Authorities alerted the public Thursday of a “violent sexual predator” who has been seen in the area of 6400 Federal Blvd.
On Feb. 21, Adams County officials were making contacts along the Clear Creek Trail system between Pecos Street and Federal Boulevard when they found personal belongings for Beecher Cook, 42, who is listed as a violent sexual predator from Maine, police said.
Upon further investigation, they discovered evidence that someone had been living at a makeshift camp in the area and that Cook has an active arrest warrant for failing to register with Denver authorities, police said.
The warrant was issued on Jan. 25 and includes a $20,000 bond.
Investigators determined that Cook may have frequented a few of the adult-entertainment establishments on Federal Boulevard. The county’s Community Resource Team has distributed informational fliers to several businesses on Federal Boulevard from Interstate 70 north to 72nd Avenue.
Authorities continue to search for Cook and request help from the public.
Cook is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 230 pounds with brown eyes and black hair.
More local news briefs
WINDSOR
School bus driver charged after crash
The driver of a school bus that overturned, injuring six members of a Fort Collins high school choir, has been charged with six counts of careless driving causing injury, authorities said.
David Hurt, 55, of Fort Collins also was charged with one count of careless driving causing serious bodily injury, Colorado State Patrol spokesman Gilbert Mares said.
There was no telephone listing for Hurt.
Thirty students and chaperones were aboard when the bus crashed near Windsor, 50 miles north of Denver, early Monday. Hurt was not injured.
Mares, in a statement after the accident, said the bus had been in the right lane of northbound Interstate 25 when it drifted off the left side of the road into the median and struck a safety rail twice before tipping over.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Sen. Salazar behind global-warming bill
As Congress rapidly considers how to tackle global warming, Sen. Ken Salazar introduced a bill Thursday that would assess the nation’s ability to store carbon in geological formations in the ground, rather than release the greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.
The legislation, co-sponsored with Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., authorizes the U.S. Geological Survey to spend up to $20 million to develop an inventory that maps the location of geological formations and estimates how much carbon the formations can hold.
A similar bill was introduced in the House on Thursday by Democratic Rep. Bart Gordon of Tennessee.
“Carbon sequestration is key to a clean energy future,” Salazar, D-Colo., said. “However, in order to accelerate this technology safely and effectively, we must first have a comprehensive view of our nation’s capabilities to implement it.”
COLORADO SPRINGS
Defense secretary to address AFA grads
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will be the guest speaker at the Air Force Academy’s graduation ceremonies this spring.
Between 900 and 1,000 cadets will graduate May 30 in Falcon Stadium at the academy.
While graduates and families receive most of the tickets to the event, some will be made available to the public two weeks before the event. Those tickets will be available at the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce.
ENGLEWOOD
Suspected homemade bombs discovered
Bomb squads removed more than a dozen devices that appeared to be homemade explosives Thursday from an apartment on South Grant Street near Swedish Medical Center, police said.
Of the two pipe-bomb-like devices that had been checked out as of Thursday afternoon, one was empty and police couldn’t determine if the other was explosive, so it was destroyed, said Englewood police spokesman John Hoehler.
When officers searched the home, they discovered several possible bombs and bomb-making components, as well as suspected ingredients for a methamphetamine lab, Hoehler said.
Robert Herrle, 45, of 3333 S. Grant St., was arrested on a theft warrant about 11 a.m., Hoehler said.
The police department evacuated eight people who live in the Jennifer Jo Apartments and other residents of the street.
NELSON, British Columbia
AWOL Springs GI questioned in Canada
A U.S. Army soldier who fled to Canada rather than return to Iraq was briefly detained and questioned in British Columbia, border security officials said Wednesday.
Police in the city of Nelson detained Kyle Snyder, 23, on Friday on a detention order issued by the Canadian Border Services Agency.
“We felt he might be inadmissible to Canada,” agency spokes woman Janis Fergusson said. “He was interviewed and released.”
Snyder, of Colorado Springs, is a former combat engineer who originally went AWOL from the Army and fled to Canada in April 2005 while on leave.
He returned to the military last November but fled again almost immediately. Fort Leonard Wood officials could not be reached for comment.
COLORADO SPRINGS
Cheating cadets meet with sanctions panel
Some of the Air Force Academy freshman cadets who admitted cheating on a military knowledge test are meeting with the cadet sanctions panel this week.
Each case is handled individually, but generally, the cadets will be placed on six months of probation and be forbidden from publicly representing the academy.
Thirty-six cases have been investigated, according to the academy. Twenty-four cadets admitted cheating, and 12 have denied it.
ASPEN
Carlin to perform at comedy festival
George Carlin will kick off his 50th anniversary in show business in Aspen next week.
Carlin is scheduled to perform at the U.S. Comedy Festival in Aspen on Wednesday.
Life gets easier as one approaches 70, says the comedian, who reaches that milestone on May 12.
Although he has suffered for decades from coronary artery disease, Carlin says he has learned to control it through a strict diet.
