Category Archives: 2025

2025

Evergreen Takes Time to Heal, Custer County Prioritizes School Safety

Evergreen Takes Time to Heal

Custer County Prioritizes School Safety

by Reggie Foster,
Sangre de Cristo Sentinel

The students of Evergreen High School are learning from home this week as they try to heal from September 10th’s school shooting. The day one of their own took aim at them. With a revolver in hand, a 16-year-old Evergreen student was rapidly firing both inside and outside of the school. The shooter continued moving, reloading, and firing until two of his fellow students lay critically wounded and he turned the gun on himself.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) completed a study in 2022 on half a century of mass shootings in our country. Early reports indicate that the Evergreen shooter fits most of the data.

  • Shooters are usually an “insider” meaning a student or employee of the institution.
  • Shooters leak or publish their plans ahead of time.
  • They are troubled by personal trauma or in crisis. Radicalization would likely qualify here.
  • Young shooters stole guns from their family members.

According to the study: “In particular, K-12 school and workplace shooters were ‘insiders’ — current or former students and employees. That finding has implications for physical security measures and the use of active shooter drills.”

Many have praised the efforts and quick actions of the Evergreen staff and students. Locked doors prevented the shooter from accessing parts of the three story school. Without the locked doors,  he would have accessed many more students and the outcome could have been much much worse. At the time of the shooting, the School Resource Officer (SRO) was 11 months into medical leave and the part time replacement SRO had been called away to respond to a vehicle crash. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has informed Evergreen High School and the rest of that district that they will ensure a full time SRO moving forward.

The Custer County School District (CCSD) in partnership with the Custer County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) already employs a full time SRO with a designated vehicle. The CCSD SRO, Kobe Lewsader, is on duty at the school during school hours and at other events as required. Custer County has the added benefit of the Sheriff’s Posse. Posse members are frequently on campus for additional safety and support of our students and staff. Since January 1, 2025, the Sheriff’s Posse has given 423 hours of safety coverage to the school and its extra activities.

The schools in Jefferson County are required to pay 50% of the SRO’s salary. A cost the JeffCo parents believe the District let get in the way of providing a full time SRO in the small mountain town’s high school. In comparison, the SRO cost to the CCSD is less than 50% for now.  The CCSO applied for and received a three-year Department of Justice COPS grant which funds 75%  of the SRO salary. The Custer County school district pays the remaining 25%. The grant ends in 2027.

In April of 2023, Sheriff Smith requested an independent assessment of the Custer County School District’s security.  Lewsader has been working diligently on the recommendations from that assessment. The school now has locking classroom doors, better signage, and other improved safety measures. The Custer County School District, CCSO and other stakeholders have been proactively working to make our schools as safe as possible.

The NIJ study also highlighted the fact that leakage is a common occurrence with mass shootings. Leakage provides an opportunity for intervention. Anonymous reporting systems may increase the likelihood of leakage. Sheriff Smith wants everyone in Custer County to know that we offer Safe to Tell as a method that students and others can anonymously report. Safe to Tell tips for Custer County go to the Undersheriff, SRO, and detective for follow up. https://post.colorado.gov/le-resources/colorado-safe2tell. Threat assessment teams that intervene with a holistic, collaborative approach to intervention are promising.

It’s important to note the written words of one CCSD parent to the Custer County Board of Education in April 2025.  “As parents, we daily say goodbye to those little people we treasure most in this world, and trust the school administration and staff to make the safety of our children of utmost importance in regard to every decision they make.” It’s a trust that both the CCSD and the CCSO value and will continue to work tirelessly to uphold.

 

2025, Custer County Kids

Custer County Clay Busters Aim for Success

Clay Buster Team with their awards and letters. Coaches are in the back row.
Courtesy photo

by Sentinel Staff

For the first time ever, the Custer County High School Clay Busters team has set their sights on a fall season. Traditionally, the Clay Busters as part of the USA Clay Target League compete in the spring and summer, but this year the fall season is offering student shooters another chance
to compete.
The Clay Busters team, made up of Matthew Burgdorff, Lincoln Wingfield, McKenna Marietta and Kaleigh Mintz, practice Thursday’s after school at the Custer County Sheriff’s Range. The team is led by volunteer coaches Doug Burgdorff, Jerry Tracewell, Alan Prudic, Russ Benson and Steve Betton.
For Coach Doug Burgdorff, the program started as a way to spend time with his son. “Matthew likes to shoot, and unlike other sports, trap and sporting clays practice is just one day a week, so I have the ability to help coach,” Burgdorff explained. He continued, “The best part of coaching the Clay Busters is seeing the kids’ confidence increase. Once they learn the basics and start hitting targets, their desire to get better just grows. It’s an outlet for them to be individually successful.”
Safety is at the heart of every practice and competition. According to the USA Clay Target League, which has grown into the largest youth clay target program in the country, student athletes have recorded millions of shots fired nationwide with a perfect safety record. That record has held true for 4-H shooting sports as well, which trains thousands of youth annually in archery, rifle, shotgun, and muzzleloader programs. Both organizations emphasize safety, responsibility, and respect above all else.
The benefits of shooting sports go well beyond the range. Studies and surveys from 4-H and other youth programs show that students who participate build stronger focus, responsibility, and self-confidence. Shooting sports require concentration, breathing control, and focus which are all skills that parallel stress management techniques. The sport also opens the door for college scholarships, particularly for trap and skeet shooters, which are among the fastest-growing collegiate sports in the U.S.
The Custer County Clay Busters offer a unique opportunity for students who may not be drawn to traditional team sports. Each year millions of student athletes are injured playing high school sports. Not so with shooting sports. Zero injuries to date according to the USA Clay Target League. Shooting clays allows athletes to compete against themselves, track their personal improvement, and take pride in steady progress.
As the fall season unfolds, the Clay Busters are proud to represent Custer County with steady hands, sharp eyes, and a commitment to safe, responsible sportsmanship.

2025, Custer County Kids

Heart for Students, Gift for Teaching

Heart for Students, Gift for Teaching
Shelley Green – GT Teacher of the Year

 

CCHS GT Students Collaborate during a spring 2025 classroom session. Courtesy photo

by Reggie Foster
Sangre de Cristo Sentinel

Custer County School District’s Gifted and Talented Education teacher, Shelley Green, has just been named the Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented Education’s Teacher of the Year. Green’s recognition shines the light on one of the many good things happening in Custer County’s schools.

Custer County Schools Gifted and Talented teacher, Shelley Green.

Green was thrilled when she learned of the recognition. Anyone who has been in her classroom or even in her presence understands the excitement and passion she exudes. Her energy is palpable and infectious. Green puts her heart into her work. She loves her students and they feel it – one of the many reasons they love her back.  In Shelley’s words, “I need you to know that this is my life’s work; to see my students…with eyes that illuminate strengths, passions, curiosities… and to elevate and support them into achievement.”

Continue reading Heart for Students, Gift for Teaching →

2025, BOCC

BOCC: IT Outsourced, Unfunded Mandates

BOCC: IT Outsourced,
Unfunded Mandates

BOCC Meeting Report
– August 27, 2025

by Michael Foster

The most recent, regularly scheduled Board of County Commissioners’ (BOCC) Meeting was held at All Aboard Westcliffe on Wednesday, August 27th at 9 a.m. Chaired by Commissioner Bill Canda, all three commissioners were present, as well as Sheriff Rich Smith, a handful of citizens, and other staff members from various county departments. The agenda presented held a variety of issues to be addressed, with several votes taking place during the meeting. Continue reading BOCC: IT Outsourced, Unfunded Mandates →

2025

Pueblo County Coroner Resigns Amid Somber Mortuary Scandal

Pueblo County Coroner Resigns
Amid Somber Mortuary Scandal

Custer County Coroner and Deputy Coroner Respond with  Colorado Coroners Regional Incident Response Team
Members of the Colorado Coroners Regional Incident Response Team.
Photo courtesy of the Custer County Coroner’s Office

by Sangre de Cristo Sentinel editor

The Pueblo County Coroner, who is trusted to handle loved ones with dignity, has resigned amid shocking revelations. On August 20th inspectors from the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) arrived at Davis Mortuary in Pueblo to conduct their first routine inspection under new oversight laws. What the inspectors encountered was a strong odor and then a horrifying discovery: 24 bodies in various states of decay, containers of bones, and possible human tissue behind a hidden door concealed with a cardboard display.
When confronted, Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter, who co-owns the mortuary with his brother Chris and was on site for the inspection, admitted that some bodies had been awaiting cremation for as long as 15 years. He went further saying some grieving families may have received fake ashes. Continue reading Pueblo County Coroner Resigns Amid Somber Mortuary Scandal →

2025, Custer County Kids

Cross Country Bobcats Place in Leadville

Cross Country Bobcats Place in Leadville

by Sentinel Staff
The Custer County Cross Country team journeyed to Leadville Saturday, August 30th to compete in the highest elevation cross country meet in the nation. It was the first race of the year for the team’s middle schoolers. The runners led again this year by Head Coach Heather Ramer who also teaches middle school English. Hal Walter rejoins the cross country coaching staff this year to serve as assistant coach.

Continue reading Cross Country Bobcats Place in Leadville →

2025

The Trouble with the Curve

The Trouble with the Curve

by SDC Sentinel Staff
We’re not talking about the 2012 Clint Eastwood baseball movie. We’re talking about something much closer to home—the curves on Custer County highways.
The curve itself isn’t the real problem. The problem is the speed at which too many drivers try to take it. In baseball, speed helps you master the curve. On our mountain roads, speed works against you
every time. Continue reading The Trouble with the Curve →

2025

Labor Day Weekend in Custer County

Enjoy the Weekend!
A list of activities are below.

 

A Labor Day Tribute
Calloused Hands, Strong Hearts

Labor Day. The people of Custer County innately know what a hard day’s labor really means. It’s rising before the sun to tend cattle, flipping the Open sign at the local morning stop, or checking lesson plans one more time before the school bell rings. It’s long hours on the tractor, putting on a tool belt, or serving the community in some way. It’s the grit of calloused hands, the wrinkles of a furrowed brow and the pride of knowing your work matters to the success of our small community. In our neck of the woods, labor isn’t just a job. Labor is our way of life. These values passed down through generations of farmers, ranchers, teachers, clergy and small business owners.
Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, to honor the American worker’s contributions to the nation’s strength and success. While many Americans see it as the last long summer weekend vacation opportunity or as a time for parades and picnics; it is worth remembering that Labor Day began as a way to recognize the contributions of working men and women who built not only this nation but this community.
Work teaches responsibility, in-stills discipline, and strengthens families. Work is the backbone of freedom and prosperity. When we honor labor, we aren’t just celebrating jobs, we’re celebrating the values of self-reliance, perseverance and community.
This Labor Day, as we fire up the grill or enjoy a picnic in our beautiful valley, let’s also tip our hats to the ranchers, farmers, mechanics, teachers, clergy, first responders, county employees, tradesmen, small business owners and workers whose dedication keeps rural Custer County strong and prosperous.
If you are looking to enjoy the fun and beauty of this last long weekend of summer See below for all the stuff to do in Custer County.

 

2025, Custer County Kids

Bobcat Admin Team United for ‘25-’26 School Year

 

L to R: MS/HS Principal Ren Olson, K-5th Grade Sydney Benesch, and Superindendent Kyle Hebberd. Sentinel Photo

by Sentinel Staff
Teamwork for 25-26
The 2025-2026 school year is underway and is led by a united administration team. Kyle Hebberd, Superintendent, Ren Olson, Middle School and High School Principal, and Sydney Benesch K-5 principal collectively bring decades of administration experience to the Custer County School District. Hebberd, achieved success and longevity as a Superintendent in both the Walsh and Swink school districts. With 22 years of administration in small rural school districts Hebberd believes, “Successful small school educators have the mindset that being in a small school is not just a job, it is a way of life.” Hebberd has held jobs outside of education as well. He refers to his many hats. He has built hundreds of miles of fence,built bridges, cut wheat and drilled for oil. His education hat seems to be the favorite, it is well worn and tattered in the best ways from with more than two decades of service to parents, students, and the rural community.
Ren Olson, is the principal for the middle and high schools. Olson previously served the Roaring Fork School District as an administrator and has more than four decades in public education. Prior to applying for the principal position at Custer County schools, she regularly attended school board and other meetings as an interested resident. She is fully invested in the public education of our kids. She finds the opening of the MS/HS principal position and her subsequent selection as “serendipitous”. Olson’s principal message states, “Our kids thrive – with higher grades, greater engagement, and maintaining a more positive outlook on learning – when we team together to actively support them.” She said she is excited about working with the high-quality staff. When asked about the year ahead, Olson said she is most grateful for the teamwork and collaboration she Benesch and Hebberd share. All agreed that they feel lucky to serve the students at Custer County Schools.
Sydney Benesch continues to serve Custer County schools in a mighty way. She returned to serve this year as the K-5 principal. Sydney is Custer County to her core. She attended school here K-12, left for college, and then returned to teach second grade at Custer County Elementary School. She rose quickly to serve as a Teacher on Special Assignment as Vice Principal. She weathered the storm of transition serving as the principal of all Custer County Schools and for a few months also served as Interim Superintendent. Benesch is considered by many to be the glue of our district. She has institutional knowledge. She is excited about the year and says she feels “fully supported and is excited to work alongside Kyle and Ren”.
A cohesive leadership team has the greatest potential to positively impact our students and their learning. The benefactors of this new aligned and cohesive administration are the more than 300 students in attendance and the seventy plus staff members. Under the leadership of Hebberd, Olson, and Benesch, CCHS students are taking advantage of college enrollment and STEM classes, extracurricular activities, and the support services available to all students who need a little extra help. The elementary students will be cared for each day by a mostly new teacher lineup shepherded by Benesch. These are considered positive adjustments to achieve the best outcomes for our students.
Hopeful is the feel of this new school year. The hallways are buzzing, and students are already looking forward to Homecoming activities. Whether you are a former Bobcat or a Bobcat supporter you are welcome to attend the volleyball and football games on September 13th. Times and details are available on the Custer County Schools website and on page 10 of the paper.
Go Bobcats!!

2025

The Sentinel: Revive, Refresh, Go!

Dear Readers,
As I am sure most of you know, four weeks ago, The Sentinel announced that it was closing its doors and had published its final issue. What might have seemed final at the time, has turned out to be a mere pause. I am happy to say that with the printing of this edition, not only is The Sentinel back, but back for what I hope is a long, long time.
Less than a month ago, my wife and I were approached with a unique and unexpected opportunity to acquire The Sentinel and take over its operation. Though I never had dreams or aspirations of owning a newspaper, I appreciate the value that good local newspapers bring to their communities and that significance resonates deeply with me. After some thoughtful consideration and prayer, we decided to commit to The Sentinel’s journey. I am its new owner and publisher.
At their worst, newspapers can be purveyors of misinformation, contain biased reporting and publish sensationalized narratives that negatively impact public understanding and trust. At their best they are informative, uplifting, and help people to recognize and appreciate the world around them. My goal for The Sentinel is the latter. I, along with the rest of our team, are committed to providing a trustworthy paper that is accurate, timely, and relevant. A paper that fosters a sense of community, encourages civic engagement, and supports our local businesses. Some of our future issues will be great, some will be less so. Anywhere we fall short of the mark will be an error that is human and honest. Collectively, we will view those mistakes as opportunities for The Sentinel to learn, grow, and
get better.
The staff at the Sentinel understands that along with the privilege of publishing a newspaper comes great responsibility. When someone selects you as their source of news or when a local business chooses to spend their advertising dollars with you are important decisions that we respect. It is impossible to print a newspaper that appeals to everyone – and we are not going to try to do that. We want to publish a paper that appeals to as many of our citizens as possible. In doing so, we will remain committed to not confusing the majority of our neighbors with any small, loud minority that might be out there.
When we acquired The Sentinel from George, he encouraged my wife and I to make the paper our own and take it the direction we best saw fit. We are grateful for the trust and confidence he placed in us and plan to do just as he hoped. Some things about the future of The Sentinel will seem familiar; our publishing schedule, our focus on the school and its students, and highlighting local events of interest. Some things about The Sentinel will feel new and we hope, refreshing. We will still provide a platform for holding elected officials and institutions accountable and we will do so in a manner that is transparent and responsible.
There will be some of you who are very pleased to see The Sentinel is back and charting a new course. To all of you in that category, we are grateful for your support and backing. There are others who would just as well have seen The Sentinel stay closed and some who will actively work to see The Sentinel fail, and that’s okay too. We respect everyone’s right to act in their own best interests and make decisions according to their beliefs and values – you can expect that we will do the same. So, whether you are a long-time Sentinel subscriber and reader, or you have never held a copy of our paper in your hands, we view you as part of the community we wish to serve. We believe that positive influences are contagious and hope the positive impact we produce for our great readers is both far-reaching and meaningful.
I hope that you are as excited as I am to see The Sentinel continue. If you are a long-time subscriber or advertiser, we appreciate you and hope you will continue. If you are less familiar with The Sentinel, as an advertiser or reader, we hope that you will give us a try. Thanks in advance for your patience in the days and weeks ahead. I have lots to learn about publishing a newspaper. I am committed to our community and am buoyed right now by the enormous outreach and support my family and I have received in making this decision and our excitement about the positive role The Sentinel can play in the future of our society.
Sincerely,
Michael Foster
Owner and Publisher