Week of February 23, 2023
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
HighlandsRanchHerald.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 22
VOLUME 36 | ISSUE 12
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 from 22,000 in 2019 to 45,000 last year, according to Colorado’s database of reported crimes. The state has become known for the problem: Colorado led the nation in 2021 with the highest overall vehicle theft rate at 661 thefts per 100,000 people, according to the SEE THEFT, P2
SNAP aid falls to pre-pandemic monthly totals Dropping $90 per month BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Postcards sent to Dougco residents by mail about Commissioner Lora Thomas.
tions of Thomas. Another part of the newer mailing criticizes other matters involving Thomas, citing older news articles. An earlier postcard reads “You’re being scrooged by Lora Thomas” and asks voters to support state Sen. Kevin Van Winkle to replace Thomas. Thomas is term limited and can’t run for her commissioner seat again.
Those who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits will see a reduction in monthly totals after February as emergency allotments are slated to end. Part of a federal nutrition program, SNAP helps low-income households in Colorado purchase food by providing monthly benefits based on income, resources and the number of individuals in the household. In March 2020, in an effort to ease the financial impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on households, Congress approved temporary benefit amounts known as Emergency Allotments. At the end of February, SNAP benefits will not disappear but benefit amounts will go down to pre-pandemic levels. According to the Colorado Department of Human Services, the last emergency allotment benefit was delivered this month. According to a report released by the Colorado Department of Human Services, the SNAP program case load for Douglas County for 2022 was 3,549, with a client count of 6,998. This includes non-public assistance and public assistance. Many people don’t feel Douglas
SEE POSTCARDS, P4
SEE DECREASE, P10
COURTESY OF LORA THOMAS
Another round of Thomas postcards sent Sender remains unknown BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The mailings from an unknown source criticizing Douglas County Commissioner Lora Thomas continue, according to images Thomas provided Colorado Community Media in mid-February. The postcard calls out what it says
is “conduct unbecoming (of ) an elected official.” Starting in December, an unknown number of Douglas County residents received postcards that accused Thomas of wasting taxpayers’ time and money. One part of the newer mailing references a news story about Thomas threatening to take legal action unless the county agrees to pay for her legal bills stemming from an ongoing dispute that involved investiga-