60 firefighters battle blaze, wind in Coal Creek Canyon
A brush fire near the mouth of Coal Creek Canyon that had been fanned by gusty winds for a half-dozen hours Tuesday night blew up when the wind shifted about midnight. The blaze crossed Colorado 93 into the area near the Rocky Flats Environmental Tech Site.
Colorado 93 was closed, said Jacki Kelley of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.
About 60 firefighters from several agencies battled high winds while trying to fight the brush fire at Colorado 72 and Plainview Road, but it eluded their control.
Even stronger wind expected after midnight arrived early and pushed the fire across the highway, said Kelley.
The first calls on the fire came in about 6:30 p.m., Kelley said.
The fire had burned about 1 acre by the time the first firefighters arrived.
But the crews were confronted with darkness, gusty wind and the hillside terrain, and the fire had grown to at least 10 acres by 10 p.m., Kelley said. At that time it was about 25 percent contained, she said.
She said there had been no evacuations, but one cabin reportedly had burned.
No homes were immediately threatened, but crews were in position to provide structure protection if necessary.
FORT CARSON
3 from Fort Carson among Iraq casualties
An intelligence officer, an Army lawyer and an armor officer, all from Fort Carson’s 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, were identified as among the 12 killed in the crash of a Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq late Saturday.
The Department of Defense identified them as Maj. Douglas A. Labouff, 36, of California; Capt. Michael R. Martinez, 43, of Missouri; and 1st Lt. Joseph D. deMoors, 36, of Jefferson, Ala.
The three deaths add to the already more than 140 Fort Carson soldiers who have died as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, said Karen Linne of the post’s public-affairs office.
Labouff was an intelligence officer, Martinez a lawyer and deMoors an armor officer in the regiment’s 3rd Squadron, Linne said.
DENVER
Auditor pushing for “whistle-blower” rule
Denver Auditor Dennis Gallagher is pushing for a new “whistle-blower” ordinance that would protect city employees who report violations.
The auditor’s spokesman, Denis Berckefeldt, told City Council members during a general government subcommittee Tuesday that hundreds of tips flow into the auditor’s office from city employees concerned about potential wrongdoing.
He said that when the auditor tries to follow up on those, often the city employee won’t give any further information for fear of being fired.
“For whatever reason, the fear is there,” Berckefeldt said. “Whether it’s reasonable or not, it’s there.”
While not expressing opposition to a whistle-blower ordinance, City Attorney Cole Finegan said there are plenty of protections already in place.
AGUILAR
Evacuees back home after S. Colorado fire
Evacuees displaced by the Mauricio Canyon fire along the Huerfano and Las Animas county lines in southern Colorado returned to their homes on Tuesday.
An estimated 215 people were evacuated Sunday after a fire burned five houses, 10 outbuildings and 4,500 acres. Six inches of snow that began falling about 10 p.m. Sunday snuffed out most of the fire Monday.
WELD COUNTY
Indictments unsealed in series of burglaries
The indictments of eight people in connection with a series of burglaries in Frederick, Firestone and Greeley in 2003 were recently unsealed and released Tuesday.
Three of the suspects have been arrested or cited. Authorities are still looking for Brandon Patrick Sanchez, 22; Steven Christopher Romero, 43; Jose Gustavo Pacheco-Huizar, 43; Robert Leon Trujillo, 23; and Dennis Robert Arellano, 42. Arellano is considered armed and dangerous, according to a statement from the Frederick police and the Weld County district attorney’s office.
Of the others, Rick Joseph Muniz, 37, is being held at the Denver County Jail; Michael Angelo Aguila, 39, has bonded out and will be arraigned Thursday; and Lynda Renee Chrisp, 32, has been issued a felony summons in the case and is scheduled to be in court Feb. 16.
According to the statement, the eight are suspected in three burglaries at High County Harley-Davidson in Frederick, a burglary at a Wendy’s restaurant in Firestone and burglaries at Qdoba and Coyote’s Southwestern Grill, both in Greeley.
AURORA
Officer denies aiming gun at cuffed suspect
An Aurora police officer accused of pointing a gun at a handcuffed suspect who was in the back of a patrol car pleaded not guilty Tuesday in 18th Judicial District Court.
Officer Christopher Stine’s trial on felony menacing charges has been set for April 10. Stine, 29, is on administrative leave without pay pending the result of the case. If he is found guilty of a felony, he will be fired. If the charges are reduced to a misdemeanor, he could get his job back.
The charges stem from an Aug. 6 incident in which Stine assisted in the arrest of a suspect in a fight at a late-night restaurant. Other officers reported seeing Stine point a gun at the suspect while he was in custody.
COLORADO SPRINGS
Former El Paso sheriff
to run for Congress
Former El Paso County Sheriff John Anderson announced Tuesday he is running for Rep. Joel Hefley’s congressional seat.
Hefley has served as congressman from the six-county 5th District since 1986. He has not announced whether he plans to seek re-election in November.
“Until he says otherwise, it should be assumed that he is running again,” said Kim Sears, spokeswoman for Hefley.
Anderson, a Republican, served as sheriff from January 1995 until January 2003. He served as a Colorado Springs police officer prior to being elected sheriff.
Anderson is employed by Lockheed-Martin, where he works on homeland-security and defense issues.
COLORADO
First lady’s mother dies in Texas at 86
The mother of first lady Frances Owens died Monday evening in San Antonio after a long illness, according to a statement from the governor’s office.
Grace Westbrook was 86 and is survived by three children: Owens, Denise Barnhill of San Antonio and Redge Westbrook of Austin, Texas. She was preceded in death by her husband.
