Latest news with #DouglasCounty
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
One injured, lane closed in I-57 rollover crash in Douglas Co.
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — Illinois State Police is currently on scene at a rollover crash on Interstate 57 just north of Tuscola. At approximately 3:50 p.m., State Police Troop 7 responded to I-57 southbound milepost 213 in Douglas County for the report of a single unit rollover traffic crash with injuries. At this time, the minor injuries sustained are unknown. One airlifted in I-57 rollover crash in Shelby Co. At 4:24 p.m., State Police said Troop 7, as well as local EMS and police were on scene. At the location of the crash, the right lane is currently closed, and traffic is moving slowly through the area in the left lane. State Police is asking drivers to slow down and be aware of slow or stopped vehicles in the area of the crash. An update will be provided by State Police when the crash scene is cleared. There is no further information at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Special district oversight legislation fails, but Colorado advocates still hope for metro district reform
A bill that some hoped would create more oversight for Colorado special districts has failed, but its supporters aren't done. CBS Colorado's reporter in Douglas County, Olivia Young, has been covering the Meadows Metro Districts for months, and calls by some Coloradans for reform of the quasi-governmental structures. In March, she covered HB 25-1079, a bill that would put special district board members and their direct hires under the authority of the state's Independent Ethics Commission. But the bill was laid over in a Senate committee to a date after the session, effectively killing it. CBS The bill would have created an avenue for ethics complaints to be filed against special district board members like school districts or metro districts. This is the third year in a row the legislation has been introduced, and the third year in a row it has failed. "I'm not at all discouraged by what happened in the legislature," said John Henderson with Coloradans for Metro District Reform. "Every time folks talk about move forward another foot." Henderson has spent years advocating for oversight in Colorado's nearly 2,500 metro districts. "It's just the same old story, right? People with power who can taking much more than they should," Henderson said. He felt this bill would be a good first step, by expanding the jurisdiction of the Independent Ethics Commission to include special districts. "In metro districts, there are no ethics because there's no way to enforce them," Henderson said. The lawmaker behind the bill agrees. "I think the people of Colorado are asking for this. They're looking for a tool in order to identify these financial ethics issues and help get resolution," said Democratic state Rep. Tammy Story of Evergreen, "there are members of school communities, constituents and students and families and even educators that are very invested in the public school system, who will not have their needs met because there are some people out there who are taking advantage of the system, especially in a financial way that is not appropriate, and this would have given them a tool in order to address those situations, as well as people in special districts." Story says the bill would have cost almost $140,000, and was budgeted for after passing the House Appropriations Committee and moving to the Senate. But the bill died in the Senate Appropriations Committee. "We were anticipating that it would move out, but there was a member with a philosophical concern about the bill," Story said. Democratic state Sen. Jeff Bridges told CBS Colorado: "The measure faced significant opposition in the Senate, largely because of how it roped in public school officials. We've seen examples across the country of bills like this one leading to the harassment and abuse of folks just doing their best to create great schools for our kids. School boards and school employees across the state brought forward serious concerns about the policy, and I stood with them in support of amendments to address those concerns. Amendments that, as I understand it, bill sponsors declined." Story says frivolous complaints are dismissed and not made public, and that no amendments were declined. The Special District Association of Colorado also opposed the bill. CEO Ann Terry said, "SDA opposed HB25-1079 primarily due to the lack of statewide education regarding the State Ethics Commission's jurisdiction and insufficient resources to support additional staffing and enforcement. We're eager to collaborate with the bill sponsor to thoughtfully revise the policy goals to promote accountability without fostering unrealistic expectations that the Commission can address issues beyond its authority. It's crucial that any future efforts are based on clarity, capacity, and respect for the structure of local government, and that they are adequately funded by the general fund to ensure education and staffing are provided." "It's going to take a significant voter demand for accountability before the legislature really does something," Henderson said. But Henderson and Story aren't giving up on the bill. "When you're 71 years old, you realize that change doesn't happen overnight," Henderson said. "The folks who are willing to represent the people have a higher cause and will be successful. We will be successful." "There's another year coming, and we will keep working on this until we get this bill through," Story said. Story says she does plan to introduce this legislation again next session in Denver.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Home rule town hall leaves a Colorado community frustrated
Residents in Douglas County are learning more about what a home rule charter could mean for them. Back in March, Douglas County Board of County Commissioners took the first step to become a home rule charter. There are still a number of steps, including two elections. In June, voters will decide if they want home rule and would pick people for a charter commission. If that moves forward, voters will decide in November whether to approve the charter. If it's implemented, Douglas County would become the fifth home rule county in the state. Weld, Broomfield, Denver and Pitkin counties are also home rule. CBS Tuesday night, Douglas County held a town hall for the community to share more about the home rule charter process and answer questions. It was a long-awaited night, as many community members had questions about the process. But the short meeting ended with tension, and many residents left with more questions than answers. As county commissioners attempted to end the hour-long town hall, they were met with shouts of protest and boos. "Why the rush?" one community member called out. "You really like to hear yourself talk. What about the community?" another shouted to Commissioner George Teal. "Why don't you extend the meeting?" a resident asked. "We do expect order in this room. I will ask the sheriff's office to get involved," Commissioner Abe Laydon responded. "Take us to jail!" one woman shouted. The high tensions came after nearly 9,000 people tuned in online and in person to the town hall, expecting the opportunity to ask questions about home rule, but only about six questions were taken. "I'm disgusted, very disgusted. The lack of respect for the voters of Douglas County is just incredible," said state Congressman Bob Marshall (D-Highlands Ranch). "The meeting was too short," said Mark Custer, a Highlands Ranch resident. "They only answered a few questions." County leaders broke down the nine-step process of developing a home rule charter, which they say would allow the county to write its own rules and free it from strict state laws governing immigration, taxes and collective bargaining. "I am in favor of home rule because I don't like what's happening at the statehouse in Denver. I feel like the Democrats are pushing whatever they want," said Janet Zoetewey, a Castle Rock resident. "Even though there's a majority of Republicans in Douglas County, I feel like our voice is being taken away more and more and more, and it doesn't matter. To me, home rule gives us a chance to have a little more of a voice, a little more autonomy in our county." But critics say that isn't a guarantee. "If they get in a fight with the state, they will lose," Marshall said. "But they intend to get into perpetual litigation with the state, and they're going to spend millions of dollars and lose all these. But they'll be able to take care of their special interest supporters. Home rule could be a good thing, could be a bad thing, but the way they're doing it is very, very bad. It's secretive." Less than a month ahead of the special election where voters will say yes or no to home rule, many are leaving the town hall with strong opinions on the county's future. "I like the idea of home rule 'cause I'm in favor of it because of the crazies in the legislature," Custer said. "We need to have more control. This will give us tools to fight against the crazies in the state." "I like what's happening in Douglas County and what's been here," Zoetewey said. "I don't want to see Denver chipping away by making us build high-rise apartments or low-income housing to get more people, probably more Democrats, into our county." "I'm the mom of nine kids. You know what I don't have time for? Fighting this nonsense," said Kelly Mayr, a Highlands Ranch resident. "Other elections, if we're not successful, two years later or four years later, we get another opportunity. We don't get another opportunity to do this. This is permanent. This could take decades to undo the harm that could be caused." Those who still have questions can find more information on the Douglas County Home Rule page. At the bottom, there is a form where residents can submit feedback on home rule. In the special election, voters will be asked if they support home rule. Then, they will be asked to vote for members of the 21-person charter commission who will draft the charter. Candidates for the charter commission: District 1: Matthew M. Lunn David Weaver Mary H. Lynch Emily Roth Suyat Jack Hilbert Jason Hamel Darren Weekly October Ann Levy Jack Gilmartin Toby Damisch Laura Hefta Irene Bonham Julie Gooden Bart Dorscheid District 2: Jennifer E. Green Kevin Leung Jae Mundt Charles O'Reilly Julien Bouquet Barrett Rothe Juli Watkins Max Brooks Tom J. Wiens Tim Dietz Douglas John Gilbert Dave Gill District 3: Robin Webb Lora Thomas Michael Lees Priscilla Rahn Bob Marshall Sudee Floyd Frank McNulty Alicia Jean Vagts Monica A. Wasden Matthew Burcham Ted Harvey Susan Meek Lee Hudson Frame Daniel Brown Gordon B. "Spud" Van De Water SuJeanne Foster At-large: Steve Johnson Kevin Van Winkle Abe Laydon Angela Thomas George Teal Mindy Bandimere-Jordan Steven Arthur Boand Ballots for the special election will be mailed in early June. The special election is June 24. If voters say yes, the commission will craft a charter, and that charter will be voted on by residents in the November general election. If successful, the charter will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.
CBS News
5 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Colorado city reveals new transportation option that's free
Now there's a new way to get around one Colorado city that is free. Link On Demand has hit the streets of Highlands Ranch as a new transportation option. Link On Demand CBS It's an extension of a program already in place in Lone Tree. The Link On Demand service will help everyone from youths to seniors by giving them the option to get around using the free rideshare service. Link On Demand works like other popular rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, except you can ride for free within the city limits of Lone Tree and Highlands Ranch. There are wheelchair accessible vehicles available on request. Link On Demand CBS The vehicles have room for five passengers, which makes it easier for families to get to where they need to go, for free. "What's impactful is hearing that for some riders, it's not just a casual ride to a store or to a CVS. It could be a life-threatening issue where they really do have a significant medical issue, and if they don't get a ride, they are not going to make it," said Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon. The Link On Demand rideshare service has expanded to include Lone Tree and Highlands Ranch. CBS Riders can schedule times for Link On Demand Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Fridays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Link On Demand does not operate on Sundays.
CBS News
25-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Large hail in Colorado causes law enforcement response for burglar alarm
One Colorado sheriff's office got a surprise Saturday when large hail set off a burglar alarm. Deputy Brill with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office responded to what they thought was a break-in off of Wolfensberger tonight. When Brill arrived, they discovered the hail had set off the alarm. Douglas County Sheriff's Office Douglas County Sheriff's Office In a post on X, the department warned residents to take the threat of hail seriously. "Colorado weather is no joke. When the National Weather Service says 'large hail,' they mean it! Take those warnings seriously-this stuff can do real damage." They assured the public that they will always respond to alarms, "even if it's just Mother Nature doing her thing."
