Teacher who had sex with boy gets prison
Nicole Barnhart, a former social studies teacher at Ponderosa High School in Parker, was sentenced Friday to two years in prison for having sex with one of her 16-year-old male students.
Barnhart, a 35-year-old married mother of two children ages 4 and 7, pleaded guilty in January to two felonies of sexual assault on a child while in a position of trust, and criminal attempt to commit sexual assault on a child. On Friday, Arapahoe County District Judge Paul King accepted the prosecution’s request that she be sentenced to two years in the Department of Corrections, then placed on supervised probation from 10 years to life. She also must register as a sex offender.
Last year, a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy caught Barnhart and the boy parked in her van on a dirt road near Castlewood Canyon. An investigation showed the two had an ongoing sexual affair, sometimes meeting at Barnhart’s house. Barnhart claimed that she had been counseling the boy for abuse of cocaine and alcohol.
David Savitz, attorney for the victim and his family, said the plea bargain saved the family the anguish of having to testify at trial. “Their son went through a horrific, traumatic experience, which injured him emotionally,” said Savitz, who has filed an intent to sue the Douglas County School District on behalf of the family.
CU panel narrowing search for president
A committee searching for the next president of the University of Colorado is close to naming its finalists.
The search committee plans to meet in a closed session with CU regents Monday. Up to three finalists are expected to be named at a public regents meeting April 10-11.
Regents have said they expect interim president Hank Brown to be among the finalists.
CU began advertising nationally for a new president in mid-December. The university has not set a deadline for applications.
Officer shoots fellow cop during training
A 10-year police veteran underwent surgery Thursday after being shot in the right knee by a fellow officer during a training exercise, authorities said.
Peter Malberg was shot by a .40-caliber handgun being handled by officer Jeff Tipton, La Plata County District Attorney Craig Westberg said, adding it was unclear how the gun was discharged.
The bullet went through a table before striking Malberg, a middle school resource officer, about noon Thursday.
“Clearly, this was not an intentional act,” Westberg said.
The Durango Police Department was using a shooting range behind the county jail and several officers witnessed the shooting, Westberg said.
Group: Censure Bush for alleged spying
A Democratic grassroots campaign organization said Friday it hopes to get a resolution on the state Democratic Party platform in May calling for the censure of President Bush for his alleged spying against American citizens in violation of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
The resolution, written by Be the Change, was patterned after a resolution introduced on the U.S. Senate floor by Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.
Lawrence Dunn, spokesman for Be the Change in Colorado, said out of 110 precincts representing 18 counties statewide that voted Tuesday at 3,086 precinct caucuses, 84 precincts reported the censure resolution passed unanimously and 14 reported the resolution passing by two-thirds or more.
He said in one precinct, the resolution failed because the caucus attendees voted instead that the president be sent directly to jail as opposed to facing censure in the Senate.
UW enrollment jumps 99 students from 2005
Spring enrollment at the University of Wyoming is up a little under 1 percent from last spring, according to a report submitted to university trustees Friday.
Enrollment increased from 11,403 in spring 2005 to 11,502 this spring.
Ninety-three percent of last fall’s freshmen have returned for the spring semester.
Meanwhile, enrollment of international students increased 7 percent to 407, and the number of undergraduate international students increased 20 percent to 160.
Missing woman found dead in her vehicle
A woman reported missing Monday was found dead in her car in Fort Collins on Friday, authorities said.
No foul play was suspected in the death of Chelsea Brubaker, 27, of Timnath, but an autopsy was scheduled Saturday, the Larimer County coroner’s office said.
Ex-Cheyenne city official pleads guilty to felony count
A former Cheyenne City Council executive director who used a council credit card to buy makeup and vitamins pleaded guilty to one of five felony counts against her.
Margaret “Maggie” Carter, 59, pleaded guilty in District Court on Thursday to one count of submitting a false voucher.
Carter allegedly racked up nearly $500 in improper charges. She resigned in November 2004 and repaid the charges.
