1973 alumnus nominated as superintendent of AFA
Air Force Academy – President Bush nominated Lt. Gen. John F. Regni on Tuesday to be superintendent of the Air Force Academy.
Regni, a 1973 graduate of the academy, is commander of Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. He would replace Lt. Gen. John Rosa Jr., who is stepping down to become president of The Citadel, a private military college in Charleston, S.C.
Regni would take over the academy as it works to recover from scandals over sexual assaults and religious intolerance.
Dozens of female cadets have said they were punished or forced to resign after reporting they were sexually assaulted. The allegations led to a complete change in the school’s command structure that put Rosa in charge.
This week, the Air Force issued new guidelines on religious tolerance after complaints that evangelical Christian staffers and cadets at the academy harassed students of other faiths.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Hiker missing in same area where ranger fell
Rangers and search-and- rescue teams combed the rugged Mummy Range in the northern part of Rocky Mountain National Park on Tuesday for a hiker from Texas who has been missing since Sunday.
Hillel Ben- Avi, 45, of Austin, Texas, was last seen climbing 13,502-foot Fairchild Mountain.
Ben-Avi was hiking ahead of his brother, who last saw him near the summit. When his brother reached the summit, Ben-Avi was not there, park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson said. Two helicopters, two dog teams and about 70 searchers were looking for the missing man Tuesday.
WELD COUNTY
Charges rise against burglary suspect
The Weld County district attorney Tuesday filed 58 additional charges, in eight separate cases, against a 30-year-old man in connection with several thefts and burglaries in Greeley and Evans, as well as a police standoff in Evans.
Lucio Munoz Jr. is in Weld County Jail on $1.3 million bail in connection with another set of charges filed against him Aug. 18 for alleged acts in Greeley on Aug. 6 and in other jurisdictions. Those charges include attempted first-degree murder, first- degree burglary and two counts of second-degree kidnapping.
The new charges range from first-degree burglary, aggravated motor vehicle theft to misdemeanor criminal mischief, according to officials.
BOULDER
No marshmallows at CU-CSU game
University of Colorado officials warned Tuesday that alcohol, gallon bottles, cans, glass, ice chests and marshmallows will not be allowed at the CU-Colorado State University game Saturday and any unruly fans will be ejected.
Anyone found with alcohol in the stadium will be ejected.
At previous games, marshmallows containing coins, batteries or other objects thrown at players and fans have caused injuries.
CU officials expect heavy traffic and full parking. Parking will be $20 at campus lots. Shuttle rides from the Denver metro area and Longmont will be $6.
FORT CARSON
Armored cavalry soldier killed in Iraq
Spec. Joseph L. Martinez, 21, died Saturday in Tall Afar, Iraq, where his patrol was engaged by enemy forces, the Department of Defense reported. Martinez was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based out of Fort Carson.
A Fort Carson official said Martinez is the 24th member of the 3rd ACR to be killed in Iraq since the regiment redeployed this year.
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Day-care director who faces 22 counts rejailed
A former day-care director who ran centers in Golden and Lakewood is back in jail after allegedly violating the bond in his sex assault cases.
Joseph Renander, 28, was arrested Saturday, accused of contacting a child or children, according to the Jefferson County district attorney’s office.
Renander has two cases pending against him involving a total of six alleged victims, all children, who were formerly in his care. He faces 22 felony counts.Renander pleaded not guilty to all counts. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday. His bond has been set at $50,000.
DENVER
Recruiter demoted for enlisting deception
An Army recruiter was demoted Tuesday after admitting that he encouraged a high school student to use a fake diploma and a drug detox kit to fulfill enlistment requirements.
Sgt. 1st Class Eric Mulero was demoted to staff sergeant during a summary court-martial at the Military Entrance Processing Station. His salary will be cut from about $39,000 to $34,300 a year.
“I know I’m a good soldier. I used poor judgment,” Mulero said.
Mulero pleaded guilty to encouraging David McSwane, 18, to create fake documents and get the detox kit. McSwane was a 17-year-old Arvada West High School senior who tried, as part of a school project, to enlist in the Army while posing as a pot- smoking high school dropout.
