Garfield County–Law enforcement agencies throughout the valley are warning citizens about a sexually violent predator that has relocated to the area. A special meeting is being held tomorrow night at the
Sheriff’s office annex in Rifle to provide people with more detailed information.
Garfield County–Garfield County commissioners voted to end the intervention in the dispute between Antero Resources and residents
of Silt Mesa. Antero agreed to drop it’s pursuit of 10-acre downhole spacing of wells.
Washington, D.C.–The federal government has agreed invest more time and effort into oil shale exploration. The B-L-M and the Interior
Department are focusing on research and development of shale formations in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.
State Capitol–The hammer is coming down on public schools in Colorado next year. Governor John Hickenlooper unveiled his ’11-’12 budget that calls for cutting education funding by 375
million dollars.
DENVER (AP) – Denver International Airport has asked federal
aviation authorities to review its training and safety programs
following some recent close calls on its runways.
The Denver Post reports that airport manager Kim Day sent a
letter to the FAA about the incidents on Monday.
On Feb. 9 a small Key Lime cargo plane missed a turn and wound
up on a runway as a Frontier Airlines was taking off from the other
end. Air traffic controllers warned pilots to abort the takeoff.
FAA spokesman Mike Fergus said that on Jan. 31 an airport
vehicle crossed onto a runway as an aircraft getting ready to take
off. The plane wasn’t moving yet and he said pilots saw the vehicle
and notified controllers.
On Feb. 4 an airport contractor drove onto an active taxiway and
reported the incident.
MARIJUANA PRIVACY
Colo. pot patients briefed on privacy rules
DENVER (AP) – Medical marijuana patients in Colorado are facing
new rules concerning patient privacy, and some are getting a
briefing from the state health department to understand how their
patient records could be used.
Marijuana advocates requested Wednesday’s briefing by the state
Board of Health.
Marijuana advocates complain that looming regulations allowing
law enforcement to access records at marijuana dispensaries violate
the marijuana amendment to Colorado’s constitution. The amendment
set up a “confidential registry” of patients maintained by “the
state health agency,” not the Department of Revenue, which is
regulating dispensaries.
Some marijuana patients say they are planning a lawsuit to
challenge how patient records are kept if the plan isn’t changed so
that the health department can’t share patient records with law
enforcement or tax regulators.
CONGRESS ON YOUR CORNER-COLORADO
Colo. congressman to hold supermarket meeting
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (AP) – Colorado congressman Ed Perlmutter will
hold an open meeting for constituents in a supermarket this
Saturday, his first “government in the grocery” gathering since
the Tucson shootings.
The suburban Denver Democrat suspended such meetings following
the Jan. 8 shootings at a meeting hosted by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle
Giffords at a Safeway store.
Perlmutter said Wednesday that he will meet with constituents at
a Safeway in Lakewood after taking “appropriate and responsible
precautions.” He and Safeway announced the meeting in a joint
statement.
Perlmutter typically holds meet-and-greets twice a month at
grocery stores in his district. He’s had 70 such meetings and likes
them so much he aired campaign ads last fall that showed him with
folks in a store’s vegetable aisle.
COLORADO BUDGET-TEACHERS
Colo. teachers unions criticize proposed $375M cut
DENVER (AP) – Unions representing Colorado’s teachers are
criticizing Gov. John Hickenlooper’s proposal to slash school
funding by $375 million to help balance the state budget.
State lawmakers still must decide whether they want to go along
with the idea. If they do, it would follow a $260 million cut this
school year, amounting to a combined 14 percent drop.
Both the Colorado Education Association and the state branch of
the American Federation of Teachers say the proposed cut is
short-sighted and risks the future competitiveness of Colorado.
CEA, the state’s largest union, said increasing revenue should be
considered to help solve the state’s budget crisis.
With one-time fixes and federal stimulus money running out,
Hickenlooper said he had no choice but look at cutting education,
which comprises about 40 percent of the budget.
COLORADO SODIUM SUMMIT
Colorado health summit looks at cutting sodium
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) – The Colorado health department is
holding a summit on how to reduce salt in Coloradans’ diets.
The summit will look at how to cut sodium gradually in
restaurant
