Author: Colleen Slevin
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CO wildfire a deadly cascade of missteps and fire
DENVER — The Colorado State Forest Service conducted a 50-acre prescribed burn on March 22, part of a normal plan to consume fuel in the rugged, pine-filled foothills southwest of Denver. It wasn’t far from site of the monstrous Hayman Fire 10 years ago, and this burn was a precaution. Once the fire was out,…
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Feds want 25-foot limit for Colo. abortion protester
DENVER — The federal government is trying to prevent a longtime anti-abortion protester from being able to stop cars and talk to drivers as they enter Denver’s Planned Parenthood center, arguing that he’s making it “unreasonably difficult” for patients and employees to get to the clinic. U.S. Justice Department lawyer Gayle Winsome told U.S. District…
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Colo. court weighs energy leases near Utah parks
DENVER — A federal appeals court must decide if the Obama administration gave energy companies sufficient notice that it was scrapping oil and gas leases auctioned off near national parks in Utah in the closing days of the Bush presidency. The sale near Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Dinosaur National Monument was protested by…
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Bug man accused of stealing from clients since ’83
DENVER — A southwestern Colorado exterminator is suspected of earning the trust of his customers — and their dogs — to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of items and cash over the course of nearly 30 years. Charles Trogdon was arrested Nov. 1, days after one of his customers, who was hiding, said…
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Ritter: Lawmakers got difficult bills passed
DENVER — Gov. Bill Ritter believes his decision not to run for re-election and the lame-duck status of some legislative leaders helped lawmakers get difficult legislation passed this year. Ritter said Thursday that bills that were helped by the lack of election year politics included teacher tenure reform, cuts to state employee pensioners and pushing…
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Ritter signs $18.2B budget
DENVER — Gov. Bill Ritter signed a $18.2 billion budget into law Thursday, saying it contained some tough cuts but that the pain was fairly spread across the board. “This budget is fair, it’s thoughtful, it’s responsible and it’s balanced,” Ritter said during a ceremony flanked by legislative leaders and members of the Legislature’s Joint…
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Colorado faces ‘budget cliff’ in 2011
DENVER — Colorado schools are set to lose funding this year even though the overall state budget and tax revenue are growing. Other parts of the budget, like prisons and higher education, are getting more tax dollars — forcing cuts elsewhere — as federal stimulus money begins to dry up and the state faces the…
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Colo. lawmakers want changes to teacher tenure law
DENVER — Only teachers whose students show improvement in the classroom would be able to earn job protections under legislation introduced Monday by a bipartisan group of state lawmakers. The bill also would make it easier for districts to get rid of teachers deemed to be ineffective. Schools couldn’t be forced to hire a non-tenured…
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Ritter, lawmakers want more child welfare oversight
DENVER — Gov. Bill Ritter and state lawmakers want to create an independent office to investigate complaints about how child abuse cases are being handled following the deaths of 35 children in the last three years. Under legislation introduced Thursday, the child protection ombudsman office would be set up as an independent office in the…
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Denver medical marijuana lab says it was raided
DENVER • A lab that tests medical marijuana for dispensaries and patients said Thursday it was raided by federal drug agents and ordered to turn over patient records.Full Spectrum Laboratories president Bob Winnicki said Drug Enforcement Administration agents showed up at his facility in Denver on Wednesday when he was at the Capitol for a…