Candidates for governor, Congress publicize funding
A Democratic candidate for governor and a Democratic candidate for the 7th Congressional District released their fundraising numbers Monday.
Gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter’s campaign released a statement that said he raised almost $300,000 in the three months ending Sept. 30. That brings his total to $460,000.
On the Republican side, candidates U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez and Marc Holtzman have not released their latest fundraising numbers, which are due no later than Oct. 19.
Democrat Ed Perlmutter, who is running to replace Beauprez in the 7th District, released a statement that said he had raised about $105,000 through Sept. 30. He has $317,000 total.
His primary opponent, former state Rep. Peggy Lamm, also a Democrat, has not yet announced her fundraising numbers.
DENVER
Heaters arrive late, slow use of tent as jail
A delay in the shipment of heaters stalled for a day plans to start housing inmates at the Denver County Jail in a tent.
Division Chief William Lovingier of the Denver Sheriff Department said the heaters were expected to arrive at 11 a.m. Monday. They arrived at 2 p.m.
He said the Sheriff Department will allow the media to tour the tent this morning and will start moving about 60 inmates convicted of misdemeanors into the tent later in the day.
Denver officials erected the tent, which is 40 feet by 60 feet, to handle an overflow of jail inmates.
Inmate population has ballooned 17 percent in the past year, already exceeding the initial capacity for Denver’s jails when the new justice center is complete in 2009.
City officials say that they have the ability to expand jail capacity further if necessary and that they also will reduce the growing jail population through rehabilitation and pretrial diversion programs.
AURORA
Crash at intersection kills car passenger
One man was killed and another seriously injured in a two- vehicle collision in an Aurora intersection Monday afternoon, Lt. Charles Holzheimer said.
Their names were not released Monday.
The two were southbound on South Buckley Road in a tan 1996 Honda Accord that turned left at East Kentucky Avenue into the path of a white 2000 Dodge Dakota pickup at 2:25 p.m., Holzheimer said.
The Dodge, driven by Steven Ironwing, 35, of Aurora, hit the Honda on the passenger side, he said.
The driver and the passenger in the Honda were taken to a local hospital, where the passenger died and the driver was hospitalized with serious injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, Holzheimer said.
Ironwing was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
The road was wet at the time of the accident, but that didn’t appear to be a factor, Holzheimer said. Speed and alcohol also didn’t appear to be factors, he said.
FORT CARSON
Influx of soldiers brings building boom
An influx of at least 8,000 soldiers is spurring the biggest building boom in Fort Carson’s history and predictions of as much as $1 billion being pumped into the local economy.
More than $110 million will be spent on housing for the additional soldiers being moved to the base just south of Colorado Springs as part of the military’s consolidation. The biggest project will be a $74 million renovation of 14 Vietnam-era barracks buildings.
Edward Whitcraft, Fort Carson’s deputy director of public works, said the project is the largest he has seen in his 30 years of following construction work at the base, which had 15,000 soldiers at the start of this year.
“This is an exciting time,” Whitcraft said.
Other construction will include a $28 million training range to allow commanders to electronically record troop performance.
Plans are also in the works for housing for an additional brigade to arrive in 2007 with the 4th Infantry Division.
AURORA
Police review board to look at use of force
The Aurora City Council on Monday agreed to form a police review board, made up of community members and police officers who will examine cases in which officers use force that results in death or serious injury.
The board will be made up of four community members chosen by the city manager and four police officers, including a captain from the department.
The board will look at whether police policy was followed and whether training should be reviewed or revised.
The plan has been nearly a year in the making and is an attempt by the city to address community concerns that arose after controversial police incidents.
The council considered having the board look at five past cases, including three police shootings, a case in which an Aurora police officer allegedly pointed a gun at a handcuffed man in a police cruiser and a case in February in which police used a Taser on a man at a children’s pizza restaurant.
However, the council chose to only look at the Taser case, which already had been agreed to as a part of a settlement with the victim in that case.
SANTA FE
Radiologist joins race for governor
A Santa Fe radiologist has declared he will run for governor of New Mexico in 2006.
Republican J.R. Damron, president of Santa Fe Radiology, described himself as moderate on some issues and conservative on others.
If elected, he said he would propose tax rebates higher than what Gov. Bill Richardson is proposing in the ongoing special session of the Legislature.
He said the state government has enough excess energy taxes to give a small portion back to New Mexico citizens.
“This is their money,” he said.
His list of goals if elected includes improving the education system in New Mexico.
He said the graduation rate is too low to be acceptable.
George Bailey Jr., an educator and ordained minister who lives in Edgewood, was the first Republican to join the race for governor.
SALT LAKE CITY
Prairie-dog habitats to be established
A pair of new programs will set aside Utah land as protected habitat for the state’s endangered prairie dog.
In 2004, Utah’s prairie dogs numbered fewer than 4,000, earning them a designation as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Under one program, New York-based Environmental Defense will provide financial assistance to ranchers in exchange for developing habitat on their property.
In the second program, Utah’s trust land administration will set aside 800 acres of prairie- dog habitat in a 105,000-acre Parker Mountain parcel west of Loa in central Utah.
