Wednesday February 27, 2013

Grand Junction Police are questioning a father in the shooting death of his adult son early this morning. Investigators say 3 people were in a home on 29 1/2 Road when the father and son got into an altercation and the son was shot and killed.  Both the man and the 3rd person at the home are being questioned.

Nearly a half million people visited the Colorado National Monument in 2011, spend over $23 million in surrounding communities...that spending supporting 314 jobs in the local area.  Those stats in an annual spending analysis of national park visitors across the country compiled by Michigan State University. The study shows visitor spending at parks across the country translates to a $30 billion impact on the US economy supporting 252,000 jobs.

A bill setting a legal limit for driving marijuana impaired in Colorado has passed out of one state House committee and is on its way to another.  HB 1114 is a bipartisan bill setting the limit of five or more nanograms of delta-9-THC. Bill sponsor Mark Waller of Colorado Springs says in 2011, 13% of deadly crashes in Colorado involved marijuana.  He says with the number of marijuana users is likely to grow with the passage of Amendment 64, there is a sense of urgency to create an impairment standard.

The Montrose Recreation Foundation is brand new, and has an anonymous $10,000 donation to get up and running.  The Foundation's goals are to increase the youth scholarship fund to allow more kids to participate in organized physical activities and raise capital for expanding recreational opportunities in Montrose.

The search for a missing 81 year old Grand Junction man has ended with the discovery of a body in Grand County, Utah, 11 miles west of the Colorado border above Glade Park.  Lou Schneider was reported missing after family members said they couldn't contact him.  Schneider's death is not considered suspicious.

More gun discussion at the state capitol today.  Senate President John Morse is introducing the Assault Weapon Responsibility Act. Morse says gun manufacturers, sellers and dealers in Colorado have blanket immunity, which he says no other industry has in the United States. According to Morse, the Assault Weapon Responsibility Act acknowledges the rights of assault weapon manufacturers, sellers and owners, while clearly defining the responsibility accompanying those rights.

A Whitewater man arrested last week on suspicion of molesting a 10 year old girl has been released from jail after the Mesa County DA's office said it couldn't prove a crime. The Daily Sentinel says Charges against 38 year old Tillman Clifton were dismissed without prejudice meaning they could be refiled if new evidence develops. Clifton spent a full week in jail before his release yesterday.

School District 51 is looking to add panic buttons and keyless lock systems at some of its schools and is applying for nearly $400,000 in grant funding to do that.  The Daily Sentinel says the money is administered by the Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease District.  School District 51 is eligible because it is a nearby government entity.  The grant awards are to be announced in April.