Earth is swinging by the path of Halley’s comet today, and astronomers expect a small meteor shower as the planet passes through the dusty trail left by the famous comet.
Early Friday morning, after midnight tonight, is the best time for viewing this Eta Aquarid meteor shower, said University of Colorado astronomer Doug Duncan.
Some experts project as many as 30 shooting stars – more technically known as meteors – will streak through the dark sky. City lights will make many of those invisible to city dwellers, Duncan said. Sky watching from the mountains or the Eastern Plains will likely be better.
Meteorites are born when Earth’s atmosphere plows into the dusty debris left by comets. The tiny particles – few bigger than a grain of sand – strike the atmosphere at 40 miles per second or faster, and friction lights them up.
WASHINGTON
Budget pact requires work at Pueblo Depot
The Department of Defense will be required to spend $372.8 million appropriated but not spent during fiscal 2005 for cleanup of the Pueblo Chemical Depot and the Blue Grass Chemical Depot in Kentucky.
A House-Senate conference committee charged with ironing out differences in the supplemental appropriations act left intact provisions by Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to destroy weapons stockpiles on- site at the depots.
The bill, filed Tuesday, requires the Defense Department to spend or contract for $100 million of work at the sites in no more than 120 days.
“The inclusion of these Pueblo Depot provisions in the conference version of the supplemental appropriations bill will have the effect of forbidding, by law, any consideration of moving the chemical weapons out of Pueblo for disposal, and ensures that the department will begin contracting for the disposal on site,” Allard said.
BOULDER
3 scientists honored for exceptional work
Three Boulder scientists were lauded this week for exceptional work. Physicist Deborah Jin and archaeologist Linda Cordell were elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and atmospheric chemist Akkihebbal Ravishankara won a presidential rank award for “exceptional service to the American people.”
Election to the National Academy is one of the highest honors for a scientist. Jin, 36, is one of the youngest women to join the group.
This year, the academy chose 72 new members and 18 foreign associates; Jin and Cordell were the only new members from Colorado. Jin studies the physics of ultracold atoms; Cordell’s research has focused primarily on pueblo archaeology in the Southwest.
Ravishankara was lauded for his work finding new ways to study the chemical reactions that lead to ozone depletion and air-quality problems.
COLORADO
Conti drops bid for Rep. Beauprez’s seat
Democratic candidate Joanna Conti has dropped out of her bid in Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, a seat held by two-term Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez.
Conti, a mother of four, announced her candidacy in March. She said recently she was dropping out to spend more time with her family.
Conti ran against Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo in the 6th Congressional District last year.
“Once I jumped back into full-time campaigning after only a four-month hiatus, it became apparent that my family had not fully recovered from the last race,” Conti said in a statement.
Conti thanked her volunteers and supporters and pledged support for the party’s eventual nominee. She said Democrats have two “excellent” candidates in former state Sen. Ed Perlmutter and former state Rep. Peggy Lamm.
AURORA
Pedestrian was killed by first of two vehicles
Investigators have determined that an 18-year-old pedestrian who was struck by two vehicles in Aurora was killed by the first car.
Alicia Ruth Larson died in the 3200 block of South Parker Road after she was struck by a Monte Carlo driven by 25-year- old Shannon Jean Obel on April 29.
Aurora police said Obel left the scene.
A white pickup also struck Larson as she lay in the road. The truck pulled to the side of the road, then also left the scene, police said.
Obel eventually returned to the scene of the accident and identified herself to officers, police said. She was arrested on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.
Police are still looking for the driver of the white truck.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Mike Benson at 303-739-6994. After hours, contact the Aurora Communications Center at 303-627- 3100.
ADAMS COUNTY
Water district sued in sex-harassment case
Two men are suing the South Adams County Water and Sanitation District, saying they were retaliated against because they supported a secretary in her sexual harassment claims against their manager.
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Denver, Vincent Crowe says he was fired and Larry Ford II contends he was demoted shortly after opposing their manager’s conduct.
The manager is accused of making demeaning sexual remarks to a secretary, including telling other employees he was going to have an affair with her. Crowe and Ford contend they were outstanding employees until the incident.
The men, who were field inspectors, are seeking lost wages and punitive damages.
DENVER
City, developer settle dispute over setback
Denver officials announced Wednesday they reached a settlement with a developer of a duplex on Franklin Street over a building-setback mishap.
City staffers twice in the past year erred in calculating the required setback – or distance between the building and the street – for a duplex that Edward Fitzgerald Jr. built in the 300 block of Franklin Street. The city twice approved plans for a 20-foot setback when the threshold should have been 28 feet.
In the settlement, the city will pay $42,500 of Fitzgerald’s estimated costs of $65,000 for moving back the duplex. The owner will pay the remaining costs, according to the city.
Denver also is changing its process for calculating building setbacks to avoid similar issues in the future, according to a statement from the city’s Department of Community Planning and Development.
