Tuesday February 5, 2013

The mother of two boys who died after being left in an SUV with its engine running and heater on is back in Mesa County to face charges.  24 year old Heather Jensen was arrested in Florida in January on warrants alleging criminally negligent homicide, and criminally negligent child abuse.  She made her first appearance yesterday, and remains jailed with bond set at $150,000.

The grandparents of two boys who died after being left to overheat in a running SUV on the Grand Mesa in November, have taken custody of the boys' bodies and will bury the two in Palisade Thursday.  According to the Daily Sentinel, Diane Mathena fought for custody saying she wanted the boys buried next to their father, her son Eric Jensen who was killed in a car accident last October.  The boys' mother, Heather Jensen wanted the boys cremated.  The decision was finally made in court yesterday.

Police in Montrose are warning people and businesses to watch for counterfeit currency being circulated in the city.  The bills are usually 20s and 100s and are of poor quality.  Check your cash for watermarks of the president appropriate to the bill, a metal strip is also located in the bill, and you should look for color-changing ink on the front of the bill and small red or blue fibers in the paper.

Today is National Pancake Day and like they do every year, I-Hop is serving free pancakes all day.  Nationwide, the restaurant has teamed with the Children's Miracle Network Hospital on their first fundraiser of the year.  In Grand Junction, proceeds donated will go to the Shriner's Club.  Last year the group raised over $3,000.

If you've ever wondered about the numbers the Mesa County Health Department uses to decide whether to call a No Burn Day, you can find those online.  A Red Air Quality Day today follows particulate readings in the Moderate level, compared with Good levels in every other state measured area of Colorado.

A bill to offer more curriculum options for advanced students in Colorado has passed the state house and is on to the senate.  The bipartisan bill instructs school district to put into place an academic acceleration policy for their high-ability students.

Mesa County Commissioners have signed off on a plan to build a new Workforce Center north of the the county's Community Services Building.  The plan was ok'd by the previous board of commissioners, but put on hold when two new commissioners took office last month.  At their meeting yesterday, the move was ok'd again, all three commissioners saying new construction on county-owned land made the most sense.

Grand Junction City Council members are ready to sign-off on a state sponsored plan to reduce air pollution. According to the Daily Sentinel,  council heard from the state Health Department's Air Pollution Control Division yesterday. The council can opt for the state- sponsored five year plan and avoid possible federal requirements.

Daylight Saving time is here to stay in Colorado, at least for now.  A bill that would've kept the state on that time year round died in a state senate committee yesterday.  The bill's sponsor said the idea was to stop the "body damage" of setting clocks ahead one hour in the spring and behind one hour in the fall.  The Denver Post says opposition from Colorado ski areas and an Aspen-based travel group ultimately convinced the committee to block the measure.