CU fraternities lift ban on house parties
Fraternities at the University of Colorado’s Boulder campus voted to lift party restrictions they imposed after late-September bashes sent seven women to hospitals with alcohol poisoning, but Greek leaders said Friday there would be no return to the free-for-alls of the past.
After the September incidents, the CU Interfraternity Council banned parties at fraternity houses, requiring any parties to be held only at outside venues holding liquor licenses.
Greek adviser Marc Stine said the council’s legislative branch lifted that ban Nov. 2, leaving in place guidelines that allow parties at fraternity houses, but only if fraternity members check guests’ identification and allow alcohol consumption only by people 21 and older.
Partygoers have to bring their own booze; no kegs or other common drinking sources are allowed.
Ryan Lynch, incoming president of the Interfraternity Council, said many houses felt it was not worthwhile to rent a party space when they already operate under strict guidelines.
KHOW chooses new talk-show program
Conservative talk-show host Glenn Beck takes to the air on KHOW 630 AM on Monday, replacing Bill O’Reilly. Beck, whose show is headquartered in Philadelphia, will be on KHOW noon to 3 p.m. weekdays.
KHOW announced in September that it would drop O’Reilly’s show because of poor ratings. “We had given the producers a 90-day notice and we’re at the end of the 90 days,” program director Jerry Bell said in announcing the change on Thursday. No other Denver station has picked up O’Reilly’s program.
“We’re not making the move because we don’t like (O’Reilly),” he said. “He does very well in other markets, but we’re not getting the ratings.”
High-school walkout protests requirement
Steamboat Springs – About 150 high school students walked out of classes this past week to protest a graduation requirement.
The students, mostly seniors, were objecting to the Senior Odyssey program, saying it was too rigid, unnecessary for some students and repetitive for others.
“(Odyssey) is too focused on college and on kids who already have a set plan,” said Bo Randolph, 17, a senior. “You get graded, in a way, on what your plan is; if you don’t talk about college, you get graded down.”
The walkout was Thursday. Principal Mike Knezevich stood at the doors, greeting some students as they left and telling others they needed to leave the school campus if they were not in class.
Some students said the Senior Odyssey takes up time that seniors could have devoted to advanced-placement classes.
“Our high school offers so many great AP classes, but since Senior Experience (a class that is part of Senior Odyssey), kids don’t have time to take them,” Melissa Walsh said.
Knezevich told the Steamboat Springs Pilot and Today that graduation requirements are under review by a committee but the Odyssey program is “a done deal” this year.
The committee includes principals, administrators, parents, teachers, community members and sophomore Becky Rupnow. It will make a recommendation to the school board in January.
One soldier arrested in death of another
A Fort Carson soldier has been arrested in the death of another soldier early Friday.
Spec. Timothy Parker, 22, was jailed on suspicion of second-degree murder and first-degree assault, police said. The 22-year-old victim’s name was not released Friday, pending notification of family.
Fort Carson spokeswoman Judy Dutt did not have any additional information.
Parker is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, which is scheduled to begin deploying to Iraq this month. The man killed was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
“The suspect didn’t know the victim,” police spokesman Lt. Rafael Cintron said.
According to police, the 22-year-old man was with three other soldiers early Friday at the Mountain View Apartments in southern Colorado Springs, where one lived.
Two soldiers went inside, while two others – including the victim – waited in the parking lot.
Parker allegedly began arguing with the man, then fighting.
Parker then allegedly hit the victim with an unidentified object, police said. Investigators would not say why the two were fighting.
Police turning to all-wheel-drive SUVs
Aspen is known for its environmentally friendly culture, but what is commonly considered an image of consumer excess will soon be the vehicle of choice for the police department.
Over the next few weeks, police officers are trading in their sedans for SUVs.
Detective Eric Ross said the all-wheel drive and higher ground clearance of the new Volvos are more suited to the mountain town’s terrain than the department’s former vehicle from Saab.
“Being high up makes it safer for us with all the big trucks around,” Ross said.
City finance director Paul Menter added that the SUVs are low-emission vehicles, which get 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.
Antelope Butte Ski Area closing
The operators of Wyoming’s Antelope Butte Ski Area told the U.S. Forest Service they plan to close down for good.
Forest Service spokesman Bernie Bornong said Wednesday that Antelope Butte Corp. had not applied for a permit this winter to operate the ski area, which is near Dayton in the Big Horn Mountains, and had told the agency there were no plans to reopen.
“I’m personally really sorry to see it go,” said Emerson Scott, president of Antelope Butte Corp. “I skied there myself for over 40 years. I think it’s a huge asset to the community.”
