LITTLETON, Colo. A man is in custody after barricading himself and prompting a heavy police presence in northeast Littleton Tuesday afternoon. Few details about what the person was wanted for were immediately available, with police only saying the suspect was barricaded inside an apartment on Fox St. between W. Prentice Ave. and W. Crestline Ave, just north of Powers Park. All residents in the area were asked to shelter-in-place while the situation was resolved. The Littleton community was asked to please avoid the area. The man was taken into custody before 4:40 p.m ..read more

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. Trust is as integral to Columbine High School's football team as running drills or practicing passes. Because trust in self, family and friends is what has propelled the community to overcome difficult times, both before and after April 20, 1999. "You just wake up, and all of a sudden, you're older," Columbine head football coach Andy Lowry said on a sunny Thursday afternoon at the school's field. "When you start thinking 25 years oh, my goodness, that came on us pretty fast." But it doesn't surpass Lowry's career at Columbine. The 2023 season marked his 30th at the sch ..read more

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. In an 1800s-era parlor room on Austin Peay State Universitys campus, Michael Shoels looked around, commenting on how long it has been since he last sat in front of a camera. "I tried my best to ignore your calls," he said, sitting in a chair. "Around this time of year, I put my phone on block." More than two decades have passed since Michael's last interview, and 25 years have come and gone since the tragedy that would change the trajectory of his life. My name is Michael Shoels, he said, after several minutes of reassurances that he would be able to speak about anything per ..read more

More than a dozen parents confronted the Littleton Public Schools Board of Education Thursday night, pushing for change after a school bus paraprofessional was caught on camera hitting a boy with autism. There were tears shed and one father even called on LPS Superintendent Todd Lambert to resign. Parent Blake McBride told the board he was contacted by law enforcement who told him his child was a victim of the alleged abuse by Kiarra Jones. According to an arrest warrant for Jones filed on April 4, she is facing a charge of crimes against an at-risk adult or juvenile (third-degree assault) and ..read more

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. Three students with severe autism "suffered unimaginable abuse" at the hands of a Littleton Public Schools (LPS) bus aide over the course of about six months, according to a local law firm representing the families. The children, who are all non-verbal and rely on caregivers for their basic needs, traveled on a specialized LPS school bus every day between their homes and the Joshua School, a specialized facility that offers one-on-one instruction for children with autism. Rathod | Mohamedbhai LLC, which is representing the children's three families, said March 18 video f ..read more

Some schools across the Front Range have canceled classes due to ongoing power outages Monday morning. Gudy Gaskill Elementary School in Littleton said it will close Monday because Xcel Energy has not given Littleton Public Schools an estimate when the building will get power back. Before and after-school care is also canceled. Nederland Elementary, Nederland Middle-Senior High School, Gold Hill, Jamestown, Platt Middle School and Coal Creek Elementary School canceled classes all well, according to Boulder Valley School District. And each of those school's before and after-school activities ar ..read more

LITTLETON, Colo. Littleton police are searching for a vehicle of interest after an 18-year-old was fatally shot Thursday evening. The Littleton Police Department said that around 8:15 p.m. Thursday, its officers responded to a report of shots fired along the 200 block of W. Powers Place, near the intersection of W. Littleton Boulevard and S. Broadway. At the scene, police found a person suffering from a gunshot wound to his abdomen. The officers performed life-saving measures as South Metro Fire Rescue headed to the scene. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to h ..read more

Sterling Ranch plans to add an 8-acre park with an inclusive pool and playground for all abilities and ages, according to a news release distributed Monday. In addition to the pool and playground, Prospect Park will include picnic areas, a turf field for youth soccer, concerts and move nights, and a basketball court. Douglas County will contribute $2.5 million in funding for the park while Sterling Ranch boasts proximity to Roxborough State Park and Chatfield State Park and Reservoir. The neighborhood is also comprised of 40% open space and has 30 miles of trails. Weve invested millions of dol ..read more

LITTLETON, Colo. A local union for federal prison employees picketed in front of the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood in Littleton Monday morning to demand better pay, increased staffing and improved hours. To address the staffing issues, they reassigned other staff from other departments such as you know, cooks and teachers, recreation staff and facility staff to work officer posts, said James Simmerman, AFGE Local 709 president and FCI Englewood cook supervisor. So we've been dealing with, chronically, under 80% staffing across the board. Simmerman said mandatory overtime, low pay ..read more

CENTENNIAL, Colo. The hallways of Lily Nie's office in Centennial are lined with thousands upon thousands of identical frames, each displaying a young child whose life was completely changed when she stepped in. Some are family portraits. Others are school photos. It's difficult not to smile back at all the grinning faces. Each frame protects the image of a child, mostly Chinese girls, adopted to loving and permanent homes in the United States thanks to Nie's long-standing dedication and tireless efforts. Nie, who was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 2008 and has earned a pl ..read more