Election - The Durango Herald

Two arrested in connection with stolen ballots scheme in Grand Junction

One suspect was a postal employee, the other a felon

DATE: Nov 7, 2024 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Republican Jeff Hurd beats Democrat Adam Frisch in CD3 race

The main difference between the candidates is their stance on abortion

DATE: Nov 6, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

Trump wins White House in a political comeback rooted in appeals to frustrated voters

WASHINGTON – Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, spar...

DATE: Nov 6, 2024 | CATEGORY: Nation & World

Colorado voters reject ranked choice election ballot measure

Proposition 131 was funded in large part by Kent Thiry, the wealthy former CEO of the Denver-based dialysis giant DaVita

DATE: Nov 5, 2024 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Hurd and Frisch race neck and neck with more than half of votes tallied

Candidates battle for open seat in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District

DATE: Nov 5, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

Sen. Cleave Simpson wins reelection in Senate District 6

Republican incumbent secured a 10% margin of victory over Democrat Vivian Smotherman

DATE: Nov 5, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

House District 59 race between Katie Stewart and Clark Craig too close to call

Democratic candidate leads by about 3 percentage points

DATE: Nov 5, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

Lauren Boebert wins election in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District

Boebert’s strategy was two pronged: prove to voters that she’s about more than negative media attention, and talk about the issues she thinks matter

DATE: Nov 5, 2024 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Effort to protect abortion in Colorado Constitution passes

Measure was one of several nationwide after the fall of Roe v. Wade

DATE: Nov 5, 2024 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Kamala Harris easily beats Donald Trump in Colorado

Harris’ victory in the Centennial State was never in doubt, leading Trump by large margins in polls

DATE: Nov 5, 2024 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Uncontested La Plata County candidates sail to victory

Positions for DA, county commission had no challengers

DATE: Nov 5, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

Voter turnout expected to hit 80% or higher in La Plata County

Reproductive rights, economy and housing front of mind for Election Day voters

DATE: Nov 5, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

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Photos: Running up an appetite on Thanksgiving

Photos: Durango High School footballDHS football takes a loss in the second round of playoffs

DHS football takes a loss in the second round of playoffs

Photos: Veterans Day Parade on Main Avenue in Durango

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FLC wins its last home game of the season against New Mexico Highlands on Saturday at FLC

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Photos: Marching for women’s rightsDurango Women’s March on Saturday starts at Buckley Park, continues down Main Avenue

Durango Women’s March on Saturday starts at Buckley Park, continues down Main Avenue

Photos: Durango High School football DHS beat Vista Ridge 20-14 at home Friday night

DHS beat Vista Ridge 20-14 at home Friday night

Gallery: Animals, super heroes and other creatures take over Main Avenue

Photos: A fun and spooky day at school

Haunted house northeast of Durango gets bigger every yearCody Petersen’s Halloween hobby is his escape from the daily grind

Durango resident Cody Petersen said when he moved into his home at 15 Edgemont Way several years ago, his house on the corner looked lonely and spooky.Today, it’s a madhouse. Halloween decorations are splayed practically on every inch of his lawn, in the trees and up and down his home.

A group of school-aged kids stop in front of his house every day to pose with a little gothic doll in the lawn, he said. It’s the favorite attraction amongst hundreds of decorations Petersen bought locally and online as early as July in preparation for Oct. 31, Halloween.He said he doesn’t want to think about how much money he’s spent on fog machines, animatronics and Christmas lights, but the bill easily totals several thousands of dollars.

For trick-or-treaters on Halloween, whom he encourages to visit, jumpscares abound at Petersen’s home, featuring animatronic spiders, growling wolves and other monsters, he said.He’s working on his own animatronic coffin, which shakes and rattles, and a pulley system that will push and pull a ghost up and down the yard, but neither will be ready for this year’s Halloween.He said he has fond memories of his parents decorating for the holidays during his upbringing and he’s a huge horror genre fan. So he enjoys going all out on decorations for the spooky season. He justifies his hobby with the logic his kids will only be in high school a few more years, and it isn’t as cool to decorate the lawn for Halloween when one doesn’t have children living at home.But the neighbors enjoy his haunts as much as the rest of the community. He said his Halloween scene has gradually grown larger every year; at least 50 trick-or-treaters turned up at his home last year.“I'm a home inspector, so I do have a lot of tools and no fear of trying things out,” he said.

He said typical Halloween animatronics cost $400 a piece, but they only last one year or so without breaking. That’s frustrating, he said, and he believes he can do better by building his own.He said this year’s display and experience is more organic than past years thanks to his handiwork. Among his myriad decorations, trick-or-treaters can spot easter eggs referencing “Beetlejuice,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Pet Sematary.”Among the horror props are real animal bones Petersen said he’s found on hikes across the countryside.“I've got ghosts and spiders and witches and that kind of thing,” he said. “Here in Edgemont, we have giant spiders for real. ... We get these huge wolf spiders that are bigger than my hand. I mean, huge, bigger than tarantulas.”

Petersen said he was motivated to make his first decorations within the first month he and his wife moved into the home on the corner at 15 Edgemont Way.A lone pine tree, a typical Christmas tree that would be strung up with lights and ornaments in December, stood out to Petersen in the yard, he said. He just felt compelled to decorate it and light it up.He said he thoroughly decorated the tree and left it lit year-round. Within a month of moving into the house, his neighbor died. The man was old and suffering from Alzheimer's.

Months later, the man’s wife approached Petersen and told him she and her husband’s last salient moments together were spent looking out at Petersen’s lighted Christmas tree, pretending it was Christmas. In the following hours, the man succumbed to delirium. He died several days later.“I don't know why I had that tree, why I lit it, but that's why that tree, even when Halloween is over, all year round, that Christmas tree always stays lit now,” he said.Petersen is a horror movie fan, and in particular he’s always enjoyed the sinister character Michael Myers of the “Halloween” franchise.

He said every year, after thrilling trick-or-treaters at his home, he takes to downtown and East Third Avenue in his Michael Myers costume, bearing a giant bowl of candy, to continue the fun.The highlight of his yard, the creepy doll neighborhood kids like to pose and take pictures with, is Petersen’s “elf on the shelf,” he said. He likes to move the doll around the house, sometimes propping her up to hold animal bones.“I have a real busy and pretty stressful job,” he said. “I just love the fall so much. And to come home, it's just a good way to wind down and, you know, de-stress, just go out and work in the yard.”cburney@durangoherald.com

Cody Petersen’s Halloween hobby is his escape from the daily grind

Two arrested in connection with stolen ballots scheme in Grand Junction

Republican Jeff Hurd beats Democrat Adam Frisch in CD3 race

Trump wins White House in a political comeback rooted in appeals to frustrated voters

Colorado voters reject ranked choice election ballot measure

Hurd and Frisch race neck and neck with more than half of votes tallied

Sen. Cleave Simpson wins reelection in Senate District 6

House District 59 race between Katie Stewart and Clark Craig too close to call

Lauren Boebert wins election in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District

Effort to protect abortion in Colorado Constitution passes

Kamala Harris easily beats Donald Trump in Colorado

Uncontested La Plata County candidates sail to victory

Voter turnout expected to hit 80% or higher in La Plata County

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