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Week of February 23, 2023
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
EnglewoodHerald.net
VOLUME 103 | ISSUE 2
Lawmakers look to stiffen penalty for auto theft Sheriffs support it, others do not BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Imagine walking out of your home or work or the store, and your car isn’t where you left it. Panicked, you
call the police to report a theft. That’s the scenario thousands of Coloradans have likely endured in recent years as motor vehicle thefts have become a notoriously common crime in the state. State lawmakers want to change that, putting forth a bill with support from Republicans and Democrats that would tighten the penalty for auto theft. Local law enforcement
leaders, too, are on board. “Stolen vehicles in the state of Colorado is the nexus for many crimes in our communities,” said Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly. “Many people who are intent on committing crimes, be it burglaries, robberies, homicide, or breaking into other vehicles to get valuables from those vehicles or sell those vehicles on the black market
or to fuel a drug habit, they often do that in a stolen vehicle.” Colorado’s number of attempted and completed auto thefts stayed relatively consistent from 2008 to 2014 but started rising in the next few years. After flattening again, the number boomed amid the coronavirus pandemic, more than doubling SEE AUTO THEFTS, P10
Vitamins not always helpful in preventing heart disease A healthy diet is better BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
nice, coordinated effort. Honestly, I was impressed at how smoothly it went.” This move signaled the transition to a new emergency department at Swedish Medical Center, where a massive construction project is creating more space and capabilities for medical providers to better serve their patients.
Vitamins and supplements are not the best way to lower your risk of heart disease, instead Cardiologist Dr. Jeff Park says eating in moderation and nutritious foods is the most beneficial. According to Park, of Aurora Denver Cardiology Associates at The Medical Center of Aurora, aIS vitamins can help the body but they can also be harmful as there are also toxicities. “If vitamins were universally acceptable to improve heart health, then I believe that there would be a strong push for the FDA to approve these and say, everyone with heart disease should be on these vitamins, these supplements,” said Park. “But there’s never going to be that push.” The risk of heart disease is not strictly determined by the food one consumes. Rick factors also include environment and genetics.
SEE SWEDISH, P2
SEE HEALTH, P15
Desk at the front of the new emergency department entrance at Swedish Medical Center.
COURTESY OF DON EASTBURN
Swedish Medical Center expands services, size More space, patient services BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
During the very early morning hours of Feb. 16, the emergency department at Swedish Medical Center had more staff members
bustling around than usual. But it had nothing to do with a High number of patients. As doctors and nurses tended to illnesses and injuries, support staff moved non-essential equipment from the emergency department to another area of the hospital. “Right at five o’clock, we took essential equipment over,” said Dr. Nick Tsipis, medical director of the emergency room. “It was a really
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 28
CLOCKING CONNECTIONS Speed dating as an alternative to swiping P16