Commerce City Sentinel Express 092222 by Colorado Community Media

SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E

VOLUME 34 32

C I T Y

50cI

38 ISSUE SSUE 48

EEK OF SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 2022 TW UESDAY ,N OVEMBER 24,

New COVID-19 restrictions will prohibit indoor dining, personal gatherings

COVID not top voter concern

ADAMS CITY EAGLES CELEBRATE HOMECOMING

Housing affordability, economy, homelessness rank high in poll BY AMANDA HORVATH ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Adams City’s cheerleading squad walks down the homecoming parade route Sept. 17. See more photos on Page 5.

PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH

Adams 14 accreditation restored by Board of Education Education commissioner Kathy Anthes recommended restoration. District officials told the board they were having trouble hiring international bilingual teachers because of confusion over what the loss of A long line of STAFF carsREPORT outside the city of Brighton’s rapid means. testing site at accreditation Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had“Many to closepeople early many in what recent don’tdays know The state board of education accreditation means, and likeweeks due to high demand. Adams County’s 14-day test positivity rate had some good news for the Adwise they don’tHealth knowDepartment. what the was 15.9 percent, as of Nov. 17, according to Tri-County ams 14 School District Sept. 14. loss of accreditation means,” Brighton and the Commerce City’s rates were both higher than It restored district’s ac- test positivity Anthes said in a statement. “The 13 percent. Forty-five people in Brighton and 29 in Commerce City have creditation during the board’s district and the local board have meeting in Colorado Springs. died from COVID-19 related health issues. To limit spread of COVID-19, a long roadthe ahead to successfully The vote 6-1, according to a restrictions at least 15 was counties moved to tighter that prohibits indoor and implement their improvement district release. personalpress gatherings. plan. As they work with their The board made its decision partial manager and their comafter hearing the district was munity to consider reorganizafacing increasing challenges betion or other creative solutions, cause of confusion over what the I do not want Photo Belen Ward anyby unintended loss of accreditation met, accord- consequences from the loss of ing to a statement. accreditation to make that road

State board cites confusion and other challenges for district

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any bumpier than it needs to be.” Education Commissioner Katy Anthes recommended the board restore the district’s accreditation after hearing about the challenges the loss of accreditation appeared to be creating for By Ellis Arnold the district. The district reported Colorado Community Media difficulty hiring international bilingual teachers because of to As Denver metro counties continue confusion over what loss of acinch closer to local stay-at-home orders creditation means. under Colorado’s system of coronavirusBoard chairwoman Angelika related restrictions, the state announced Schroeder said that removing a new level of rules that prohibits to indoor accreditation was intended dining and personal gatherings — highlight the board’s seriousa change thatabout appliesthe to the majority of the concerns district’s Denver metro area and many counties capacity to build sustainable im-in other regions. in student outcomes. provements “ItThe was never the board’s state’s COVID-19 dial, which has intention to since make the district’s been in effect September, is the set of different levels of restrictions that each SEE RESTORED, P4

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LOCAL LOCAL BUSINESS •27J Schools movesin fentanyl • Vestas to lay off 200 • No arrests online-only Dec. 1 deaths employees

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In the last two years, COVID-19 has dropped from a top concern for Colorado voters to low on the list. Now at the top of that list ahead of the November election are issues like affordable housing and civil rights issues. The ACLU of Colorado commissioned a poll of 1,223 likely voters in Colorado last month through the African American Research Collaborative (AARC). Ninety-five percent of the poll’s respondents were already registered voters in the state. The poll found 80% of Coloradans consider housing affordability as either a major issue or a crisis. Also among top concerns were the economy and homelessness. “There is a flavor of concern of the infl and economy county is ation required to follow based that on the is directly tied tolocal civilvirus rights,” severity of a county’s spread. saiddial Isaiah Bailey, a research The grew out of the state’s safer-atfellow with the AARC. He said home order — the policy that came afterit was encouraging that voters the statewide stay-at-home order thisare understanding the connection of spring and allowed numerous types of those ideas. businesses to reopen. Top issues found as concerns The state switched to color for voters.recently Provided by African identifiers — levels blue, yellow and American Research Collaboraorange rather than numbered levels — to tive. avoid confusion. UntilinNov. levelwas red Also, reflected the17, poll the agency votersorder. feel they have meant a stay-at-home Now, level in the democratic process when red — “severe risk” — is the secondit comes to ballot issues. On a scale from 1 to 10 — 10 meaning Please see RESTRICTIONS, Page 2 SEE VOTER, P9