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Week of October 27, 2022
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
LittletonIndependent.net
VOLUME 134 | ISSUE 14
County clerks report death threats amid election fraud claims Still fighting uproar after 2 years BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
For the clerks and other people trusted to oversee elections in Colorado, these are tense times. Some face hostility, even violent
threats, a trend that continues in Colorado two years after the 2020 election, when former President Trump and his supporters alleged widespread voter fraud. Those claims, which fueled the Jan. 6 insurrection, remain unfounded. Yet in Arapahoe County, Joan Lopez, the clerk and recorder in charge of elections, says an atmosphere of intimidation lingers. She tells Colorado Community Media
she has received a threatening, handwritten letter with profanity and referring to her race. The letter writer also claimed to know where she lives. “You get concerned for your family and yourself,” said Lopez, a Democrat. She said law enforcement officials are investigating the case. The FBI says election officials across the country have reason to
La Rola makes its home in Littleton Mother-daughter-sister team serves Colombian cuisine with a side of cordiality
be fearful and says agents are committed to finding and bringing to justice those who would jeopardize the stability of free and fair elections. Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, says election officials around the state are worried. “Everybody’s bracing depending SEE THREATS, P20
Domestic violence affects 30% of Colorado residents Abuse include physical, sexual, emotional
BY RACHEL LORENZ SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
After time in a food truck, a Denver food hall and two cloud kitchens, the owners of La Rola Colombian Kitchen are pleased that their move to Littleton lets them focus a little more on customer experience. The new counter-service restaurant opened between Piccino Wood Oven Pizza and The Lost Cajun in the Shops at Riverbend commercial center on Sept. 21. While La Rola still offers fan favorites like empanadas, arroz con pollo and Colombian-style hot dogs, it has also expanded its menu to include Bandeja Paisa, a feast-of-a-dish that the staff just didn’t have space to prepare before. But more than elbow room, La Rola’s owners now have agency over the environment in which their cuisine is served and how they connect with guests. SEE LA ROLA, P2
BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
La Rola Colombian Kitchen opened its first brick-and-mortar location Sept. 21 in PHOTO COURTESY OF LA ROLA COLOMBIAN KITCHEN Littleton.
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 26
Throughout the month of October, more discussion and attention is given to a national, year-round issue — domestic violence, which affects more than 30% of Colorado residents at some point in their life. Domestic violence can range from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse to psychological abuse, according to Arapahoe County’s website. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, an estimated 36.8% of Colorado women and 30.5% of Colorado men experience intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner sexual violence and/or intimate partner stalking in their lives. SEE ABUSE, P15
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