WINTER ISN’T OVER YET IN COLORADO
DENVER (AP) – Parts of Colorado and Wyoming are beginning May with another wet blanket of powder. Blowing and drifting snow is making travel difficult in southeastern Wyoming. But the snow isn’t having a major impact on Denver’s airport so far, though deicing delays are expected. The storm could bring up to 20 inches in the northern Colorado mountains, providing a late boost to the snowpack that provides the state’s water supply. The Denver area could get up to around 5 inches, but not much is sticking to the pavement, still warm after a weekend with temperatures in the 70s.
The snow is sticking to grass and flowers. It’s the latest in a series of spring storms to hit Colorado and Wyoming. However, southwestern Colorado remains very dry and at risk of wildfires.
GLENWOOD CAVE TOURS EXPANDING
GLENWOOD SPRINGS (AP) – Glenwood Caverns is expanding its popular Historic Fairy Caves Tour into caverns that have never been open to the public.
The new guided walking tour is twice the length of the original cave tour and includes a stop at Exclamation Point overlooking the Roaring Fork Valley. There is a new exhibit about the discovery and development of the Fairy Caves, which first opened to the public in 1897.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT BILL UP FOR BIG VOTE IN COLORADO LEGISLATURE
DENVER (AP) – Driver’s licenses for immigrants living in Colorado illegally will be up for a first vote in a state House committee. The proposal has already cleared the Senate on a party-line vote, with Republicans in opposition. The bill would make Colorado one of a handful of states that allows driver’s licenses for immigrants in the country without legal permission. Licenses would be labeled to say the immigrants are not legal residents, and the identification could not be used to board a plane, vote, or to obtain public benefits.
Supporters say immigrants already drive regardless of legal status and should learn the rules of the road and have insurance. But Republicans worry the bill will send a message that illegal immigration is permissible.
NIGHT SKIING POSSIBLE IN STEAMBOAT
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS (AP) – The Steamboat Springs ski resort is considering night skiing to increase the number of visitors. Keystone Resorts added night skiing in 1985, and officials there said it has proven to be a popular attraction. City officials want to make sure any new lights at the ski area are not intrusive to property owners.
COLORADO COUNTY WANTS CONTROL OF OIL AND GAS DRILLING
LITTLETON(AP) – Arapahoe County commissioners have approved an agreement with the oil and gas industry that would allow the companies to fast track drilling applications if they surpass new state standards. Energy companies would have to agree to comply with the best industry practices and follow tighter guidelines than new state regulations that start in August. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and not the cities or counties, would monitor the drilling process. Local governments, including Arapahoe County, could set requirements that deal with what’s above ground, such as noise, water and storage of waste water under the agreement approved Tuesday.
