Colorado Senate approves school exercise bill

The Colorado Senate approved a proposal that would require 30 minutes of physical activity for elementary students each day.

House Bill 1069 directs school districts to make sure students are getting exercise, whether it's during recess, physical education classes, or field trips. The Senate gave final approval to the bill Monday but House lawmakers still need to consider amendments to the measure before deciding whether to send it to Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Supporters of the bill say students need time to exercise during school to combat rising obesity rates. They say physical activity also improves students' academic performance.

Several states have implemented similar legislation in recent years.

Vote delayed on Colorado solitary confinement bill

A Senate committee delayed a vote on a Colorado proposal to limit the number of mentally ill inmates placed in solitary confinement.

Senators heard testimony on the bill Monday but will vote on it later. It would direct state prisons to have a physician evaluate inmates with mental illnesses before they're placed in solitary confinement. The bill would also require that inmates in solitary confinement get a chance to integrate with the general prison population before they're released to the public.

The Department of Corrections opposes the bill and says solitary confinement is used appropriately to protect the prison population.

Sen. Morgan Carroll and Rep. Claire Levy, both Democrats, say the bill is intended to curb the rising trend of mentally ill inmates who are put in solitary confinement.

Colorado man can sue Secret Service in Cheney case

An appeals court ruled that a Colorado man can sue two Secret Service agents who arrested him after he touched former Vice President Dick Cheney on the arm in 2006 and told him his Iraq War policies were "disgusting."

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that Steven Howards can sue Virgil D. "Gus" Reichle Jr., and Dan Doyle on First Amendment grounds. But the court ruled that two other agents named the lawsuit are immune in the case.

Howards was arrested after he approached Cheney at a mall in Beaver Creek, a resort town west of Denver. The agents alleged that Howards' contact with Cheney constituted assault but a local prosecutor dropped the case.

Sean R. Gallagher, the attorney for Reichle and Doyle, says he is considering appealing.

Colorado boy faces nine charges in parents' deaths

Newly released documents in the case of a 12-year-old Colorado boy accused of fatally shooting his parents and wounding two siblings show prosecutors filed nine charges against him, including two counts of first-degree murder.

The documents released by a judge Monday also offer new details from investigators alleging the boy tried to hurt his 5-year-old sister with a knife and stabbed and shot his 9-year-old brother. The Denver Post and KUSA-TV report that the documents were released after a closed court hearing.

Police say the found the bodies of Charles and Marilyn Long after the boy called 911 to report a shooting at their Burlington home.

Prosecutors have not decided whether to charge the boy as an adult.

Gas Prices Up Again

Gas prices are up again. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded across Denver is three-dollars, 31-cents. That's an increase of more than four cents from a week ago. The "Denver Business Journal" reports the hike is still seven cents less than the previous week.

Denver Third On List For Social Networking

It's hard to beat Denver when it comes to social networking. "Men's Health" magazine reports only Washington D.C and Atlanta do more social networking than Denver. The rankings were based on counting the number of Facebook and Linkedin users per capita, Twitter use and other social networking sites.

Mom Gives Birth On Denver Highway

A woman gave birth on the side of a Denver highway today. The "Post" reports it happened around six this morning on the shoulder of 6th Avenue near the Knox Street overpass. The woman and her husband were on their way to the hospital after she began having contractions, but felt they weren't going to make it there in time. The mother was assisted by emergency personnel and both the woman and the child are doing fine.