Headlines – August 10, 2023

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Public Boulder Commissioner Hearings to Discuss New Ballot Measures

The Boulder County Commissioners will be holding two public hearings regarding potential ballot initiatives for November, including one that would help establish a reliable funding source for affordable housing.

The first hearing is tonight at the East Boulder Community Center from 5:30-7 p.m. The other public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 17 at 9 a.m. at the Commissioner’s Courthouse on Pearl Street.

City of Boulder Announces New Independent Police Monitor 

On Aug. 21, Boulder will have an independent police monitor for the first time in almost a year. The City of Boulder announced yesterday that it has hired Sherry Daun as the new independent police monitor.

Daun was previously the director of investigations for Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability. She served in other various police oversight roles before that. Daun also has a law degree from the University of Chicago Law school.

The independent police monitor works with the Police Oversight Panel, the Boulder Police Department and city officials and is also responsible for reviewing complaints made against the police.

Daun will fill the role, which has been empty since Joey Lipari stepped down as the independent police monitor at the end of last September.

Boulder County to Pay Man Who Blinded Himself During Solitary Confinement

After a six-year court case, Boulder County will pay a $2.5 million settlement to a man who blinded himself during a psychotic episode in jail after being placed in solitary confinement for a third time.

According to The Colorado Sun, 37-year-old Ryan Partridge, who has schizophrenia, was confined for weeks at a time during his nine months in the Boulder County jail in 2016. 

Prior to blinding himself, Partridge knocked out seven teeth after smashing his head on a toilet during isolation and attempted suicide by jumping from the second floor.

While the County Sheriff’s Office said it did not believe its staff violated the law, Partridge’s settlement includes over $2 million for deliberate indifference to his mental health and over $300,000 dollars for excessive force by jail staff.

Democratic Rep. Judy Amabile of Boulder said Partridge should have been in a hospital instead of jail. 

Amabile was a key sponsor of House Bill 1211, signed into law in 2021. The law prohibits confining an inmate involuntarily in their cell for 22 or more hours a day without human interaction, significant movement or time outside the space. 

Jefferson County Sheriff Arrests Man Accused of Sexual Attacks on Trails

Jefferson County officials captured a 20-year-old man Tuesday night who is suspected of sexual predation on women hiking along trails in and around Conifer. 

Officials searched for over two hours in the dark at Stapleton Park where suspect Glenn Braden allegedly exposed himself to two different lone female hikers on Tuesday.

Deputies say they found Braden hiding in the woods, and after a short chase by foot, he didn’t fight arrest.

Officials think the Evergreen resident may be the same person who had sexually assaulted several other female hikers in Conifer since April 3.

U.S. Education Secretary Meeting With Polis on Career-Connected Schooling

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is in Colorado today to discuss linking students with the skills they’ll need for high-demand, better-paying jobs.

Secretary Cardona is announcing a $25 million Career Connected High School Grant program, that’s part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to bring together more workforce ready students with employers. 

BVSD Help Center Opens Today 

The Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) opens their help center today to assist parents with online paperwork. 

BVSD is providing assistance to any parents who need help with enrollment or start of the year paperwork at the BVSD Education Center on 6500 Arapahoe Rd. From today through Tuesday, the help center will be open from 9am to 4pm, except on Sunday.

Any parent or guardian seeking help needs to bring requested documentation, such as current address, birth certificate, proof of guardianship and immunization records. 

The help center is free for all BVSD parents and families. Assistance in Spanish is also available as needed. 

Fire Updates

Firefighters paused operations Wednesday against two wildfires spreading in hard-to-reach forested areas of southwestern Colorado.

Lightning strikes started the two fires, which have burned over 1,400 acres north of Pagosa Springs.

The bigger blaze, called the Quartz Ridge fire, had burned over 1,300 acres inside the South San Juan Wilderness. The almost 300-acre Bear Creek fire doubled in size overnight, according to The Denver Post. 

San Juan National Forest officials said they did not want to put firefighters at risk and were planning to battle the fire once it reaches more accessible terrain. 

Other smaller fires are burning throughout the area, also ignited by lightning as dry conditions and lush grasses have created tinder for fast-spreading flames.

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