Preacher Angers Students at CMU

There were some tense moments on the CMU campus yesterday, when self proclaimed born again Christian and preacher, Shawn Holes decided to preach to students passing by.  Holes reportedly made sexist and racist remarks that incensed a few students enough to draw a confrontation.  Police were called to the campus to diffuse the situation.  Nobody was hurt, and Holes denied make any kind of racial or sexist remarks.

Garfield County Fugitive Wanted

Garfield County authorities are looking for information on the whereabouts of a man accused of sexual assault on a child.   Saul Barajas-Apolinar, also known as Oscar Garcia was last living in Carbondale.  He has a national warrant out for sexual assault on a child, and sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.  Officials fear he may be trying to leave the country.  You can visit the Garfield County Sherriff's office website for more information.

Dr. Janani in More Trouble?

One of the doctors facing trial for medicare fraud, and over-prescribing pain medication could be in even more hot water.  A motion has been filed to review and possibly revoke Dr. Sam Jahani's bond, after he may have tried to contact a potential witness and former employee.  That would be a violation of his bond agreement.  A hearing on the matter has not yet been scheduled.

New GJPD Officers

The Grand Jucntion Police Department has won a nearly $1 million grant that'll fund the hiring of four new officers.  In a news release, spokeswoman Kate Porras says the positions will allow the department to reinstate the Street Crimes Unit, disbanded last year because of budget cuts.  Porras says when the SCU was operational, there was a 23% reduction in property crimes.

Burlington Boy Sentenced

A Burlington boy who killed his parents and seriously wounded a brother and sister has been sentenced to  seven years in juvenile detention followed by probation.
The Denver Post says the boy, who was 12 when the murders occurred on March 1st could have faced adult sanctions, but the district attorney chose to offer him a plea agreement. 

More Listeria

Federal health officials say more illnesses and possibly more deaths may be linked to the outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe in coming weeks.  Officials say only cantaloupe from Jensen Farms should not be eaten.  As many as 16 deaths, and 72 illnesses have been tied to the listeria outbreak.  National news articles say illnesses and deaths are likely to continue through October.

Voting Deadline

If you're planning to vote in the November election, you have until Monday to register or change your address.  If you've recently moved, you're encouraged to verify your address information with your county clerk's office.  If you need to register, you can do that online at GoVoteColorado.com. 

Voting Lawsuit Complaint

Two Democratic congressmen are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler violated federal law when he asked a judge to stop the Denver clerk and recorder from mailing ballots to inactive voters.  The two are from Pennsylvania and Texas and say Gessler's actions may violate the Voting Rights Act.  The Denver Post says "Inactive" voters WILL be allowed to vote at the clerk's office or a voting center.

Montrose WWII Planes

Two World War II era bombers are on their way to Montrose, touching down tomorrow.  The public can see the planes tomorrow through next Monday.  The planes are part of the “Salute to Veterans” event hosted by the Black Canyon Jet Center in conjunction with the Commemorative Air Force Arizona Wing.  One of the planes is the B-17 Flying Fortess, one of only 8 still flying in the world! The other is the B-25 “Maid in the Shade” which flew 15 bombing missionsover Italy in 1944.

District 51 Phones

District 51 has been with and without phone and internet service today.  The district sent out a news release saying construction on Grand Avenue caused a break in the District's fiber optic line that provides phone and internet to schools and other district buildings.  President Obama's Back to School speech was put on hold.  It was recorded off site for viewing later.

Lysteria

The Cantaloupe Listeria outbreak has now resulted in 13 confirmed deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still investigating another three deaths.  The outbreak is being called the deadliest in more than a decade.

Scammers Targeting Grandparents

Grand Junction Police say they've received reports of frauds committed against at least two residents costing them thousands of dollars. It's the scam where a caller convinces the victim they're a relative in a foreign country and in need of money.  There may be more of the frauds not reported.  You can call the police department if you think you might have been scammed.

Casino in Dinosaur?

The Moffat County Commissioners, Dinosaur town council, and representatives from the Ute Indian tribe met last week and discussed the possibilities of building a casino and resort in the town of Dinosaur.  The Northwestern Colorado town is looking for an economical boost, and the groups agreed to look into it further.  The Craig Daily Press says the next step is to put together a feasibility study, which should cost around $10,000.

No Phx to Telluride Flights

US Airways won't be flying directly from Phoenix to Telluride this winter.  The service ends after years of providing the flights with Dash-8 aircraft.  The airline tells the Telluride Daily Planet it's fleet of Dash-8 turbo props has been moved from Phoenix to LaGuardia Airport in New York.

Listeria Death

The Mesa County Health Department says an elderly person has died of listeria in Mesa County, and a second is hospitalized with Listeria.  Neither case has been positively linked to the current cantaloupe outbreak. Health officials want let people know that both of these cases involve people at high risk of contracting Listeriosis.  You can get more information from the county's website, health.mesacounty.us.

Tourism Awards

The governor's tourism awards handed out in Loveland today, and couple are coming back to the western slope.  The Outstanding Tourism Volunteer was presented to Edward Miller, an information Specialist volunteer for the Grand Junction VCB for seven years, donating 1,700 hours at the visitor's center.  The Outstanding Individual Contribution to Colorado Tourism goes to Kelli Hepler, the Tourism Cabinet Coordinator for Delta County.  Hepler is responsible for developing the Delta County Agritourism program and maintaining close management relationships with community partners

Drug Bust

The Western Colorado Drug Task Force has arrested three men after teaming up with local DEA officers, GJPD officers and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes Unit and SWAT Team.  After this morning's action, each of the men faces four felony counts including conspiracy Money Laundering and drug distribution.  Warrants for their arrests are sealed.

Seatbelt Crashes

A couple of Crashes east of Grand Junction on I-70 sound alot like a commercial for wearing seat belts.  Trooper Don Moseman says a head-on crash about 6:30 this morning at the Clifton interchange could have been fatal if all the passengers weren't buckled up.  A second crash at Mile Marker 43 involved a Dodge Neon and a Semi.  Everyone was wearing seatbelts and injuries were not life threatening.

Family Day

Want to Keep Your Kids Off Drugs? Mesa County is asking that question and proclaiming Monday, Family Day.  Recent research shows kids in families who don't get together for dinner are more likely to drink, smoke or use drugs than children who do sit down for meals with their parents.  Several local restaurants have donated gift cards to help local families get together for dinner.  The county is passing those out through its facebook page.

Monument Delays

Motorists in the Colorado National Monument will see some stop and go action tomorrow through Friday as crews work on rock scaling and removal of a 25 ton boulder along a quarter mile section of Rim Rock Drive between Artist Point and Highlands View scenic overlooks. Motorists and cyclists should expect stops between 10 and 15 minutes during the work.

Colorado Crim Stats

Crime is down in Colroado according to FBI revised figures. Colorado had 120 homicides in 2010, a 32 percent decline from 2009 and the lowest one-year total since 1969.  The Denver Post says the FBI report shows homicides nationally were down 4.2 percent.

Doug Bruce in Court

Anti Tax activist Doug Bruce, the author of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, is in court on tax-vasion charges.  Yesterday was a combative day.  Bruce representing himself, and accusing the judge, who said some of Bruce's arguments made absolutely no sense, of already having made up her mind.  According to the Denver Post, Bruce is accused of failing to file tax returns in 2006 and 2007 and dodging taxes on income made during those years and in 2005.

Odd Telluride Voting

If you live in Telluride, you'll get to vote twice in November.  The Telluride Daily Planet says conflicting state and town rules mean voters will cast ballots for the coordinated election with state, county and school district issues November 1st, and then for the town's municipal election November 8th.

Colo Xgr Reapportionment

The Colorado Reapportionment Commission has redrawn Colorado's legislative district for the next ten years.  The a bipartisan commission's plan was drawn up by the panel’s independent chairman. The plan still needs approval from the Colorado Supreme Court.

Voting Suit

Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler says he'll take the Denver clerk and recorder to court if she follows through with a plan to send ballots to inactive voters for the Nov. 1 election.The flap pits the state's most powerful Democratic county against Colorado's Republican secretary of state. The Denver Post says state law limits the mailings to active voters only.

Mesa County Library App

Wanna go to the library? There's an app for that.  The Mesa county Library has a new app for smart phones.  The MCLibraries app lets you search the library catalog, place holds on materials, and manage other aspects of your library account. It also lets you ask librarians questions by phone, email, or text. The only catch is you have a library card for some features.

New Riverfront Trail Section

Mesa County is getting ready to open a new section of the Colorado Riverfront Trail.  A new pedestrian bridge over the Colorado River near 32 Road is complete and connects the trail from Corn Lake to the newly designated Palisade Fruit and Wine Byway at C 1/2 Road. [A ribbon cutting ceremony this morning at 10:00.]

Commissioner Candidate

The election is still more than a year away, but already races for Mesa County Commissioner are heating up.  Loma rancher and small business owner Wes D'Aponti threw his hat in the ring for the seat being vacated by term-limited Craig Meis.  The Daily Sentinel says D'Aponti portrays himself as a defender of agriculture and a promoter of responsible energy development.

Voting Equipment Testing

Mesa County is getting ready to test its voting equipment for the November election and giving the public an opportunity to watch.  Clerk and Recorder Sheila Reiner says testing is a week from Monday at the Old Mesa County Courthouse.  If you want to witness the testing, you have to make a reservation with the clerk's office.

White Hall Fire Update

Agents from the BATF are at work with the CBI and Grand Junction Fire Department, looking for the cause of yesterday morning's fire at White Hall.  Fire Department spokesman Mike Page says the unstable condition of the building has kept investigators out.  He says it could be days before a cause and origin are determined.

Bennet & Udall Go Postal

U-S Senators Michael Bennet and Mark Udall are trying to save as many rural post offices as possible.  The pair have sent a letter to the chairwoman of the Postal Regulatory Commission urging her to consider things like proximity to other postal locations when making final decisions on closures.  They say postal closings could negatively impact business and community vitality.

"Like" United Way of Mesa County

Coloramo Federal Credit Union is turning to Facebook to raise money for United Way of Mesa County.  Coloramo says it will give United Way $1,000 if the charity gets 1,000 fans on Facebook by Friday.  If you want to help out, all you have to do is go to United Way of Mesa County's Facebook page and click on the Like button. 

Junction Economic Growth--Not

All of Colorado's metro areas saw economic growth last year, ALL...except Grand Junction. That's according to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.  The Denver Post says the report shows Grand Junction ranked 362nd out of 366 metro areas measured in 2010.

American Furniture Job Event

The Mesa County Workforce Center Hosting Hiring Event for American Furniture Warehouse.  The store expects to open by early November and has 120 job openings including delivery drivers, sales, front office, warehouse and much more.  The Job Fair is at the Mesa County Workforce Center Thursday from 9 until 3.  Applications are available online right now on the Workforce Center’s statewide database connectingcolorado.com  oron the company’s website afwonline.com.

Rocky Ford listeria

The state health department says cantaloupe from Colorado's famed Rocky Ford area is the likely source in the latest listeria outbreak in Colorado and other states. Health officials say additional tests may help identify a specific source.

Berrelez Case

18 years after the abduction and murder of 5 year old Alie Berrelez in Englewood, Police say they've finally solved the crime.  Detectives today named Nicholas Stofer, dead since 2001, as the only suspect. DNA evidence was re-submitted and using new technology linked Stofer to Berrelez' death.

Mt. Garfield Plan

Mesa County is considering adopting interim development measures and amendments to the county's land development code for the Mt. Garfield area and holding an open house to get input.  The open house is tomorrow from 4:30 to 7:30 at Clifton Christian Church on the I-70 Business Loop.  Results from an online survey will be available at the open house.

Montrose Whitewater

The City of Montrose wants to build a white water park on the Uncompahgre River, but wants help from the county for funding.  The Montrose Daily Press says the county isn't wild about the idea just yet, having recently completed the fairgrounds master plan.

New GJ City Website

 The City of Grand Junction has launched a new website and is offering public training sessions.  The site has the same address, gjcity.org and provides more simple and efficient user experience for customers.  Anyone looking for training can get that tomorrow and on the 14th at city hall.  The City of Grand Junction website receives over 2,000,000 hits a year.

Wildlife Zones

Wildlife zones and lowered nighttime speed limits on some key corridors in Colorado are in effect as of the first of the month.  Motorists can look for roadside reminders to slow down and watch for wildlife, and expect doubled fines for nighttime speeding in designated zones.  The wildlife zone laws first went into effect last year and the Glenwood Sprigs office of the State Patrol says it's looking into whether a reduction of crashes in some areas can be attributed to the wildlife zone laws.

Mesa Co Library Options

Mesa County Public Library District is weighing options for expansion.  The board says it'll  need additional space for the main branch in Downtown Grand Junction, and they have the money to make it happen.  The Daily Sentinel says the library expects to have $4.5 million dollars in the bank by the end of the year.  An open house is likely next month to discuss options.

Barrett Extradition

The Montrose Daily Press  says Barrett argued his life is in danger because he helped guards in a prison riot in the 1970s.  The court said the scope of of this morning's hearing, was limited to the extradition order's technical sufficiency and his identity, neither of which were in question.

Local TX Fire Help

The Grand Junction Fire Department is on a national call out list, and could have a crew deployed to Texas.  The wildfires in Texas have caused federal agencies to call in crews from other Colorado towns already.  The number of homes destroyed by the fire has climbed to at least one thousand.

Colorado Gas Prices

The average price of gas in  Colorado is up 10 cents a gallon compared to last week at $3.55.  The national average is also up, to $3.67 a gallon.  ColoradoGasPrices.com says storms impeding activity of refineries and oil platforms are to blame.  GasBuddy.com says gasoline prices are expected to drop toward the end of the month.

CSP Hunts Felon

The Colorado State Patrol is trying to find a man wanted on multiple felony charges in connection with a hit and run fatal crash that occurred August 21 in Adams County.  29 year old Rober Lucero is also wanted by the Department of Corrections Probations, for parole violations. Anyone with information should contact the State Patrol in Denver.

Colon Cancer Discovery

Researchers at CU have discovered a new colon-cancer marker that could eventually eliminate the need for colonoscopies. The Denver Post says initial indications show a particular enzyme may provide a way to treat the disease.

DMV Closes Early

If you have business at the Mesa County Motor Vehicles Department tomorrow, get there early.  They're closing at 4:30 for staff training.  They're also reminding people they can renew online.  Just go to Colorado.gov/newplates.

Montrose Stabbing

19 year old Zachary Culmer was stabbed todeath at a house party in Montrose September 5th last year, and still no answers as to what happened.  The Montrose Daily Press says a youth arrested in connection with the stabbing was released last October and the case remains open and active.

The House

There's a big benefit this weekend for The House, a safe place for homeless teens.  Organizers have set up a bowling tournament and car show at Freeway Bowl both today and tomorrow.  State Representative Laura Bradford won a contest with the Colorado Bankers association.....a one thousand dollar check for the charity of her choice, so the fundraiser for The House got started with that presentation today.

I-70 Gypsum Fatal

A 57 year old Las Vegas man is dead after a crash on I-70 just after 5:00 this morning near Gypsum.  The Colorado State Patrol says Bryan Davies apparently fell asleep at the wheel and his semi went off the road and rolled into the median.  Davies was wearing a seatbelt, but died at the scene.

100 Days of Heat

C-DOT's 100 Days of Heat comes to an end this weekend with more increased patrols and DUI checkpoints.  Spokeswoman Heather Halpape says since the “100 Days of Heat” campaign kicked off Memorial Day weekend, statewide law enforcement agencies have made 1,800 DUI arrests during enforcement periods alone.  Drivers can get more information at HeatIsOnColorado.com.

Mac & Cheese Festival

It seems like there's a festival for everything, and apparently there is.  If you like Macaroni and Cheese, your festival is tomorrow in Aspen.  It starts at noon on restaurant row.  The City's Parks and Recreation Supervisor is running the show and tells the Aspen Times local restaurants will offer a myriad of mac and cheese.  The Big cheese gets a $1500 prize from the city.

Huffing Arrest

A Grand Junction man jailed this morning after a serious medical call at West Lake on Independent Avenue.  Paramedics responded and found a man in the water, inhaling vapors from a can of Dust Off.  Police spokeswoman Kate Porras says 24 year old John Little was treated at the scene then taken to the jail.  She says normally a person caught huffing would be ticketed, but this is the fourth time this week Little has been contacted by police.

Rifle School Evacuation

There's no school at Graham Mesa Elementary in Rifle Friday.  The school shut down after students and staff became sick Thursday and were taken to hospitals in Rifle and Glenwood Springs.  In a news release, Garfield Re-2 spokeswoman Teresa Hamilton said initial findings show no indication of carbon monoxide or natural gas, and food poisoning was also ruled out.  16 students and one teacher were treated at Grand River Hospital in Rifle, 6 students were taken to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs.  All were treated and released.

Desert Murder Plea

A 26 year old homeless man has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder in the killing of David Gary whose body was found in the desert north of I-70 last April.  KREX says Aaron Myers is accused of hitting Gary with a stick.  The Coroner said Gary died of blunt force trauma. Meyers' trial is set for January 9th.

Rangely Drug Bust

Seven people are under arrest in Rangely after a drug raid yesterday.  According to the Craig Daily Press, the arrests came after a three month multi-agency investigation that included searches of businesses and residential properties connected to the suspects, and the seizure of unspecified quantities of illicit drugs.

West Hawk Energy Fine

A record fine has been levied against an energy company accused of abandoning 8 gas wells in Rio Blanco County.  The Daily Sentinel says West Hawk Energy has been hit with a $940,000 fine for 90 violations.  The Colorado Oil and Gas Commission says the fine will likely be hard to recover because they haven't been able to contact the operator of West Hawk.

Red Flag Warning

Hot, windy weather along with low humidity has led to a Red Flag warning in the Moffat and Rio Blanco County areas and the same condition are likely to move south toward Mesa County.  The National Weather Service says drier air is combining with gusty winds ahead of an approaching cool front, creating critical fire weather conditions

CMU Montrose

Montrose Memorial Hospital has donated $150,000 to Colorado Mesa University's nursing program in Montrose. The money will fund new equipment for the campus during its renovation beginning next summer. The Montrose campus currently has 300 students, 70 of them in the nursing program.