COLORADO SPRINGS
Close race gets Dems’ national support
Democrat Jay Fawcett is getting a welcome boost from national party officials who believe he may have a shot at succeeding retiring GOP Rep. Joel Hefley in one of the most conservative districts in the nation.
The move comes as an independent poll conducted for The Denver Post by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research showed Fawcett in a dead heat with his Republican opponent, Doug Lamborn.
Fawcett, a retired Air Force officer, has benefited from division in the Republican Party and his opponent’s performance in a recent debate.
After Lamborn won a contentious primary this summer, Hefley announced he could not support Lamborn because he had run a “sleazy” campaign.
This week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee elevated Fawcett’s campaign to its “Emerging Race” list, made up of candidates in races that have become unexpectedly competitive.
Republicans maintain a Democratic win in the district is still unlikely.
DENVER
Limo driver pleads not guilty in accident
The limousine driver accused of running over the leg of a 17-year-old East High School senior on her prom night pleaded not guilty Thursday to a charge of careless driving.
Stanley Sample, 38, is charged with one count of careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury, a misdemeanor.
The charge alleges that on May 13, Sample was driving a limousine in a careless manner and caused the injuries to Molly Bloom, 17.
Bloom lost her leg because of the accident.
A trial was scheduled for Sample in February. If convicted, Sample faces up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
AURORA
1 injured in late-night shooting at nightclub
An Aurora nightclub exploded in gunfire early Thursday, wounding one person and sending cops on a short pursuit.
Aurora police officers responded to Club Mixx, 11249 E. Colfax Ave., at 1:20 a.m. on a report of a fight involving 10 to 15 people.
Shortly after officers arrived, they saw gunfire coming from a 1999 black Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the nightclub’s parking lot.
A person walking to his car was wounded by one of the shots fired from the Monte Carlo. The wound was not life- threatening, and the victim was taken to the hospital.
The car tried to leave the parking lot by driving onto Lima Street while one officer told the driver to stop. One officer shot at the car twice, but no one was hit. The car failed to stop and continued driving toward East Colfax Avenue from Lima Street.
Officers pulled the car over and arrested the occupants.
The unidentified shooting suspect was arrested on a count of attempted first-degree murder.
DENVER
Human services gets $10 million for fathers
The Colorado Department of Human Services on Wednesday was awarded a $10 million, five-year federal grant to promote responsible fatherhood and improve relationships between fathers and their at-risk children.
Community organizations will receive nearly $1.2 million of the $2 million annual allotment from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and CDHS will conduct an annual “Fatherhood Academy” for groups to share success stories.
DENVER
TV’s Dr. Phil awards foster care $20,000
The private foundation of television psychologist Phil McGraw and his wife, best- selling author Robin McGraw, on Thursday awarded $20,000 to Lutheran Family Services of Colorado in Denver for its foster care programs.
The grant by the Dr. Phil Foundation will pay for musical instruments and help foster children take music and dance lessons or participate in other athletic activities.
LFS is the state’s third-largest private foster care provider.
BOULDER
CU-Boulder building closed due to mold
Mold damage was discovered in a University of Colorado at Boulder building Oct. 3, causing officials to close the building over the weekend to clean it up.
The mold damage was found on a wall in the 120-year-old Woodbury Arts and Sciences Building.
The building is scheduled to reopen Monday.
Fifteen employees have complained of health issues, primarily itchy eyes and throat, runny nose or flulike symptoms, said Lou Mitchell, director of CU’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety.
The mold was probably caused by a heat exchange malfunction that caused small leaks in the building’s radiators, which eventually saturated a wall and led to mold.
The building is the home of the College of Arts and Sciences advising resource center and staff offices, but no classes are held there.
PUEBLO
High school evacuates after bomb threat
Students and staff at Pueblo West High School were evacuated Thursday morning after a bomb threat was called in, the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office said.
A school secretary received a call about 7:15 a.m. saying the school was going to be bombed, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Lisa Shorter. The caller gave no details, she said.
Students were loaded onto buses and transported to nearby Skyview Middle School while officers and dogs swept through the school, searching temporary buildings, lockers and backpacks, Shorter said.
A preliminary report indicated no bombs in the school, she said.
