Man Hospitalized After Being Run Over By RTD Bus

(Denver, CO) -- Denver police are trying to figure out how a man ended up being run over by an RTD bus. The man was pinned beneath the bus last night on Colfax near High Street. Witnesses say the victim was caught beneath the back tires of the bus. His condition hasn't been released.

NCHD Gets High Marks, Funding Cut

Northeast Colorado Board of Health will see more than half its funding cut over the next four years for both mothers and children. Officials say the funding for the programs have been directed elsewhere. Sort of the bad news part of a good news bad news scenario: the good news came a few months ago when NCHD got the state department of health's highest rating for its plans to run both of the programs. The two groups had been funded through their individual funds of nearly 157 thousand dollars, but starting in fiscal 2013, they'll both have to pull from a pot of 20 thousand dollars less a year, each year until 2016 when the total fund will be just under 78 thousand dollars.

Weld County Investigators Believe Ex-Lover Killed Globetrotters Trainer

(Greeley, CO) -- Weld County investigators believe Harlem Globetrotters trainer Thomas Bashline was murdered because his ex-lover was feeling disrespected. Investigators say Draton Mares claims Bashline was disrespectful and verbally abusive to him shortly before the November 4th murder happened. The 23-year-old also told police he blindfolded Bashline before shooting him in the head. Mares is charged with first-degree murder.

New Email Scam Features Fake Emails From BBB, FBI, IRS

(Undated) -- The Better Business Bureau is warning Denver and Colorado Springs about a scam being done by people pretending to be the Better Business Bureau. Steve Bernas with the BBB says, "Basically, what they are is a phishing email, trying to get you to click on the link and go to a third party site. We don't what the extent of it is yet, we are obviously looking into it." He says the spammers are also pretending to be government agencies like the FBI and the IRS. He suggests anyone who gets one of the spam emails to not open it, immediately delete it and run an anti-virus program. So far, no one has reported any problems.

Egypt Orders Release Of American Students

(Cairo) -- An Egyptian court has ordered the release of three American students arrested for rioting in Cairo. The three young men are reportedly students at Cairo's American University. They're identified as 20-year-old Derrik Sweeney from Georgetown University, 21-year-old Luke Gates from Indiana University and 19-year-old Greg Porter from Drexel University. All three were detained for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at police. There have been widespread riots in Egypt by protesters calling on the Egyptian military to hand over power to a civilian government.

Consumer advocate reviewing Xcel rate hike request

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel is reviewing Xcel Energy Inc.'s request for an electricity rate hike that would raise the typical residential customer's bill by about 6 percent.

The state office represents the interests of residents, agricultural consumers and small businesses before state regulators who will review the request. Its director Bill Levis says that historically, Xcel has requested more than what his office thinks it should and more than what the Public Utilities Commission eventually approves.

Levis said Wednesday it appears more of the proposed rate hike will fall on residential customers than others, such as commercial customers.

Xcel has said the rate hike will help it cover costs for items including higher taxes and cutting down beetle-infested trees that could topple power lines.

Larimer GOP to pay fine in installments

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — The Larimer County Republican Party will pay a campaign finance fine of more than 18 thousand dollars in installments during the next year.

The Fort Collins Coloradoan reports that the fine came after county Republicans failed to file required campaign finance reports in 2010.

County Republicans claim they were victims of criminal wrongdoing by their former Chairman Larry Carrillo. He is suspected of stealing party money to gamble. He faces a theft charge and is due in court Dec. 5.

Secretary of state seeks campaign finance changes

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler is proposing an overhaul of campaign finance rules he says need to be updated but his suggestions are being criticized by some groups.

A public hearing on the proposed rules is set for Dec. 15 and Gessler's office has up to 180 days to make determinations. The Denver Post reports Thursday that one of the rules would limit the total fine for filing a late or incomplete campaign-finance report. Gessler says under the current rule some groups rack up fines they can't realistically pay.

Other proposed changes include keeping a $5,000 disclosure threshold for political issue committees, instead of the $200 threshold in state law. A judge ruled against Gessler in that matter but he's appealing.

Critics of the Republican secretary say he's overstepping his authority.

Train with military vehicles derails, no injuries

FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) — Fort Carson officials say two flatbed rail cars carrying military vehicles tipped over but there are no injuries and no concerns about any hazardous materials.

KRDO-TV reports that military officials at the post say the derailment happened at about 10 a.m. Thursday just inside one of the gates to the base.

Firefighters are investigating how the derailment happened.