Golden – A 35-year-old Conifer man has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty and prohibited use of a weapon for allegedly shooting the family dog.
Devin Shane Calhoun was arrested at his home Aug. 12. The arrest affidavit states that family members told deputies they saw the dog take food off Calhoun’s plate while he was outside. When Calhoun found out, witnesses said, he took the dog outside and shot it.
Deputies initially thought the dog, named Lucky, had died, but he survived the gunshot wound.
Calhoun is free on $2,000 bond while awaiting an Oct. 18 hearing.
Additional local news briefs:
BOULDER
Noncitizen service consideration given first OK
The Boulder City Council late Tuesday voted 7-2 to go forward with a measure that would allow non-citizens to serve on advisory boards.
The change to the city charter will have a second and final reading Sept. 4. If approved, it would go before voters in November.
A long agenda pushed the meeting to more than six hours. The measure to waive citizenship as a requirement for public service, however, drew the most attention. It would make Boulder one of the first in the country to put the issue before voters. San Francisco was the first to hold such a vote in 2002, where it failed by a 2-to-1 margin.
“They are not second-class citizens,” Boulder resident Nino Gallo told the council Tuesday night, referring to non-citizens.
He added: “Allowing them to serve on boards and commissions can only benefit our community.”
Council members said the measure would only apply to advisory boards, and not elected bodies or quasi-judicial boards such as the Beverage Licensing Authority or the planning and zoning board.
“They would just tell us what they think,” said Councilman Richard Polk.
Only legal residents would be eligible to serve on boards if the council chose to put the measure on the ballot and voters approved it.
Councilwoman Robin Bohannan proposed the measure earlier this month. The council chose not to put a similar proposal on the ballot in 2004.
“For four years, this council has heard from members of the public who are concerned about access” to government, she said Tuesday night. “I regret that we haven’t had more time to vet this, but this issue came before us in 2004 and we chose to ignore it.”
Councilman Shaun McGrath said the issue serves little direct purpose, and poses the threat of creating divisiveness in Boulder.
“I would rather explore options that don’t divide the community,” he said.
Residents at the meeting said the board should pass the measure, even if it is only a symbolic statement.
“Let’s write a new immigration history in which we all can be proud, with inclusion and civic participation,” said Audrey Fishman Franklin.
But resident Steve Clason said he did not want to be represented by those who have loyalties to other governments.
He said some council members would soon be retiring from office, “and this appears to be a cynical attempt to get in a final lick.”
Only 12 percent of Boulder’s residents are foreign-born, according to a 2005 study. About 25 percent of those have become citizens.
The city council currently is trying to fill five seats on boards and commissions — one on the Downtown Management Commission, one on the Transportation Advisory Board, one on the Human Relations Commission and two on the University Hill General Improvement District Advisory Committee.
ROCKY MTN. NATIONAL PARK
Hiker identified after Longs Peak fall
Rocky Mountain National Park officials have released the name of the 48-year-old woman who was rescued Monday after she fell on Longs Peak above the 13,000-foot level.
Sheila Townsend of Chaska, Minn., had fallen about 200 feet from the False Keyhole area about 4 p.m. Sunday and lost consciousness, park spokesman Kyle Patterson said.
On Monday morning, hikers heard her calling for help and alerted rangers on a cellphone, Patterson said. Rangers reached her at 11 a.m. She had multiple injuries, including head injuries.
She was carried up the mountain to the False Keyhole and then down the north side to the Boulder Field, and flown to Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland. Her condition is unknown.
CASTLE ROCK
Secret Service agent’s assault trial underway
The trial of a Secret Service agent accused of assaulting his wife is underway in Douglas County.
Lon Garner, 57, earlier pleaded not guilty to two felony assault charges, second-degree assault causing bodily injury and second-degree assault with a deadly weapon.
Garner had been the top agent in Denver before his arrest last November following the alleged assault against his wife Christine.
He was placed on paid administrative leave.
Each charges carries a penalty of between five and 16 years in prison, if convicted.
FORT COLLINS
State grants $1 million to watershed projects
A dozen forest-health projects designed to protect watersheds were awarded a total of $1 million from a state grant program on Tuesday.
The projects include wildfire mitigation and removal of trees killed by pine-bark beetles in Boulder, Eagle, Grand, Lake, La Plata, Larimer, Las Animas, Mesa, Park, Summit and Teller counties.
Grant recipients in the new state program created by the legislature are required to procure at least 40 percent of the funding from other sources.
LARIMER COUNTY
Tips sought in arsons at park picnic sites
Parks and Open Lands officials are asking for the public’s help in locating a suspect in two arson incidents at picnic sites this month.
The latest incident involved a fire at a picnic shelter Sunday at Lions Park at Overland Trail and the Poudre River. The fire destroyed a shelter and two picnic tables, causing more than $20,000 in damage. Another picnic table was burned at that site two weeks earlier.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 970-221-6868 or visit the website at . Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and could be eligible for cash rewards.
GOLDEN
More charges filed in series of burglaries
On Tuesday, prosecutors added four new felony counts – for a total of 34 – against David John Heckman, 31, of Lakewood, in connection with a series of residential burglaries.
Heckman is accused of committing 20 burglaries and eight car thefts during March and April in south Jefferson County. Many burglaries occurred at night while residents were asleep, with entry made through open garage doors or unlocked windows.
On May 2, the Colorado State Patrol arrested Heckman after checking out a stolen Mercedes that was stuck near C-470 and West Quincy Avenue. Heckman, who was wanted on a warrant for escaping from a community corrections facility, led troopers on a short foot chase.
Heckman, who will be arraigned Oct. 1, is being held at the Jefferson County Jail on $100,000 bail.
This article has been updated in this online archive. Originally, due to publication deadlines, it indicated that a Boulder noncitizen services debate at the Boulder City Council had been delayed by other agenda items. Councilmembers gave the item initial approval overnight.
