Libertarian's Challenge New Same Day Voter Registration Law

A new Colorado voting law allowing same-day voter registration's being challenged in court by the state Libertarian Party. They're asking a Denver judge to step in and require separate vote-counting for local races with residency deadlines that differ from the new election law. Libertarian Party chairman Jeff Orrok says the law discriminates by setting different requirements in elections involving municipal races, local school districts and special districts. The lawsuit accuses county clerks across the state of improperly disregarding or misinterpreting residency requirements and allowing ineligible voters to register or change their addresses.

U.S. Hwy 36 Reopened

One of the main Colorado roads heavily damaged in the September floods is back open after National Guard troops and the Colorado Department of Transportation worked around the clock to repair the highway. Colorado highway crews were joined in recent weeks by Army and Air National Guard troops from Colorado, Montana, Utah and Kansas to repair U.S. Highway 36 between Lyons and Estes Park, gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. Transportation Department spokeswoman Amy Ford says construction on the highway was scheduled to be finished Dec. 1, but extra help allowed crews to finish early. The work is a temporary fix and crews will do permanent repairs next spring.

Wiggins School Board Meets Wednesday

Wiggins Board of Education members will be sworn in at their meeting on Wednesday starting at 6:30 p.m. in Wiggins Elementary School. That will be after the election results are in. There are two seats and three candidates: incumbents Mike Steinbach and Jim Bostron, and challenger Brian Baker. Once sworn in, they'll be getting busy with two cases of expulsion, as well as details on Wiggins Middle and the elementary school and how they did on the Colorado Transitional Assessment Program tests. Teachers will explain how their students did on the tests and what the results mean.

From tailgating to tea parties, fundraisers for the Overland Trail Museum's flood recovery are off to a good start

From tailgating to tea parties, fundraisers for the Overland Trail Museum's flood recovery are off to a good start. Sunday, the Old Town Bistro hosted a benefit for the museum featuring a beer tasting and tailgate party menu during the Denver Broncos game. Now the fundraising focus is turning to a "Share Your Blessings" Tea planned for next Wednesday, (Nov. 13). The tea will be held at the High Plains Education Center on the museum grounds. Volunteers have cooked up a special Thanksgiving menu, as well as traditional tea party fare, including several kinds of finger sandwiches and a variety of teas. With restoration efforts still ongoing, the tea is only the second event open to the public since the September flood. However, the museum itself remains closed. While the annual Christmas events at the museum will continue as scheduled, the museum will remain closed until after the first of the year.

-0-
mcb

School safety will be one of the main topics at tonight's (Monday) RE-1 Valley Board of Education meeting

School safety will be one of the main topics at tonight's (Monday) RE-1 Valley Board of Education meeting. During the workshop, the board will hear a presentation from Rocky Mountain Guardian Angels, a group established following a number of mass school shootings around the country, which sends off-duty law enforcement into schools to keep children safe. The presentation will address recommendations about what can be done to improve the school's safety. The board will also discuss the upcoming election of board officers, and they'll get an update on the Oct. 1 student count, which determines how much state funding the district will receive. The board will also receive an update on the five-year plan for the greenhouses at Sterling and Caliche High School.
-0-
mcb

Winter weather is in the air

Winter weather is in the air. As we head into November with cooler temperatures and shorter days since daylight saving time ended this weekend, it will begin to feel more like winter this month. November is, on average, the second-snowiest month of the year, with 8.7 inches of snow. Only March features a higher average monthly snowfall. The latest forecast from the Climate Prediction Center calls for above-normal temperatures and near-normal precipitation during November in the Denver metro area.
-0-
mcb

The Air Force's top general wants to trim the ranks

The Air Force's top general wants Congress to grant him the authority to trim the ranks. Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said he wants to use the tools used by companies to cope with $1 trillion in Pentagon budget cuts over a decade. Welsh told the Colorado Springs Gazette in an interview published Monday across-the-board cuts proposed over 10 years are a bad idea and a bad business model.
-0-
mcb

It's a not so sweet ride for Telluride residetns facing a "sin tax".

It's a not so sweet ride for Telluride residetns facing a "sin tax". Voters will be asked to enact a 1 cent per ounce tax on all sugary drinks, including "soda," in the Nov. election, according to the the Denver Post. Supporters argue that a tax is necessary because sugar is a bad thing for human health.
-0-
mcb

High winds could have played a role in a small plane crash last night

High winds could have played a role in a small plane crash last night at Yampa Valley Regional Airport. There were no serious injuries in Sunday's crash, and investigators are due at Yampa Valley Monday to try and determine the exact cause of the crash. The pilot and passengers were not identified. According to Steamboat Today the pilot lost control and ran through grassy areas, across the taxiway and through a fence.
-0-
mcb

A man accused of briefly kidnapping an 8-year-old Aurora girl from her bedroom is due in court Monday

A man accused of briefly kidnapping an 8-year-old Aurora girl from her bedroom is due in court Monday. Police say John Stanley Snorsky was already in custody on an unrelated charge of false reporting to a pawn shop when he was accused in the attempted kidnapping. He now faces charges of kidnapping and burglary. Police said Snorsky carried the girl from her bedroom to an alley behind her home last week, where she screamed and managed to break free.
-0-
mcb