WEEK OF JULY 20, 2023
VOLUME 78 | ISSUE 39
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Northglenn mulls censure of two councilors Walker, Long facing calls for resignation after Pride walkout BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
appear soon. Last year, Colorado reported 206 total cases and 20 deaths in 2022. Of those, Adams County had 23 cases and 5 deaths, said Adams County Environmental Health Division Director Brian Hlavacek. “We expect we will see some cases [this year],” Hlavacek said. “But we can’t predict the numbers.” Jaura expects mosquito activity to rise towards the end of July into August. She said the time to take preventative measures is now. There are countless ways to prevent mosquito populations from growing and spreading the virus, despite the rain this summer. “Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water and require water to complete their life cycle,” Jaura said. “Due to the abundance of rain in Colorado, mosquito populations are flourishing.”
After an emotional and intense city council meeting on July 10, Northglenn councilors will vote on a resolution to censure City Councilors Nicholas Walker and Tim Long. The move comes after Northglenn’s Diversity, Inclusivity, and Social Equity Board member Christina Cimino called for the action. “On behalf of the Northglenn DISE Board, our LGBTQIS+ community and allies, I am calling for the formal censure of Councilor Long and Walker. Censuring Councilor Long and Walker as a sign of formal disapproval of their actions on June 5 is the only answer for their actions,” Cimino said during public comment. It stems from previous actions by both councilors. Walker and Long both walked out of council chambers at the June 5 meeting during the Pride Proclamation. At the June 12 meeting, Walker and Long both addressed their actions. “We’ll address some comments, opinions, last week from not only inside this chamber but also outside from some keyboard warriors. My response to those opinions is simply this: lions do not lose sleep over the opinions of sheep,” Walker said.
SEE MOSQUITOES, P8
SEE PRIDE, P6
Mosquitoes are coming out this summer as more people are experiencing bites.
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Health officials warn of West Nile virus Adams County cautions that cass of the virus likely in weeks ahead BY TEDDY JACOBSEN TJACOBSEN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Weeks of heavy rainfall followed by a string of hot days, has health officials in Adams County warning residents to be aware of mosquitoes. The weather has created perfect conditions for mosquitoes, some with the ability to transmit the potentially deadly West Nile virus. The Adams County Health Department runs a mosquito trapping program in various parts of the county. From there, they identify mosquitoes that could carry the virus and run tests on them. Ferah Jaura, manager of the program, said that monitoring mos-
quitoes in this way is the county’s primary tool for warning the public about health risks. So far, Jaura said the county has not tracked any mosquitoes carrying the virus. However, the virus has been found in mosquitoes in Arapahoe, Boulder, Delta, Larimer and Weld counties, according to recent tests in each county. West Nile is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of those who are infected don’t feel sick, but about one in five people develop a fever and other symptoms. About one in 150 people become seriously ill and may die, according to the CDC. Thirty-six cases have been reported to the CDC so far this year, none of them yet in Colorado. However, based on past trends, health officials in the state believe cases will
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