Douglas County School district: scholarships, not vouchers

Submitted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 1st, 11:07 am

The Douglas County School District began the final stretch of public outreach as it prepares to take school choice to the district’s board of education for approval. The district hosted three nights of public forums at schools in Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock and Parker the week of Feb. 21, where about 350 residents heard more about the final draft of the district’s school choice proposal.

Among the options on the table is the controversial proposal to introduce option certificates for district parents, with a new name for the program likened to school vouchers. The district is now calling its option certificate program a “school choice scholarship program,” limiting participation in the pilot year to no more than 500 students.

The scholarship angle was suggested by the Colorado Department of Education, which in recent weeks provided the Douglas County School District with feedback about the school choice option certificates, said Dr. Christian Cutter, Douglas County School District assistant superintendent.

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Douglas Co. coroner identifies double murder victims

Submitted by KDVR Web Staff

Monday, February 28th, 2011, 2:26pm

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. -- The Douglas County Coroner's Office has confirmed the identifies of two victims in a double-murder investigation as 39-year-old Amara Wells and 49-year-old Robert D. Rafferty Jr.

Authorities say the bodies of the two victims were found inside a rural Douglas County home appear to be the victims of homicide, rather than a murder-suicide.

The Douglas County Sheriff has requested media outlets to not disclose the manner of death in this case.

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Husband arrested day before double murder victims found

Submitted by KDVR Web Staff

Monday, February 28th, 2011, 2:16pm

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. -- Court documents show a frightening pattern of harassment, intimidation, threats, and obsession, and now 49-year-old Christopher Wells is being held on a $1-million bond for a domestic violence felony and other charges.

Wells was going through a divorce with his wife, Amara Wells, who was found dead in a Douglas County home Wednesday. Her brother-in-law, 49-year-old Robert Rafferty Jr., was also killed in what investigators are calling a double homicide.

Christopher Wells informed his estranged wife that he would be filing for bankruptcy on March 1, and he would be selling their Monument home to pay creditors more than $200,000 that he owes in debt. Wells told Amara that she would be getting nothing in the divorce.

Wells has sent his wife dozens of rambling and sometime incoherent text messages, beginning with Wells asking for forgiveness to Wells making implied threats, such as:

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Weather for the week

Submitted by Anonymous on Monday, February 28th, 1:48 am

According to FOX 31 Meteorologist Nick Carter, the month of March will start with unusually mild temperatures and lots of sunshine.

“There’s an old saying about the month of March; if it starts out mild, the month is in like a lamb, but the end could go out like a lion.” Carter said. “That’s because any and every kind of weather is possible during this month.”

March is normally the snowiest month for eastern Colorado, and 2011 has been pretty dry.

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ADL Urges Douglas County School Board to Reject Voucher Proposal

Submitted by Anonymous on Friday, February 25th, 2:43 pm

Press Release

Denver, Feb. 25, 2011…The Mountain States Region of the Anti-Defamation League sent a letter today to the members of the Douglas County School Board, expressing its opposition to the proposed Choice Scholarship Program that would send public school money to parents to be used to pay for private and religious school tuition. Here is the text of the letter:

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Bodies found inside Douglas County home

Submitted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 23rd, 11:57 pm

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. -- A gruesome discovery inside a sprawling Douglas County home Wednesday.

Deputies conducted a welfare check at the home on Marlin Way, in the Keene Ranch subdivision, at about 3 a.m. when they immediately found evidence of a crime.

Hours later, after obtaining a search warrant, they found the bodies of two adults inside.

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Learn to grow, harvest and prepare foods from your own backyard

Submitted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 23rd, 12:54 pm

Register by Feb. 28 for the Backyard to Table workshop on March 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Southridge Recreation Center, 4800 McArthur Ranch Road, Highlands Ranch. Attendees are welcome to attend three classes – one at 9:00 a.m., 10:45 a.m., and 1:30 p.m.

Visit www.coopext.colostate.edu/arapahoe/backyardtotable.htm to download a registration form and locate class descriptions for adult and youth (ages 5 – 13). Workshop fee is $11 per person, and includes class materials.

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