🌱 Why Are So Many Cars Stolen In CO? + Ozone Plan Falls Short

Hello all. I'm back with your new edition of the Lakewood Daily. Let's get this Thursday started off right, with a quick dive into the most important things happening in town...

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Thursday's weather: Not as warm; a p.m. t-storm. High: 78 Low: 60.

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Here are the top stories today in Lakewood:

1. Why are so many cars being stolen in Colorado? More than 37,000 vehicles were stolen in Colorado in 2021, and the number of vehicles stolen in 2022 are on pace to break that record. (Gazette)
2. Draft version of the Regional Air Quality Council's ozone plan falls flat. The draft plan that includes nine Colorado counties between Fort Collins and Castle Rock. As presented, the plan won't get the region to EPA's clean air compliance before the 2024 deadline, and that's just the beginning of advocates' complaints about the plan. (Westword)
3. Besides the coasts, Denver is the only city with median rent over $2,000. Out of the 50 largest metro areas, Denver-Lakewood-Aurora currently has the 14th highest median rent at $2,032 per month. (FOX31)
4. Frontier deal to buy Sprint Airlines is officially dead. On Wednesday, the two airlines announced they had abandoned their merger proposal that was scuttled by an all-cash offer from JetBlue Airways. (CO Sun)
5. Woman accused of stealing Government credit cards. An employee of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Lakewood, Dema Martinez, allegedly stole $800,000 in credit cards, and is now facing a 24-count federal indictment for wire and bank fraud. (9News)

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Today in Lakewood:

• Career Exploration: For job seekers & career changers. (9 a.m.)
• Hard Times Writing Workshop: Belmar Library. (3 p.m.)
• Evening at the Museum: Golden History Museum. (5 p.m.)
• StretchLab Golden ribbon cutting: Golden Chamber. (5 p.m.)
• Homelessness: A Lakewood community forum. (5 p.m.)

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From my notebook:

• Flight For Life Colorado's new partnership with Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson and Ciara's Why Not You Foundation is making huge impacts on the lives of many in the region's communities. (Flight For Life)
• Lakewood closes Soda Lake: Levels of blue-green algae at Big Soda Lake in Bear Creek Lake Park required the lake to be closed to swimming. Personal paddle craft devices and rentals of paddleboats, canoes and kayaks will not be allowed during the closure. (Lakewood)

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You're all caught up for today! See you all tomorrow for your next update. — Brad K. Evans

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Lakewood Daily? Contact me at lakewood-co@patch.com