Golden – A young bison escaped from its Green Mountain pen late Saturday morning, then roamed through nearby neighborhoods for about three hours before police shot and killed it.
Officers from Lakewood, Golden, Jefferson County and the Colorado State Patrol and agents from the Colorado Division of Wildlife attempted to corral the youngster as it flirted with West Sixth Avenue near Gladiola and Indiana streets.
The privately-owned bison strolled, causing no damage, but took off at times at a fast clip. Citizens were asked to stay inside for their own protection.
DOW agents considered tranquilizing the bison, but weren’t sure if the tranquilizer would be effective.
After eluding capture, the bison was shot at about 2:15 p.m. near West First Avenue and Flora Way by Kyffin Elementary School.
BOULDER
Man sorry for falsely triggering search
A Boulder man has apologized for sending hundreds of volunteers on an expensive and dangerous search in Eldorado Canyon State Park for a friend who had run away to avoid returning to his Marine unit.
The search last August and September for Lance Hering, 21, took five days and cost $33,000.
Steve Powers, 21, his friend, was convicted of misdemeanor false reporting and ordered to write an apology. A deferred sentence for a prior felony attempted-burglary charge was revoked because of the new violation, meaning he will be a convicted felon for life.
He was also ordered to serve 200 hours of community service and pay restitution to the Sheriff’s Office.
“At the time, my No. 1 goal was that Lance not get killed, and from there I really don’t know what to say,” he said.
Hering, a lance corporal Iraq veteran who was in a unit allegedly involved in the April 2005 shooting death of a 52-year-old Iraqi, was on leave from Camp Pendleton, Calif. He remains missing.
Powers later admitted dropping Hering off at a bus station in Denver hours before reporting him missing.
Their plan was for Powers to be accused of killing Hering and be convicted at trial. After Powers had been imprisoned for six months or so, Hering would reappear, having bought some time out of the service, the Boulder Daily Camera reported Saturday.
“In looking back now, God, doesn’t it seem dumb?” Powers said.
WASHINGTON
Golden energy lab gets funding boost
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden will receive another $99 million in funding this year, a 47 percent bump, the Energy Department has announced.
The NREL money is part of a new operating plan the Department of Energy gave Congress, detailing how it will spend the additional money.
The NREL money goes into three categories:
$63 million to build a research facility on the campus. That will allow employees now working in leased office space to move onto the main campus, said Gary Schmitz, NREL spokesman.
$20 million for a new facility researching ethanol. Several research projects were delayed several times in the last year because all of its existing ethanol research space was booked up, Schmitz said.
$16 million for equipment to research ways to make less expensive solar panels.
FORT CARSON
Soldier from Ohio killed in Baghdad
Sgt. Robert M. Carr, 22, a Fort Carson soldier from Warren, Ohio, died Tuesday in Iraq.
Carr died in Baghdad of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Carr was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. So far, 190 Fort Carson soldiers have died since the war started.
DENVER
Kaiser loses ruling on Broncos sale
Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen doesn’t have to relinquish 50 percent of his ownership in the team to former owner Edgar Kaiser, a judge ruled Friday.
Denver District Judge Michael Martinez said that an August decision by the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had effectively decided the issue. Kaiser had claimed in the state case that the sale of 50 percent of the Broncos from Mary Beth Jagger and William Bowlen to Pat and John Bowlen violated Kaiser’s right of first refusal under his 1984 contract with Pat Bowlen.
MINTURN
Wildlife data fall short, developer told
A developer who plans a major ski resort and 1,700 homes next to this former railroad town needs to give wildlife officials more information, a state official said.
Bill Andree, district wildlife manager for the Colorado Division of Wildlife, said an environmental report provided by the Ginn Development Co. does not provide sound conclusions and lacks an analysis of the environmental impact of the cleanup of the former Eagle Mine on the site, the Aspen Times reported Friday.
Bill Weber, senior vice president for Ginn, said he agreed with some of Andree’s concerns but not others.
Andree said problem areas include the layout and height of buildings, which could adversely affect elk and peregrine falcons.
BOULDER
7 horses rescued from filthy stalls
Seven horses were rescued last week by Boulder County Animal Control officers after they were discovered standing a foot deep in feces and urine-filled stalls.
The owner, Marcie Tescott-Helmick, was cited Friday with nine counts of cruelty to animals.
The horses were found at Dry Creek Arabians, Niwot Equestrian in Niwot.
