WEEK OF JUNE 22, 2023
VOLUME 121 | ISSUE 32
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Judge rules Leave deer alone in fawning season, wildlife officials say against school
board members
Some people see normal situation and mistake it for abandonment
BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A Douglas County judge ruled four school board members violated Colorado Open Meetings Law when they had a series of one-on-one conversations about terminating former Superintendent Corey Wise. While Douglas County District Court Judge Jeffrey Holmes ruled against the majority of school board members for a second time, he still declined to issue a permanent injunction. In a ruling issued June 16, Holmes reaffirmed that Douglas County Board President Mike Peterson and board members Christy Williams, Becky Myers, and Kaylee Winegar broke open meetings law by discussing firing Wise in non-public conversations last year. Rep. Bob Marshall, D-Highlands Ranch, filed a lawsuit against the district in February 2022, with his attorney, Steve Zansberg, arguing that firing a superintendent is a public business subject to open meetings law. In a statement, Marshall said he is glad Holmes reconfirmed his prior ruling, however, he still issued an ultimatum. “I call upon the board, and the individual directors to announce, publicly, that they will comply, or
BY SHEA VANCE SVANCE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As the weather warms, locals and tourists alike flock to Colorado’s state parks, some hoping to catch a glimpse of the abundance of wildlife. At the same time, fawning season — the time between May and June during which female deer give birth — is currently in full swing. Although it is a beautiful time of year to observe fawns and other wildlife at a distance, recent human interference with babies in the south metro area, more so than in years past, is posing a serious threat to the young animal families. When a doe gives birth to — or drops — her fawn, she leaves the newborn alone for a few days to collect food. The mother knows the fawn does not yet have a scent, protecting it from predators for a short period in its infancy. According to Kara Van Hoose, public information officer for the northeast branch of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, some people see these fawns alone and attempt to help them by moving them, a critical error that has irreversible consequences for the young deer. “The fawns are by themselves for up to two days at a time, and people see these fawns by themselves in the wild and think they’re abandoned or orphaned, and will try to move the fawns themselves, or feed them,” Van Hoose said. “They have really SEE FAWNING, P7
SEE VERDICT, P9
Baby deer are left alone for about two days after being born while the mother collects COURTESY OF COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE food.
VOICES: 14 | LIFE: 16 | CALENDAR: 19 | SPORTS: 21
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