STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
Earthquake rattles furniture; no damage
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake centered about 14 miles east-northeast of Steamboat Springs rattled furniture but did not cause significant damage Friday.
More than 170 emergency and non-emergency calls were received in an hour period starting at 11:57 p.m.
Most of the calls were made by people living in Steamboat Springs after feeling the earthquake, which was confirmed by the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center. Despite the high volume of calls there were no reports of injuries or damage.
The nearest landmark in the affected area is the Teal Lake Campground on the east side of Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area.
PUEBLO
Report: Doomed jet was trying to de-ice
The pilots of a Cessna Citation 560 that crashed on final approach to Pueblo’s airport Feb. 16 were trying to shed ice collecting on the airplane as they descended in the final minutes before the accident, according to records released Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The crash, which occurred around 9:13 a.m. 4 miles east of the runway, killed the two pilots and all six passengers aboard the twin-engine business jet.
The plane was owned by Circuit City Stores, the electronics retailer, and the contract pilots were ferrying company officials on a cross-country business trip from Circuit City’s Richmond, Va., headquarters to Santa Ana, Calif.
The plane was flying just ahead of a sister Circuit City aircraft, another Citation that also had two pilots and six passengers aboard.
Both planes had refueled in Columbia, Mo., on the journey west and both were to make a second refueling stop in Pueblo. The sister airplane made a safe landing at Pueblo minutes after the first plane crashed.
The NTSB released more than 450 pages of documents related to the Pueblo accident on Friday but did not identify a probable cause of the accident.
FORT COLLINS
Much of forest fire contained by crews
Fire crews contained much of a 30-acre forest fire by Saturday afternoon that had been burning overnight about 25 miles northwest of Fort Collins.
The Sheep Creek fire was believed to be started Friday by lightning, U.S. Forest Service officials said.
The blaze involved two fires, one 20-acre fire and another covering 10 acres, both near each other. Increased winds were expected to hamper firefighting. By Saturday afternoon, officials said 75 percent of the blaze had been contained.
About 45 firefighters were handling the blaze and no injuries were reported. No structures were threatened, officials said.
GRAND JUNCTION
GOCO supporting November measure
The Great Outdoors Colorado board is supporting a measure on the November ballot asking voters to give up $3.7 billion in tax surplus refunds over the next five years, saying voter rejection could hamper future purchases for parks and open space.
John Swartout, executive director of the board that regulates the land purchases with proceeds from the state lottery, said GOCO might not be able to meet its constitutional obligations.
Wade Haerle of Grand Junction, who represents the parks board on GOCO, said if voters reject Referendum C and a companion measure, Referendum D, allowing the state to sell bonds, the state Parks Department could lose as much as $5 million when the legislature begins looking for cuts next year, money needed to run the parks.
ALAMOSA
Adams State chief loses lawsuit over job
Adams State College president Richard Wueste lost a court fight Friday to be reinstated as the college’s top administrator after the school’s board violated open-records laws in placing him on administrative leave.
Wueste filed a lawsuit in Alamosa District Court last month, asking that a court reinstate him. Adams State College, in court filings, conceded that it held meetings that did not comply with open-records laws but said that was not a reason to reinstate Wueste.
The board had accused Wueste, who was put on administrative leave in July, of mismanaging the school and losing the support of his staff. It will hold a hearing next week to decide whether to fire him.
Judge Pattie Swift ruled in favor of Adams State, saying the violations of open-meetings laws do not justify a reinstatement.
Adams State put out a news release saying the board was pleased with the judge’s decision; Wueste’s attorneys could not be reached for comment.
DENVER
Barbershop sting nets two drug arrests
Denver police arrested two men and uncovered a drug-dealing operation at a barbershop in northeast Denver.
A seven-month investigation showed that drugs and stolen merchandise were being sold out of Mickey’s Barber Shop in the 4700 block of Peoria Street, police said. Employees and customers were involved in the operation, police said. Edwin Thomas Sr., 32, was arrested on suspicion of distributing marijuana and theft by receiving. Charles Segere, 47, was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs.
