Friday September 14, 2012

An 18 year old Grand Junciton man pleading guilty to animal Cruelty could get prison time. Joseph Nelson was 17 when he was arrested for torturing his mother's dog and leaving it hanging from the Orchard Mesa pedestrian bridge.  The Daily Sentinel says prison is possible under a new plea agreement.  The judge threw out the first agreement saying it didn't give him enough options.  A probation officer says Nelson admitted being intoxicated when he killed the dog.

If you're around the Hoffman Subdivision in Grand Jucntion today, you'll see a crew of Encana Oil and Gas employees working on a Habitat for Humanity home.  They're teaming up with other volunteers and homeowners on the newest home in the Habitat community.

Fire restrictions in place across Colorado this summer have been lifted in most areas, and Dinosaur National Monument is lifting restrictions there, today.  Some areas still have large amounts of dry vegetation and there's still a danger of wildfire so visitors should still be careful with smoking materials and other fire sources.

People in Delta, Ridgeway and Ouray are chompping at the bit for access to high-speed Internet, and it's coming.  Eagle-Net, which operates a cost-sharing cooperative linking community anchor institutions like schools, is installing fiber optic cable in those areas, and expanding in Montrose.  The Montrose Daily Press says utility work has raised some eye-brows in the city, especially near a new roundabout on Woodgate Road, but Eagle-net says it will bore underground there to avoid disturbing the new construction.

F-16s scrambling during President Obama's stop in Colorado yesterday.  A single-engine plane entered a no-fly zone in the Denver area and the jets were sent to intercept.  The plane was escorted to Centennial Airport south of Denver. Authorities say the pilot flies the area regularly and somehow missed the notice on restricted air space.

Victims of the Aurora Theater shootings are telling Governor John Hickenlooper they want distribution of a $5.2 million fund set up for them handled by someone other than Community First which is in charge now.  They say medical bills need to be paid, some people can't work, and other needs aren't being met.  The Governor's office says Mile High United Way, additional foundations and the city of Aurora are deciding the best way to move forward.

School District 51 wants to make sure everyone knows what it's up to, so they're hosting quarterly community meetings.  A district spokewoman tells the Daily Sentinel the first meeting at the Fruita Community Center is on the 27th and will touch on topics including new pricipal and teacher evaluations, budget cuts, and other issues.  The meetings will be spread throughout the district.

Two weeks ago, an elementary student in the Denver area was told to remove a Peyton Manning numbered jersey.  Now in Loveland, a Thompson Valley High student has been forced to give up his rosary beads.  The Reporter Herald says the school made the move in an effort to keep out gang activity.  The student's mother says it was huge hit, that he wore the beads in memory of an uncle murdered in California last summer.