Farm driving as young as 14 goes to CO Senate

A bill allowing youths as young as 14 to receive Colorado driver's licenses for agricultural work is now in the state Senate.

The Senate Transportation Committee planned to start work Tuesday on a bill creating a new "agricultural youth driver's license." Teens would be eligible at 14 1/2 years of age, with the caveat that they could drive only between their homes and an approved agricultural business.

Those under 16 could drive on highways only with an adult in the car.

The proposal has already passed in the House. If the bill becomes law, a legislative analysis predicted some 145 Colorado youths would apply for the licenses each year.

Colo. programs get federal grants for homeless

Colorado programs that help the homeless and those with HIV/AIDS have received nearly $2 million in federal grants.

The Denver Post reports that the U.S. Development of Housing and Urban Development announced Monday that Colorado programs will get $1.8 million.

Denver-based Del Norte Neighborhood Development Corp. will get nearly $1.5 million for two of its projects, including one that provides housing to the homeless.

Grand Valley Catholic Outreach in Grand Junction has received about $251,000 and the Colorado Springs Homeward Pikes Peak has received nearly $149,000.

huge Snowpack Now Could Mean Flooding Snowmelt Later

The USDA says it measured the snowpack in the Poudre and Big Thompson canyons, and it averages 133 inches. They say that could mean a lot of water when it melts and flows into the Poudre River, then the South Platte River. Weld County officials say they're not hoping for an instant summer, and thus a quick thaw. They say that could push the Poudre River to flow six thousand cubic feet per second. County officials said it flowed at 43 hundred cubic feet per second when it overflowed its banks last spring.

Senate Democrats Have Redistricting Map; Republicans Working on Theirs

As of yesterday, the Joint Select Committee on Redistricting has not produced the bipartisan congressional map they were looking for. So now, committee members are each creating their own maps. Senate Dems are going with a map that was produced last week,while Republicans are still working on theirs. The bill that committee co-chair Senator Rollie Heath of Boulder is sponsoring would cut the Eastern Plains into two districts, and divide them along I-70 and I-25. The Democrats' bill and map would split Larimer County on the western boundary, but keep Yuma, Washington and Arapahoe counties together to make up the 4th district's southern boundary.

Northern Command Spokesperson On Bin Laden Death

A spokesperson at Northern Command in Colorado Springs calls the death of Osama bin Laden a, quote, "great thing." Established in 2002 in the wake of the September 11th attacks, Northern Command keeps a constant monitor of the U.S. to help guard the country against a repeat terrorist attack. Spokesperson Jamie Graybeal said bin Laden's death at the hands of U.S. Special Forces has, quote, "particular importance to the people of this command."

Palin Uses Denver Speech To Question Pakistan

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin wants to know if Pakistan gave Osama bin Laden safe haven. Speaking at a Denver-area fundraiser yesterday Palin remarked the former al-Qaeda leader was living in, quote, "relative luxury" when U.S. Special Forces located and killed him during a raid on a mansion-esque compound deep inside Pakistan Sunday. It's unknown how long the most wanted man in U.S. history was holed up there, and Palin wonders whether the Pakistani government was helping bin Laden. Palin made her comments before one-thousand people at a charity event for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.

Lawmakers Not Convinced Bill To Target 'Johns' Would Be Effective

Lawmakers are unsure if a bill that would try to scare first-time offenders out of soliciting prostitutes would be effective. The bill that would provide "john schools" that would teach people about the moral and physical effects of buying sex will be debated today on the state House floor. State Representative Beth McCann is a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 85 but she told a House committee recently targeting johns is a growing trend but not much data on it is available. The bill would let city and county courts offer first-time law-breakers a choice of taking the classes at their own cost or facing a solicitation conviction.