Rylee Dunn

1 week ago | coloradocommunitymedia.com | Rylee Dunn

The second of three men who took part in the rock-throwing case that ended in the murder of Alexa Bartell has been sentenced, as Zachary Kwak received 32 years in prison on May 2. Kwak’s sentence is the lightest of the three. Fellow defendant Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik was sentenced to 45 years on May 1, and Joseph Koenig was convicted of first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. Koenig will be sentenced on June 3.

1 week ago | coloradocommunitymedia.com | Rylee Dunn

The first of three defendants in the rock-throwing murder of 20-year-old Arvadan Alexa Bartell has been sentenced for his role in the murder. Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik, a 20-year-old who was 18 at the time of the murder, was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Karol-Chik pleaded guilty in connection with the murder, and was facing a sentence of between 30 and 72 years.

2 weeks ago | coloradocommunitymedia.com | Rylee Dunn

Arvada has a pair of special district elections on the horizon, as May 6 will see residents vote on board members for the Arvada Fire Protection District and the Apex Park and Recreation District. The Ralston Valley Coalition hosted a community forum for the AFPD election on April 28, with four of the five candidates addressing voters at the Colorado Tap House (candidate Gwen Henderson was not present at the event).

2 weeks ago | coloradocommunitymedia.com | Rylee Dunn

Everyone who’s known Barb Stolte agrees on one thing — she’s always working to make her community better. Since moving to Arvada from southern Illinois in 1960, Stolte had made her mark on numerous aspects in the community, including local schools, the Arvada Harvest Festival, the faith community — and this very newspaper. Now, she is the 2024 Woman of the Year. “The reason this award exists is because of amazing people like Barb,” Arvada Visitors Center Executive Director Jean Gordon said.

2 weeks ago | coloradocommunitymedia.com | Rylee Dunn

Some people find themselves in the right place at the right time, and while that hasn’t always been the case for Keith Cowling, it certainly describes how the 2024 Arvada Man of the Year found himself at Mission Arvada. In 2022, Cowling had retired from his role as the CEO of the Credit Union of Denver and was looking for volunteer opportunities to pursue with his wife, Karen.