Wednesday May 16, 2012

PALISADE FLUORIDE

The Town of Palisade has stopped adding fluoride to its water, saying the additive does not make the water safer to drink. Naturally occurring fluoride in the water is about half the recommended levels, and town trustees and public works officials say in the best best interest of public safety, they're not going to add more.  Residents who want more fluoride for dental health can use fluoride infused rinse or toothpaste, and can contact town officials and their dentists.


SERA EARLY RELEASE
Former Montrose DA Myrl Serra is to be released from prison May 29th.  The Daily Sentinel says that's nearly 6 weeks earlier than originally projected.  Sera was sentenced to a year in prison in January after admitted sexual misconduct with employees.  He gets out of prison early because of mandatory earned time off for good behavior.


D51 MS PE TEACHERS OUT
Some middle school teachers in District 51 have gotten their walking papers, victims of budget cuts.  According to the Daily Sentinel, each middle school has two PE teachers, one man and one woman.  The schools have been told to let one go and hire an instructional assistant of the opposite gender to supervise in locker rooms.  Some of the teachers say the decision makes no sense as childhood obesity rates continue to rise. Other certified positions are being cut, along with a 15% reduction in district central administration.


DENVER 911 DISPATCHER FIRED
A Denver 9-1-1 operator has been fired in connection with a road rage incident in which a caller's passenger was killed by gunfire.  It happened last month. The operator received a call from a person in a vehicle with three passengers, saying people in another vehicle threw bottles and other debris at their car, breaking a window.  The dispatcher incorrectly told the driver to return to the area of the road rage incident.  That's when the shooting happened.

DRIVING UNDER POT
Back to the drawing board for Grand Junction State Senator Steve King.  His bill to set a limit for driving under the influence of marijuana killed in the legislature's special session.  The Denver Post says one key supporter was absent and the bill died on an informal tie vote.

MISSING COWS
A Palisade area rancher says he's missing 33 head of cattle and believes they've been stolen.  The Daily Sentinel says the livestock is valued at about $50,000 would've had to have been moved by truck.  Operation Livestock Thief is taking tips.

MISSING MAN FOUND
The body of a Grand Junction man reported missing last summer has been found in San Miguel County.  The Sheriff's Department there says 54 year old Jonathan Keith Kelley was found by his brother who had been searching on his own.  The Daily Sentinel says Kelley had communicated to his family his intent t commit suicide.

GVP OUTAGE
Grand Valley Power says yesterday morning's widespread outage was caused when three substations went dark.  Xcel Energy provides electricity at those stations, but didn't have an answer to what went wrong.  About 8,000 GVP customers were affected.