Douglas County

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Douglas County sheriff drops Flock for Axon

The sheriff says privacy concerns and lost trust drove the switch.

News

The Douglas County Sheriff&#x27;s Office is dumping Flock Safety after Sheriff Darren Weekly said he lost trust in the surveillance technology company.State of play: County commissioners last week approved a nearly $23 million, 10-year contract with Axon, which makes Tasers, body cameras, drones and license plate readers.

DougCo towns pump brakes on drone delivery

Officials want answers on noise, privacy and safety before approving hubs.

Business

Parker and Castle Rock are likely among the nation&#x27;s first municipalities to pause approvals on drone-delivery hubs that launch retail orders from ground facilities into nearby neighborhoods.Why it matters: Back-to-back ordinances passed last week reveal a cautious approach from two fast-growing Douglas County communities better known for competing to attract retail convenience and sales tax dollars.

Colorado school turns to drones for active-shooter defense

The drones are intended to confront active shooters.

A Sterling Ranch charter opening next month could become Colorado&#x27;s first school to install drones intended to confront active shooters.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="John Adams Academy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.jaadougco.org/" data-vars-content-id="d2dfbd65-b455-40d0-8aad-b5f55c8cc9eb" data-vars-headline="Colorado school turns to drones for active-shooter defense" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.jaadougco.org/" target="_blank">John Adams Academy</a> is joining a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="growing national experiment" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbYKrKmxy6E" data-vars-content-id="d2dfbd65-b455-40d0-8aad-b5f55c8cc9eb" data-vars-headline="Colorado school turns to drones for active-shooter defense" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbYKrKmxy6E" target="_blank">growing national experiment</a> in high-tech school defense with a system called Campus Guardian Angel, which says it can buy police critical time in the early moments of an attack.

Douglas County's disappearing dirt roads

Roads are being paved as growth reshapes Douglas County

Culture

Dusty gravel roads are slowly giving way to asphalt in Douglas County.Why it matters: Every new paved road makes the community safer and is less expensive to maintain and more useful in emergencies.

Local bookstores see boom as tech antidote

People are seeking connection, and local bookstores are filling the gap.

Bookstores are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="finding new life" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/03/bookstores-barnes-noble-james-daunt" data-vars-content-id="e58c8441-0c14-43dc-8e33-464b998ba829" data-vars-headline="Local bookstores see boom as tech antidote" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/03/bookstores-barnes-noble-james-daunt" target="_self">finding new life</a> as Americans lose many of their casual gathering places.The big picture: The comeback isn&#x27;t just about selling books. It&#x27;s about turning browsing into belonging in an increasingly digital world.

DougCo bucks Colorado Dems' leftward wave

Establishment Dems ran slightly stronger in DougCo.

Election

Colorado&#x27;s ultra-progressives flexed mega muscle in Tuesday&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Democratic primary" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/46386963.6162/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tL2xvY2FsL2RlbnZlci8yMDI2LzA2LzMwL3doYXQtdG8td2F0Y2gtcHJpbWFyeS1lbGVjdGlvbi1uaWdodC1jb2xvcmFkbz91dG1fc291cmNlPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXImdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249bmV3c2xldHRlcl9heGlvc2xvY2FsX2FyYXBhaG9lJnN0cmVhbT10b3A/69c18dc28177a460b901870aB35bfb510" data-vars-content-id="3e970913-d6a8-4e9f-a58c-f7fe9f96771b" data-vars-headline="DougCo bucks Colorado Dems&#x27; leftward wave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/46386963.6162/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tL2xvY2FsL2RlbnZlci8yMDI2LzA2LzMwL3doYXQtdG8td2F0Y2gtcHJpbWFyeS1lbGVjdGlvbi1uaWdodC1jb2xvcmFkbz91dG1fc291cmNlPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXImdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249bmV3c2xldHRlcl9heGlvc2xvY2FsX2FyYXBhaG9lJnN0cmVhbT10b3A/69c18dc28177a460b901870aB35bfb510" target="_self">Democratic primary</a> — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="beating establishment candidates" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/07/01/colorado-democratic-primary-results-takeaways?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_arapahoe&amp;stream=top" data-vars-content-id="3e970913-d6a8-4e9f-a58c-f7fe9f96771b" data-vars-headline="DougCo bucks Colorado Dems&#x27; leftward wave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/07/01/colorado-democratic-primary-results-takeaways?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_arapahoe&amp;stream=top" target="_self">beating establishment candidates</a> up and down the ballot.Zoom in: But <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Douglas County" data-vars-click-url="https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/Douglas/126612/web.345435/#/summary" data-vars-content-id="3e970913-d6a8-4e9f-a58c-f7fe9f96771b" data-vars-headline="DougCo bucks Colorado Dems&#x27; leftward wave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/Douglas/126612/web.345435/#/summary" target="_blank">Douglas County</a> — long a GOP stronghold — wasn&#x27;t as hostile to those Democrats as the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="state overall" data-vars-click-url="https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/126592/web.345435/#/summary" data-vars-content-id="3e970913-d6a8-4e9f-a58c-f7fe9f96771b" data-vars-headline="DougCo bucks Colorado Dems&#x27; leftward wave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/126592/web.345435/#/summary" target="_blank">state overall</a>.

Why some first-time voters get ballot cure notices

Need a ballot cure? Your vote can still count.

Douglas County expects about 60,000 ballots to be returned Tuesday, but some first-time voters may find Election Day isn&#x27;t their final step.The big picture: The county clerk&#x27;s office expects Tuesday&#x27;s rush to push returned ballots past 100,000 since voting began earlier this month.

The Highlands Ranch pickleball boom

A new 19-court complex is fueling demand in Highlands Ranch.

Highlands Ranch is bucking <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="America&#x27;s pickleball slowdown" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/26/pickleball-courts-building-decline" data-vars-content-id="9eda9bc5-3d86-4aab-83db-e71d54f35557" data-vars-headline="The Highlands Ranch pickleball boom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/26/pickleball-courts-building-decline" target="_self">America&#x27;s pickleball slowdown</a>.Reality check: Across many of the nation&#x27;s biggest cities, the sport&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pandemic-era boom" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/04/walmart-free-pickleball-game-subway-sub" data-vars-content-id="9eda9bc5-3d86-4aab-83db-e71d54f35557" data-vars-headline="The Highlands Ranch pickleball boom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/04/walmart-free-pickleball-game-subway-sub" target="_self">pandemic-era boom</a> has cooled.

Number of child predator cases stuns investigators

Undercover stings and online decoys are leading to arrests

Douglas County authorities say they use undercover decoys, AI-assisted investigations and sting operations to identify suspected child predators before they reach actual minors.Why it matters: It&#x27;s working.

Castle Rock unveils Lost Canyon Ranch Open Space

New trails will give hikers access to a long-restricted property.

Environment

Two years after Castle Rock and its partners preserved Lost Canyon Ranch from potential development, the 681-acre site is going public next month.Why it matters: Visitors will soon have free access to terrain that&#x27;s largely been hidden behind private gates.

Axios Denver

Colorado tourism tops $29 billion in economic impact

Denver

A bar chart that shows Colorado visitor spending by commodity in 2025. Accommodations and restaurants tie for the highest spending at $6.5 billion each. Air travel reaches $3.1 billion. Food stores are lowest at $1.2 billion.

News 🗞

Colorado tourism tops $29 billion in economic impact

Penley Fire jolts Douglas County

DougCo towns pump brakes on drone delivery

Douglas County Goodwill find hints at D.C. history

Douglas County sheriff drops Flock for Axon