NO LEFT TURNS
Glenwood Springs—C-DOT work crews began building the walls today for the new Grand Avenue Bridge between 7th and 8th Street. The bad news is from now until next spring, there will be no left turns on 8th Street for motorists coming into town over the bridge.
COLORADO COAL COMPANY EYES SYNTHETIC GAS PLANT
Paonia—There’s some encouraging news for the struggling coal industry in western Colorado. Coal company, Bowie Resources, LLC, is looking to build a plant near Paonia to produce synthetic gas from coal waste. The plant could help the company add sorely-needed jobs after it’s coal mine was shut down earlier this year. According to the U. S. Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy, gas can be produced by subjecting coal to heat and pressure instead of burning it directly. The Bowie Number 2 mine would use the gas to generate electricity or diesel and fuel oil. According to the company, the process for generating synthetic gas generates very little pollution.
MORE TRANSIENTS CALLING ASPEN PARK AND RIDE HOME
Aspen—The Aspen park-and-ride lot has turned into a place to park and snooze. According to reports from the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, the Intercept Lot is often used by temporary workers who come to Aspen for a week or two but now authorities are seeing more transients sleeping in their vehicles. The surge in transient use led to violence last month when a homeless man, well-known by local law enforcement officials, threatened a group of men with a hatchet who were sleeping in another car at the time. 34 year old Justin Schaaf was arrested for assault. Schaaf claims he was defending himself. He says he was staying in the lot because he can’t afford to live in Aspen. Meanwhile, authorities say one way to prevent overnight sleeping in the lot is to pass an ordinance outlawing the practice.
