Friday April 20, 2012

TROOPER ACQUITTED
Colorado State Trooper Gene Lawyer has been found Not Guilty of Criminally Negligent Homicide in the shooting death of Jason Kemp at his home on the Redlands in July of 2010.  Lawyer shot Kemp in the doorway of his home after Kemp fled the scene of a non-injury suspected DUI crash.  The jury yesterday acquitted Lawyer on four counts and deadlocked on two others.

AEROSPACE BILL
Colorado could become a leader in the aerospace industry under  The Colorado Aerospace Jobs Act.  Signed into law yesterday, the bill is designed to make the state more competitive in the development of commercial space flight by creating a stable regulatory climate. The industry is estimated to generate $3 billion in annual payroll for Colorado workers.

STATE BUDGET
The state's $19 billion budge has passed out of the Senate and is back to the House for consideration of amendments by both chambers.  The spending plan includes several changes from the current budget, including sending severant-tax money from oil and gas revenues back to communities where the drilling takes place.  That money had been funneled into the state's general fund to help balance the budget.

MONGULS VISIT GJ
The Mongols Motorcycle Club has been around for 43 years and this weekend, they'll be around the Grand Valley.  Anywhere from 20 to 200 members of the international group are planning a gathering at an unspecified residence. The Mesa County Sheriff's office tells the Daily Sentinel they're not expecting any trouble, but have a plan and have lined up extra resources if they need them.

DENVER MEGA MILLIONS MILLIONAIRE
If you bought a ticket for that huge Mega Millions lottery game last month, you still could be a millionaire. The big jackpot was worth $640 million, but someone has a ticket purchased in Denver worth $1 million and has yet to claim the prize.

LNF SUITS
Nine notices of intent to file suit have been filed against the state in connection with the Lower North Fork fire.  The Denver Post says the legal notices must be filed before anyone can sue the state, and damages would be limited to $600,000 for the entire incident under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act.