Decomposed body found under tree in Weld County
A body that was too decomposed to determine age or sex was discovered under a tree near Banner Lake in Weld County on Monday morning, officials say.
Weld County sheriff’s deputies estimated the body had been left at the location, in south Weld County east of Hudson, two to three weeks ago, said Weld County sheriff’s spokeswoman Margie Martinez.
Authorities do not know what caused the death of the person, who was found at about 8 a.m., Martinez said.
The investigation is continuing, she said.
AURORA
Female driver killed on I-70 near E-470
A female driver was killed Monday evening when her vehicle swerved and struck an unoccupied bread truck parked on the shoulder of Interstate 70 near E-470, the Colorado State Patrol reported.
The woman, whose identity was not released, died at the scene of the accident, which occurred about 6 p.m. and forced officials to close the westbound lanes of the highway.
The woman apparently was driving in the left lane and swerved to avoid a vehicle she was fast approaching, then hit the truck, which was pushed and flipped, according to Trooper Eric Wynn.
A male passenger was taken to an undisclosed area hospital with injuries that were not expected to be life-threatening, Wynn said.
DENVER
Police ID man who was beaten to death
Denver police have released the identify of a man who was beaten to death in the Five Points neighborhood Sunday.
Cornell Hughes, 50, was found severely beaten at 27th and Welton streets about 11:40 a.m., said Virginia Lopez, Denver police spokeswoman.
Witnesses saw a group of about eight people get into a white car and leave hurriedly from the area. Hughes was rushed to Denver Health Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
The case remains under investigation, Lopez said.
DENVER
Carjacker escapes after traffic stop
A carjacker fled on foot and escaped from police when he was pulled over on a traffic stop hours after he stole a car Monday morning, authorities say.
The man, who has not been identified, took off running after the stolen car was stopped at West Ninth Avenue and Julian Street, said Virginia Lopez, Denver police spokeswoman.
She said authorities do not have a suspect.
CHEYENNE
Labor leaders assail Bush administration
Labor leaders say that while Wyoming’s workers have benefited from booming public construction projects, their future isn’t totally rosy.
“Not in our lifetimes have we ever seen such a vicious attack from an administration like the Bush administration,” said Kim Floyd, director of the Wyoming AFL-CIO.
Unions nationwide have criticized the administration for naming two pro-business labor lawyers to the National Labor Relations Board. They have also criticized reduced worker-safety regulations and changes to overtime rules.
The White House has said that some of the changes will make government more efficient, reduce regulations for struggling companies and lessen confusion regarding overtime rules. The administration also has said that worker safety has not been compromised.
Floyd said the changes will severely hurt union organization.
EL DORADO, Kan.
Site holds evidence of prehistoric farmers
Archaeologists have found evidence of prehistoric farmers at the proposed site of a new wastewater treatment plant.
The Kansas State Historical Society has approved the plant site for construction, but the city of El Dorado will use a different location for a wetland it had planned to build nearby.
American Indian sites had been found when the wastewater treatment plant was updated in 1983, so the city arranged for a study of the area where the expansion was planned.
David Hughes, an associate professor of anthropology at Wichita State University who was hired to carry out a survey, found flint rock, pottery and tools at the proposed wetlands site.
Settlement occurred in the area about 2,500 years ago, Hughes said, and it could take several years to fully explore the site and determine who the people were and why they chose to live there.
“One of the questions we have is when they did and why they did it,” Hughes said.
ALBUQUERQUE
Council OKs new use for Indian School site
The Albuquerque City Council has approved a development plan for the old Albuquerque Indian School property that has been vacant for about 20 years.
The plan approved by the council includes an eight-story hotel and seven retail buildings for stores, restaurants and a bank.”The commercial side of the site plan is community friendly and could form a community center to offer a high quality environment for the people working there and for the residents of the surrounding neighborhoods,” said Lou Colombo, deputy director of the Albuquerque City Council Services, which provides support for the council.
A plaza will link the development to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center west of the 47-acre property.
The campus has been vacant since the early 1980s, when the All Indian Pueblo Council closed it.
The acreage is Indian trust land that retains sovereign status.
The property is controlled by the Indian Pueblo Federal Development Corp., which is owned by 19 pueblos.
The development is a joint project of the city and the corporation.
