2nd Pot Bust For Colorado State Troopers on I-76

A traffic stop yielded a large marijuana bust for Colorado State Patrol troopers… the second in a week. Le Preece Wilkinson was pulled over by Trooper Christopher Romine three miles east of Brush on Interstate 76 for a traffic violation when nearly ten and half pounds of marijuana were found in the trunk. Romine says the incident is still being investigated.






The incident was the second marijuana seizure this week. On Saturday, Troopers found seven pounds after another traffic stop on I-76.

College Activates Emergency Response Team For Fireworks

A local college is reevaluating their emergency response after an incident earlier this week. A call to the Sterling Police department about shots being fired ended with four students at Northeastern Junior College being charged with Discharge of Explosive Devices (fireworks). The four students, Mitchell Jergensen, 20; John Price IV, 22; Dustyn Cope, 19; and Dillon Sanders, 18. allegedly shot the fireworks off at Herboldsheimer Hall at around 2:30 PM on Tuesday. The college did activate their emergency response team in response to the initial call.

Death of Colorado Inmate Investigated as Homicide

State officials say an inmate was killed at a prison in Sterling, and the death is being investigated as a homicide.

The Department of Corrections says 38-year-old Cleveland Flood was found dead at about midnight on Saturday.

An autopsy was conducted Monday but the cause of death hasn't been released.

KUSA-TV in Denver says it was given a photo of the victim in a blood-spattered cell. State officials say they are trying to determine who leaked the photo because it's a sensitive part of the investigation.

Officials say another inmate is considered a suspect, but that inmate's name hasn't been released.

Chancellor: Eliminate Standalone Journalism Degree

University of Colorado-Boulder Chancellor Phil DiStefano is recommending that the school eliminate its standalone journalism degree and transfer tenured faculty members to the graduate school.

The letter by DiStefano to CU President Bruce Benson Monday is part of an effort to develop a new interdisciplinary program that reflects the changes in the media industry. He's suggesting replacing the current journalism degree with a double major — journalism and another subject — or a major with a certificate or minor in journalism.

A panel is also is recommending a new program for information and communication technology, which would offer interdisciplinary curriculum at undergraduate and graduate levels.

The Boulder Daily Camera reports that the CU regents will discuss the fate of the journalism program in their Feb. 23 meeting.

UC Experiments on Shuttle

Containers built at the University of Colorado will carry two experiments aboard the final voyage of space shuttle Discovery. The craft is scheduled for launch on Feb. 24 after a delay of nearly four months. The cylinders built by BioServe Space Technologies in CU-Boulder's aerospace engineering sciences department are carrying experiments designed to study bacteria and a biofuel plant's cell cultivation.

State Department Admits It Made Mistake With Tax Letters

The Colorado Department of Revenue's mistake left some taxpayers with less money in their bank accounts. The state department says it accidentally mailed lien and garnish letters to thousands of banks. State officials said they accidentally mailed 57-hundred letters to banks and other entities January 28th and said follow-up letters noting the mistakes were mailed February 4th. Anyone who believes the mistakes impact them may call the revenue department.

DIA Asks FAA To Evaluate Programs After Runway Incursions

FAA officials are looking into recent runway incursions that occurred at Denver International Airport over the last month. The "Denver Post" reports airport manager Kim Day asked the agency to do a, quote, "candid, systemic evaluation of all our airfield safety and training programs." A Key Lime Air cargo plane February 9th reportedly missed a turn onto a taxiway, winding up on an active runway while a Frontier Airlines jet was taking off. Officials say January 31st an airport vehicle went onto an active runway as an airplane got ready for takeoff.

Loopy Calls For Deeper Cuts To Education

Governor John Hickenlooper's 2011-2012 budget calls for big cuts in education. In his proposal yesterday Hickenlooper suggests cutting K-through-12 education by 322-million dollars more than was cut the previous year. Overall, his budget proposes using 258-million less from the general fund in order to meet the state's one-point-five-billion-dollar shortfall.