WEEK OF JANUARY 30, 2025
VOLUME 129 | ISSUE 48
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Locals among riot cases pardoned by Trump BY ELLIS ARNOLD AND JANE REUTER EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Rodeo royalty from around the state joined in supporting the 119th National Western Stock Show.
tional event,” Esposito added. “Stock Show attracts attendees, competitors, and exhibitors from all over the U.S. and the world. It is an opportunity for the girls to grow, gain skills and build connections in the industry while getting their rodeo in the eyes of people who may not have otherwise known.” Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo Vice President Lea Anne Russell and other Stampede representatives also attended, promoting the Elizabeth
Within hours after his second inauguration, President Donald Trump moved to pardon or drop the cases of people charged in relation to the riot at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and Jefferson County and Douglas County men are among them. Patrick Montgomery, 52, of the Roxborough area, had been sentenced to prison after he pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement during the breach of the Capitol, a news release from the federal Department of Justice said. A Kittredge man, Jeffrey Sabol, had been sentenced to prison on three felonies for offenses tied to the Capitol breach. Matthew Melsen had been arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges amid the breach of the Capitol, a news release from the federal Department of Justice said. Melsen is described as a Wheat Ridge resident in the release. The riot disrupted a joint session of Congress that convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election. Trump’s action, dated Jan. 20 this year, marked a broad reversal in the government’s approach to the Capitol riot. In all, Trump pardoned, commuted the prison sentences of or vowed to dismiss the cases of a vast number of people charged with crimes in the Capitol riot, including people convicted of assaulting police officers, the Associated Press reported. In the years since the incident, more than 1,500 people had been charged in nearly all 50 states related to the breach of the Capitol, an October 2024 Justice Department news release said. Here’s a look at the cases with local ties.
SEE STOCK SHOW, P6
SEE PARDONED, P8
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEA ANNE RUSSELL
Stampede royalty joins Stock Show Kallie Russell, Georgia Swanson do their part for Western lifestyle BY NICKY QUINBY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Elizabeth Stampede’s 2025 royalty, Queen Kallie Russell and Attendant Georgia Swanson, were part of the Jan. 9 parade to kick off the 119th National Western Stock Show. They remained involved in the
signature Denver gathering for most of the remaining days, despite bitter snow and freezing temperatures, otherwise known as Stock Show weather. Russell and Swanson have also joined guests square dancing, in the Kids Corral and in horse trail classes. Cassidy Esposito, the 2017 Elizabeth Stampede attendant and the 2018 queen, is the NWSS Digital Marketing Coordinator and volunteers with the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo. “It’s important for rodeo queens to represent at the Stock
Show because, with the exception of our volunteers, they are some of the only people who interact directly with our visitors. They are knowledgeable, kind, and truly represent the future of our industry,” Esposito said. “Having the Elizabeth Stampede represented at one of the biggest rodeo/stock show of the year is a huge testament to how the rodeo community supports each other and gives the girls the opportunity to represent not only themselves but the entire Stampede at an interna-
VOICES: 10 | LIFE: 14 | SPORTS: 16 | CALENDAR: 17 | PUZZLES: 19
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