GRAND AVENUE BRIDGE OPEN HOUSE TONIGHT
Glenwood Springs–C-DOT officials and engineers will be on hand tonight to answer more questions about the Grand Avenue Bridge. A two and a half hour open house is being held at the Glenwood Springs Community Center beginning at 5 o’clock.
COLORADO FLU CASES ON THE RISE
Denver–Colorado hospitals are taking precautions to keep flu patients separated. On Tuesday, Denver Health Medical Center opened a separate sick bay for flu sufferers. Swedish Medical Center has posted a sign asking people with flu symptoms to do what they can to keep their hands clean and protect other patients. State health officials report a jump in flu cases, with more than 500 people hospitalized so far this season.
COLORADO DEMOCRATS HAVE CONTROL
DENVER (AP) – Colorado’s first gay House speaker has taken control, less than a year after Republicans used their former majority to block civil unions for same-sex couples. The rise of Denver Democrat Mark Ferrandino to House Speaker highlights a big change since May when Republicans used their one-vote majority to defeat civil unions. Former Republican House Speaker Frank McNulty handed the gavel to Ferrandino to start the 2013 lawmaking session. Democrats now control the House after November’s elections and Democrats retained the Senate. That means that after two years of divided government and limited agendas, the Colorado Legislature likely will see several bills favored by Democrats, including civil unions, gun control, tuition benefits for illegal immigrants, and expanded Medicaid for low-income adults.
COLORADO CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY, OBAMACARE DECISION
Lakewood– A federal judge dismissed Colorado Christian University’s lawsuit challenging Obamacare mandates. The health care law requires coverage of certain preventive services, including birth control. C-C-U filed a lawsuit in 2011 that said its Christian beliefs kept it from providing coverage for emergency contraceptives. Court documents indicate the judge granted the federal government’s request to dismiss the case. The government had argued the case wasn’t ripe for judicial review because it plans to issue new regulations to accommodate religious objections of employers like the university. C-C-U is also protected from any enforcement action against it until at least July 1st of next year.
