Glenwood Springs–Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper was so impressed with a local Glenwood Springs company he took a tour. The Governor was in town yesterday to visit and honor Fiberforge, a thermoplastics manufacturing company on Devereaux Road. Fiberforge was recently recognized as a 2011 Colorado Company to Watch.
Aspen–State health officials are warning people with respiratory illnesses to stay indoors for the next day or so due to the smoke in the air. The smoke has been coming from the massive wildfire in Arizona. At least a half dozen states have been affected by the haze.
Breckenridge–Several firefighters from Breckenridge and other parts of Colorado have been called in to help with the fires in Arizona. The federal government is expected to reimburse any local departments for all expenses.
Aspen–Additional releases from Reudi and other western slope reservoirs won’t be necessary for the Endangered Fish Recovery Program thanks to the record snowmelt. Experts say river flows in western Colorado will soon be out of the banks. A flood advisory is in effect for communities near the Crystal River.
In other news…
DENVER (AP) – Colorado gaming regulators have rejected an appeal
to reconsider cutting the tax rate on casinos by 5 percent. The
state gaming control commission yesterday approved the rate
reduction after the industry complained that it has suffered three
consecutive years of net losses. The money otherwise would go
toward community college scholarships, historic preservation and
other state expenses.
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (AP) – A Connecticut prosecutor is expected to
provide an update today on the psychiatric evaluation of a man
charged with killing a Wesleyan University student from Colorado in
2009. The results may determine whether Stephen Morgan was mentally ill at the time. Morgan is charged with murder in the shooting
death of 21-year-old Johanna Justin-Jinich of Timnath at a campus
bookstore café.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) – Mesa State College in Grand
Junction will have a new name starting Aug. 10 — Colorado Mesa
University. School officials wanted a more geographically
descriptive name that makes it clear the school is in Colorado.
Mesa State was established in 1925 as Grand Junction Junior
College.