About

This page contains all entries posted to ProgressNow.org Daily News Digest on 08/09/2007.

August 8, 2007 is the previous archive.

August 10, 2007 is the next archive.

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

Search

[What is this?]
Receive this digest by e-mail

Today's News Sections

Archives by Category

August 2007 Archives

SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
     123 4
5 678910 11
12 1314151617 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31  

Tag cloud

Powered by
Movable Type 3.35

« August 8, 2007 | Main | August 10, 2007 »

Daily News Digest for 08/09/2007

NOTE: some news sites require free registration in order to read their stories. Follow these and other news stories at http://www.progressnowaction.org.

Today's Digest Archive: http://media.progressnowaction.org/clips/2007/08/09/

Sign up to receive this digest by e-mail

Top Stories

National News

First Father: Tough Times on Sidelines - New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/09/washington/09bushes.html?ref=washington...
These are distressing days for the Bush family patriarch, only the second former president in American history, after John Adams, to see his son take the White House. At 83, he finds it tough to watch his son get criticized from the sidelines; often, he likens himself to a Little League father whose kid is having a rough game. And like the proud and angry Little League dad who cannot help but yell at the umpire, sometimes he just cannot help getting involved. The official line from the White House is that 41, as he is known in Bush circles, gives advice to 43 only when asked. But interviews with a broad range of people close to both presidents — including family members like the elder Mr. Bush’s daughter, Doro Bush Koch, and aides who have worked for both men, like Andrew H. Card Jr. — suggest a far more complicated father-son dynamic, in which the former president is not nearly so distant as the White House would have people believe.
Tags:

More Effective and Ethical Government clips in:
Colorado News/Effective and Ethical Government, National News/Effective and Ethical Government

President confident of market recovery - USATODAY.com

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-08-08-bush-market_N.htm...
President Bush struck a reassuring tone Wednesday about recent turbulence on Wall Street, saying he believes the markets will work their way through the turmoil safely and achieve a "soft landing." Bush, in his most extensive remarks on a gyrating stock market that has sent investors on a rollercoaster ride, expressed confidence that investors would eventually calm down. The president said he expects investors to reassess their risk and begin to focus more on the economy's fundamentals, which he said are solid and sound. "I'm not an economist, but my hope is that the market, if it functions normally, will be able to yield a soft landing," Bush said. "That's kind of what it looks like so far." Investors are worried about a worsening housing slump and possibly a widening credit crunch — an uneasiness of recent weeks that has permeated the financial system and the national economy.
Tags:

More Economy clips in:
Colorado News/Economy, National News/Economy

Concern mounts over civilian toll in Afghanistan -- chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-afghan1aug09,1,4340564.story...
A senior British commander in Helmand province said recently he had asked that U.S. Special Forces leave his area of operations because the high level of civilian casualties they had caused was making it difficult to win over local people. A U.S. military spokesman denied that such a request had been made, formally or otherwise. But concern over civilian casualties and their consequences underlines differences of opinion among NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan on tactics for fighting Taliban insurgents. A precise tally of civilian casualties is difficult to pin down, but one reliable count puts the number killed in Helmand this year close to 300 civilians, the majority of them caused by foreign and Afghan forces rather than the Taliban.
Tags:

More Foreign Policy clips in:
National News/Foreign Policy

Minnesota lawmaker proposes major bridge repair bill, gas tax -- chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-070808bridge,1,299063.story...
One weary week after the Interstate35W bridge collapse, a senior federal lawmaker from Minnesota proposed sweeping legislation to establish a trust fund dedicated to repairing the nation's aging, deficient bridges. The proposal by Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Transportation Committee, would be aimed at repairing 73,784 bridges from coast-to-coast rated "structurally deficient"—with a price tag that could be as much as $188 billion by one estimate. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pledged to support the plan. It could cost Americans dearly: the proposal includes raising federal gas taxes five cents from 18.4 to 23.4 cents, at a time when drivers are already reeling from high gas prices. President Bush and several prominent lawmakers have previously opposed gas tax hikes.
Tags:

More Transportation and Infrastructure clips in:
National News/Transportation and Infrastructure

(Top)

Colorado News

The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Salazar: Not abandoning ranchers

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1186670652/1...
Salazar, D-Colo., was quoted from his Tuesday meeting in Trinidad saying he couldn't say no to the Army's expansion plans. "I did not say that," he said Wednesday. He said he went to Trinidad to meet with county commissioners from four affected counties in the expansion area, as well as ranchers and young people, to ask several questions in order to get the answers from local people into the discussion in the Senate. "There are lots of questions that need to be asked," he said. "Is there justification for the expansion? We've heard the Army say they need the expansion, but whether they really need additional acreage and how much acreage they need is still on the table." The Army has said it wants to add 414,000 acres to the 238,000 acres in the existing maneuver site. Another critical question, Salazar said, is whether the Army can acquire the land it wants from willing sellers. "I don't think they need to be using condemnation," he said. Salazar said he is torn between wanting to support America's military strength and wanting to support rural Americans. "There are two fundamental values that drive me - protection of America and our military needs, and equally important the protection of our ranchers and rural America," he said. "Defending rural America is one of the top things I do every day."
Tags:

More Military clips in:
Colorado News/Military, National News/Military

Rocky Mountain News - Crank sets the stage for rematch against Lamborn

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/elections/article/0,2808,DRMN_24736_566518...
A rematch is shaping up in Colorado Springs' contentious 5th Congressional District. Republican Jeff Crank, still smarting from a narrow defeat in a crowded primary field last November, filed papers with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday that will allow him to start organizing his campaign. The widely anticipated announcement means that Doug Lamborn, who survived the primary and won the general election, will have to fight fiercely to keep his seat in the heavily Republican district. "I thought about it long and hard," Crank said. "Having gone through the last campaign, I do know the toll it takes on your personal life." But supporters persuaded him to run, citing his leadership skills and his ability to unite rather than divide, he said.
Tags:

Related:

The Denver Post - Lamborn rival back for Round 2
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6577520

More Election clips in:
Colorado News/Election, National News/Election

ProgressNow in the news: Rocky Mountain News - Schaffer chided for school vote

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/elections/article/0,2808,DRMN_24736_566511...
A liberal group renewed its attack on state Board of Education member Bob Schaffer, saying his call for disclosing political contributions went by the wayside when he cast a vote favoring one of his campaign donors. Michael Huttner, director of ProgessNowAction, called Schaffer "a complete hypocrite when it comes to corruption." But Schaffer and Republicans fired back Wednesday, with GOP state party chairman Dick Wadhams calling Huttner a "sleazeball." And to think the election, in which Schaffer is running for U.S. Senate, is more than a year away. Schaffer, a Fort Collins Republican, cast the deciding vote in May requiring the Denver Public Schools board to reconsider a decision to terminate a charter school. Schaffer voted without disclosing that the owner of the company managing the school contributed to his 2004 failed U.S. Senate campaign. Huttner maintains Schaffer had a conflict of interest and should have abstained from voting. In addition, the charter-school company owner and his wife this summer donated $4,600 to Schaffer's 2008 Senate campaign.
Tags:

More Election clips in:
Colorado News/Election, National News/Election

The Denver Post - Foes challenge abortion ballot proposal

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6575373...
A proposed ballot measure that would define a fertilized egg as a person in Colorado's constitution was called deceptive and dangerous by opponents, who filed a challenge to the measure today with the Colorado Supreme Court. The proponents of the bill have made it clear that the purpose of measure is to stop abortion, said Lizzy Annison, public affairs director for Colorado and Wyoming Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. "That the title in this measure does not tell voters that that is what they will be voting on is unacceptable," she said. If the measure is enacted, Annison said, its ramifications would be far-reaching, affecting a woman's right to use hormonal birth controls and couples' use of in vitro fertilization. "Every fertilized egg, whether carried by a woman or stored as part of the in vitro process . . . could be defined as a person and could have rights," she said. A three-member Ballot Title Board unanimously approved the measure's language Aug. 1.
Tags:

More Reproductive Choice clips in:
National News/Reproductive Choice

(Top)

Colorado News

(Top)

Civil Liberties and Equality

Glenwood Springs Post Independent - Rifle High School attacker gets probation with added conditions

http://postindependent.com/article/20070809/VALLEYNEWS/108090030...
John and Alice Kuersten don't think justice has been served in a what most agree was a racially motivated fight involving their daughter at Rifle High School. The 16-year-old who attacked their 14-year-old daughter received one year of probation Wednesday with strict added conditions. "(The 16-year-old) did a very horrible, horrific thing, and nothing can excuse what she did," 9th Judicial District Deputy District Attorney Tony Hershey said. "But there are some mitigating factors, and one of the main ones is that she's a juvenile."
Tags:

Rifle teen gets probation in racially motivated assault: GJ Sentinel

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/08/09/8_9_07_Hernandez_...
A 17-year-old girl was sentenced to a year on probation Wednesday for attacking a Rifle High School classmate in a racially charged incident that led to community meetings and intervention from the federal government. Garfield County Judge Paul Metzler ordered Nancy Estelle Hernandez to meet several other conditions of her sentence, including paying thousands of dollars in restitution to the victim, performing 40 hours of community service, completing anger-management counseling and classes, writing letters of apology to the victim and the school and finishing her high school education, Deputy District Attorney Tony Hershey said. Hernandez assaulted a 14-year-old girl at the high school on Feb. 23 in an apparent retaliation for the 14-year-old making a racial comment to a Latino boy the day before. The boy allegedly had made a sexual comment to the 14-year-old.
Tags:

TimesCall.com - Former Marine, wife see threat in burned flag

http://www.timescall.com/Local-Story.asp?id=2838...
A couple’s discovery of a charred American flag on the sidewalk in front of their Carolina Avenue home has them concerned they’ve been targeted because of their patriotic displays. Brenda Bourgeois said she discovered the remains of the flag at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday and immediately read it as a threat. “It’s a very personal threat,” said Bourgeois, whose husband, Larry, was a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. She called police after she found the flag remains in front of her home on the 1200 block of Carolina Avenue.
Tags:
(Top)

Crime and Penal Reform

Summit Daily News: New troopers planned for the local CSP office

http://summitdaily.com/article/20070808/NEWS/108080086...
As it stands, troopers concentrate mostly on the portion of Interstate 70 that runs through Clear Creek and Summit counties. CSP has designated a six-mile stretch of the interstate near the Eisenhower Tunnel a CSP-targeted safe zone - an area where resources are focused in an attempt to reduce the high number of accidents. Prater credited Rep. Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne, and state Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Coal Creek Canyon, for helping to draw attention at the Capitol to Troop 6B's ongoing staff shortage. Last April, Gibbs wrote a letter to Gov. Bill Ritter pleading for more troopers to be assigned to the mountain counties to help enforce the chain law during the winter months. He also spoke with the director of the governor's office of state planning and budgeting and members of the Joint Budget Committee about the issue.
Tags:

The Denver Post - Dragging case forces decisions on death penalty

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6578026...
Douglas County prosecutors must decide whether to seek the death penalty for Jose Luis Rubi-Nava before test results reveal whether he is mentally retarded. Rubi-Nava, 37, confessed to killing his girlfriend, Maria Franco-Fierros, 49, by dragging her behind his car in north Douglas County in September. His court-appointed defense team has asserted he is mentally retarded - meaning that under state and federal law, he would be ineligible for the death penalty. Rubi-Nava has entered a not- guilty plea to the murder, despite his written confession to investigators when he was questioned last fall.
Tags:

Aspen Times News: Ousted Taser cop takes aim at city

http://aspentimes.com/article/20070809/NEWS/108090066...
Former police officer Melinda Calvano has hit the city of Aspen with a lawsuit, claiming that it wrongfully fired her after she used a stun gun on a homeless woman in a downtown alley. The lawsuit, filed Friday in Pitkin County District Court, comes after an arbitrator ruled last month that the city legitimately fired Calvano because she violated the city's use-of-force policy. In June 2006, Calvano confronted Carol Alexy - a then 63-year-old homeless woman - whom Calvano suspected of stealing a sweater from The Thrift Store's drop box. Calvano used a stun gun to zap Alexy, who was later treated at Aspen Valley Hospital and released. The incident prompted an departmental investigation, which led City Manager Steve Barwick to fire Calvano for breaking the department's use-of-force policy. The termination, against the wishes of Police Chief Loren Ryerson, came in July 2006.
Tags:
(Top)

Economy

The Denver Post - Millions lost in collapse of fund

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_6577507...
The unexpected collapse of Sowood Capital Management, a Boston hedge fund, could cost area foundations and university endowments millions of dollars in losses. Sowood, which boasted $3 billion in assets at the end of June, saw its portfolio decimated after interest rates on corporate bonds spiked sharply in late July. The fund, popular with endowments and foundations, liquidated with $1.4 billion. The state's largest foundation, the $1.2 billion Daniels Fund, may lose about $12 million from its investment in Sowood, said spokesman Peter Droege. The Colorado State University Foundation invested $9 million in the fund in 2004 and watched it grow to $11.4 million but now expects less than $6 million back, said president and chief executive Kathleen Henry. Ben Blalock, president of the University of Wyoming Foundation, also confirmed losses, without disclosing the amount.
Tags:

The Denver Post - Grocer working on organic chemistry

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_6577510...
Kroger Co., the nation's largest traditional grocer, is expanding its Private Selection brand to include more than 60 organic items by the end of the year. The deeper push into the organic sector targets consumers already buying organics elsewhere and mainstream shoppers who may try them if given the option.
Tags:
(Top)

Education

School district struggles to fill open jobs before classes start (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2007/08/09/news/doc46ba8bd7998ca409035566.txt...
The days until school staff return are dwindling and Montrose County School District Re-1J administrators are still looking to fill a handful of positions. The district office is currently posting openings for 47 positions around the district. Many positions fall under classified staff such as maintenance and food service. Other openings are for teachers and in student services. But when the school year begins, any open position can cause stress and more work for administrators and staff members.
Tags:

The Coloradoan - Pioneer pays teacher salaries

http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070809/NEWS01/708090356/1002...
Teachers at the former Pioneer School for Expeditionary Learning got paid, but the school remains about $20,000 short in other debt. An equipment liquidation sale and fundraisers helped pay teacher salaries and benefits, which closed much of an $80,000 shortfall. School leaders were hopeful, but unsure, whether they'd be able to pay Pioneer's teachers in full after the school fell on hard financial times this spring and closed in June.
Tags:

The Denver Post - State to foot teen college tab

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6577488...
All Colorado high school students can take college classes paid for by the state - either before they graduate or for a year afterward - under a rule passed Wednesday by the State Board of Education. As proponents of the so-called fifth- year programs cheered, the chairman of the state's Joint Budget Committee said the programs could drain money from the state's K-12 system. "The Board of Education should actually be concerned about whether they're going to end up with less money in the end of the day," said state Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo. The fifth-year programs have a beleaguered past at the state Department of Education. Schools in Denver and in the Sheridan School District, among other places, have changed how a high school diploma is defined. At Sheridan High and Abraham Lincoln High, students can opt for a diploma that allows them to go to community colleges on state funds for an associate degree.
Tags:

The Denver Post - Sherman is part principal, part salesman

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6577490...
Last year, the district forced North's 67 teachers, counselors and social workers to reapply for their jobs. Twenty- seven of them will be returning, according to the district. On Wednesday, Sherman taped fliers to business windows, urging parents to sign up for the early-childhood classes, which cost $370 a month for five days a week of full-day kindergarten and half-day preschool. About 60 slots remain, he said. The reaction around the neighborhood about the changes at his school has been one of relief, Sherman said. "A lot of people have acknowledged, 'Finally. We have been working on this for a long time,"' he said. Denver Public Schools administrators are trying to stop the hemorrhage of students leaving for suburban districts or private schools. Northwest Denver has seen a dramatic demographic shift over the years. A thriving middle class is demanding changes to low-performing schools, particularly North High.
Tags:

Business major? That'll cost you : CU News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/aug/09/business-major-thatll-cost-you-certain-m...
For at least the past decade, CU has used a tuition structure that charges students different rates based on their majors, and the gaps among degrees are widening. For undergraduates, business and engineering degrees cost the most, and tuition bills for science and liberal-arts students tend to be more modest. But as the differential-tuition model starts to take off at public universities nationwide, Boulder campus officials say they hope to eventually abandon their long-standing practice and level out the rates. Some higher-education experts are concerned that higher rates in certain disciplines may deter poor students who have interest and talent in the subject areas.
Tags:

CU tests tomatoes in space : CU News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/aug/09/cu-tests-tomatoes-in-space/...
University of Colorado science experiments — one of which could result in some prize-winning tomatoes at the farmers market — are aboard the NASA shuttle Endeavour that launched Wednesday.
Tags:

The Tribune - Jury still out on Cozad trial; deliberations to resume Thursday

http://greeleytrib.com/article/20070809/NEWS/108090108...
Mobbed after leaving the courtroom on Wednesday, Rafael Mendoza was on his way back to the football field. Mendoza, 22, was headed for his first team meeting on the University of Northern Colorado football team after a day of waiting for a verdict that never came. Jurors spent their day deliberating the fate of Mitch Cozad, 22, charged with attempted first-degree murder and second-degree assault for the Sept. 11, 2006, attack on Mendoza. Prosecutors have charged that Cozad tried to take out Mendoza after it was clear he was not going to win the starting punter position.
Tags:
(Top)

Effective and Ethical Government

Rocky Mountain News - Witwer set to take break from politics

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/elections/article/0,2808,DRMN_24736_566510...
Two weeks ago, 4-year-old Robby Witwer broke a bone in his foot during a playground fall. He had just recovered from a broken wrist he got sliding down the banister. The latest mishap reinforced his father's decision not to run for re-election to the state House in 2008. "I need to concentrate on being a dad for a while," said Rep. Rob Witwer, R-Genessee. Next month, Witwer and his wife, Heather, will welcome Baby No. 4, another son. In addition to Robby, the Witwers also are the parents of John, 6, and Jeffrey, 2. The 36-year-old attorney with Molson Coors Brewing Co. said he'd like to get back into politics once his children get older.
Tags:

Healthy county workers cash in | time, county, employees - Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/time_25844___article.html/county_employees.html...
Retired El Paso County Administrator Terry Harris wasn’t much of a vacationer in his working life. “My vacations were very limited because I just didn’t feel right about leaving,” Harris said. “I probably should have. I might have been healthier.” But when Harris retired after 11 years with the county, his strict rest-and-relaxation diet made his bank account $162,000 healthier: $123,000 for his unused vacation time and $39,000 for his unused sick time. Harris’ total payout accounts for more than a 10th of the $1 million paid to an unspecified number of terminated county employees in the first six months of 2007.
Tags:

Aspen Times News: City Council wants to tighten development

http://aspentimes.com/article/20070809/NEWS/108090067...
If the public thinks City Hall is too gung-ho on development, there's good reason. And it's not just because there's plenty of it going on in town, but it's also because city staff appears to support most development proposals that land on its desks. The recently elected City Council has a problem with that and is asking for more scrutiny of developments. "There's a perception with the public that the Community Development Department is an advocate for development," said City Councilman Jack Johnson. "It looks like advocacy. It's the first exposure to the process, and I can understand why the public thinks that."
Tags:

TimesCall.com - City OKs survey on revenue sharing

http://www.timescall.com/Local-Story.asp?id=2839...
The idea of helping fund a study to suggest ways Boulder County municipalities could share, rather than compete for, new retail sales-tax revenues got the informal support of a Longmont City Council majority Tuesday night. Council members voted 4-2 to endorse having Longmont chip in up to $7,000 toward the $49,000 cost of a revenue-sharing study proposed by the Boulder County Consortium of Cities. But while Roger Lange and Mary Blue cast two of the four “yes” votes, they both also expressed doubts that Longmont would actually benefit from any revenue-sharing system that might be proposed by BBC Research & Consulting, the Denver firm the consortium plans to hire.
Tags:

Rocky Mountain News - Gallagher relents, signs city contract

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5665194,00.ht...
Denver Auditor Dennis Gallagher changed his mind Wednesday about approving a $3 million city contract with Seedco Financial Services. But he said that he will be monitoring how the contract is fulfilled. "I do not raise these concerns lightly and indeed, I hope that my concerns are unfounded," he wrote in a letter to Jacky Morales-Ferrand, director of Housing and Neighborhood Development, dated Wednesday. Earlier this week, Gallagher had refused to approve the contract with Seedco Financial Services, a nonprofit organization, to oversee a loan program to help small businesses, commercial and mixed-use projects in targeted areas. He had questions about a possible conflict of interest on the part of Peter Chapman, who had advocated for the creation of the program while he was an adviser to Mayor John Hickenlooper.
Tags:

The Denver Post - Boulder plan seeks noncitizens' voice

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6578021...
A City Council proposal to allow noncitizens to serve on government boards in Boulder is novel but not original. The council rejected a similar proposal in 2004 after the city's Human Relations Commission first made the recommendation. Two years earlier, San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to put the issue before voters, where it failed by a 2-to-1 ratio. The Boulder City Council will decide Aug. 21 whether to ask voters in November to amend the city's 1917 charter, after a proposal this week by Councilwoman Robin Bohannan.
Tags:

No paycheck for Erie trustees : Erie : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/aug/09/no-paycheck-for-erie-trustees/...
Each one of Erie's elected trustees is a volunteer, receiving not a dime for the hours of work spent attending hearings and sitting on committees, talking to constituents and showing up at public functions. It's a distinction Erie holds among all the other municipalities in Boulder County, and Mayor Andrew Moore feels good about it. "They're up there because they want to be up there; they're up there for the right reason," Moore said of his fellow trustees. "They're not up there because they are trying to make a car payment."
Tags:

Craig Daily Press / Focusing on Moffat County

http://craigdailypress.com/news/2007/aug/09/focusing_moffat_county/...
The idea is to focus entirely on Moffat County, and that’s a good thing, Shelly Flannery said. Flannery stepped down Mon�day as the regional coordinator of Cultural and Heritage Tourism, a position that had her splitting time among Moffat, Routt and Rio Blanco counties. As regional coordinator, she worked with tourism organizations around the area to help each group proceed in similarly successful directions, Flannery said. She remains executive director for Moffat County Tourism Association, which works to develop all tourism in Moffat County.
Tags:
(Top)

Election

Crank will take 2nd shot at Congress seat | lamborn, election, crank - Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/lamborn_25812___article.html/election_crank.html...
The 2008 Republican battle for U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn’s seat began Wednesday, one year after the heated primary in which the former state senator essentially won the office. Jeff Crank, a former Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce vice president who lost to Lamborn by fewer than 1,000 votes, filed his statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. Crank may only be the first announced challenger in the race. The third-place finisher in the 2006 primary, Bentley Rayburn, has hinted strongly he plans to run. Crank’s entry is not surprising but came earlier than many expected. With it, he can begin raising funds.
Tags:

Rocky Mountain News - Hard work to stay in the game

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5665397,00.ht...
Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is not the tallest fellow in the Republican presidential race. He's not even the round mound of rebound that he was before he lost more than 100 pounds. So some of the folks gathered under a tree outside the Boone courthouse on Wednesday smiled when the little fellow started comparing himself to a basketball player. "I've not been spending my time trying to bash other candidates," Huckabee said. "I believe the best way to win a campaign is to hit the three-point shots from out on the perimeter, not by going under the goal and elbowing somebody or knee-capping them, but rather to be able to play your best game."
Tags:

The Denver Post - Democrats court Indians with bank deposit

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6577511...
Wishing to build goodwill among American Indians and the broader Denver community, the Democratic National Convention Committee is helping Native American Bank increase its portfolio of small-business loans. The committee deposited $2 million into a zero-interest account at the Denver-based bank Wednesday morning and said it would leave the money there until late spring. "It's very important to us that the convention is a team effort," said Leah Daughtry, the DNCC's chief executive, before handing over the check. The money is meant to bolster Native American Bank's efforts to build economic strength among American Indians, who the bank's officials contend are underserved by the traditional banking industry. About 85 percent of the bank's loans are extended to American Indians, officials said. The DNCC deposit is part of $16.3 million the Federal Election Commission gave to the DNCC this summer as part of the normal convention operations budgetary process. Federal rules preclude the committee from earning interest on the money.
Tags:

Local police to help with DNC : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/aug/09/local-police-to-help-with-dnc/...
Boulder County law-enforcement agencies will meet later this month to discuss how they can best help Denver police with the 2008 Democratic National Convention while maintaining sufficient resources here, authorities said Wednesday. The Denver Police Department sent letters to suburban departments — including those in Boulder County — asking for extra officers to help patrol the Aug. 25-28 convention next year. Thousands of people are expected to flood the city before, during and after the event.
Tags:

The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Ballot question may ask to put city attorney under council

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1186670652/6...
Pueblo voters are likely to see four city questions on three issues during this November's election, including one that could put the decision over how to hire or fire the city attorney into the City Council's hands. The question is likely the easiest to overlook in an election that could feature two questions over expanding the Pueblo Convention Center and one to increase the fines levied by Municipal Court.
Tags:

Rocky Mountain News - Polis staffer rips rival Dems

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5665787,00.ht...
A staffer for Jared Polis' congressional campaign trashed Polis' two rivals in an online posting so ferocious that fellow Democrats are stunned. The staffer said one of Polis' opponents has "no deeply held convictions," and the other is backed by "the same folks who gave us 12 years of Democratic ineptitude." Polis, a Boulder entreprenuer, faces environmentalist Will Shafroth and state Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald in the 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary.
Tags:

Colorado Daily News: Charter changes changed

http://coloradodaily.com/articles/2007/08/08/news/c_u_and_boulder/news1.txt...
[Boulder] City Council members took their red pens to Tuesday's council meeting, and the list of proposed City Charter amendments prepared for the meeting has been amended. The Charter is basically the city's Constitution, and city voters must approve Charter amendments. A city Charter Committee recently drew up several draft amendments for possible inclusion on the 2007 ballot, and Tuesday's meeting included a brief public hearing and lots of council discussion about the proposals.
Tags:
(Top)

Energy Policy

Energy group taps first female president: GJ Sentinel

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/08/09/8_9_07_COGA_presi...
Meg Collins has been selected as the first female president of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, the association announced Wednesday. Collins will assume the job on Aug. 24. She replaces Greg Schnacke, who has led the association since it was founded in 1984.
Tags:

Salazars win lease deferrals: GJ Sentinel

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/08/09/8_9_07_1a_BLM_lea...
Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., sent a letter Monday to the Bureau of Land Management asking it to leave nine San Luis Valley land parcels within view of his Manassa ranch out of the agency’s Aug. 9 oil and gas lease sale. On Tuesday, after the BLM received protests from Costilla and Conejos county commissioners, the BLM complied, announcing it has deferred the Conejos County parcels from the lease sale for “educational” purposes. The BLM deferred the leases to the next quarterly auction because the people of the San Luis Valley haven’t seen any oil and gas leasing in the region in recent years and require “educational outreach,” said Roxanne Falise, acting supervisor of Rio Grande National Forest and BLM field manager. Partly within the San Luis Hills Area of Critical Environmental Concern and adjacent to the San Luis Hills Wilderness Study Area, the leases, totaling 14,560 acres, are about six miles from Manassa. Each received at least 17 protests, mostly from local residents and a handful of environmental groups.
Tags:

The Denver Post - Change at top of oil, gas group

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_6577636...
Meg Collins has been named president of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, succeeding Greg Schnacke, who held the post for 13 years. Collins is the first woman to lead the association that is commonly known as COGA. Since 2002, she has worked at the Colorado Livestock Association in government and environmental affairs, and also serves as chair of the Pollution Prevention Advisory Board, an advisory group to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Collins is taking the COGA post at a time of escalating conflict between the energy industry and groups opposed to increased drilling for oil and natural gas in Colorado.
Tags:

Rocky Mountain News - No-go decision affirmed

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5665346,00.ht...
A Colorado expert said Wednesday that the decision to stop digging toward six trapped Utah miners because of ongoing underground disturbances makes sense. "Since the original collapse, there have been a number of small, you could call them aftershocks," said John Bellini, a geophysicist at the National Information Center in Golden. "After you have a large (mine) collapse like that, the ground is going to be settling or there's some stress changes in the area." Dangerous seismic conditions that have set back efforts to reach the miners could prevent crews from reaching the men for at least a week, said Bob Murray, chairman of Murray Energy Corp., part owner of the mine. There's an ongoing debate, however, over whether a quake caused the early Monday mine collapse as Murray has insisted.
Tags:

The Denver Post - Colorado mine cited often

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6577664...
While the safety record of Utah's Crandall Canyon Mine, where six workers remain trapped, has come under scrutiny, Colorado's own Elk Creek Mine has a more significant record of safety issues, according to federal data. In January, a 26-year-old coal miner was killed while working at the Gunnison County coal mine, and management this year has received 155 citations from the federal Mining Safety and Health Administration. Sixty-two of those violations were deemed "significant and substantial," ones that could result in injury or death. Explosive coal-dust buildup, inadequate ventilation, excessive methane, and poor maintenance and operation of equipment, including fire extinguishers, were among the violations found at Elk Creek this year, according to MSHA's database. In comparison, Crandall Canyon Mine has been cited 325 times for alleged safety violations since January 2004. Of those, 116 were considered "significant and substantial."
Tags:
(Top)

Environment and Conservation

Durango Herald Online: State slow to address issues of air quality

http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&articl...
Colorado lags New Mexico in addressing climate change, a Colorado air-quality official said Wednesday in Durango. "If New Mexico is going 90 mph, until recently Colorado has been stuck in the garage," said Chris Dann, a spokesman for the Air Pollution Control Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. But Dann said Colorado was racing to catch up under Gov. Bill Ritter, who assumed office in January. "With a new administration come new priorities," said Dann. "Climate and climate-change efforts are clearly a priority in the new administration." Cabinet-level officials in the Ritter administration meet weekly to discuss air quality, Dann said. The governor has also set goals of reducing state government's impact on the environment. Ritter, a Democrat, wants state agencies to reduce their energy use by 20 percent, their paper use by 20 percent and their water use by 10 percent, Dann said.
Tags:

Durango Herald Online: SW Colorado may exceed ozone standards by 2020

http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&articl...
Pollution in Southwest Colorado could exceed proposed air-quality standards for ozone, an environmental official said Wednesday in Durango. The region may join the Front Range as a non-attainment area, subjecting it to scrutiny by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said Cynthia Cody, an EPA official based in Denver. The EPA has proposed lowering the standard for ozone from 80 parts per billion per eight hours - which in practice the agency rounds up to 85 parts per billion - to 70 to 75 parts per billion. The new standards may take years to implement, especially with legal challenges expected. Southwest Colorado meets the standard at 85 and 75 parts per billion, but is projected to violate a 70 parts per billion standard by 2020, Cody said.
Tags:

Glenwood Springs Post Independent - Groups reach an agreement for water flows out of Shoshone

http://postindependent.com/article/20070809/VALLEYNEWS/108090034...
Entities have reached final agreement on a plan to keep enough water in the Colorado River to benefit rafting companies and endangered fish this summer. The Colorado River District on Wednesday announced the deal, which groups on both sides of the Continental Divide have been negotiating for weeks.
Tags:

The Coloradoan - City off to fast start in turning agencies green

http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070809/NEWS01/708090353/1002...
The city of Fort Collins was already a step ahead when a new state law went into effect Friday requiring all government agencies to buy green products or services when possible. House Bill 1220 requires governmental entities in Colorado to purchase "environmentally preferable" products or services when certain conditions are met.
Tags:

TimesCall.com - No early backing for Alliance for Preservation

http://www.timescall.com/Local-Story.asp?id=2841...
A land preservation group that wants to start a new open space program in southwest Weld County asked the Longmont City Council for an endorsement and for $10,000 Tuesday. It got neither.
Tags:

Water managers reach river deal

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/08/09/8_9_07_Shoshone_a...
State water managers announced Wednesday they have forged an agreement to keep enough water in the Colorado River through the rest of the summer to protect endangered fish and sustain the rafting industry on the Western Slope.
Tags:

The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Water roundtable sets vote on Super Ditch

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1186670652/3...
The Arkansas Basin Roundtable Wednesday put off a decision on asking for state funds to continue a study of a “Super Ditch” concept until September amid a flurry of questions about how it might affect other water users in the valley. While many of the 32 roundtable members who attended the meeting were supportive of the concept of a water management program being promoted by the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, some were cautious about the possibility of using state funds to provide research for one side of a court case they might have to enter in the future. The roundtable represents a broad cross-section of water users throughout the entire Arkansas River basin and attempts to reach consensus on proposed water activities. If not everyone agrees, a vote is set for a later meeting. Roundtable recommendations can influence decisions by the Colorado Water Conservation Board to allocate money from mineral severance taxes set aside for water activities.
Tags:

Rocky Mountain News - GOCO set to divvy record $100 million

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5665371,00.ht...
Great Outdoors Colorado will spend $100 million this year on open space, wildlife and parks across the state, the largest effort in the agency's 15-year history. Preliminary plans call for $66 million to be spent protecting large-scale scenic regions. The remaining $34 million will pay for things the agency always funds: outdoor recreation projects, trails and new park and wildlife programs. Approved by voters in 1992, GOCO, as it is known, uses lottery proceeds to fund its grants. "We've been aggressively asking people what they have and what might require a large infusion of money," said John Swartout, GOCO's executive director.
Tags:

The Denver Post - Water providers play nice during wet summer

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6578025...
Water providers reached a groundbreaking agreement Wednesday to keep the Colorado River flowing high through the Glenwood Canyon for rafters this summer and endangered fish in the fall. The collaboration between Front Range and Western Slope water players fills the void in the state's unique priority system after the Shoshone power plant crashed this summer, sparking fears from downstream users that the river would be allowed to run low. "This agreement just makes sure the river is kept whole and the fish are protected and the rafting industry is in good shape through the rest of their season," said Jim Pokrandt, spokesman for the Colorado River Water Conservation District.
Tags:

Southwest downtown plan hits toxic snag | urban, renewal, springs - Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/urban_25845___article.html/renewal_springs.html...
Southwest downtown’s longdelayed redevelopment now faces more problems: how to dispose of hazardous material under a proposed hotel site, how much the cleanup will cost and who will pay for it. It’s not clear how the problems will affect the redevelopment, which has languished for six years. City officials say the environmental problems aren’t insurmountable and don’t expect them to delay the longterm makeover of southwest downtown, a light industrial area mostly southwest of Colorado and Cascade avenues where offices, housing and the hotel are envisioned.
Tags:

Craig Daily Press / DOW plans programs for bear issue

http://craigdailypress.com/news/2007/aug/09/dow_plans_programs_bear_issue/...
Wildlife officials likely will resurrect a public outreach and volunteer program designed to tackle Steamboat Springs’ ongoing issue with bears. During an area Colorado Division of Wildlife meeting this week, a dozen district managers agreed it was appropriate to schedule a public meeting to educate community members about bears. The hope is to garner interest for the agency’s “Bear Aware” program, which trains volunteers to canvas area neighborhoods with educational information about bears.
Tags:

Aspen Times News: Pine beetles invade West End trees

http://aspentimes.com/article/20070809/NEWS/108090068...
Two trees in Aspen's West End are infested with mountain pine beetles, the scourge that is devastating millions of pines statewide, according to city parks and open space officials. "It's here," said Chris Forman, Aspen's city forester. Forman could not say whether this is the beginning of a larger infestation that will spread to stands of wild trees throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.
Tags:

Rocky Mountain News - Paonia residents given tap warning

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5665196,00.ht...
Tap water is off-limits to drink in the small Western Slope town of Paonia because of excessive turbidity. Turbidity is defined as cloudiness or haziness of water caused by air bubbles or small organic materials. becoming suspended in the water. The turbidity registered in the town's drinking water Tuesday was 24 Formazin turbidity units. The upper limit is five.
Tags:
(Top)

Health Care and Public Safety

The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Ritter signs order for health care help

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1186670652/10...
Gov. Bill Ritter issued an executive order Wednesday to create a panel designed to help rural areas deal with health care shortages. Ritter is hoping his Colorado Rural Health Care Grants Council will be able to find rural health care programs worthy of receiving part of a $7.5 million gift the state is to receive from the UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation's largest managed health care companies. The money is to be distributed over six years in the form of a grant to rural health care providers.
Tags:

City wants dangerous runoff pool drained over fears of West Nile virus : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/aug/09/city-wants-dangerous-runoff-pool-drained...
A large pool of stagnant storm water created by construction in northeast Boulder has sparked concern among residents and city officials that it could become a mosquito hot spot during peak season for West Nile virus.
Tags:

Rocky Mountain News - Ritter revs up rural health care panel

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5664245,00.ht...
A smiling Gov. Bill Ritter sat at a table in front of the west steps of the state Captitol this morning and signed an executive order establishing a panel that will distribute $7.5 million in health care grants for rural Coloradans. The funds will be provided as a charitable gift over the next six years by UnitedHealth Group, which is the state's second-largest health care provider, behind Kaiser Permanente. In his remarks, Ritter pointed out that four out of Colorado's 64 counties do not have a primary care physician. Seven more counties are without a physician accepting new Medicaid clients. And 20 counties, including 14 rural counties, lack a hospital.
Tags:

Rocky Mountain News - W. Nile victim sick, tired of illness, numbers game

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5665354,00.ht...
If symptoms counted for anything, Dennis Daratany would be at the top of this year's growing list of Coloradans infected with West Nile virus. "I'm hot, I'm cold, I'm freezin', I'm sweatin'. I feel like a train ran over me," groans the Fort Lupton electrician. "But it seems the more I talk, the more nobody wants to listen." Though he was diagnosed in May with the sometimes deadly, mosquito-borne virus, the 55-year-old Daratany isn't included in the count kept by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. He wants to know why. As of Wednesday afternoon, the confirmed cases across the state stood at 52. This may well be the most active West Nile season since 2003, state epidemiologist John Pape says. What's more, northern Colorado, including Daratany's Fort Lupton, is on line to be hardest hit. But state health officials say Daratany represents something of a medical anomaly. The antibodies found in his blood suggest he may actually have an old case, perhaps going back to 2006, which can't be counted in this year's numbers. He wasn't counted last year either, because he wasn't sick last year. Now Daratany worries that if Colorado has missed his confirmed case, who else is it missing?
Tags:
(Top)

Housing and Homeless

Rocky Mountain News - Nearly 300 foreclosed homes sold

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/other_business/article/0,2777,DRMN_23916_5...
Two auction houses sold almost 300 foreclosed homes last weekend in Denver. "Two hundred and eleven properties went on the market, and we sold 200," said Rob Friedman, president of Real Estate Disposition Corp. "The sellers (banks) were happy that we sold them but not quite at the numbers they would like to have seen," Friedman added. "We had good numbers, but not quite the dollar volume they were hoping for." While a nondisclosure agreement prevents him from releasing specifics about individual home prices, he said they ranged from $20,000 to $585,000, and the average price of a home sold was $147,000.
Tags:
(Top)

Immigration

County is becoming more diverse | population, percent, county - Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/population_25846___article.html/percent_county.h...
Moving to Colorado Springs from a Los Angeles suburb 13 years ago was quite a shock for Michelle Bailey. The shift wasn’t just from a huge metropolis to a relatively modestly sized city. There was a cultural shift, too, from a city that buzzed with racial and ethnic diversity to one that seemed to belong overwhelmingly to one group: whites. “It just seemed more of an acceptance” in Southern California, Bailey said Wednesday. “It was less of an oddity than it is here to be nonwhite.”
Tags:

The Coloradoan - Minority growth climbs in county

http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070809/NEWS01/708090352/1002...
The minority growth rate continued to outpace that of white, non-Hispanics in Larimer County last year, according to a U.S. Census report released today. The growth rate for Hispanics in the county is 4.2 percent annually between 2000 and 2006 - more than three times the 1.2 percent annual growth rate the county's white population has seen. The black and Asian populations also showed strong growth in Larimer County so far this decade.
Tags:

The Tribune - Latino population in Weld grows 30 percent since 2000

http://greeleytrib.com/article/20070809/NEWS/108090116...
Weld County's Latino population continues to grow at a steady rate, though not as quickly as it did in the early 2000s, according to U.S. Census figures released today. Census figures reveal that Weld's population of Latinos grew 3.8 percent from 2005 to 2006, the latest figures available from the federal government. That is significantly less than the 6.8 percent of Latino population growth from 2001 to 2002. Since 2000, Weld's Latino population has grown more than 30 percent.
Tags:

The Denver Post - Employer scrutiny about to increase

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_6577508...
New federal policies designed to weed out undocumented workers from company payrolls will increase scrutiny of employers in a state with already tough immigration laws, Colorado employers and lawyers said Wednesday. The new regulations, which are to be revealed soon, will address employers who receive notices that their employees' names and Social Security numbers do not match.
Tags:

Rocky Mountain News - Changing complexion of Denver

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5665203,00.ht...
Denver's white population has slipped below 50 percent for the first time, making it the largest county in the nation to experience that change in the past year, census figures released today show. But for State Demographer Elizabeth Garner, the big news is that 2006 marks the first time in 17 years that Denver has had more people moving in than moving out. And some residents who might have been inclined in the past to move out are choosing instead to move up. "About seven years ago, the trend started turning around, but this year, we had a net 2,385 increase, the first time it's been positive in a while," Garner said. The reason: new housing for families, empty-nesters and young professionals in places such as Stapleton, Lowry and Platte Valley, she said. "More people can stay."
Tags:

The Denver Post - Minorities a majority in Denver

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6577663...
The U.S. Census Bureau announced Wednesday that Denver has crossed a cultural threshold: Sometime between 2005 and 2006, white non-Spanish/ Latino/Hispanic residents became a minority. Denver is the largest of eight counties nationwide to cross this line during that period, census officials said, based on population data collected over the past year that showed a continuing international influx. In 2005, 49.8 percent of Denver's population (558,667) was deemed minority, or non-white. Now, 50.01 percent of the population of 566,974 is non-white. Nationwide, white non-Latinos are a minority in 303 counties, nearly 1 in every 10 of the nation's 3,141 counties.
Tags:
(Top)

Media

The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Newspaper publisher injured in crash

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1186670652/16...
Mountain Mail Publisher Merle Baranczyk was seriously injured while riding his bicycle when he collided with a car Tuesday. According to the Colorado State Patrol, the crash occurred on U.S. 50 and Chaffee County Road 125 at about 8:30 a.m. Baranczyk, 60, was riding a bicycle east on the south shoulder of the highway when a minivan driven by Douglas Rausch, 61, of Salida, pulled in front of him. Baranczyk was unable to stop and collided with the right front of Rausch's van.
Tags:
(Top)

Opinion

Durango Herald Online: Ritter and education

http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=opin&articl...
In making education a top priority for his administration, Gov. Bill Ritter is right on track. As he says, nothing is more important to the state's future. Starting with a broad view is welcome, as well. One of the problems with public education is its fractured approach to teaching different levels. When it gets to specific policies, however, the governor's effort will of necessity have to focus on the most problematic areas and those where state efforts can best effect change. Using either criteria, that means high schools and their relationship to higher education. Central to the governor's education-reform effort is the P-20 Council, a group formed to look at education from pre-school through post-graduate degrees (the 20th year.) Ritter addressed the council Monday, telling its members to "be bold and ambitious" in helping him prepare a legislative agenda to present to state lawmakers next year.
Tags:

The Denver Post - Pius Kamau: Montbello making strides

http://www.denverpost.com/opinionheadlines/ci_6575415...
Like many public schools, Montbello has seen its share of frequent staff changes. I have always held out the hope that Montbello would someday become a stellar institution. Instead, the chronic malaise persisted. At last, I believe we can say that the tide is turning. And we can thank Antwan Wilson, Montbello High's principal, who has been at the helm for three years now and has instituted a series of positive changes. Among these is a new dress code.
Tags:

The Denver Post - Auditor right to question city deal

http://www.denverpost.com/opinionheadlines/ci_6575408...
Denver City Auditor Dennis Gallagher is likely, in the next few days, to back down on his refusal to sign a city contract with a non-profit that recently hired a top city aide. Gallagher was merely trying to make a point about what appears to be a conflict of interest, his spokesman, Denis Berckefeldt, says. We've had our disagreements with Gallagher over the years, but he has a valid point in this case. The way things evolved between Seedco Financial Services and Peter Chapman, formerly a top economic adviser to Mayor John Hickenlooper, just doesn't look right. It's unfortunate because Seedco's mission to help revitalize Denver neighborhoods is laudable and Chapman's skill in economic development is admirable. Yet, the situation leaves you wishing it had unfolded differently.
Tags:

The Denver Post - Diane Carman: Even if calls not tapped, our fear is

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6577492...
Edith Williams is certain that her phone is being tapped, and nobody can convince her otherwise. I wouldn't dare try. Still, it makes no sense that the government is interested in the 80-year- old woman's conversations about the weather, her health and, of course, politics with her sister in Wiesbaden, Germany. Then again, a lot of things don't make sense. "This has been going on since 2005," said Williams, a retired insurance agent who moved to Denver from Germany in 1951. "It's a constant drag on my nerves." Williams has noticed a peculiar clicking or an echo on the phone whenever she talks to her sister, an economist. She's called her long-distance provider, which said there were no technical problems. Her brother-in-law, a retired police chief, checked the phone on their end and found nothing. But every time she hears the sounds, she feels a rush of anxiety. "All of a sudden, I get afraid," she said. Williams worries that she's being surveilled because she has e-mailed President Bush. She began writing to him before the war began, she said.
Tags:
(Top)

Religion

Episcopal Diocese court finds Rev. Armstrong guilty of theft | armstrong, court, church - Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/armstrong_25813___article.html/court_church.html...
An ecclesiastical court on Wednesday convicted the Rev. Donald Armstrong of stealing nearly $400,000 from his Colorado Springs parish, though it cannot legally punish the breakaway pastor. The court of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado will decide in about a month, however, whether to recommend that Bishop Robert O’Neill defrock Armstrong, a largely symbolic action that would end all ties between the church and him. Armstrong left the diocese with a majority of the Grace Church & St. Stephen’s vestry board in March and now oversees the congregation of the Grace CANA Church that is affiliated with the more conservative Convocation of Anglicans in North America. His spokesman, Alan Crippen, said the Episcopal Diocese does not have authority over Armstrong. “Our relationship with the diocese has been one of adversity over the last couple of months, so this decision is no surprise,” Crippen said Wednesday.
Tags:

Rocky Mountain News - Episcopal court finds pastor guilty of theft

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5665101,00.ht...
An Episcopal court unanimously ruled Wednesday that the Rev. Don Armstrong stole $392,409 from his Colorado Springs parish, committed tax fraud and received illegal loans. The church court also said Armstrong under-reported his income by $548,000 and found bad bookkeeping at Grace Church and St. Stephens, the parish Armstrong has led for 20 years. Armstrong, who has insisted all along he is innocent, has 30 days to respond to the findings, though he didn't attend the trial because he says the diocese has no jurisdiction over him. Church attorneys have recommended that Armstrong be defrocked. Bishop Rob O'Neill will decide punishment.
Tags:

Rocky Mountain News - Cooperative Phillips to hear charges formally Sept. 19

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5665115,00.ht...
The Rev. Acen Phillips, accused of defrauding an insurance company of more than $575,000, will make a personal appearance in Arapahoe County District Court on Sept. 19, his attorney said Wednesday. "We're catching up, trying to get a handle on these various charges," Gary Lozow said. Attorney General John Suthers announced Tuesday that his office filed 12 felony charges against Phillips, 72, but the Aurora preacher was not arrested. Instead, he is being summoned to court next month for a formal airing of the charges against him. "The Rev. Phillips through his attorney has been very cooperative with the investigation, so we didn't feel it was necessary to place him under arrest at this time," said Nate Strauch, spokesman for Suthers' office. "We don't believe that the defendant is a flight risk because of that cooperation."
Tags:

The Denver Post - Priest's nude jog prompts meeting

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6578542...
The leadership councils at three northern Colorado Roman Catholic parishes met Wednesday night with a vicar from the Archdiocese of Denver to discuss what to do about a priest accused of going for a naked jog. Frederick police busted the Rev. Robert Whipkey in June after an off-duty officer spotted him walking down the street naked at 4:30 in the morning. Whipkey told police he had been jogging at the Frederick High School track. "I'm a heavy man, and wearing clothing while running makes me sweat profusely," Whipkey said, according to a police report. "I know what I did was wrong."
Tags:

The Denver Post - Focus helping AIDS benefit

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6577665...
Focus on the Family - the Christian media ministry and gay-rights opponent - has surprised many in its home base of Colorado Springs by lending its name to a local bike race raising money for AIDS relief. The ministry paid the $1,000 sponsorship fee, reserved a booth and registered two riders for Sunday's Pikes Peak Classic. The 100-mile race raises money for the Southern Colorado AIDS Project. "We are all thrilled to death," said Linda Boedeker, executive director of the AIDS project. "We were also a little bit surprised." The Christian group - which broadcasts in 26 languages around the world - was founded by James Dobson to dispense child-rearing advice in accord with Christian values. The organization has worked hard to counter what Dobson has called "the homosexual agenda." "There seems to be the perception that (because) AIDS is seen as typically associated with the gay community, that Focus on the Family wouldn't care for these people," said Devin Knuckles, a spokesman for Focus on the Family. "It's kind of hurtful," Knuckles said. "It's our mission to help people who need help."
Tags:
(Top)

Transporation and Infrastructure

The Coloradoan - RTA future in doubt after county opts out

http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070809/NEWS01/708090351/1002...
Larimer County on Wednesday joined the growing list of local governments backing out of a proposed transportation authority aimed at building regional road and transit projects. The county commissioners unanimously agreed that with the recent decisions of Greeley and Loveland officials to not participate in a regional transportation authority, or RTA, and Fort Collins opting out in June, there was little reason for the county to continue and place a measure that would create the authority on the November ballot.
Tags:

Related:

The Tribune - Loveland, Larimer County withdraw from RTA
http://greeleytrib.com/article/20070809/NEWS/108090130

The Denver Post - Ritter gives gas-tax talk little mileage

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_6577489...
Gov. Bill Ritter declined Wednesday to say whether he would support increasing the state's gas tax to pay for improvements to roads and highways. The Democratic governor said making any comment would pre-empt the work of the Blue Ribbon Transportation Panel he appointed this year. "I'm not going to answer that," Ritter said. "The transportation panel is doing its work. Until it's finished, I'm not going to dilute what they're doing by offering my suggestions." In appointing the panel, Ritter made it clear he wanted the group to consider all options for maintaining roads. In previous efforts, officials were prohibited from considering tax increases. The Colorado Department of Transportation estimates it will cost $65 billion to sustain the existing system of roads and bridges through 2030. To expand the system to keep pace with population growth would cost another $40 billion.
Tags:
(Top)

National News

(Top)

Civil Liberties and Equality

Hurdles Frustrate Effort to Shrink Guantanamo - New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/09/washington/09gitmo.html?ref=washington...
The decision this week by the British government to request the return of five Guantanamo detainees with British ties was welcome news for Bush administration officials eager to cut the detention center’s population. But officials quickly suggested that several of the men might be too dangerous to be set free, indicating that sensitive negotiations over how Britain will treat them are probably needed before they can leave Cuba. The episode illustrates why the administration has had such a difficult time reducing the detention center’s population. The effort has been hampered by a laundry list of diplomatic, legal and political challenges, including the unwillingness of some countries to accept detainees and concerns about human rights abuses in others, officials and critics of the administration say.
Tags:
(Top)

Economy

Stocks advance in another volatile trading day - USATODAY.com

http://www.usatoday.com/money/markets/2007-08-08-stocks-wed_N.htm...
Stocks surged Wednesday as solid results in the technology arena and renewed demand for risky debt soothed investors a day after the Federal Reserve said the economy should keep expanding. However, a late-day plunge and recovery revealed investors' underlying unease over how problems in lending might hurt corporate America, despite the Fed's assurances. The Dow Jones industrial average initially soared more than 190 points, then dropped into negative territory in the last hour of trading, reportedly on speculation that investment bank Goldman Sachs Group would release some negative news. When Goldman Sachs dispelled the rumor, the Dow rebounded to finish up more than 150 points. The sell-off illustrated how quickly sentiment can turn. The stock market