Colorado Still Shedding Construction Jobs

One of the hardest his sectors of the economy has been construction. Ken Simonson, chief economist with the General Contractors of America says even though the economy is slowly turning around, construction has been neutral for over a year nationwide, and it's been even worse in Colorado...






TAG: Colorado's population is still growing though, and Simonson says that's a good sign for the future of the state's construction industry.

Peck Still Sedgwick Co Sheriff

Sedgwick County Sheriff Randy Peck will keep his job. The unofficial recall vote count showed that 585 people voted to keep the sheriff, while 383 voted to recall him. The Denver Post reports that the votes will be confirmed next week making the count official. Those who wanted Peck out said he used too much excessive force. Those who wanted him in office said Peck's critics were unhappy about the November 2010 election results.

El Rancho Alegre License Revoked

The Fort Morgan City Council, acting as the local liquor licensing authority, revoked El Rancho Alegre's hotel and restaurant liquor license at Tuesday's meeting. First there was that 'show cause' hearing where council heard from police about problems at the bar. Then, Acting City Manager and City Attorney Jeff Wells said the bar had some legal issues. License holder Ruben Escorza also got to have his say on why he should have a license, but in the end, council revoked the hotel and restaurant license for El Rancho Alegre, but Escorza has applied for a new license. There's a hearing on January 3.

Hickenlooper To Appeal Education Funding Ruling

(Denver, CO) -- Colorado's education funding lawsuit is headed to the state Supreme Court. In a statement yesterday, Governor John Hickenlooper says a Denver District Court judge's ruling this month doesn't provide a solution to funding problem. Hickenlooper also says the judge's ruling isn't reconciled with parts of the state Constitution, including TABOR. Parents sued the state in 2005, saying the state isn't following the Education Clause of the state Constitution.

NORAD Santa trackers stand by for another big day

DENVER (AP) — Santa already is piling up hefty numbers on social networking sites, so the volunteer Santa-trackers at NORAD are bracing for tens of thousands of calls and emails on Christmas Eve.

NORAD Tracks Santa answered 80,000 phone calls last year from its operations center at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Volunteers also answered 7,000 emails.

NORAD Tracks Santa started in 1955 because of a typo in a newspaper ad. Kids who thought they were calling Santa wound up talking to NORAD's predecessor.

Officers on duty played along and began relaying reports on Santa's progress. It's now a deep-rooted tradition at NORAD.

NORAD Tracks Santa already has more than 754,000 "likes" on Facebook this year, and 60,000 Twitter followers.

A new smart phone Santa-tracker app is also available this year.

Would-be car thief thwarted by stick shift

KEN CARYL, Colo. (AP) — Jefferson County sheriff's officials are seeking a man who tried to drive off in a woman's car but then fled on foot when he couldn't operate the manual transmission.

They say the man approached the woman with a gun late Tuesday at a gas station and demanded her purse and keys. Officials say that after the woman handed them over, the suspect started her car but couldn't operate the stick shift. He ran away with her purse.

Nearly 200 Fort Carson soldiers arrive home early

FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) — Nearly 200 soldiers from Fort Carson have arrived home for the holidays.

The soldiers are members of the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team. They returned to Colorado from Afghanistan Wednesday evening.

The Army says the Warhorse brigade is home six months early following the successful completion of its mission in the western province of Herat. The brigade has been working with the Afghan army and police to increase security in the area and conducting humanitarian aid projects.

Bruce found guilty of tax evasion

DENVER (AP) — Colorado's best known tax opponent has been found guilty of tax evasion.

Jurors deliberated for less than four hours before returning a guilty verdict against Douglas Bruce on Wednesday. He was convicted on all counts — evading state taxes, filing a false return, attempting to influence a public servant and failing to file a return between 2005 and 2010.

Bruce is a former state lawmaker and the father of Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights.

The state said he hid millions of dollars in a sham charity set up to avoid taxes.

Bruce said state officials went after him for promoting smaller government.

He faces up to 12 years in prison when he's sentenced on Feb. 13.

The Gazette reported that Bruce said he would appeal his conviction but declined further comment.

Van crash killed sex offender, young prison worker

LIMON, Colo. (AP) - Colorado officials say the inmate who died in a rollover crash on Interstate 70 that also killed a prison officer had spent most of his life behind bars.

Department of Corrections spokeswoman Katherine Sanguinetti says 57-year-old Andres Valdez died in the crash Monday near Genoa. The State Patrol says the accident also killed 22-year-old private prison company employee Grace Cortez of Stratton and injured eight other inmates and another employee of Corrections Corporation of America.

Cortez was driving the van when it rolled as the group headed from the Kit Carson Correctional Facility in Burlington to the Limon Correctional Facility. KUSA-TV in Denver reports Cortez had worked for the company since May.

Sanguinetti tells KUSA that Valdez had been convicted of second-degree kidnapping, theft, sex assault, forgery and menacing.

More snow, ice, cold arrive in Colorado

DENVER (AP) — Drivers in Colorado's Front Range, from north of Fort Collins to near Colorado Springs, are in for an icy commute Thursday morning, with plenty of snow.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning through 11 a.m. Thursday for areas including Denver International Airport, where officials were bracing for up to 9 inches of snow by Thursday afternoon. The winter storm warning lasts through 8 p.m. Thursday in the Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains further south.

Four inches of snow had already been reported near Nederland and also Colorado Springs on Wednesday night, and forecasters said the southern and western suburbs of Denver could get up to 12 inches before the storm moves out. Higher elevations could see 8 to 16 inches of new snow and strong winds.