and find something they all have in common. Whether it's enjoying food, riding with family, or seeing the livestock. It really is something that can make us all better and closer as a community," Roy said. Public health inspectors will be on-site all weekend to ensure food safety. They are checking temperatures, safe handling practices, and proper refrigeration to prevent foodborne illnesses, which often spike during summer festivals. Attendees can also help by washing their hands after petting animals or riding attractions and avoiding pacifiers, bottles or toys that children might put in their mouths while on the fairgrounds. "We want to make sure that's how it stays, and nobody leaves this experience or this fair with a foodborne illness or anything like that. Or Anything that would really ruin their day out here in the County Fair," Roy said. The fair runs through Sunday. It opens Thursday at 4 p.m. and closes at midnight, then opens at 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday and closes at midnight. On Sunday, gates open at 11 a.m. and close at 10:30 p.m. General admission is $28, and children under 36 inches tall get in free.
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
Colorado families, community advocates rally for legislative change amid plans to dismiss kidnapping case
Frustrated community leaders, lawmakers and families voiced their concerns with state legislation and mental health resources in the wake of the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office's plans to dismiss charges against the man accused of attempting to kidnap a child on a school playground. "It still haunts me," said Charles Morales. Morales was among a crowd of people who showed out to Wednesday's press conference outside the Arapahoe County Justice Center. "I have a granddaughter who is still at Cherry Creek Schools, and I just don't want this to happen again," he said. His reasoning is also personal, because he says he saw 34-year-old Solomon Galligan just before the suspect allegedly walked onto the playground at Black Forest Hills Elementary last year. "I parked the car, watched him for a few minutes. He wasn't doing anything except walking up the sidewalk," said Morales. "To this day, I kick myself, because I turned around and I let him go." Like other people in the community, Morales wants to know why Galligan's charges will be dropped, despite a history of repeated violent offenses. "It was very frustrating at first, right?" said Dante White. "The initial kind of [feeling] was anger…and [I] thought that they dropped the ball here." White's son was one of the children who saw Galligan approach them on the playground that day. Now, White is having to explain to him that the same man will not remain behind bars. "He was confused, he said, 'Why is this person being let go? What exactly is occurring here to make this happen?'" said White. White met with the district attorney's office hours before the news conference. During his meeting, White says they explained to him that their hands are tied amid new legislation that requires a case to be dismissed if a person is found incompetent to stand trial. "The legislation has now codified this dangerous practice that allows violent offenders to have their charges dismissed and removed from the criminal justice system," said Lori Gimelshteyn, founder of the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network. White says this is a systemic issue that needs to be changed by working with lawmakers to re-examine the existing law or push for more mental health funding to prevent people like Galligan from slipping through the cracks. "How do we work together to make sure an incident like this doesn't happen in the future?" he said.
CBS News
21-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Baby raccoon rescued in Colorado from semi-truck engine compartment
A baby raccoon was awoken from its adorable slumber after being spotted in the engine compartment of a semi-truck in Colorado. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said on Monday that animal control officers were dispatched to the truck and found the sleeping baby Tuesday morning. "The baby raccoon was sleeping (these guys are nocturnal) and wasn't exactly happy about being woken up, but it eventually grabbed onto the catch pole and was pulled out safely and unharmed," the sheriff's office said in a statement. It was later returned to its natural habitat. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office took over animal control services from the county on June 21 and says it has since responded to over 100 calls for service regarding dogs, cats, rabbits, foxes, snakes, and raccoons. Raccoons are omnivores, so they eat plants, fruits, insects, and smaller mammals, and do most of their hunting, scavenging, and moving about at night, so they tend to sleep throughout the day. In more rural areas, that means hollowed out logs, trees, and other animals' dens, but in more urban and suburban areas, they can sleep in storm drains, abandoned buildings, vehicles, and other areas that offer protection from the sun and predators. Despite how cute they can be, raccoons can carry rabies, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment urges anyone who's themself or a pet has been bitten or scratched by a raccoon or any other wild mammal that carries rabies to thoroughly wash the area with soap and water and then visit a doctor or veterinarian, especially if not vaccinated for rabies. Raccoons can also carry distemper, which can't impact humans, but can get unvaccinated cats, dogs, and other pets sick and can often lead to their death. Colorado saw an outbreak among raccoons last fall and winter. And while they do offer some risk, they're typically skittish and help control other pests by eating rats and insects, even if they occasionally knock a garbage can over. People are urged to contain and secure their trash and not leave food products out or in cars or garages overnight. Wildlife officials advise contacting local animal control or a professional to remove a nuisance raccoon, but property owners or people with permission from a property owner can relocate a raccoon themselves, so long as it's relocated within two miles of the location it was found and Colorado Parks and Wildlife is notified in advance.
CBS News
19-07-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Commuting through one part of the Denver metro area near I-25 just got easier
After more than a year of construction, drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians commuting through a busy part of Arapahoe County near Interstate 25 are seeing some relief. Two recently completed infrastructure projects, totaling nearly $12 million, are part of a broader effort to improve the area around the I-25 and Dry Creek Road interchange and Inverness Drive. County officials say the improvements are designed to address growing traffic congestion and improve safety as the corridor sees more development and travel in the years ahead. Paul Laboda, who lives near the interchange, said navigating the area had long been difficult. "It just looked like it was too tight an area for the amount of cars going through it," he said. To alleviate traffic, crews extended the right lane on Dry Creek Road to Inverness Drive East and added a new right-turn lane at Inverness Drive West. "It makes it easier for us to pull into this area where we live, because we're not competing with traffic coming across all the time," Laboda said. Arapahoe County Commissioner Jessica Campbell said community feedback highlighted a growing desire for more transportation options beyond cars. "They want to bike, they want to walk, (use) e-bikes, little scooters," she said. "It's not just all about cars anymore." To support that, the second project added six-foot-wide bike lanes along Inverness Drive West and installed three roundabouts to slow traffic and improve safety. David Worley, president and CEO of Denver South -- a group focused on transportation along the I-25 South corridor -- called the improvements "a great project." "It provides dedicated bike lanes, which increases rider safety," he said. "The future is really about the first and last mile for riders. Getting from a light rail station to your office or to your home is the big challenge, and this really helps with that." Laboda said he's already noticed the difference. "I like the improvements. The roundabouts -- they slow people down a little bit," he said. Both projects are part of ongoing efforts to enhance mobility in and around the Denver metro area.
Daily Mail
19-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Dentist charged with poisoning wife went through 'drastic' life change months before murder, trial hears
The Colorado dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife was told he'd need to take a 'drastic' pay cut in the months before her murder, jurors heard on Friday. Dr Ryan Redfearn, a dental school friend of defendant James Craig, told the court how in 2022 he'd invited the father of six to join Fit to Smile, the umbrella dental services group Redfearn runs with his brother. Craig would have the opportunity to become a partner while the operation 'would provide management services to run his practice,' Redfearn testified at Arapahoe County District Court. After making the invitation, Redfearn testified that he learned Craig had in recent years declared bankruptcy, blaming it on coronavirus troubles. The arrangement with Fit to Smile meant the operation would pay $18,000 a month to service Craig's debts, Redfearn told the court. By January 2023, however, Redfearn testified that the partnership was 'not going well.' After a Monday night meeting with other partners, Redfearn drove to Craig's house, told him he'd need to cancel upcoming trips, work more days and reduce his salary from a 35 per cent to 28 per cent cut. During the conversation, in admissions that 'came out of nowhere,' Redfearn said Craig broke down and told him 'that his marriage was in a bad place. 'He didn't elaborate, and I didn't feel the need to ask; it was more of just, things weren't good between him and Angie,' Redfearn testified. 'He cried.' Redfearn added that Craig's practice had numerous problems, including 'excessive spending.' Craig took the pay cut portion of the conversation better than he expected, Redfearn testified. Two months later, however, Angela fell ill. Redfearn was pulling into the hospital complex on March 15, the day she was declared brain dead, when he was told by employees that Craig had received a delivery of potassium cyanide to the office earlier that week. Testifying that he was 'shocked,' Redfearn told jurors he joined Craig in the ICU waiting room and looked up symptoms of potassium cyanide poisoning on his phone. He pulled aside a nurse at the hospital to share his concerns, Redfearn testified. 'I even think I said to him ... "I'm not accusing anyone of anything, I don't know what's going on here, but I just received some information that she might have been poisoned,"' Redfearn told the court. Craig was arrested the day after his wife's March 18, 2023 death. Family friend and business associate Dr Ryan Redfearn testified on Friday that Craig's practice had multiple problems, including 'excessive spending' - with the dentist told to cancel trips and work more days He said he didn't know at the time 'if there was any way to save her' or if a 'reversal agent' existed but he knew that 'time was of the essence, probably.' Redfearn was later brought to speak to a forensic nurse, he said, and after that left the hospital with his wife - but told Angela's brother and the family's bishop, who'd also been in the waiting room, about his concerns. He 'felt it was important to tell somebody, and we went to our car,' Redfearn testified. That's when Craig called. 'He said that he'd heard some disturbing news about me talking to somebody at the hospital, and I acknowledged that I had talked to a nurse,' Redfearn testified. Redfearn then confronted Craig about the package delivery, he said. 'I said, "Jim, what was in the package?" And he ... kind of blew it off, [like] it's not that big of a deal,' Redfearn testified. Upon further pressing, Redfearn told the court, Craig 'said it was a ring for Angie to surprise her. "And I said, "It wasn't a ring, Jim" - and he said, "Well, it wasn't opened." And I said, "It was." 'And I said, "Why do you need potassium cyanide?" 'His first response was: "Ryan, what have you done?" Redfearn said. 'He said that a couple of times, and I continued to ask him: "Why do you need potassium cyanide? That is not something that we need in dentistry or that we practice with."' Craig told him 'it was a game of chicken with Angie.' 'What do you mean by that?' Redfearn testified he asked Craig. 'And he said that she was suicidal and he bought it for her because she couldn't buy it herself, that you needed special credentials.' The following day, Redfearn testified, Craig sent a 'pretty lengthy text.' Redfearn told the court he 'basically didn't want me to talk to anybody about what we talked about' and requested that Redfearn ask other employees not to speak with investigators, either. Angela had been declared brain dead on March 15, the day Redfearn alerted nurses. She was taken off life support on March 18, and Craig was arrested the following day. The trial continues on Monday.
