Girder installation done at C-470/I-70
Contractors have completed installation of new bridge girders at the C-470/Interstate 70 interchange and the structure is secure, the Colorado Department of Transportation said Friday.
The work, completed over three nights last week,was at the site of a fatal bridge accident 15 months ago. In that incident, a single, 6-foot-high steel girder lost stability and collapsed onto I-70 below, crushing a sport utility vehicle and killing its three occupants. In last week’s installation, contractors used extensive bracing to connect sets of girders and create a stable structure, officials said.
The bridge project still will require highway lane closures to complete final job items, but there is no need for a full shutdown of the roads, CDOT spokeswoman Stacey Stegman said.
Littleton man tests positive for West Nile
A 48-year-old Littleton man tested positive recently for the mosquito-borne West Nile virus, the Tri-County Health Department announced last week.
It’s the first confirmed case in Arapahoe County this year.
The man told authorities he was bitten by mosquitoes while staying at his Park County cabin. He was hospitalized but is recuperating at home.
Park County officials have been trapping and testing mosquitoes in various locations, but none has tested positive for West Nile virus.
Experts advise people to avoid outdoor activities at dusk or dawn; wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes and socks; use mosquito repellent while outdoors; and eliminate standing water around their properties that could become mosquito breeding areas.
Railroad fills seats, but fewer available
The Georgetown Loop Railroad attracted 20,657 riders in July, filling nearly every seat on the tourist line.
Ridership still lags significantly behind last year’s figures, remaining an issue for merchants in Georgetown who depend on the train’s tourist traffic.
Railstar Corp., which took over operation of the line after the Colorado Historical Society ended its contract with the previous management, has had to acquire rolling stock and has fewer passenger-car seats available.
Col. Horne promoted to brigadier general
U.S. Army Col. Jeffrey C. Horne was promoted to brigadier general in ceremonies held at Peterson Air Force Base on Friday.
Horne has been the Deputy Commander for Operations, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command since July 1. He is now the Deputy Commanding General for Operations and his duties remain the same, according to a release.
Plane crash that killed Niwot man probed
A northern Indiana private school has grounded all its aircraft while an investigation continues into what caused one of its planes to crash into a lake, killing an aviation camp student and his instructor from Colorado, a school spokesman said.
The single-engine Piper Warrior crashed into Lake Maxinkuckee near Culver Academies on Wednesday afternoon.
Killed were flight instructor Brent Bauman, 21, of Niwot, who was attending Purdue University, and his student Peter Mueller, 14, of Tampa, Fla.
The plane sank into about 6 feet of water, trapping both people near the school in Culver, 35 miles southeast of South Bend, police said.
Police have said it is unclear who was flying the plane.
Mystery woman pays Dennis Rodman’s bill
Police have declined to file charges over Dennis Rodman’s unpaid gas bill after an anonymous female basketball fan stepped in to help keep the notorious bad boy out of trouble.
The woman recently paid a gas bill that the former NBA star allegedly failed to pay on July 26 at a Glenwood Springs gas station. Police decided against pursuing charges against Rodman.
The incident happened while Rodman was driving his gold-and-black Lamborghini through Colorado in a charity rally race.
A clerk at the Tomahawk Auto Truck Plaza told police that Rodman tried on a cowboy hat, said he liked it, signed an autograph, then put $20 on the counter for gas. However, his gas bill was more than $40, and the clerk told police Rodman didn’t pay for the hat, either.
Glenwood Springs Police Chief Terry Wilson said police found that a woman, who didn’t identify herself, covered the shortfall.
