8TH STREET BRIDGE REOPENS
Glenwood Springs—The wait is over for commuters. The 8th Street Bridge work is done and open once again. The reopening was delayed by a couple of days while work crews completed paving and some finishing touches. The bridge officially reopened to traffic Wednesday afternoon at 4;15.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS MURDER-SUICIDE INVESTIGATED
Glenwood Springs—An apparent murder-suicide attempt between an elderly couple in Glenwood Springs left one man dead and his wife clinging to life. According to reports from the Glenwood Springs Police Department and the Garfield County Coroner’s Office, officers were called to a house on South Hyland Drive late Tuesday afternoon for a reported medical issue. When they arrived, they found the body of 79 year old Joseph Llewellyn. Autopsy results confirm he died from a gunshot wound to the head. Llewellyn’s 73 year old wife was also shot and was rushed to Valley View Hospital before being flown to a hospital in Denver. Her condition is not known at this time. Investigators haven’t determined who fired the shots.
MCcLURE PASS CLOSED INDEFINITELY
Carbondale—McClure Pass isn’t going to reopen for some time. The rock slide that occurred this morning near the Paonia Reservoir in quite large. Officials with the Colorado Department of Transportation say the busy, two-lane pass on Highway 133 will be closed indefinitely. Several massive boulders of varying size are blocking both lanes. No one was hurt and no vehicles were trapped but it is going to take crews a few days to clear away the debris and make any necessary repairs. Traffic is being diverted at the Collbran exit and Kebler Pass.
SEVERANCE WINDFALL FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Glenwood Springs—Christmas came a little early for several Garfield County communities and organizations. The fall grants from the county’s federal mineral lease district were announced. Grants awarded for the traditional program totaled just over one million dollars including the largest check for 400 thousand dollars to the city of Glenwood Springs for phase one of the 7th Street construction project. The city of Rifle is getting 300 thousand dollars for the reconstruction of West 5th Street and the town of Silt will use 200 thousand dollars for a wastewater line relining project. The mini-grant program totaled nearly 200 thousand dollars and included eight checks for 25 thousand dollars going toward Silt’s water tank repair project, a pedestrian trail project for New Castle, a new mobile command trailer for the Carbondale Fire Department and a new patrol vehicle for the Rifle Police Department. The spring grant cycle begins in February and will be announced in April.
