The Colorado Reapportionment Commission was in Sterling over the weekend before a tour of the Easter Plains. The commission has been putting in the miles to hear what people think of the proposed redistricting plan. Here, people were concerned that the maps will put Representative Jon Becker's home over in Weld County and split Morgan County. While the commission heard from those who said groups that elected Becker before, might not get to elect him again, and those who had even more specific concerns, they reminded those attending, that the whole process is driven by the number, and creating districts that are nearly equal in population size. The Colorado Supreme Court has to have the final plan by October 7, and then the Secretary of State gets the approved plan by December 14 before precinct caucuses.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Residents Don't Get Answers on Windsor Oil
When a Greeley oil company proposed drilling near homes in Windsor, they called neighbors to a meeting. Residents were given to believe there would be some Q and A, but turned out, it was the company making a presentation, and residents didn't like that. They didn't like even more, the idea of drilling for oil close to their homes. 9News reports that residents are
concerned about the fracking and what effect the new oil well could have on their property values. Residents say Ranchers Exploration Partners wants to drill on property behind two subdivisions and residents are concerned for their health, should that happen. Ranchers said it would use fracking to drill for the oil, which uses chemicals pumped into the ground to release the oil. The drilling would be near the Larimer-Weld County line, behind the River West and Ridge West subdivisions.
concerned about the fracking and what effect the new oil well could have on their property values. Residents say Ranchers Exploration Partners wants to drill on property behind two subdivisions and residents are concerned for their health, should that happen. Ranchers said it would use fracking to drill for the oil, which uses chemicals pumped into the ground to release the oil. The drilling would be near the Larimer-Weld County line, behind the River West and Ridge West subdivisions.
Nobody Running
There's nobody to run for Yuma School District 1, and the paperwork has to be in by this coming Friday. The applications are in the school district office, but nobody's filling it out. If you want to run, you have to have lived in the district for a year before the election, which is in November, and you have to have 25 signatures on your nominating form. The deadline for write-in candidates is Monday, August 29. There are two seats open on the board.
Halliburton exec takes a swig of fracking fluid
DENVER (AP) — An energy company executive's deed at an industry conference this month is bringing attention to new recipes for hydraulic fracturing fluids that can sometimes contain chemicals commonly used for antifreeze or bleaching hair.
At the conference in Denver, Halliburton Co. CEO Dave Lesar talked about addressing public concerns about fracking, which extracts natural gas by blasting a mix of water, chemicals and usually sand underground. Attendees say he raised a container of Halliburton's new fracking fluid made from chemicals sourced from the food industry, said he'd show how safe it was, then had a fellow executive drink it.
Mark Brownstein of the Environmental Defense Fund says he's pleased Halliburton is taking steps to remove toxic chemicals but says it's unclear how soon the new recipe will be widely used.
At the conference in Denver, Halliburton Co. CEO Dave Lesar talked about addressing public concerns about fracking, which extracts natural gas by blasting a mix of water, chemicals and usually sand underground. Attendees say he raised a container of Halliburton's new fracking fluid made from chemicals sourced from the food industry, said he'd show how safe it was, then had a fellow executive drink it.
Mark Brownstein of the Environmental Defense Fund says he's pleased Halliburton is taking steps to remove toxic chemicals but says it's unclear how soon the new recipe will be widely used.
Government wants Nacchio fine sent to victims fund
DENVER (AP) — The Justice Department wants a federal judge to release $19 million in fines paid by former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio so the money can be transferred to the national Crime Victims Fund.
The fines were part of Nacchio's sentence after he was convicted of insider trading in 2007. He is also serving a six-year prison sentence.
The fine money was placed in an interest-bearing escrow account while Nacchio appealed his case.
The Denver Post reported Monday that government lawyers filed a request last week for release of the money. Their motion says all the appeals are over.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review Nacchio's case in 2009, and in February he dropped his final appeal of his sentence.
The fines were part of Nacchio's sentence after he was convicted of insider trading in 2007. He is also serving a six-year prison sentence.
The fine money was placed in an interest-bearing escrow account while Nacchio appealed his case.
The Denver Post reported Monday that government lawyers filed a request last week for release of the money. Their motion says all the appeals are over.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review Nacchio's case in 2009, and in February he dropped his final appeal of his sentence.
Father: Army throws out negligent homicide conviction against son over death of 2 Iraqis
DENVER (AP) — The father of an Army captain from Colorado says the Army has thrown out his son's negligent homicide conviction in the deaths of two Iraqi civilians.
Peter Bjork lives in Evergreen and practices law in Denver. He says the Army recently notified him that the negligent homicide conviction of his son, Capt. Carl Bjork, had been set aside because of a legal error.
The younger Bjork remains convicted of reckless endangerment, which stemmed from the booby trapping of an arms cache in Iraq.
He was convicted in a court-martial in Iraq in May 2010. Pentagon-based U.S. Army spokesman Troy Rolan could not immediately provide details of the decision.
KUSA-TV reports that the Army will return $13,500 taken from his salary as part of a sentence handed down.
Peter Bjork lives in Evergreen and practices law in Denver. He says the Army recently notified him that the negligent homicide conviction of his son, Capt. Carl Bjork, had been set aside because of a legal error.
The younger Bjork remains convicted of reckless endangerment, which stemmed from the booby trapping of an arms cache in Iraq.
He was convicted in a court-martial in Iraq in May 2010. Pentagon-based U.S. Army spokesman Troy Rolan could not immediately provide details of the decision.
KUSA-TV reports that the Army will return $13,500 taken from his salary as part of a sentence handed down.
Suspect gets cop's gun but gets locked out of bank
PALISADE, Colo. (AP) - Authorities say a would-be robber surprised a police officer inside a western Colorado bank and took his gun, but the suspect accidentally locked himself out and fled with no money.
Palisade Police Chief Carroll Quarles said Monday neither the suspect nor the gun has been found.
Nobody was hurt.
Authorities say the suspect was in the bank when the officer went there Saturday morning to investigate an alarm. The suspect ordered the bank president to let the officer in.
Quarles says the suspect put a gun to the officer's head, ordered him to the floor and took his gun.
The officer ran from the bank and radioed for help. Quarles says the suspect chased the officer outside and the door locked behind him,
Palisade Police Chief Carroll Quarles said Monday neither the suspect nor the gun has been found.
Nobody was hurt.
Authorities say the suspect was in the bank when the officer went there Saturday morning to investigate an alarm. The suspect ordered the bank president to let the officer in.
Quarles says the suspect put a gun to the officer's head, ordered him to the floor and took his gun.
The officer ran from the bank and radioed for help. Quarles says the suspect chased the officer outside and the door locked behind him,
Siblings accused in crime spree charged in Colorado
WALSENBURG, Colo. (AP) — Colorado prosecutors have filed attempted murder charges Monday against three siblings accused in a cross-country crime spree that began in Florida and ended with gunplay and a police chase in southern Colorado.
Authorities say 29-year-old Lee Grace Dougherty, and her younger brothers 26-year-old Dylan Stanley Dougherty and 21-year-old Ryan Edward Dougherty robbed a bank in Georgia and shot at police officers in Florida and Colorado. They're also suspects in two car thefts in Utah.
The cross-country manhunt for the Doughertys ended in Huerfano, Colorado, on August 10 after a chase on Interstate 25 that began when the trio was spotted near Colorado City, Colorado.
All three appeared in court Monday but said little beyond "yes" or "no" in answer to the judge's questions.
Each faces five counts of attempted second-degree murder and five counts of first-degree assault, among other charges.
Authorities say 29-year-old Lee Grace Dougherty, and her younger brothers 26-year-old Dylan Stanley Dougherty and 21-year-old Ryan Edward Dougherty robbed a bank in Georgia and shot at police officers in Florida and Colorado. They're also suspects in two car thefts in Utah.
The cross-country manhunt for the Doughertys ended in Huerfano, Colorado, on August 10 after a chase on Interstate 25 that began when the trio was spotted near Colorado City, Colorado.
All three appeared in court Monday but said little beyond "yes" or "no" in answer to the judge's questions.
Each faces five counts of attempted second-degree murder and five counts of first-degree assault, among other charges.
Magnitude 5.3 quake shakes southern Colorado; largest earthquake to hit state in 4 decades
TRINIDAD, Colo. (AP) — The largest earthquake to strike Colorado in almost 40 years has shaken hundreds of people near the New Mexico border.
The National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo., says a magnitude 5.3 earthquake was recorded at about 11:46 p.m. MDT Monday about nine miles southwest of Trinidad, Colo., and about 180 miles south of Denver. It follows two smaller quakes that hit the area earlier in the day.
U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Amy Vaughn says the quake is the largest in Colorado since a magnitude 5.7 was recorded in 1973. That quake was centered in the northwestern part of the state — about 50 miles north of Grand Junction.
A Las Animas County Sheriff's Office dispatcher says a few homes have been damaged and deputies are investigating reports of rockslides along a highway.
The National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo., says a magnitude 5.3 earthquake was recorded at about 11:46 p.m. MDT Monday about nine miles southwest of Trinidad, Colo., and about 180 miles south of Denver. It follows two smaller quakes that hit the area earlier in the day.
U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Amy Vaughn says the quake is the largest in Colorado since a magnitude 5.7 was recorded in 1973. That quake was centered in the northwestern part of the state — about 50 miles north of Grand Junction.
A Las Animas County Sheriff's Office dispatcher says a few homes have been damaged and deputies are investigating reports of rockslides along a highway.
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