Serving Lakewood, Wheat Ridge and beyond
WEEK OF JULY 3, 2025
VOLUME 41 | ISSUE 48
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Commissioners approve Wildland Fire Management Program funding Jefferson County to invest about $7 million in fire mitigation, creating 37 new jobs BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
According to the arrest affidavit filed against Geer, at 4:38 p.m. Nov. 6, Golden police officers responded to eastbound Highway 58 just east of Washington Avenue. They were investigating a crash between a Toyota Tacoma and a Subaru Crosstrek. Amid slick and snowy conditions, the Toyota had reportedly lost control while the Subaru was trying to pass, hitting it. Both vehicles were disabled near the median. All involved vehicles were on the far-left side of Highway 58, according to the affidavit, with a Golden Police vehicle positioned behind the other two. All other traffic was moving to the right, away from the original crash scene.
Three years after the Marshall Fire, the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners is taking a proactive approach to fire mitigation, approving funding for a new Wildland Fire Management Program that will create 37 jobs in the field of wildfire prevention. A $7 million budget request from Sheriff Reggie Marinelli was approved at the June 24 Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners meeting, which was prompted by the passage of Ballot Measure 1A, which allows Jeffco to retain revenue collected to help fund public safety measures. The funds will go toward creating a fully staffed wildland fire engine with two eight-person crews, hiring planning and analytics staff, and building out community engagement and risk assessment programs to help Jeffco residents avoid fire risks. The program will also include a grant program that helps residents pay for fire mitigation infrastructure in and around their homes. “During the fire season, we’re going to have seven-day coverage and staffing for the county, which is something we’ve never had before,” Brian Keating, the Wildland Fire Program manager, said. “We’re going to have a community engagement component to this program, and within there, we’re going to be establishing a county-wide home assessment program. “So, we’ll work with homeowners, and we’ll send folks out to look at their property, and we’ll provide them with recommendations on what they can do, both in terms of defensible space and home hardening to mitigate the risk of wildfire impacting them,” Keating continued.
SEE GEER PLEA, P4
SEE MANAGEMENT, P6
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On May 2, Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard members fold a Colorado flag to present to the families of Golden Police Officer Evan Dunn and Denver Police Officer Dale Coski, both of whom died in 2024. Dunn and Coski’s names, along with four others, were added to the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial at Camp George West. PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
WESTMINSTER
Geer plea in deadly crash expected August 4 Mines confirms Geer no longer employed at the university BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CORINNE@COTLN.ORG
The Wheat Ridge man charged with killing Golden Police Officer Evan Dunn in a Nov. 6 crash is set to enter a plea on Aug. 4. Stephen Geer, 43, has been charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault after he reportedly drove into the scene of a traffic accident along Highway 58, striking four people. Dunn, 33, died at the scene. GPD Officer Bethany Grusing was transported to the hospital with serious injuries, but city officials confirmed she has returned to work and has been recovering in the months since the incident. Two civilians were also injured, according to police reports. Geer appeared in person at a June 23 hearing, as he’s been out of custody on a $250,000 cash/surety bond since November. He was listed on the Mines website as a teaching assistant professor in mechanical engineering at the time of the incident. This was still the case as of his most recent court appearance in mid-May.
MINSTER
However, by June 23, Mines spokesperson Erich Kirshner confirmed Geer was no longer employed at the university. Geer is no longer listed on the Mechanical Engineering Department’s faculty and staff page, as he had been during the 202425 academic year, but he is still listed in the Directory of the School. Kirshner said Mines was still updating its website for the 2025-26 academic year. Since waiving his right to a preliminary hearing in March, Geer has been scheduled for arraignment twice, which is when he would enter a plea. However, both times, his arraignment was continued — once from April 28 and now from June 23. On April 28, the prosecutor and defense attorney asked the judge for more time to negotiate. On June 23, based on their comments to Judge Russell Klein, both sides wanted to ensure there was plenty of time to consult the victims in the case. They asked Klein to reschedule Geer’s arraignment for July or August, preferably in the late afternoon to ensure interested parties could attend the hearing.
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VOICES: 10 | LIFE: 12 | CALENDAR: 15
“The court is very aware of the nature of this case and its complexity,” the prosecutor said. Klein granted it and rescheduled Geer’s arraignment for 3:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at the Jefferson County Courthouse. The Nov. 6 incident
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