“There is a lot of anxiety because we are physically here and in peace, but mentally, for myself, I am traumatized when talking to my cousins back home,” said Rashid Said, a 38-year-old civil engineer who moved to the Denver area from the Arsi zone of Oromia in 1992.

“The virus is becoming more fit, and we’re like a deer in the headlights,” warned Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute.

Pandemic, fires, protests and seemingly endless predicaments marks a year to remember

“The task force is one of many cogs in the wheel,” she said. “I like that Vanessa Wilson did not say that, ‘we’re waiting for the task force to do anything.’ And we can always take it a step further.”

For the most part, athletes, coaches, administrations and fans across the area and the state took precautions seriously as they desperately hoped to play. Because of that, all state championship events in boys golf, boys tennis, cross country and softball were run on time and by all reports safely, providing hope for the seasons to come.

Here are a few timely suggestions in the region that can make the rest of the journey to 2021 actually fun.

Aurora is famous for its mosaic of cultures. But until recently, that hasn’t been reflected in government. 

Despite a perceived rise in Aurora gang violence in recent months among detectives and advocates, crimes committed by known gang members have in fact plummeted in the city this year, according to new data tabulated by Aurora police.

Neighbors will have to collect complaints about barking dogs; feral cats could have “caretakers” bringing food and water, not a trip to the shelter; and “potentially dangerous” dogs will be hamstrung by a slew of rules designed to protect the public, while allowing owners a chance to right a wrong.