Chemical spill closes U.S. 50; some get sick
The Colorado State Patrol closed U.S. 50 for more than 12 hours Saturday after a westbound truck crashed and rolled, spilling diesel and hazardous chemicals east of Pueblo near Fowler.
Two troopers and several Fowler firefighters who reported feeling strange received medical treatment at the scene for exposure to the chemical calcium carbide.
State Patrol Cpl. Wallace Lathrop said two residences were evacuated, and road crews notified county health officials, as chemicals from two of nine cargo bins spilled into an irrigation ditch. Hazardous-material cleanup crews dammed the irrigation ditch with sandbags to try to contain the spill. They also set off a fire when their water reacted with the calcium carbide.
Truck driver Donald Nichols of Oklahoma was not hurt, officials said.
Dispatchers learned of the crash at 5:19 a.m., and troopers closed U.S. 50 in both directions at 7:27 a.m. Arkansas Valley travelers were detoured on back roads.
3 students suspended over threats on Net
Three high school students accused of leaving nasty messages about two other students on a Web page created off campus have been suspended.
The Rampart High School students were suspended Friday on the grounds that the contents of the Web page, created on Myspace.com, were harassing and threatening, said Nanette Anderson, spokeswoman for Academy School District 20.
Myspace.com is a commercial site that allows people to create profiles, blogs and group sites. Friends can use the site to share photos and interact online.
Four girls, including one who didn’t attend Rampart, created a page with messages bad-mouthing a couple after a falling out. It was titled with a sentence including two students’ names and an obscene epithet asking for them to die.
RNC chief says Alito passes Salazar’s tests
Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman criticized Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar on Friday for his reluctance to endorse Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, saying Salazar was violating his promise to give Alito fair consideration.
“When he first talked about this, before John Roberts was nominated, he said he had three basic tests – fairness, impartiality and a proven record of upholding the law.
Anybody that looks at those three tests can say Sam Alito meets all three of them and meets them with flying colors,” Mehlman said.
Salazar said his meeting Thursday with President Bush’s nominee left him “very concerned” that Alito might disturb the balance on the court.
