DENVER (AP) – A New York firm has won an international contest
to design a highway wildlife crossing near Vail.
The winning design, announced Sunday, is for a broad overpass
covered by trees, shrubs and grasses to blend in with the landscape
on either side of Interstate 70. It’s aimed at reducing the number
of collisions between cars and wildlife like deer, coyote and
big-horn sheep.
The Denver Post reports that the design by HNTB with Michael Van
Valkenburgh Associates would allow crews to build the overpass
without shutting down traffic.
The Colorado Department of Transportation worked with the
Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University to
solicit designs. However, Colorado doesn’t have the money to build
the overpass anytime soon.
BROKEN BUDGETS-SCHOOL BREAKFASTS
Colo. GOP, Dems to battle over school breakfasts
DENVER (AP) – Colorado Republicans and Democrats are gearing up
for a battle after lawmakers facing a gaping budget shortfall
decided to end free breakfasts for needy children.
The Joint Budget Committee last week decided against spending an
additional $124,229 to subsidize the Start Smart Nutrition Program
at the end of this school year.
The decision isn’t final.
Both caucuses called news conferences on Monday to discuss their
plans.
Under the budget committee’s vote, breakfast will still be
served. However, low-income students will be charged 30 cents a
meal after March, when current funding runs out.
STOCK SHOW-DENVER
644,818 people attend National Western Stock Show
(Information in the following story is from: The Denver Post,
http://www.denverpost.com )
DENVER (AP) – The 105th National Western Stock Show has wrapped
up in Denver.
Organizers say nearly 645,000 people attended the 16-day show,
the biggest event held in Colorado.
The Denver Post reports that it’s the 14th year in the row that
attendance has passed the 600,000 mark.
Organizer say 16,000 head of livestock passed through the stock
show’s grounds during the show.
AMERICAN GLADIATORS-OFFICER
‘American Gladiators’ officer case goes to trial
DENVER (AP) – A Denver police officer who appeared as a
contestant on “American Gladiators” in 2008 faces a civil trial
this week in a federal lawsuit involving allegations of excessive
use of force.
A lawsuit alleges that officer Vickie Ferrari roughed up the
manager of a Grease Monkey and placed handcuffs on him so tight
they caused nerve damage. The manager in June 2007 had asked
Ferrari to move her police cruiser that was blocking traffic.
The trial is scheduled to begin Monday in U.S. District Court.
Neither internal affairs nor the city’s independent police
monitor were able substantiate the manager’s claims.
Another federal lawsuit alleging excessive force is pending
against Denver officer Abbegayle Dorn, another contestant on the
NBC reality show.
STEER-TAILING
CO lawmakers debating ban on some rodeo events
DENVER (AP) – Two rodeo events some consider cruel to animals
are up for debate in the Colorado Legislature.
A House committee planned to start work Monday on a bill
outlawing steer-tailing and horse-tripping. Both events are
sometimes performed in Mexican-style rodeos called charreadas.
Several states have outlawed the events.
Horse-tripping is when running horses are lassoed by the legs.
It can cause fatal leg-breaks in horses. Steer-tailing is an event
in which cowboys ride alongside steers and attempt to grab their
tails, sometimes ripping the animal’s skin.
Several states have banned horse-tripping, which isn’t
sanctioned by most rodeos. Nebraska also bans steer-tailing.
Colorado’s version would classify both activities as felony cruelty
to animals.
