Army Major Pleads Guilty to Taking Bribes

An Army officer who served in Afghanistan, Iraq an Kuwait has pleaded guilty to bribery for accepting money and items in exchange for awarding Army contracts and could get 15 years in prison when he's sentenced in January.
The U.S. attorney's office in Colorado says 45-year-old Major Roderick Sanchez of Pueblo pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of bribery. He was accused of accepting money, Rolex watches and other items totaling about $200,000 in value from 2004 through 2007.

Meningitis Case Not a Public Health Issue

State health officials said yesterday there is no public threat in the aftermath of a college student who died of meningitis last week. The Larimer County Health Department also said 23-year-old Christina Adame died of sepsis caused by the Group-C meningococcal infection which is the same strain of bacteria that infected and killed three people in June. Adame was the seventh confirmed case of of the disease in Larimer County. According to health officials, her case is not a public threat as less than one-percent of the population gets this particular strain of bacteria.

Man Killed in Industrial Accident Yesterday

A 21-year-old man who was working in Pueblo at the Vestas Towers America Inc. tower factory died Wednesday in what company officials called an industrial accident. Authorities told "The Pueblo Chieftain" the man had been working on train tracks, helping to load parts of wind towers, when a forklift forced him down against a flatbed train car. Pueblo County Coroner James Kramer told the paper the man died as a result of quote, "crushing injuries." Vestas also has facilities in Brighton and Windsor.

Feds Put Out Anti-Bullying Letter

If public schools fail to deal with bullies appropriately, they could lose federal funding. In a letter sent yesterday by the U.S. Department of Education, the nation's public schools including those in Colorado will face cuts in federal funding if they violate certain anti-discrimination laws. The letter comes in response to recent national cases in which students committed suicide after incidents in which they were bullied. The letter gives specific instructions on how to deal with bullying, how to identify it and what types of behavior violate civil rights laws.

NJC Trick or Treat Street Friday

Northeastern Junior College is hosting Trick or Treat Street on campus this Halloween. The students are doing the work to make it happen, but the school's employees are giving up the goodies! The fun is this Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the ballroom at the top of the Hays Student Center. NJC students will decorate and be in costume. They'll also hand out the candy and have some interactive games for the little ghouls and goblins.
Now, there is a catch, but its a good one: each costumed character who comes to the event is asked to bring a canned good or donate a dollar at the door. All the proceeds and food collected go to the Cooperating Ministries Food Bank.
So if you thought you'd only wear that costume once this year -- WRONG! Here's another chance to see and be seen in your best Halloween frock!