El Paso County Commissioners will meet in a closed session Tuesday to discuss a possible settlement of a lawsuit over a jail policy that restricted inmates to writing postcards instead of sealed letters.

Sheriff Terry Maketa adopted the policy in August 2007, when the jail limited outgoing written communications to 4-by-6 inch postcards. The policy banned the use of letters and envelopes, with the exception of correspondence with an inmate’s lawyer.

In September, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a class action suit in U.S. District Court in Denver, claiming the policy violated inmates’ free speech and privacy rights.

In December, Maketa agreed to roll back the policy a few days before a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against the postcard policy.

On Feb. 28, both sides filed a document stating that they were “satisfied with the quality of the negotiations” and asked the court for more time to discuss a settlement.

The commissioners are scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. on the third floor of the County Office Building at 27 E. Vermijo Ave. The executive session on the lawsuit is the last item on the agenda.

The ACLU also is pursuing a class action lawsuit against a similar jail policy in Boulder. According to ACLU Legal Director Mark Silverstein, an injunction hearing in that case is scheduled April 15.

WEATHER

High temperatures are expected to hit 60 degrees Tuesday in the Colorado Springs area before pushing into the 70s Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Sunny but breezy conditions are in the forecast for the next couple days, with gusts of about 20 mph expected Wednesday.

AROUND COLORADO

Sheriff: Teen finds parents’ bodies at Colorado home(AP) — Montrose authorities say they’re investigating the deaths of a man and a woman after their 15-year-old son discovered the bodies at their home.

Montrose County Sheriff Rick Dunlap said the boy found the bodies Monday morning. Investigators have not named any suspects in the case and the names of the victims have not been released.

The Montrose Daily Press newspaper said investigators found no sign of forced entry at the home. Dunlap said investigators are looking for a man who is about 20 years old who visited the home Sunday night.

Dunlap says authorities want to talk to the man to try to establish a timeline.

Colorado boy faces 9 charges in parents’ deaths(AP) — Newly released documents in the case of a 12-year-old Colorado boy accused of fatally shooting his parents and wounding two siblings show prosecutors filed nine charges against him, including two counts of first-degree murder.

The documents released by a judge Monday also offer new details from investigators alleging the boy tried to hurt his 5-year-old sister with a knife and stabbed and shot his 9-year-old brother. The Denver Post newspaper and KUSA-TV reported the documents were released after a closed court hearing.

Police found the bodies of Charles and Marilyn Long after the boy called 911 to report a shooting at their Burlington home.

Prosecutors have not decided whether to charge the boy as an adult.

Springs man killed but brother rescued in Utah canyonAuthorities say a Tennessee man who was stranded about six days on a remote Utah canyon ledge after his brother fell to his death has been rescued.

Wayne County sheriff’s officials told the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper that searchers began looking for the men in No Man’s Canyon in southeast Utah on Friday after family members reported them missing following what was to have been a weeklong trip.

A helicopter rescued David Cicotello, 57, from the slot canyon Saturday. He was treated for minor injuries and dehydration. Authorities said Monday the area doesn’t have access to radio communication.

His brother, Louis Cicotello, 70, was a professor emeritus at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs.  Read more about Cicotello and what colleagues said about his influence at the university and in the art world.

Colorado man can sue Secret Service in Cheney case(AP) — An appeals court ruled that a Colorado man can sue two Secret Service agents who arrested him after he touched former Vice President Dick Cheney on the arm in 2006 and told him his Iraq War policies were “disgusting.”

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that Steven Howards can sue Virgil D. “Gus” Reichle Jr. and Dan Doyle on First Amendment grounds. But the court ruled that two other agents named in the lawsuit are immune in the case.

Howards was arrested after he approached Cheney at a mall in Beaver Creek. The agents alleged that Howards’ contact with Cheney constituted assault but a local prosecutor dropped the case.

Sean R. Gallagher, the attorney for Reichle and Doyle, said he is considering appealing.

Vote delayed on solitary confinement bill(AP) — A Senate committee delayed a vote on a Colorado proposal to limit the number of mentally ill inmates placed in solitary confinement.

Senators heard testimony on the bill Monday but will vote on it later. It would direct state prisons to have a physician evaluate inmates with mental illnesses before they’re placed in solitary confinement. The bill would also require that inmates in solitary confinement get a chance to integrate with the general prison population before they’re released to the public.

The Department of Corrections opposes the bill and says solitary confinement is used appropriately to protect the prison population.

Sen. Morgan Carroll and Rep. Claire Levy, both Democrats, say the bill is intended to curb the rising number of mentally ill inmates who are put in solitary confinement.

Aspen jail will offer yoga classes to inmates(AP) — The Pitkin County Jail is planning to offer a yoga program to its inmates.

The Aspen Daily News newspaper reported Monday that jail officials believe practicing yoga will help prisoners deal with the stress of imprisonment. They also hope it will positively influence future behavior and say a serene environment will mean a safer facility for staff and inmates.

Two volunteers will teach the classes. Officials say the inmates seem receptive to yoga classes.

Colorado Senate approves school exercise bill(AP) — The Colorado Senate approved a proposal that would require 30 minutes of physical activity for elementary students each day.

House Bill 1069 directs school districts to make sure students are getting exercise, whether it’s during recess, physical education classes, or field trips. The Senate gave final approval to the bill Monday but House lawmakers still need to consider amendments to the measure before deciding whether to send it to Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Supporters of the bill say students need time to exercise during school to combat rising obesity rates. They say physical activity also improves students’ academic performance. Several states have implemented similar legislation in recent years.

Peterson Air Force Base aims to improve recycling(AP) — Peterson Air Force Base has set a goal of improving its recycling rate to 50 percent of its total trash, up from the current 40 percent.

Peterson officials estimate that nearly a quarter of the base’s trash that currently winds up in a landfill could be recycled.

Trash bins are stationed around the base for recyclable material and a recycling yard is open 24 hours a day.

HAPPENINGS

– “Seventh Annual Reason to Hope Breakfast” hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association, 7:30-8:30 a.m., Mr. Biggs Event Center, 5825 Mark Dabling Blvd.

– “Public Free Day,” 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., free.