As we move through September, the colors will start to change on the trees, the air starts to get a little crisp, and many people will look to get outside and celebrate Oktoberfest.

The annual German festival in Munich, Germany is celebrated at spots throughout the area.

Denver has no shortage of breweries and bars, and each of them creates its own Oktoberfest and other German beers to celebrate, and there are day-long events with live music, food, drinks and much more.

Here are events happening in the Denver area. If you have an event you'd like to include, please email max.white@scripps.com.

Denver Philharmonic Oktoberfest Season Opening Party

The Denver Philharmonic is kicking off its 79th season with an Oktoberfest-themed party at Diebolt Brewing Company.

It's on Sept. 11 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and features live music, German-inspired food, craft beers, stein-holding contests, games and more.

It has free entry but a suggested $7.90 donation in honor of the 79th season.

3rd Annual Highlands Oktoberfest and Market

The Highlands neighborhood is bringing back the Oktoberfest and market along W. 32nd Ave. on Sept. 12. It runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There will be street shopping, live Bavarian music, German food and beer, plus contests like keg bowling and stein hosting.

Denver Kickers Oktoberfest

The Denver Kickers Sports Club's annual Oktoberfest celebration will be at the club at 16776 W. 50th Ave. in Golden on Friday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 19.

The event features live German music, Schuhplattler dancing, German food, beer, and traditional Oktoberfest festivities, with the main celebration taking place inside the clubhouse.

56th Annual Denver Oktoberfest

Denver's longest-running Oktoberfest has been held since 1969 and is now in its 56th year. It takes place across two weekends Sept. 18-20 and Sept. 25-27 in the Ballpark District.

The festival features stein hoisting, keg bowling, brat-eating contests, live music, a costume contest, the Long Dog Derby dachshund races, and a talent show.

It's a free event but there are VIP packages with unlimited drinks, food, a commemorative stein and more.

Oktoberfest 5K at Prost Brewing Northglenn

Looking to celebrate Oktoberfest with a workout? The Colorado Brewery Running Series is hosting an Oktoberfest-themed 5K that starts and ends at Prost Brewing Company in Northglenn.

Once you complete the court, you get a free Prost beer or NA beverage at the finish line. There will also be prizes for best costumes.

It's taking place on Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Oktoberfest The Denver Wiesn

The Denver Wiesn is hosted by the Bavarian Guilt in partnership with the National Western Center. It's taking place at the National Western Center's Main Campus Plaza from Oct. 16-18 and Oct. 22-25.

There will be a bier hall, live entertainment, artisan market, German cuisine and more. It's free to attend.

Littleton Social Cycle Biketoberfest Brewery Tour

Littleton Social Cycle is doing its second Littleton Biketoberfest Brewery Tour on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. They will be hitting seven local breweries total, with 10 miles of bicycling. Everyone is welcome to join for however long and whichever stops they like, and only drink as much as you're comfortable with.

Organizers are asking people fill out a short RSVP to help plan our logistics. You can RSVP here: https://littletonsocialcycle.com/biketoberfest/

A Lakewood man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after his wife, a Jefferson County art teacher, was found dead in the home Thursday.

Police said the victim was identified as 37-year-old Lindsey Barnett, who school officials said served both Hutchinson and Westgate Elementary schools.

Patrick Barnett, 40, was arrested in connection with the death, and detectives confirmed the two were married, according to a release from Lakewood police.

He is being held in the Jefferson County Jail without bond, according to the release.

School officials described Lindsey Barnett as having "a deep passion for teaching art, a sweet soul, and an extraordinary dedication to our students."

"Beyond her work in the classroom, she always put our kids first, helping organize special projects and pouring her heart into the district art show for both of our school communities," school officials said in a letter shared with the Hutchinson community.

School officials said the school mental health team and district support staff would be available to support students and staff.

Patrick Barnett is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 20 at 10 a.m.

Father Witold Kaczmarzyk has been at his Lakewood church for six months, but he's already making a name for himself in Denver not as a stand-up comedian, though he'll tell you he is one, but for how he gets to work.

The priest, who came to the United States from Poland 11 years ago, rides a scooter to mass.

"It's super slow church is right here," Kaczmarzyk said.

When members of his congregation sent him photos of the scooter rides, he posted them to the church's Facebook page, which he's been working to revive.

"Since I'm also a stand-up comedian, I always love putting some humor into the post," Kaczmarzyk said.

Watch Mike Castellucci's report in the video below:

His commute takes only a few minutes. He pulls the scooter in, then delivers a sermon.

"That's the message for all of us this Sunday. Let's look at Jesus," Kaczmarzyk said.

The church has been drawing a full house, and some of that is because of the scooter.

"The scooter is wonderful and I love he's visible to the neighborhood," parishioner Rachelle Schmidt said.

Fellow parishioner Paul Schmidt agreed.

"It looks a lot better than walking up this hill we walk up," Schmidt said.

For Kaczmarzyk, the attention is welcome if it serves a larger purpose.

"The scooter thing really helped bring people in. Whatever works works," Kaczmarzyk said.

"I'm just the priest, it's not about me, it's about Jesus so if it helps, if this thing helps to do so, sign me up, let's do it," he said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

The first day of school is right around the corner, and one nonprofit is working to make sure every kid has the supplies they need.

On Wednesday and Thursday, The Action Center, a family resource center based in Lakewood, held a free school supplies event at Everitt Middle School in Jefferson County.

Denver7's Micah Smith reported from the event at Everitt Middle School

Our annual backpack supply event is for students K-12th grade in Jefferson County, and so through this event we see approximately 2,000 families. That represents about 5,000 kiddos going back to school, The Action Center Program Manager Sunny Garcia said. The impact of families is really important. So an average cost to send a kiddo back to school is between $500 and $900.

Garcia said the event hopes to alleviate some financial worries for JeffCo families.

So we're helping kiddos go back to school feeling confident, you know, feeling like the first day is exciting because they have all their necessary supplies, Garcia said.

Mom Marsedez Greene appreciates the help.

We've visited The Action Center before for previous resources, so this was a good opportunity to come on in and get the free school supplies Greene said.

Dad Angel Rodriguez is also grateful for the help.

It's a one thing off our shoulder, a burden that we don't really have to deal with. We get to come and you know, kids get to choose their backpacks, what they want, and get some supplies, and it definitely helps, Angel Rodriguez said.

The first day of school for Jefferson County Public Schools is Wednesday, Aug. 19.

A Colorado woman, who has spent much of her life under the threat of wildfires, is channeling that experience into action teaming up with a Lakewood tattoo shop to raise money and collect donations for fire departments across the state.

Alyssa Rose grew up on a ranch in Conifer and has been evacuated or put on notice at least 10 times due to wildfires. She said the repeated threat has left her feeling "hyperfixated" on what she can do to help those battling the fires.

"My parents are very elderly, and my mom was in a car accident when I was in seventh grade that left her paralyzed from the chest down," Rose said. "Because of that, and definitely because of their age, mobility and like kind of being on top of things and being ready to evacuate at a moment's notice is not easy for them."

It was at True Blue Tattoo in Lakewood where Rose shared those thoughts with shop owner Russ Pearson. He asked her what he could do to help and a fundraiser was born.

"I am a teacher here in Colorado, and I don't really have a way to change the entire world or change even maybe outside of Colorado, but my hope is to get people to come in and support this event," Rose said.

On August 15, the community is invited to come to True Blue Tattoo and choose a small pre-drawn tattoo for $40. The event runs from noon to 7 p.m., and Pearson said he hopes to get a couple hundred people through the door. The designs are Colorado-themed.

"I have some, almost, like everything pretty much ready to go, so you can just kind of come in and pick it out, and then there'll be somebody up here kind of taking order in which people walk in," Pearson explained. "So we'll just like be in line, grab one, go to the available artist, and get it done, and it should run pretty smoothly. I'm hoping."

For those who aren't interested in getting a tattoo, Rose said donations of money, household goods, clothing and non-perishable food items are also welcome.

"I want to help people. I want to help Colorado, and I think that a lot of people also want to help, but don't know how, don't have a starting point. And here you go. This is your starting point. I am giving you a place to step up and donate," Rose said.

To ensure the money reaches fire departments, organizers are partnering with Elk Creek Firehouse to contact and divide contributions among departments in need. Rose has committed to distributing all donations by the end of August.

What was supposed to become a peaceful backyard retreat for Juliet Hanna is now a reminder of thousands of dollars she said she may never get back.

I see so much work that needs to be done, Hanna told Denver7 Investigates while standing in her barren Denver backyard. And I see a lot of money just wasted.

Hanna is one of a growing number of Colorado homeowners accusing Golden-based My Sons Landscape Group and owner Ulises Tajonar Diaz of taking large deposits for landscaping projects that either never started or suddenly stopped.

Denver7 Investigates reviewed multiple lawsuits, homeowner statements, contracts, payment records and communications connected to the company.

Homeowners organizing complaints shared a document containing statements from 21 different families alleging similar experiences.

Organizers told Denver7 Investigates that 10 more people have since come forward.

Several homeowners said they found the company through glowing online reviews and social media photos showing completed landscaping projects.

We thought that this backyard was going to be beautiful, Hanna said. We have to go back to the drawing board.

Hanna told Denver7 Investigates that she and her husband hired My Sons Landscape Group in March for a backyard renovation project that included fencing, irrigation, hardscaping and landscaping work.

She said they ultimately agreed to a project totaling roughly $31,000 and paid nearly $16,000 up front.

I felt great about him, Hanna said of Diaz. Very, very good about him.

She said Diaz promised work would begin May 4.

But after the deposit check cleared, Hanna said the delays started, with Diaz blaming weather and other projects.

Hanna said no work was ever completed at her property before they decided to ask for a refund.

I have not seen him since we gave him the check, she said. We did not get our money back.

Zac Erba, who recently moved to Colorado from Indiana, said he and his family also hired My Sons Landscape Group after researching companies online.

We were specifically looking for a company that could do hardscaping, landscaping, turf, he said.

Erba said he paid a $13,302.50 deposit for a backyard project that included turf, stairs, fencing and a deck expansion.

After the payment was made, communication deteriorated.

Ive been really sick was kind of the blanket excuse he gave, Erba said, referring to text messages he said he received from Diaz.

Erba showed Denver7 Investigates dozens of phone calls and text messages he said went unanswered.

I called him 15 times, Erba said. "In one day."

Denver7 Investigates found at least three lawsuits filed against My Sons Landscaping and Diaz in Jefferson County courts in the month of June.

One lawsuit alleges a homeowner paid a $12,000 deposit in October 2025 for a $24,000 landscaping project.

According to the complaint, Defendants performed no work, failed to refund the deposit, and failed to respond to Plaintiffs demand for refund.

Another lawsuit alleges a couple paid a $14,750 deposit for deck replacement work before communication stopped.

A third lawsuit filed by a Lakewood homeowner alleges she ultimately paid $17,848.75 to the company.

According to that complaint, the company performed minimal demolition work by removing some of the old lawn, and then claimed their equipment broke and left for the day.

The lawsuit alleges the company never returned and accuses the company of breach of contract, negligence, deceptive trade practices and fraud.

Multiple homeowners described similar patterns:

Denver7 Investigates contacted Diaz directly by phone.

He declined a formal interview but acknowledged the business had shut down and said he plans to file for bankruptcy.

Diaz said the company grew rapidly after several successful years in business.

I made a mistake, he said.

He said the company went from roughly 20 employees down to eight or nine workers before shutting down operations about a month ago.

Diaz also said some customers may be able to recover money through credit card disputes or payment processors such as Stripe or Square.

He denied the business was illegitimate or committing fraud.

Denver7 Investigates also visited business addresses connected to the company in Golden and Lakewood.

One Golden property appeared vacant with a lease sign visible outside.

Another address led to an apartment complex where Diazs name was not listed.

Denver police confirmed reports have been filed tied to the company.

In a statement to Denver7, police said, If a homeowner has been a victim of this business, they should contact their local police department as well as the Attorney Generals Office to make a report.

For homeowners like Hanna, the experience has left lasting financial and emotional impacts.

Its made me very suspicious, she said. Its made me very nervous about who to trust.

Erba said legitimate contractors should not continue holding customer deposits if they cannot complete projects.

Bankruptcy is not a pathway and a shield for companies who are screwing people over, he said.

Denver police and consumer experts recommend homeowners take several steps before hiring contractors or landscapers:

This March, actress Brooke Shields made a reservation at a Mexican restaurant in Denver called Casa Bonita under a fake name but not to avoid paparazzi.

It was so the restaurants management team and owners Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who are also the creators of South Park, wouldnt know she was coming.

The place is so big it took a while for management to realize we were there, Shields told CNN. And then word got out because, you know, I didnt have a hat on and mustache or anything, she said.

She was there to deliver a letter asking for better wages for Casa Bonitas performers. The restaurant doesnt just serve Mexican cuisine; performers provide entertainment from breakfast to dinner. Cliff divers jump and twirl into a blue lagoon, puppeteers put on tableside shows and magicians make the rounds. The live entertainment is why so many people know Casa Bonita.

But in April 2024, for the first time, Casa Bonitas performers unionized, with about 80 of them represented by Actors Equity, led by Shields.

Shields said shes escalating after prolonged negotiations over not just pay, but fundamental safety issues.

It was slightly an ambush you try doing things respectfully, and then youre not met with equal respect so you have to resort to other tactics, said Shields, of her visit to Casa Bonita.

Since April of last year, Shields and Casa Bonita performers have been locked in negotiations with management. The group is asking for better protections for performers who say they got hypothermia and chlorine toxicity from the diving pool, as well as security for costumed performers who say they have been grabbed sexually by patrons. The group is also asking for a raise to bring them more in line with the servers, who they say make more. The union says its already made concessions at the bargaining table but with little offered in return to improve current conditions and wages.

Casa Bonitas management said in a statement to CNN that we value all of our team members and their well-being. As a policy we do not comment on ongoing labor negotiations.

Parker and Stone did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Casa Bonita has been a Denver institution for more than 50 years. Set in a strip mall, it has a palatial bubblegum pink exterior with a jungle-esque interior.

Up to 3,500 patrons dine on Mexican cuisine daily, but a large part of the appeal is the show. Every 20 minutes, cliff divers, costumed characters, and magicians put on performances and interact with diners.

Five years ago, the restaurant was saved from the brink of bankruptcy and closure by Stone and Parker, the team who created South Park and the Broadway show Book of Mormon. Stone and Parker grew up in the Denver area and have been going to the restaurant since they were kids. They loved the restaurant so much that it was featured as the crux of a South Park episode in 2003, and they named their offices Casa Bonita, too.

You could see what this place was in the 70s when they built it. They were trying to make a little Disneyland here, Parker told NBCs The Today Show in 2023.

Parker and Stone have frequented the restaurant recently but have not attended one of the 14 bargaining sessions with Actors Equity, according to Shields. She says performers are paid between $21 and $26 an hour, about $10 per hour less than servers who also get tips and who were given a raise shortly after the restaurant reopened.

Shields and union performers tell CNN they lack protections, as there is no active shooter policy, no emergency action plan and no security for performers who interact with patrons.

And while the union has already made concessions on paid time off, holiday pay, extra pay, and wages, management has offered a less-than $1-an-hour wage increase, according to Shields.

Its just so disheartening because theyre putting their lives at risk, and theyre not being looked after, said Shields.

And, Shields says she has not heard from Parker and Stone.

Its just silence, radio silence, she said.

Alleged concussion, hypothermia, and sexual harassment

When Stone and Parker reopened Casa Bonita in the summer of 2023, diver Bethel Lindsley was brought in to build a squad of professionals. Lindsley, who both performs at Casa Bonita and oversees the dive team, is a former gymnast and circus performer with live water show experience on cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and The Han Show in China.

A native Denverite, Lindsley was drawn to the unique allure of Casa Bonita. But she also had concerns.

Its been a very long and challenging fight to get safety procedures at Casa Bonita in any meaningful form. When I first came in, the very first question I asked my management team was, whats the safety protocols for the dive team? And there were none, said Lindsley.

She says the divers at Casa Bonita are either Division 1 collegiate divers or have circus and water performance backgrounds.

Casa Bonitas dive set-up is unique. Performers dive from multiple cliffs as high as 16 feet into a small pool, 12.5 feet deep and 22.5 feet square. They dive solo and in tandem and are required to rock climb to exit the pool.

According to Lindsley, one diver suffered a concussion underwater after a dive. At one point, the pool temperature wasnt regulated properly, and she claims a diver got hypothermia. The team got chlorine toxicity because the chlorine pool levels werent getting checked regularly, she also said.

Some of her colleagues have quit. She says divers on her team are paid 35% less than industry standards.

Joshua Emerson is a part-time costumed character actor at Casa Bonita and makes $23 an hour. Three times a week, for four hours at a time, he dresses up as Moko the gorilla. He says he loves the character, and calls Parker and Stone heroes. Emerson is also a stand-up comedian who says the South Park duo inspired him to be a better writer.

When diners buy a ticket at Casa Bonita they are notified they cant touch performers at the venue, but there is no sign saying as much when patrons arrive on site, according to Emerson.

Ive been grabbed sexually 20-plus times since working there, Emerson said. He added that there is no security to protect performers, and perpetrators arent held accountable.

Its tough, cause like all I want to do is make people laugh and be entertained, and this process has made it difficult, he said.

Casa Bonita did not respond to CNNs questions regarding the specific accusations being made by performers.

In May, Parker and Stone appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and talked about Casa Bonita. They said they had hoped to pour $7 million to $8 million dollars into the restaurant venue, but instead its been closer to a $50 million renovation and upgrade.

It is going really well, and we think we might make our money back sometime, like 2040, 2045, Parker told Kimmel.

Were almost breaking even to this point, said Stone.

The performers say the restaurant is constantly packed and believe Parker and Stone have the money to increase wages.

The point of unionizing is to permanently fix and correct these problems for every single entertainment individual who is going to walk in and work for this company for however long it continues to stay open, which we hope its another 50 years, another 100 years, like, we want the business to succeed, said Lindsley.

Its personal

In the last year, Actors Equity has filed at least seven labor complaints against Casa Bonita with the National Labor Relations Board for retaliation and refusal to bargain.

For Shields, who oversees much larger negotiations between 51,000 Actors Equity members and groups like Broadway League, which represents Broadway shows, the Casa Bonita fight is small but personal.

It doesnt take long to feel how disparaging it is when you visit a place and you see young people excited to perform at the top of their game doing these crazy stunts, or entertaining people (and) you go personally see them not being cared for, said Shields.

Ive been on Broadway enough to know that its the ensemble, its the people that are there day in and day out that are really sort of the backbone of what we do.

LAKEWOOD, Colo. Fourth of July celebrations are starting up across Colorado including the Big Belmar Bash with live music and a drone light show.

For the last four years, the city has turned to Sky Elements to help produce the show. The drone display will run for 18 minutes this year showcasing different formations including an iconic Lakewood landmark.

WATCH: Denver7's Maggy Wolanske got an inside look at the drone show

Katherine Claeys, EVP of strategy for Sky Elements, explained the company started in 2021 and is one of the largest drone show companies in the United States. They are doing shows all over the country and have 250 drones for this show in honor of Americas 250th birthday.

I think the best thing about drone shows are that you get to put images in the sky," Claeys said. "Fireworks are fantastic. They're bright, they're loud, they're fun, but especially during a time where you have some fire bans, it's nice to have the drones put images in the sky from iconic 250th America to celebrating local Lakewood, everything like that.

The company conducts test flights ahead of the show, and spent around a week building the programming for it.

We do test flights and things like that. Not necessarily testing our clients' animations, but what our team does is through the safety programs and the different ways that we animate, said Claeys. That's how they can really tell where drones are. And each drone gets its own path so that it has a safe flight.

The Belmar celebration draws a crowd with organizers expecting 20,000 people for this year's event, a number the celebration has surpassed before.

Allysen Sensantilli, marketing and promotion supervisor for the City of Lakewood, explained this event is a great way to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States and the 150th birthday in Colorado, while also keeping the community safe

In drought years, we wanted to make sure the community was safe, and we were partnering with our Lakewood PD and West Metro Fire to do something they could support. So we came up with a drone show, and we've been doing that for the last four years, said Sensantilli.

Julie Martinez arrived hours early to secure a prime spot for her family at the annual Belmar Fourth of July celebration.

"There's going to be a lot of people here. Every year, it's tons of people," Martinez said.

The dry conditions across the region have led to increased fire danger with multiple fires burning across our state. The City of Lakewood is under a fire ban making fireworks illegal.

"We're in a severe drought throughout Jefferson County. We're actually nationally in a fuels and fire behavior advisory due to the extreme fire behavior," said Brendan Finnegan, assistant chief for West Metro Fire Rescue.

Finnegan said the drones are a good alternate to fireworks, and that safety planning has been thorough.

"We have a set time frame that we're looking at. It's a programed show. They have a very exciting show in store. And we are ahead of the game with incident command fire and police together and medics on site to really help the community celebrate safely," Finnegan said.

For families like Martinez's, seeing the drones hasn't dampened the spirit of the holiday.

"And because of the fires, we're here for the drone show and, you know, the music activities for the kids," Martinez said.

A lightning strike sparked a dry grass fire Tuesday evening at the Fox Hollow Golf Course, West Metro Fire Rescue (WMFR) said.

One person was injured near the 6th hole of the course and was taken to the hospital with injuries, according to WMFR.

Shortly before 6 p.m. Tuesday, the lightning ignited a pocket of dead, dry grass, brush and downed trees in a rough area of the course. The fire burned through 2 acres. No structures were damaged by the flames.

WMFR said firefighters used drones with infrared technology to find hidden pockets of heat, to ensure all hotspots were extinguished.

Anyone in the area could notice small amounts of smoke rising from the burned area Wednesday, WMFR advised.

"That's normal and expected as lingering hot spots are exposed to warmer temperatures," WMFR said.

Summer is in full swing, and the Lakewood Police Department is giving residents peace of mind while they are away from home.

The Vacation Check program sends the Volunteer Support Team to periodically check on homes while residents are away. Volunteers look for signs of forced entry, suspicious vehicles, and packages. If something appears off, they will contact the homeowner's emergency contact.

Denver7 Anchor Jessica Porter spoke with Ty Countryman with the Lakewood Police Department about this program.

Ty Countryman, with the Lakewood Police Department, said the program does not take officers away from priority calls because it relies on volunteers, and an officer is only asked to respond if an investigation is necessary.

Countryman said the program offers more than just reassurance.

"It's certainly a peace of mind. I can't guarantee that something wouldn't happen in this day and age. It lets the neighbors know. They'll see the volunteer truck come by and it's fully marked," Countryman said.

Vacation Check started in Lakewood in 2024. Countryman said there are four to five properties active at any given time, with the holidays and summer being the busiest periods.

Countryman said the program is also building trust in the community.

"I've heard nothing but good from the residents. My volunteers will tell me that they've gotten to know neighbors around the residents' house. It's a great program for a lot of reasons," Countryman said.

The Lakewood Police Department offered the following tips to keep your home secure before your trip:

The Vacation Check Request Form is available online and should be submitted to Lakewood PD at least five days before your departure.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Two Denver metro families are shaken and calling for safer choices behind the wheel after drivers crashed into their homes in Commerce City and Lakewood over the weekend.

The Commerce City Police Department said a suspected drunk driver hit three cars on Interstate 270 late Friday night before careening off the highway and smashing into the living room of a Commerce City house on E. 54th Ave. Police said the suspect was arrested and faces several charges, including driving under the influence.

Evelyn Luevano, who lives in the home with her parents and two siblings, said she had to get stitches in her arm after she was injured in the crash. She said, thankfully, no one else in her family was hurt. Now, they're trying to salvage any belongings inside the house.

"My sister was literally two feet away from the truck hitting her. This could have just ended terribly," Luevano said. "This is a place we called home, so it's very sentimental as well, and we're just trying to collect ourselves as a family and doing the best we can to just try and get back to normal life."

She said the suspected drunk driver crashed through their back fence before ramming through the back of their home, taking out most of the laundry room and kitchen.

"The loss of our home is obviously a big part of this, as well as the trauma that we're all going through. It was very traumatic and overall just horrible," she said.

Less than two hours later near South Sheridan Boulevard and West Arizona Avenue in Lakewood, a different driver crashed through a garage around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. The owner of the home, Jason Fernandes, reached out to Denver7 about the crash, saying, "Please help me get attention on this issue so that we can get speed humps and additional stop signs installed on Arizona Ave."

A neighbor's security camera caught video of the driver smashing through the garage, backing into a power pole and fence, then speeding off. The Lakewood Police Department said they are investigating the crash but said officers have not made any arrests.

"He was speeding down this road and turned a left directly into my garage. My car, that was in the garage, got pushed through the rear wall," Fernandes said.

He said the crash left his garage and new SUV damaged and represents a larger speeding problem he said his neighbors have raised concerns about for decades.

"People try to avoid the traffic on Sheridan by turning on to here, and we do live near some bars and nightclubs as well. So, I think that's all a factor," Fernandes said. "There's just so much speeding and racing on the street that folks don't feel comfortable parking on the side of the street anymore."

He said he wants to see speed humps and more stop signs in the neighborhood to slow drivers down.

"I think the biggest thing that we need are some speed humps... What happened to us clearly happened at high speed," Fernandes said.

The City of Lakewood's Communications Manager Angela Ramirez said while Sheridan Boulevard is maintained by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the city is taking steps to address speeding in residential neighborhoods. Ramirez said the city reduced the residential speed limit to 20 mph for neighborhood streets in September 2024.

She said the city is also trying out speed cushions on some collector streets to crack down on speeding. Ramirez said speed cushions are similar in shape and size to speed humps but include small gaps, or cutouts, that allow large vehicles and emergency responders to get through easily. The city said the improvements are planned for the next month or so and will include speed cushions and associated signage at the following locations:

Despite cleaning up different messes, both families share a similar message: irresponsible driving has consequences.

"You just want to hope people are going to be good citizens and make the right decision, not only for others, but for themselves," Fernandes said.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. A man accused of tampering with the body of Jax Gratton, a Denver hairstylist who was found dead two months after she was reported missing in April of last year, pleaded not guilty in Jefferson County court Friday.

Brandon David Mumma, 44, was charged with one count of tampering with a deceased human body and one count of tampering with evidence following a March 11 indictment. Prosecutors believe Mumma was the last person who was with Gratton before her death. They further allege he removed her body, her personal belongings and other evidence of her death to avoid detection by investigators.

Because Mumma had not been compliant with his pretrial services, a judge issued a warrant for his arrest and set a new $125,000 cash bond. He was arrested by Lakewood police on that warrant Thursday. An arraignment scheduled for later that day was pushed to Friday morning due to his "behavior issues" at the courthouse.

During Friday's hearing, Mumma's defense attorneys said the non-compliance was due to a miscommunication with pretrial services.

Mumma then pleaded not guilty and will remain in custody pending future court proceedings.

Gratton, 34, was last seen on the evening of April 15, 2025. Her roommate reported her missing and in the days after her disappearance, her loved ones rallied to search for her across the metro area.

Mummas indictment shows that Gratton and Mumma entered his office at 9655 W. Colfax Avenue at 10:41 p.m. on April 15, 2025, before a second man arrived about an hour-and-a-half later. That man, who has been cooperative with police and is not believed to have been criminally involved in this case, then left the unit with Mumma at 1:43 a.m. on April 16. At that point, Gratton was alone and asleep under the influence of drugs, according to prosecutors.

A toxicology report later confirmed the presence of methamphetamine, THC, citalopram, and trazodone in her system. Findings showed that because so much time had passed, coroners were unable to conclude a cause of death. A drug overdose could also not be proven or ruled out, which led the coroner to rule Grattons cause and manner of death as undetermined.

Prosecutors believe Mumma tampered with evidence in this case, as Gratton's phone last pinged in the early hours of April 16 at that office location.

Video surveillance later confirmed nobody went in or out of the office where Gratton is believed to have spent the night until Mumma returned at 5:55 a.m. the following day. Security cameras showed he stayed inside the office for about an hour before he left to move his car and grab trash bags, which he threw into a dumpster before leaving the area.

About six weeks after she went missing, police interviewed Mumma, who told them he knew Gratton and that they were romantically involved. He said he picked her up on April 15 before driving to his office, and also alleged Gratton was under the influence of gamma-hydroxybutyrate, or GHB, and took too much, passed out and started snoring before making gurgling noises.

At one point, he claimed Gratton vomited, and that he and the other man who was with them, rolled her on her side before they left the office.

Mumma told police he didn't return until the following morning and said that when he walked into the office, Gratton was no longer there, but that her bag and shoes were. He said he texted her about her leftover items and later put them in his car.

During the interview with police, Mumma said he should have called 911 when Gratton vomited. He also said he knew she was missing at that point, and that he had not contacted police to share any information, according to the indictment.

By June 6, police in Lakewood announced that they were investigating a suspicious death after a bystander had discovered a body in a narrow space that is inaccessible to the public near Mummas office.

A day later, Grattons mother, Cherilynne Gratton-Camis, announced on Facebook that the body found in that narrow space was her daughter's. She said a detective was able to identify the body by her tattoos. At that point, Gratton had been missing for about two months.

Lakewood police later ruled Gratton's death as suspicious, which spurred those close to her to call for an independent oversight task force to look into the handling of her death investigation.

Mumma's next court date is Tuesday, June 9 at 9 a.m.

Westbound Interstate 70 has reopened near C-470 after a fuel tanker rollover caused safety concerns and shut down the highway for nearly 7 hours.

The semitruck went off the right side of the road, rolling onto the passenger side, around 2:05 a.m. Wednesday, according to Colorado State Patrol (CSP). The driver was a 27-year-old man. He walked away with no injuries, CSP said.

However, the tanker he was driving began leaking fuel onto the highway. The CSP Hazmat Unit, as well as Arvada Fire Protection District and Foothills Fire & Rescue, responded to the cleanup.

The emergency agencies worked to drill a hole into the tanker and offload the remaining fuel from the truck's compartments before the tanker could be placed upright and towed, Arvada Fire said. Crews used a hose to transfer fuel from the crashed tanker into another tanker nearby.

Arvada Fire said crews were able to contain the fuel spill, helping to prevent runoff from entering into storm drains and causing contamination.

The crash closed westbound I-70 at the Morrison exit. Traffic was diverted onto Highway 40, the frontage road, to the top of the hill back to I-70. Eastbound lanes remained open, according to Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber.

Westbound I-70 reopened around 9:10 a.m. Wednesday.

The agency is investigating the crash and asking anyone who witnessed it or has any information to please contact dispatch at 303-239-4501. Reference case number 1A261565.

A Lakewood dance and arts studio that offers affordable space to artists, dancers and community groups is asking for help to keep its doors open.

Move Dance Space & Arts Center owner Alicia Karczewski launched a GoFundMe with a goal of $65,000. Thats enough to cover two years of property taxes and building insurance.

I just knew that my goal was to support lifelong movers, and that would be an older community that may have trouble finding dance classes, et cetera, Karczewski said.

The studio rents affordable space to a wide range of artists and groups, including ballet, martial arts, yoga and improvisation theater. Karczewski also works with nonprofits, providing them studio space for free.

What we really support are people that want to keep doing their thing, she said.

But keeping prices low has made it difficult to keep up with the costs of owning the building.

I am finding that it's really challenging right now to be a proprietor of a building, Karczewski said. With property taxes and building insurance, those things are so much bigger than what we do here financially.

Launching the fundraiser was not an easy decision.

It was really hard for me to do because my generation is older and were really independent, she said, laughing. But I thought, you know what? Im not doing this for me. Im really doing this for everyone that holds space here.

Among the classes offered is intermediate tap dance one of the few options for adult tap dancers in the area.

For people who have danced their whole lives, you really cant get good, advanced, or intermediate tap anywhere, unless you drive half an hour at least, Sandy Goldhaber, a student at the class, said.

For many, the studio is far more than a place to take a class.

I do a lot of things, Marry Mittag-Miller, another student, said. But this is by far the best thing that keeps me going and keeps me happy.

Tap instructor Tina Miller said losing the studio would leave a void that would be hard to fill.

A piece of your heart, really, Miller said. Thats going to be missing if it goes away.

You can check out the GoFundMe here if you would like more information or if you would like to donate.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

LAKEWOOD, Colo. Three metroarea cities are now wrestling with how to meet Colorados new housing requirements after voter backlash and stalled policy discussions left each of them out of compliance.

In Lakewood, a few weeks after the results of a special election put the city out of compliance, there is not yet a clear path forward.

Voters approved to repeal pro-density changes that were part of the city's newly adopted and updated zoning code that included certain elements required by state law.

"There's going to be a lot of work that needs to go back into that to make sure that we're identifying something that does fit the needs of those residents. What that's going to look like? We don't know," said Lakewood Mayor Wendi Strom.

She said the updated zoning code included more than 100 hours of work, research and public input over the course of several months.

"We are out of compliance with regards to the parking required in transit areas. We also have some shifts that need to be made to get into compliance, as far as the state requirements, for accessory dwelling units," Strom said.

She said any new code would also need density changes and an update to how many unrelated adults can live in one home to be compliant with law.

This challenge is not unique to Lakewood.

In Littleton, City Council there had just begun discussing the state requirements and what density increases might look like in their community, before tabling it after citizen pushback.

"We didn't want to make some policy changes that we felt like the whole community, or a portion of the community, didn't understand, and so that's why we paused that then," Littleton Mayor Kyle Schlachter told Denver7 back in August of 2025.

Watch Danielle Kreutter's report in the player below:

At that time, citizens had begun campaigning for a charter amendment that would essentially freeze Littleton's zoning code as is.

Schlachter expressed concerns over the possible impact ahead of the election.

"If this charter amendment were to pass, we would be out of compliance with state law, and then we would have ramifications."

In the end, Littleton voters chose to freeze their code in their charter, and Littleton is currently out of compliance with state law as well.

Recently, the Mayor of Lone Tree has also spoken against the state housing requirements. Mayor Marissa Harmon told Denver7, "Any other municipality, large or small throughout the state, should also have the ability to decide what's best for their city and their future."

It's not clear how or if the state requirements will even be enforced. Denver7 reached out to Governor Jared Polis' office for a comment on the growing number of communities whose residents are pushing back against density requirements.

A spokesperson released the following statement:

Lakewood's mayor said she is optimistic that changes can be made to address the housing crisis in a way that residents can support them and that get the city back in line with state law. However, it is not clear how or when that may happen.

"We know that we have community members that want smaller spaces that fit budgets that are not for, you know, a $600,000 home," said Strom. "One of the things that makes me the most optimistic though, out of this, is the community outreach from several that have said, 'we want to be part of the solution.'"

LAKEWOOD, Colo. Hundreds of students from the Colorado School of Mines gathered Friday to take part in a 91-year-old tradition: pulling an ore cart down Colfax Avenue.

They traveled seven miles from Lakewood to Denvers Sculpture Park to connect with the schools mining heritage and to get a well-deserved break from the heavy student workload. The ore cart pull is part of E-days, a three-day engineering celebration.

Watch as students takeover Colfax in the tradition of 91 years

Its about a break from being a student and just getting to have fun with everyone that you normally go to school with and are doing work with, said Laney Casper, a junior in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. Both students and staff understand this is your time, and you get to do whatever you want with it.

The tradition, which dates back to 1934, has students taking turns to pull a mining cart by holding onto a large rope.

It is very nice to actually get to be able to pull very near the cart, said electrical engineering Senior Bryce Miller. Its a lot of watching for ankles, because this has come for my ankles a couple of times, actually.

For many students, the event is about community and honoring the past.

E-days is one of my favorite things about the school, Miller said. Getting to join in, to be with people who have been here long before me and people who will be here long after me its really cool to be a part of this continuing tradition.

Some students decided to make the trek a little more difficult by pulling a U-Haul trailer featuring a student playing a piano they found on Craigs List for free.

We needed to pull something else. The ore cart wasnt really enough, said Dylan Smith, the sophomore who provided tunes along the walk to Denver.

The students safely finished their march to Denvers Sculpture Park, but not before getting caught in the snow.

Its a great time to be outside with everyone, Casper said. The energy is great.

LAKEWOOD, Colo. In a special election Tuesday, Lakewood residents cast their vote to either keep or repeal new zoning laws that allow for denser housing in the city.

In an 12:30 p.m. update Wednesday with preliminary results, it appears Lakewood voters have decided to repeal the city's zoning code that Lakewood City Council approved in October 2025 to address affordable housing.

Lakewood is one of many communities across Colorado that updated its zoning rules to comply with a new state law requiring communities to increase housing density to create more affordable housing.

Read the new state law below.

The preliminary results are a win for Karen Gordey with the Lakewood Citizens Alliance, who was worried about the city becoming too densely populated.

"We already have a lot of traffic in Lakewood, and you add the density without adding the additional infrastructure can we support that?" Gordey said.

Gordey said the results send a clear message to the city council.

"We really want to have a longer conversation about the future growth in Lakewood," Gordey said.

Learn more about the community's reaction to the latest preliminary results from Lakewood's special election in the video below.

On the other side of the ballot, Sophia Mayott-Guerrero with Make Lakewood Livable is frustrated by the election results. She was hoping to bring more living options to the city.

"It's not about creating apartment complexes in a cul-de-sac," Mayott-Guerrero said. "It is about allowing for options in housing because the types of families and households that exist today are different than they were 50 years ago."

The special election on Tuesday was prompted by opponents of the zoning changes like Gordey, who say the new zoning allows more multi-family housing in areas previously zoned for single-family homes.

Voters answered the following four questions on the ballot:

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS (Posted at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday)

Question 1

16,717 YES (AGAINST THE ORDINANCE), 9,343 NO (FOR THE ORDINANCE)

Question 2

16,632 YES (AGAINST THE ORDINANCE), 9,447 NO (FOR THE ORDINANCE)

Question 3

16,682 YES (AGAINST THE ORDINANCE), 9,373 NO (FOR THE ORDINANCE)

Question 4

16,649 YES (AGAINST THE ORDINANCE), 9,400 NO (FOR THE ORDINANCE)

NOTE:

This is a topic that Denver7 reporters have monitored since the beginning.

Back in September 2025, we heard from Lakewood is for Everyone, a nonprofit concerned about the density this would create. They told Denver7 that the inclusion of multi-family options would still drastically change the look and feel of neighborhoods.

"[The city] always likes to frame it positively for the residents, but when it comes down to the practical implication of how this is going to work: your neighbor, if they sell their property, a developer can come in, clear-cut all the mature trees, put in a duplex, quad-plex, six-plex apartment," said Regina Hopkins, a community organizer with the nonprofit.

We also heard from Lakewood Mayor Wendi Strom, who provided the below statement in September:

Lakewood City Council Member Roger Low told Denver7 that depending on what voters choose during the special election, it could take the city out of compliance with that new state law.

The City of Littleton faced a similar situation last summer. In our report below about their election on this topic, Denver7 spoke with the author of the amendment who says it aims to protect the small town feel of Littleton, while city staff said there may be conflicts with state law.

The City of Lakewood provided this FAQ page about the new zoning laws at this link.

Denver7 also spoke with Sophia Mayott-Guerrero, who is part of Make Lakewood Livable, which supports keeping the new zoning changes.

"We have gotten into a mess of housing being really out of reach for people," said Mayott-Guerrero.

Karen Gordey, with Lakewood Citizens Alliance, opposes the zoning change.

"There are some (people) that are saying, Yes, this will solve the missing middle and the affordability crisis. However, there is nothing in the zoning that requires affordability," Gordey said. "We don't know that we have the infrastructure to support this.

Voters decide Tuesday in a special election whether or not to keep new zoning laws that allow for denser housing in Lakewood, including duplexes and triplexes.

City leaders said the zoning updates are designed to help ease the city's "affordable housing crisis." The median price of a single-family home in the city is $630,000.

Lakewood is one of many communities across Colorado that updated their zoning codes under a new state law requiring higher housing density. City council members said depending on what voters choose during the special election, it could take the city out of compliance with that law.

Opponents forced four referendums in November.

Karen Gordey is the campaign manager for the Lakewood Citizens Alliance, the group that ran the referendum process and gathered over 6,000 signatures.

"Everybody seems to have a different reason. Some, it's the limiting of the square foot of the houses that can go on property. Others, it's the high density. Others, it's the 750 square feet of business that you can run out of your house, and some it's just they want a voice," Gordey said.

Voters will have four questions to answer on the ballot. All ballots must be put in a drop box by 7 p.m Tuesday.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

A new and improved resource for people experiencing homelessness in Lakewood has its official opening Friday.

The Volunteers of America Colorado (VOA) Colorado Navigation Center will officially open after recent renovations, providing more services than ever. The center is a partnership between the city and the VOA.

The center opened in 2023 and then closed in April 2025 for renovations. It opened back up unofficially on March 10 of this year. The city said at last check, there were about 30 participants enrolled so far.

With renovations complete, the center will operate 24/7 every day of the year for about 100 people who are experiencing homelessness.

There are also now more hygiene facilities, sleeping areas, patio spaces and professional workspaces.

Some of the services the center will provide include helping individuals with employment, navigate benefits, medical care and more.

This shelter is an amazing place, VP of Advancement and Marketing with Volunteers of America Colorado Faustine Curry said.

Guests come from referrals from navigators. Each community in Jefferson County has a homeless navigator that works with the unsheltered population, and if that individual is interested in moving into a shelter, they work with their homeless navigator to get on to come into the VOA Colorado navigation center, Curry said. "With the renovations, shop works architecture firm came in and created a a trauma informed space where there's lighting, there's paints, there's layouts to help people feel comfortable and feel in a space that they can see themselves moving forward and succeeding, whatever that may look like for them."

Curry said once a guest is enrolled in the center, there are a couple of things that happen. One being case management where staff walk alongside the individual and assist them where needed.

She also added that the center provides three meals a day for guests, a closed room and any other supplies that may be needed.

Before the renovations the city said the building was essentially a large open warehouse that was only open during limited hours for walk-up services.

It also served as a severe weather shelter on specific cold nights for up to 75 people.

Curry emphasizing that the center has been completely reimagined and envisioned.

It now has men's and women's rooms. It's got community space. It has this case management space to really be able to walk alongside the guests. So Recovery Works was the start of all the amazing work, and we're just carrying on with the city of Lakewood, where they left off, Curry said. This navigation Center is one piece of a whole puzzle that is in play and moving to try to address homelessness in the county."

This is a piece of the puzzle that was urgently needed.

According to the City of Lakewood, in Jefferson County, homelessness increased by 27% between 2024 and 2025 the highest rate increase of homelessness in the Denver metro area.

Additionally, on any given night in 2025, more than 1,100 residents were experiencing homelessness in the county.

While there are other services that help address homelessness within communities, this new and improved navigation center is the only one in Jefferson County.

The official opening is set for 11 a.m. Friday.

This navigation center is a great step for that in Jefferson County. It gives an opportunity for people to have a place that they can not only work on themselves, but can work with another, with a case manager or some kind of counselor to help them reach their goals, Curry said. The hope is that these people come in here, get the services and support they need. They are they, they also buy into their success, and then they move into a permanent home.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. After staring up at a nest of baby peregrine falcons and their mother soaring overhead, Jerry Arni packs up his telescope, walks down a short trail and then he, too, flies.

His version just includes a harness and zip line over a river to his home.

Arni, 83, is one of the many volunteers with Jefferson County's raptor monitoring program. Since 2015, he has volunteered to walk a couple minutes from home to a vantage point along the North Fork South Platte River where he can safely monitor a peregrine falcon nest and any babies also called fledglings from afar.

For him, though, leaving the house is itself a unique experience, as it involves soaring across a rushing or frozen river, depending on the season.

Other Jeffco Parks and Open Space volunteers like him zip line or no zip line are tasked with reporting their observations about the raptors, their nests and possible fledglings. Arni is a self-described fanatic about peregrine falcons, which started when he saw his first one around 2015 across the river from his home.

"And there it was, standing up there, just beautiful," he told Denver7. "Well, you could see the whole thing. You could see the helmet that it has on it. The whole bird is just spectacular. So, the minute after that, I immediately signed up for being a raptor monitor for the Cathedral Spires."

It all stems down to the fact that I believe that raptors should be protected and be part of our lives forever, he continued.

The idea of compensation for all of his hours watching the peregrines made him scoff.

I couldn't even think of being rewarded for being here, Arni said, smiling. My reward is sort of in my heart.

Jefferson Countys raptor monitoring program has supported these birds of prey in the county for more than 20 years, relying on a group of dedicated volunteers who track raptor breeding patterns across more than 25 territories of the birds.

That includes species like great horned owls, golden eagles, red-tailed hawks and peregrines, and other predatory birds that keep other species' populations in check. The raptors mate in the winter or spring, and their fledglings learn to fly by late summer or fall.

Volunteers visit their designated sites where they can view the nests at least twice a month and submit reports on what they observe.

In 2025, about 40 volunteers spent more than 1,000 hours observing nests, surveying 93 in total, the county reported. Of those, about 30 nests were considered "active" and 52 fledglings were spotted.

The volunteers' reporting helps the county to determine when it can allow hikers and climbers back on certain trails that annually close when raptors begin nesting. This protects the animals, which will not lay eggs if they are stressed and disturbed by human presence. The trails only reopen once the fledglings are gone.

That's a world that Erickson Smith, natural resources specialist with Jeffco Parks and Open Space, gets to regularly dive into. He spoke with Denver7 during a walk around South Valley Park.

His career as a biologist kicked off by volunteering on public lands, so helping to manage the raptor monitoring program comes naturally to him. While some of the members are brand new, others have contributed their time since the program started 20 years ago.

"People's lives are really busy. And so seeing that commitment into something like conserving the natural resources in their community is really inspiring to me," Smith said. "And I feel like I need to pay it forward, because I was given the opportunity, once upon a time, and that got me here."

He explained that by tracking predators, biologists can learn what is happening across the broader landscape.

So, when Arni spotted newly hatched peregrines last year, it was a good sign.

Over the span of a few months, he zipped across the river and walked up to a safe viewing spot to watch the nest. Through all kinds of weather, he observed the fledglings' confidence increase and they began flapping their wings. To his knowledge, they all flew off, he said, noting that the 14- to 18-inch adults can fly 240 miles per hour, topping the list as the fastest animal on Earth.

"So last year, we absolutely were responsible for two more peregrine falcons being in the wild," he said. "And the parents hopefully will come back this year."

He told Denver7 on Tuesday afternoon that they had indeed returned.

When the adult peregrines are present, Arni said other raptors, like bald eagles and golden eagles, tend to leave the area.

"It's absolutely dominant," he said of the animal.

Golden eagles are another beloved raptor on Jefferson County's monitoring list.

Prior to our interview with Arni near his riverside home, Denver7 met with three other volunteers with the raptor monitoring program, including Tom Clark.

Clark had the rare chance to watch two golden eagles fledge at the same time. He has also witnessed a golden eagle snatch a crow from mid-air and bring it back to the nest to feed its young.

"That was pretty amazing," he said. "I'm very fortunate. It's not a job. It's an adventure."

Clark has volunteered with the program for eight years. Over that time, he has grown quite familiar with the species. He calls them dedicated and resilient parents that can endure anything from hailstorms and wildfires, to nearby traffic crashes and medevac helicopters flying overhead all while caring for their babies. Seeing them persevere through that difficulty to successfully raise their fledglings is part of what has kept him returning to volunteer.

"I intend to do it until I can't walk anymore," he said, grinning.

Third-year volunteer Danielle Duran also has her eyes to the sky something she has done her whole life before fully embracing her love for birds, especially raptors. However, the animals she watches are a little trickier to find during the day.

She monitors a great horned owl nest. Jeffco said the species had a "banner year" in 2025 with five of six monitored nests ending in success.

"I honestly do it because I find it fun and if I can spend my time doing something that I enjoy, that is also helping a bigger purpose, that's just a win," Duran said.

"The program is mostly made up of people who just love birds," she continued. "And if they got a chance to help out monitoring, ecology and habitats at the same time, it's kind of a win-win. But I think most of the volunteers, their first love is birds. And if it overlaps with volunteering, it's perfect."

Denver7 asked what has drawn her to these birds of prey.

"I don't do anything related to wildlife for my daily job. I work in marketing," Duran explained. "I think part of it is that they are so different from us. I feel like they're one of the animals that are the most opposite of say, a mammal like a primate. Their mannerisms, the way they interact with each other just feels so foreign."

Raptors feel mysterious and rare to her, she added.

"It feels like, when I get to watch them, getting a glimpse into a world that I don't normally get to see," she said.

Along a trail in South Valley Park, volunteer Erlinda Stafford explained how retirement has allowed her to spend more time outside. While she has committed to the program, she likes that she can choose when and how long she shows up. She monitors nests within that park and pointed a few of them out to Denver7.

"Oh, to watch the great horned owl fledglings," she said. "They are the cutest, fluffiest things you ever see. And then I also saw the fledglings down at the red-tailed hawks' nest. And they were gangly. They got these long legs. And you know, they're learning trying to learn to fly."

Stafford was trying something new too. She bought a new camera and has been learning photography while out watching the birds.

"When I first retired, I tried different volunteer things," she said. "And when I found this, I was like, 'Oh, this is my niche here.' Here we are. I get to be outside looking at birds, looking at nature, looking at all sorts of things and helping."

"I'm hooked. Hooked," she added. "I will keep doing this. Just as long as I can."

Lakewood residents will soon vote on whether to keep new zoning laws that allow for denser housing, including duplexes and triplexes, amid affordability concerns.

The special election, prompted by opponents of the zoning changes who forced four referendums in November, is set for April 7.

City leaders say the zoning updates are designed to help ease Lakewood's affordable housing crisis. The median price of a single-family home in the city is now $630,000.

"This is something that cities routinely do every 10 to 15 years. It was time to do it for Lakewood," said Lakewood City Council Member Roger Low. This is a real opportunity, an exciting opportunity, to make Lakewood more livable, more sustainable, and more affordable. There are some folks out there in the community who are saying that this code doesn't increase affordability. That's just not true."

Sophia Mayott-Guerrero is part of Make Lakewood Liveable, which supports keeping the new zoning changes.

"We have gotten into a mess of housing being really out of reach for people," said Mayott-Guerrero.

Lakewood is one of many communities statewide to update their zoning codes under a new state law requiring higher housing density to expand affordable housing options.

The chief complaint from Lakewood opponents is that the new zoning allows more multi-family housing in areas previously zoned for single-family homes.

Karen Gordey is a part of the Lakewood Citizens Alliance, which opposes the zoning change.

"There are some that are saying, Yes, this will solve the missing middle and the affordability crisis. However, there is nothing in the zoning that requires affordability," sad Gordey. "We don't know that we have the infrastructure to support this.

Low told me that the outcome of the special election could jeopardize the city's compliance with the new state law.

"That does create a real legal tangle. It potentially makes it harder for us to get, you know, state funding that we really need to invest in Lakewood right now for things like more affordable housing, parks, green space, you know, infrastructure upgrades," said Low.

Mayott-Guerrero argued that the effort to repeal the zoning changes is a misuse of public resources.

"Using this much of the public time and tax dollars in order to try to repeal something that's really designed to just be a little bit more compassionate doesn't really make sense," said Mayott-Guerrero.

Ballots are being mailed to all active registered Lakewood voters between March 16 and 20.

All ballots must be deposited in a ballot drop box by 7 p.m. on April 7.

Read the four ballot questions here.

LAKEWOOD, Colo. A Jeffco Public Schools school bus driver is suspected of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old, Lakewood police announced on Friday.

The driver, identified as 64-year-old Robert Charles Watters, was arrested on suspicion of committing sexual assault on a child (pattern and by somebody in a position of trust). He is currently being held at the Jefferson County Jail. He turned himself in on Thursday.

Lakewood police first learned about the case on March 4, when the 10-year-old victim reported that their bus driver, Watters, was "engaging in an inappropriate relationship with them," police said.

Watters has worked as a bus driver for the school district since 2018. He has been driving Hutchinson Elementary students on the C-49 bus route from 2021-2023 and the C-31 bus route since August 2023, Lakewood police said.

In a letter sent to the Hutchinson Elementary community, Jeffco Public Schools shared some information about the case, adding that "the systems and safeguards we have in place functioned as designed, enabling swift and decisive action."

Watters was placed on leave on March 4, the same day the incident was reported. The school district said in the letter, which is dated March 12, that it had started the termination process.

Anybody with information on this case, or believes they were victimized, is asked to call the Lakewood Police Tip Line at 303-763-6800.

Watters is due in court on March 19.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. The last person known to have been with Jax Gratton who was missing for two months before her body was found in Lakewood in June has been indicted on two counts connected with her death. He was arrested in Summit County on Wednesday.

Brandon David Mumma faces one count of tampering with a deceased human body and one count of tampering with evidence, according to the First Judicial District Attorney's Office. The office said on Wednesday afternoon that it believes he was the last person who was with Gratton before her death, and the two were in a consensual intimate relationship at the time.

Mumma is expected to appear in court on Friday.

Watch Denver7's latest update on this case from Wednesday's newscast in the video player below.

A grand jury for Jefferson and Gilpin counties returned the two-count indictment, alleging that Mumma had removed Gratton's body from where she had died as well as her personal belongings and other evidence of her death to avoid detection by investigators.

The grand jury indictment was presented to the district attorney's office on Monday, and a warrant was signed for Mumma's arrest. He was taken into custody in Summit County on Wednesday and has a $100,000 cash bond on the indictment, the district attorney's office said.

Denver7 requested and obtained a copy of the indictment.

"That's kind of bittersweet that my daughter is gone and he's here," Gratton's mother Cherilynne Gratton Camis told Denver7's Veronica Acosta on Wednesday evening. "... I am thankful for Jax's community, and I am thankful for the people that knew her and shared space with her, and I am thankful for the people that searched for her. I am thankful for the people that showed up week after week at city council and poured their heart out."

"I think tonight I will sleep more than two hours," she added. "I think I will not have nightmares. And I hope Jax is pleased with the outcome. She needed justice."

Gratton, 34, was last seen on the evening of April 15, 2025. Her roommate reported her missing and in the days after her disappearance, her loved ones searched the metro for her.

According to information from the indictment, Gratton and Mumma entered an office space at 9655 W. Colfax Avenue at 10:41 p.m. on April 15, 2025. A second man arrived at 12:14 a.m. and left the unit with Mumma at 1:43 a.m. At that point, Gratton was alone and asleep under the influence of drugs, the district attorney's office said.

Security cameras confirmed that nobody entered or exited the unit Gratton was inside until Mumma returned at 5:55 a.m. He stayed there until 6:57 a.m., when he moved his car to the north side of the building, according to the indictment. It alleges that he went into the building again and returned with trash bags, which he threw into a dumpster before leaving the area.

The second man has been cooperative with law enforcement and is not believed to have been criminally involved in this case.

Gratton's phone last pinged early on April 16, 2025, using an IP address associated with that office space on W. Colfax Avenue.

On May 29, 2025, officers with the Denver Police Department spoke with Mumma, who confirmed he had known Gratton for two or three years and that they had an intimate relationship. Mumma said he had picked Gratton up on April 15 and they had driven to his office at 9655 W. Colfax Avenue, Unit G, according to the indictment. The second man later joined them.

Mumma said Gratton was under the influence of gamma-hydroxybutyrate, or GHB, and took too much, passed out and started snoring. She was also making gurgling noises, he told authorities. At one point, she vomited and the two men rolled her on her side before they left the office.

He told police he didn't return until the following morning and said when he walked into the unit, Gratton was no longer there. She had left a bag and her shoes and he said he texted her about her belongings and then put them in his vehicle.

During the interview with police, Mumma said he should have called 911 when Gratton vomited. He also said he knew she was missing as of that point, and that he had not contacted police to share any information, according to the indictment.

The same day Mumma spoke with police May 29, 2025 authorities searched the unit but by that time, the furniture that had been there in April was removed and none of Gratton's personal belongings, including her cell phone, were recovered, the district attorney's office said.

Investigators tested the window screen in that unit for DNA and did not find Gratton's DNA profile or fingerprints on the window frame or window screen, the indictment reads.

On June 6, 2025, police in Lakewood announced that they were investigating a suspicious death after a bystander had discovered a body in a narrow space about 4 feet wide that is inaccessible to the public between the buildings of 9655 and 9699 W. Colfax Avenue.

"It is locked from both ends, requires a key for entry, and features a solid gate on the south side that completely obscures the area from view," the district attorney's office said.

On June 7, 2025, Gratton's mother, Cherilynne Gratton-Camis, announced on Facebook that the body was her daughter. Gratton-Camis said a detective was able to identify the body by the tattoos. At that point, Gratton had been missing for about two months.

Police continued to investigate this case. On June 10, 2025, the Lakewood Police Department ruled Gratton's death suspicious. This announcement spurred a wave of her loved ones to call for an independent oversight task force to look into the handling of her death investigation.

On June 20, Mumma spoke with Lakewood police again. In that interview, he was "confronted with the possibility of throwing a body out of his office window," the indictment reads. He told police he and Gratton had talked about crawling out of his office window and jumping to the roof next door to smoke.

"He theorized that Jax may have tried to do so and fell," the indictment reads. "He told police that the window in the office was open throughout the night and did not have a window screen. There were no lighters or cigarettes found on or around Jax('s) body when it was located on June 6, 2025. Jax's roommate was interviewed and he did not know Jax to smoke cigarettes."

In August, Denver7 obtained Gratton's autopsy report, which revealed the coroner's findings about her death. The autopsy was completed on June 8. Her severely decomposed body was discovered under a second-story window of the Lakewood building, which was referred to as an apartment by the coroner's report though the district attorney's office called it an office building on Wednesday. The top of an air conditioning unit directly under that window was dented, the report reads, and Gratton's head was found resting on a cinder block supporting the air conditioning unit. The report read that because so much time had passed, officials were not able to establish a cause and manner of death.

Denver7 reported on these findings in August. Watch that below.

Gratton did not have any defensive wounds and there was no clear evidence of pressure on the neck leading to her death, but strangulation cannot be ruled out, the autopsy report reads. Aspiration could have also caused or contributed to her death, the report reads. While methamphetamine, THC, citalopram, and trazodone were detected in Gratton's system, a drug overdose could not be proven or ruled out, the report reads.

"The effects of postmortem decomposition have made it impossible to prove or rule out multiple possible mechanisms of death, including complications of drug use, accidental blunt force injuries, assault by another, or some other scenario," the autopsy report concluded.

As such, the cause and manner of death were listed as undetermined.

"Although I am happy that [Mumma] has been arrested, I am not satisfied," Gratton's longtime friend Brandy Carey told Denver7's Adria Iraheta on Thursday morning. "Many of us are not satisfied with the charges, especially based off of what the autopsy stated."

Gratton's family and friends have long been outspoken about the way the case was handled by Lakewood police and said they believe it affected this week's outcome.

"I think there is some relief, especially from the family, that this man is no longer on the streets and at the same time, they do not feel like justice has been served," said family friend Z Williams. "The community and the family will continue to fight for change, and we will make that happen. We have said that we are. We will not rest until there has been the changes that need to happen."

Mumma is being held at the Jefferson County Jail and is expected to make his first appearance on Friday.

UPDATE | March 9, 2026 Rubel Tim Martinez was sentenced to an indeterminate term of imprisonment of at least 18 years and up to life in the Department of Corrections. The court imposed an indeterminate period of parole of at least 20 years and up to life.

...

A former Jefferson County school security guard, convicted of sexually assaulting a student, is expected to be sentenced Monday afternoon.

A jury found Rubel Martinez guilty earlier this year for assaults prosecutors said happened while he worked at Lakewood High School.

The 69-year-old is convicted of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. That guilty verdict came after a four-day trial and a three-hour jury deliberation in January.

Prosecutors said Rubel Martinez repeatedly sexually assaulted the same student between 2014 and 2016, when she was a junior and senior at Lakewood High School. The abuse happened during and after school hours both on and off campus, according to prosecutors.

The victim reported the assaults to police in 2024, leading to Martinezs arrest and later conviction.

Martinez also worked in security at Jefferson Junior/Senior High School from 2006 to 2022 and ran the after-school Clown Club for both of the schools. The district attorney's office said he was also a pastor at Breakthrough Ministries in Weld County.

Denver7 reached out to Jeffco Public Schools ahead of Martinezs sentencing to find out what safety measures were put place to keep a similar situationfrom happening again. The district said, in part, that student safety is top priority and the district has strengthened safety practices in recent years.

Jeffco Public Schools also added that employees must pass FBI and CBI fingerprint-based background checks and complete annual training on identifying abuse, grooming behavior and adult sexual misconduct.

Jeffcos background check procedures have been reviewed and refined in partnership with safety experts. Continuous CBI monitoring is now confirmed for all staff, and digital fingerprinting is underway for a small group of employees hired before the current requirements. Reference checks are now mandated for all hires, the district said in a statement to Denver7.

The district said it conducted an audit of its student and staff reporting systems in April of last year. That review looked at tools like Safe2Tell, Title IX reporting and mandatory reporting systems.

Based on those findings, the district said it created a new confidential system to track adult behavior concerns reported through Safe2Tell and also created a new procedure for reporting unlawful behavior involving children. That launched in the fall of last year.

District leaders clarified that these updates were not implemented specifically because of the Martinez case but instead reflect broader efforts over the years to improve reporting systems and accountability across Jeffco Public Schools.

Martinez is set to be sentenced at 3 p.m. at the Jefferson County courthouse.

A man is in federal custody after Immigration and Customs Enforcement claims he sped away when officers tried stopping his vehicle in Lakewood on Saturday.

Julinho Juan Lengua-Baltodano, 29, reportedly rammed two ICE vehicles with his car during the incident near the 200 block of South Ingalls Street, according to an initial statement released by the Lakewood Police Department.

ICE reported that Lengua-Baltodano then barricaded himself inside of his apartment. ICE also reported that the agency and U.S. Attorneys Office were granted a warrant to enter the apartment where he was arrested.

Lakewood PDs statement on Saturday said at least one ICE agent was injured, but an ICE spokesperson is now refuting that.

Fortunately, no ICE officers were injured during the arrest this time, a spokesperson for ICE said in a statement on Thursday.

When Denver7 asked Lakewood PD why the agency initially reported that an ICE agent was injured, a spokesperson said, The injury was what was initially reported to us. That was the information we had at that time.

Lengua-Baltodano is in federal custody pending criminal prosecution, according to ICE.

ICE says Lengua-Baltodano is originally from Peru and was issued a final order of removal on Sept. 19, 2025.

A spokesperson for Lakewood PD told Denver7 that the department had responded to a report of a hit and run, but that any charges in this case would come from federal authorities.

Hours after the incident, Lakewood PD released a statement making clear that the agency did not interact with Lengua-Baltodano.

Lakewood Police responded to the scene because of the concern for community safety and a potential violation of local law, said a spokesperson for Lakewood PD.

The spokespersons statement went on to say:

Colorado public schools face a nearly $4 billion annual funding gap, and legislators are now pushing a ballot measure that would allow the state to keep more tax revenue for education.

Colorado lawmakers announced Thursday they are introducing a school funding measure that would raise the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) revenue cap by billions of dollars, a move educators say could help address a chronic underfunding crisis in the state's public schools  but not everyone is on board.

According to the Colorado Education Association (CEA), every student is underfunded by roughly $4,000 per year, creating a roughly $4 billion annual shortfall.

The CEA began urging lawmakers to refer the measure to the ballot in January.

Under TABOR, the state can only keep and spend a set amount of revenue. If collections exceed that limit, the surplus is returned to taxpayers unless voters approve otherwise. The proposed ballot measure would raise that revenue cap, allowing the state to direct more money toward schools.

Second-grade teacher Lyric Johnson, who teaches at Rose Stein Elementary in Lakewood, told Denver7 teaching has been her lifelong dream but not without its share of sacrifices.

I spent a great deal of my own money to buy school supplies," she said. "I bought books from garage sales and thrift stores and things like that for my students, because we don't have money, and we buy our own books and pencils and things like that. [Its a struggle for our students] because they don't have the money to bring their own supplies as well.

Sen. Jeff Bridges, a Democrat representing parts of Denver, Arapahoe and Jefferson counties, spoke at a press conference Thursday about the ongoing impact of the funding shortfall.

"Every year we feel the consequences," Bridges said.

Robert Gould of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association said the effects of underfunding are visible across Denvers schools.

"We've seen it in teacher shortages, especially in some of our positions that serve the most in our most vital vulnerable populations, right? Special education, speech, language, others, we can't keep up," Gould said.

Jefferson County Schools, for example, is eliminating more than 100 positions next school year while cutting $45 million in spending. Third-grade teacher Wendy Newman, who teaches at Elk Creek Elementary in Conifer, said the cuts are already affecting custodial staff at her school.

"ESPs and our classified staff are so crucial to our schools, and that's where right now, I'm seeing the effects in my classroom," Newman said. "We do fill in those gaps by wiping our tables off daily, vacuuming our classroom.

At Rose Stein Elementary, Johnson said her school is also feeling the strain.

"We've unfortunately had to cut a counselor job for this next school year," Johnson said.

Its a cut that she fears the school and its students cant afford.

Just recently, I had a student get very elevated and dysregulated, and he was kicking and screaming, and I had to call for support, and nobody responded, she said. And so after 20 minutes, I called again, and nobody responded again. And because we have so many needs, that just never came.

Not everyone supports the measure. The Independence Institute said the proposal is well-intentioned but misguided, citing similar local measures over the years.

"Colorado is spending more on K-12 education than ever before despite declining school populations," the Independence Institute told Denver7.

"Despite all this, somehow, voters are told that there is not enough money. This is not a revenue problem, but a budget prioritization problem."

Republican State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer also voiced her opposition to the measure.

"Back in 2000, education made up about 40% of the state general fund. This year it is down to just 27%. That tells you everything you need to know. Instead of taking more from working families, we should demand that the government put schools back where they belong: at the top of the priority list," Kirkmeyer said.

Still, Rose Stein Elementary's Johnson said Thursday's announcement gave her a renewed sense of hope.

"We want to make it the best years of their lives," she said. "And if we can get that funding, then we can make it the best time, instead of them struggling."

Jake Arnold has lived in Colorado all his life, yet his recent move to the Ken Caryl foothills has brought in new terrain and new fears.

Being that we are not in a fire zone, but very close to one, it's just something we want to take care of, Arnold said. I've got a family in there, and we've got a lot of things to worry about.

One internet search later, Arnold found Road Home Exteriors. The roofing and siding company recently launched the Harden Your Home Program.

Its a free 28-point assessment designed to walk homeowners through making their properties more fire-resistant by looking at things like siding, vents and vegetation.

Gaps in a homes roofing, siding or vents can create entry points for embers during a wildfire, according to Road Home Exteriors co-founder Leo Dunn.

Last year was a pretty big year for Colorado regarding fire mitigation, Dunn said. We have the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code, along with House Bill 1182, both dealing with fire mitigation for homeowners.

Dunn said the changes have sparked a flood of questions from homeowners trying to make sense of these changes and what it means to keep their homes safe from wildfire.

We felt like there were a lot of information gaps for homeowners that were looking to harden their homes, Dunn said. We see it as our duty to provide that information.

The CWRC sets rules for fire-resistant building materials and landscaping for new construction or renovations in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas places where development meets wildfire-prone terrain.

Counties across Colorado, including Jefferson County, are updating their own versions of their local wildfire resiliency code to meet state standards. Jefferson County, for instance, is considering expanding its current WUI boundaries past the mountains and into places like Ken Caryl, which is currently not considered a fire zone.

For that reason, Dunn told Denver7, each assessment is highly personalized factoring in a homeowner's proximity to the WUI and the specific fire-resistance rules that apply where they live.

HB 1182, which goes into effect this July, will require insurers to incorporate mitigation efforts into a homeowners rates. Dunn said homeowners who complete the program will have documentation to bring to their insurance companies but worries the law wont always guarantee lower rates for homeowners despite their efforts.

Hopefully these changes will provide some sort of discount to insurance," he said. "But that is something that needs to be communicated, and we cannot guarantee that as part of this program.

Denver7 got a firsthand look at the assessment process as Arnold's home was put to the test. The verdict: his home's roofing and deck materials all meet Class A fire ratings, but the wood composite siding is susceptible to fire.

It was an eye-opening experience, said Arnold. I'll probably be looking at [replacing] the siding, have them look at my gutters as well.

The importance of fire mitigation was even more apparent as we stood outside on this 70 degree February day.

We're all in this neighborhood together, said Arnold. What [my neighbors] do [to strengthen their homes] helps me, and vice versa.

LAKEWOOD, Colo. There's a new solution for small businesses that may not be able to afford much-needed safety upgrades. Lakewood has now expanded a grant program to help reimburse local businesses up to $5,000 to make security fixes.

The grants are now open to all Lakewood businesses here.

Previously, the grants were only open to businesses in a specific location in the city. Mint & Serif Coffee Shop and All its Own gift store were two of the prior recipients. The owners, Aurora Hendrix and William Haggerty, respectively, own the entire building that houses several locally owned stores.

With the help of an angel investor, they bought the building a few years ago to make sure there was an affordable place for hyper-local business owners, artists and artisans.

"Small businesses, it's hard for them to be able to make the rent. So that's absolutely what we're doing here," said Hendrix.

A handful of the business in the building applied for the grants and were able to add some meaningful upgrades including fencing around parts of the building and security cameras.

The owners spent around $15,000 on the safety upgrades and through the prior grant, the city reimbursed them for about half of that cost.

"A lot of times when you have to make an investment into the business, you don't have that capital," said Haggerty. "To have that reassurance that you'll have that money back is a huge relief, because it's one less bill."

The 2026 grants are available to companies across the city, no matching contribution is required. The award ranges from $2,500-$5,000. The city said applications will be approved based on project readiness and the potential positive impact to the business and public safety.

Eligible improvements include:

Applicants must also enroll in the Lakewood Police Department's Business Watch program.

"Our budget right now for the program is $100,000 so we're hoping to serve a maximum of 40 businesses, so that we can ensure that everyone gets that minimum $2,500 award," said Maggie Briggs, the economic development specialist for the City of Lakewood.

The grant money comes from the Economic Development Fund. Briggs said it's not just a solution for public safety, but it's also good for business.

"Part of economic development is our business retention, and so we want to make sure that Lakewood businesses are safe," said Briggs.

Hendrix and Haggerty encourage other businesses to apply and see what's possible for their needs.

"Try for it, see what happens. It's really easy," said Hendrix.

"It does feel good to be supported by the city that you're in," Haggerty added.

The grant applications will be accepted through March 31, however the city noted that funding is limited so businesses should apply early.

Lakewood business owners can apply by visiting Lakewoodco.gov/safetygrant.

If youve tried to grab a tee time this winter, its been hard as Coloradans have been taking advantage of the warm winter.

Revenue nearly doubled in November at Denver municipal golf courses, says director of golf Scott Rethlake. He told Denver7 those were the most recent numbers, but he expects numbers for December and January to be similar.

Green fees, the charge to golfers for upkeep at municipal golf courses, were up 70% in November, and cart fees, the charge to rent a golf cart, were up 90%.

"It is very helpful from a cash flow standpoint," Rethlake said. "[Denver Golf] is an enterprise fund. So, we keep the revenue we generate and reinvest it in the golf courses. That's allowing us to put a lot more projects on the plate that we wouldn't be able to do otherwise, things like new irrigation systems that are 25-30 years old, or new clubhouses, such as maybe at Kennedy [golf course]."

The increase has come at a cost, though, as Colorado is experiencing its worst snowpack on record. That runoff is used to irrigate the golf course, and without the natural water, the grass suffers.

"It can't heal because it's not actively growing," Rethlake said. "So, when you have carts running over it, or people taking divots, it's not going to grow and regenerate. That piles up month after month. When you've got such a long period of nice weather like this, in a dormant situation, we're really worried about the spring."

To reduce wear and tear, most courses around the metro have restricted golf carts to cart path-only or walking-only.

Denver7 checked in with Fox Hollow Golf Course in Lakewood, and its head pro told Denver7 that if the dry spells continue, they might have to restrict tee times or cancel play altogether to keep the courses from getting more banged up. He said the idea is on the table, but has not been seriously considered just yet.

Rethlake agrees.

"I think the play restrictions would probably be no carts [which is currently in effect]. We might consider looking at closing a day of the week, something like that," he said.

The drought conditions have affected everything from Colorado farmers to municipalities. Just last week, Aurora Water told Denver7 water restrictions were "likely."

Denver7 also reached out to Denver Water to see if restrictions were being considered, but did not hear back. If they were to happen in Denver, Denver Golf would be one of the first affected, as the stipulations reduce outdoor water use.

"We do use less water than, say, a park or something like that, because we're a little more efficient with it," Rethlake said. "Because we're revenue generating, we're cost efficient and conscious, but [our courses] do require quite a bit of water."

According to Denver Golf's website, the city's courses use 20% less water than bluegrass lawns. It does this by creating water-conservation areas with native grasses, as well as "POGO Soil Monitoring," which shows the percentage of moisture in the greens so crews can hand-water dry spots instead of blanket irrigation like sprinklers.

The Colorado Golf Coalition's most recent environmental sustainability study also states that total water use for golf in Colorado decreased by 18% between 2018 and 2022.

LAKEWOOD, Colo. The Lakewood Police Department is the first police department in all of North America to have the newest tool in evidence collection. It's called Blindsite Scene.

It's a portable forensic camera used to scan crime scenes and collect DNA, latent fingerprints and bodily fluids, without the need for chemical enhancement.

Denver7 anchor Shannon Ogden met the inventor, Dr. Alexander Smyth, of Leicester, England, at Lakewood police headquarters where Dr. Smyth was assisting with training on the device.

"This is completely non-contact approach. So there's no fingerprint powers, no mess. You can search and capture with it," said Dr. Smyth. "With the current method you have to first search the room, mark where traces are. Then you have to enhance them through chemical process, then you have to process them. This is one step."

Dr. Smyth said Blindsite is 10-times faster than traditional evidence collection, and because it's among the latest high-tech tools against crime, it comes with a hefty price tag.

How much, you ask? Each camera costs $40,000. The Lakewood Police Department has purchased only a single camera for now.

Training was held Wednesday and crime scene techs will begin using it Thursday.

It is being used initially by the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA) and the Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force.

"CATPA is proud to support programs like the CATPA-Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force, who strive to be on the cutting edge of investigative techniques," said CATPA Director Robert Force. Investments in technologies like the Smytek device improve these investigations, by reducing the time for evidence processing and success in evidence capture. These factors all increase the strength of the investigations and support our goal to make Colorado safer by enhancing enforcement and prosecution strategies to better address the complex crime of auto theft," Force said in a statement.