MURDER ARRESTS
Mesa County Sheriff's Investigators are saying very little about the stabbing death of a Fruita man last week. 31 year old Able Roper was found dead in a trailer park at 32 and F Roads Thursday morning. Over the weekend, brothers Jose and Julio Ortiz of Clifton were arrested. Both are being held on suspicion of 1st degree murder. No details have been released.
GUN BILL DIES
A bill in the State Senate that would prevent state agencies from confiscating firearms without due process during a declared state of emergency is expected to die in committee today. Grand Junction Senator Steve King says he is disappointed, that the issue is not a republican or democrat one, but a second amendment issue. The proposal is on the agenda this afternoon in the State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee – known in the Capitol as the “Kill Committee."
GRANT APPLICATION
The Board of Mesa County commissioners is expected to approve an application for a $4.5 million River
Initiative Grant from the State Board of Great Outdoors Colorado. The grant would be used to pay for Colorado Riverfront Trails, Fruita Connection Phase 3 and Kokopelli Connection.
COLORADO GAS PRICES
When the price of gas goes down, more often than not, it's by a penny or two. When it goes up.... The price of gas in Colorado this week is 7-cents a gallon higher than last week at $3.21 a gallon. ColoradoGasPrices.com says that compares with the national climb of 5.2 cents to 3.71/gallon. Including the change during the past week, the average cost in Colorado is 7.2 cents a gallon lower than a year ago, and 20.6 cents a gallon higher than a month ago.
ROBINSON ANNOUNCES
Grand Junction attorney Dan Robinson is expected to enter the race for the newly drawn State House District 55 which includes only the city of Grand Junction. The seat is currently held by Republican Ray Scott. Robinson, a democrat, has a press conference set this afternoon and confirms to the Daily Sentinel he will enter the race.
AVALANCHE VICTIM IDENTIFIED
A Redvale, Colorado man has been identified as the victim of an avalanche in the La Sal Mountains near Moab. The Daily Sentinel says 18 year old Garrett Carothers was found dead yesterday, his snowmobile buried under 12 feet of snow. Utah officials say Carothers and three others were snomobiling in a remote area when the slide happened Saturday morning.
FORGERY ARREST
A Collbran woman has been arrested, accused of trying to cash two altered checks. The Daily Sentinel says 51 year old Lisa Kay Eisenbarth was booked by Grand Junction Police on suspicion of forgery, drug possession and distribution. Eisenbarth reportedly was out on bond on two similar cases.
FEDERAL GAME VIOLATION CHARGES
A Grand Junction man is facing charges he trapped mountain lions and bobcats, and released them for hunters who paid thousands of dollars to hunt them. The Daily Sentinel says Marvin Ellis was arraigned last week. Federal authorities say Ellis was employed as a hunting guide for a licensed outfitter in Mack. The paper says a plea agreement may be in the works.
