Rep. Gary Lindstrom joins governor’s race
Gary Lindstrom, a freshman state representative and former coroner, is joining the Democratic race for governor, saying the state needs a vision to limit out-of-control growth.
“We have a five-bedroom house and we’re inviting 20 people to stay. We’re marketing something that’s over-capacity,” he said.
Lindstrom, 63, will face former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter, the only announced Democratic candidate. Rutt Bridges, a wealthy think-tank founder, withdrew from the Democratic campaign in August.
Rep. Bob Beauprez and former University of Denver President Marc Holtzman are seeking the GOP gubernatorial nomination, hoping to replace GOP Gov. Bill Owens, who cannot seek another term.
Ritter has been criticized by some in his own party for opposing abortion. Lindstrom said he is pro-choice.
Report: 2 former top Qwest officers testify
Qwest’s former top lawyer, Drake Tempest, has testified before a grand jury in Denver investigating possible criminal charges against former Qwest chief executive Joe Nacchio, according to Reuters.
The London-based news service, quoting an anonymous source, said Friday that Tempest and former Qwest president and chief operating officer Afshin Mohebbi both testified against Nacchio before the grand jury. The Denver Post reported Friday morning that Mohebbi was likely to testify for the prosecution and may have been granted immunity.
Neither Tempest’s nor Mohebbi’s attorneys were available to comment late Friday.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Denver may seek an indictment against Nacchio in the next few weeks. The investigation is focused on insider trading and disclosure issues in 2000 and 2001, according to court filings.
Nacchio, who sold Qwest stock for a profit of $176.5 million from 1999 to 2001, has denied wrongdoing. He was one of 12 former Qwest executives sued in March by the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly inflating the company’s financial performance and misleading investors.
Tempest was not among those sued.
Help sought in finding bar-robbery suspects
Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying three armed robbers who have targeted Denver bars in the past three weeks.
Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,000 reward for anyone who can provide information that leads to the arrest of the three suspects.
Between Nov. 14 and Monday, the robbers, identified as two men armed with handguns and a third man armed with a baton, targeted the Music Bar, 4586 Tennyson St.; Arabian Bar, 3360 Navajo St.; and the Hangar Bar, 8001 E. Colfax Ave.
In each of the robberies, the suspects forced the bar customers to lie on the floor.
While one suspect remained by the door, the other two robbed the customers and the bar itself.
The suspects wore gloves and used nylon stockings, ski masks and sunglasses to cover their faces.
The men were described as white or Hispanic, stocky-muscular, with each of them possibly over 5 feet 10 inches.
Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 (STOP).
Initiative-easing measure on ballot
Secretary of State Gigi Dennis certified the first initiative for next year’s ballot on Friday, a measure that would ease restrictions on petitions for ballot measures in Colorado.
Dennis said petition supporters turned in 121,317 signatures.
State law requires 67,829 valid signatures to qualify for next year’s ballot.
Dennis Polhill, a sponsor, said the measure would condense thousands of pages of conflicting statutes, charters, court opinions and regulations, allow petitions to all local governments, reduce lawsuits and protect petitioners from government campaigns against their using public funds.
“It’s not easing the restraints, it’s returning the rules to how they are defined in the constitution,” Polhill said.
Ski patroller survives burying by avalanche
A ski patroller doing control work on a closed run on Aspen Mountain survived an avalanche that buried him Saturday afternoon, an Aspen Skiing Co. spokesman said.
Colleagues rescued the patroller, whose name was not being released.
The patroller was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
It was unclear exactly where the avalanche started or how far it ran, said Jeff Hanle, spokesman for Aspen Skiing Co. He said he did not know how long the victim was buried.
Aspen Mountain received very heavy snow Friday and Saturday, keeping the ski patrol busy with control work.
The Roaring Fork Avalanche Center reported high backcountry avalanche danger above treeline Saturday and considerable danger at and below treeline.
