Jefferson County searching for lottery ticket thief
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is looking for a man who took $1,700 worth of lottery tickets and $1,200 worth of cigarettes from the Western Convenience Store on West Hampden.

Investigators released a surveillance video of a man seen redeeming winning lottery tickets at two nearby stores a short time after the robbery on Tuesday. One lottery ticket valued at $20 was redeemed at the Diamond Shamrock store at 4490 S. Kipling St. and a second lottery ticket valued at $200 was redeemed at the King Soopers store on West Evans in Denver. Full Story
03.05.04 @ 02:32 PM MST [link]

Tsunami alert creates wave of dry humor in Gypsum
An improbable tidal-wave warning sent out over the Eagle County emergency-broadcast system on Wednesday had residents of Gypsum, elevation 6,334 feet, questioning whether they needed to dig out life preservers or scramble for higher ground.

Four radio stations in the landlocked mountain community sounded the jarring alert about 7:15 a.m., the result of a weekly test of the county warning system that went awry.

"I figured it was just a test, and then a female voice came on afterwards and said something like, 'Attention Gypsum residents: You must evacuate now.' Then it went back to the Allman Brothers album I was playing. It freaked me out a little bit," said Brian Wilder, the morning-show host and program director at KTUN-"The Eagle." Full Story
03.04.04 @ 08:53 AM MST [link]

On stage of modern commute, there's no one riding shotgun
A little more than three-fourths of metro-Denver workers drive alone to their jobs, according to new U.S. Census Bureau figures.

The data, part of a 2002 nationwide survey, indicate that 75.8 percent of workers in the five most populous counties commute alone - about the same as in the 2000 Census.

Locally, the lowest percentage of lone drivers was in Denver, which also had the highest percentages of car poolers and public-transit riders. Full Story
03.03.04 @ 09:10 AM MST [link]

Future Dillon Reservoir water levels may pose problems
FRISCO - The water in Dillon Reservoir belongs to Denver first and Summit County second. That edict may become extremely apparent in the near future.

A report released last month by the Upper Colorado River Basin Study (UPCO) predicts that future Denver Metro-area water use will leave the marina high and dry most summers.

"Looking at the model and what we've been told, we can certainly expect more years with low levels similar to 2002 than years when the reservoir is going to be full," said Frisco Public Works director Tim Mack.

This isn't about drought, the study says. It's about Denver-area consumption. Full Story
03.02.04 @ 09:10 AM MST [link]

Former Evergreen Couple Portrayed As Anti-Semites Win $10 Million Judgment
DENVER -- A jury award of more than $10 million to a former Evergreen couple portrayed as anti-Semites by the Anti-Defamation League will stand, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review it.

The decision on Monday means "this is the end of the case," said Bruce DeBoskey, director of the ADL's Mountain States Region. Full Story
03.02.04 @ 08:48 AM MST [link]

Jeffco voting machines concern some
When Jefferson County voters go to the polls to elect a president next November, they will be voting on state-of-the-art, touch-screen computer voting machines. Yet, some are concerned about the potential for fraud.

The iVotronic machines, which the county purchased in 2002 and used for both the primary and general elections that year, are efficient and accurate, said Susan Miller, Jeffco director of elections. Full Story
03.01.04 @ 09:25 AM MST [link]

DeStefano resigns from Jeffco School Board; Replacement sought
Jon DeStefano's move from Evergreen to Bailey is forcing him to do something he describes as heartbreaking.

"I'm stepping down from the Jeffco School Board," DeStefano, who joined the board 13 years ago and is serving as board president for the third time, said Tuesday.

"I'm heartbroken. This has been the most important work of my life, to date," he said.

DeStefano and his wife, Peggy, moved to their dream retirement home in Bailey last month. He said that initially, they planned to find a second home in Jefferson County, to shorten their commutes to work and allow him to stay on the board. Full Story

Candidates sought for DeStefano's replacement
posted on Mon, 03.01.04 @ 09:12 AM MST [more..]

Experts predict a stormy March
After the rather tranquil months of January and February, the weather pattern starts to pick up in March. The month features frequent and sometimes rapid changes in weather. Arctic and Pacific storm systems can still push into Colorado from the north and west, while warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico starts to spread in from the southwest. Full Story
03.01.04 @ 09:02 AM MST [link]

Snowpack sagging in mountains
Before this weekend's storm, the water-yielding snowpack that's accumulated in the mountains to feed area rivers and streams was 20 or more percent below than normal.

Even if this was a huge dump, it's still too early to determine if there will be lawn watering restrictions, local water experts said. Full Story
03.01.04 @ 08:34 AM MST [link]

Fighting fires becoming Western growth industry
HELENA, Mont. -- Ray Christiaens and Mike Byrnes see more than just smoke and destruction in the annual Western wildfire season. To Christiaens, a caterer from the tiny Montana town of Kevin, and Byrnes, who owns a portable toilet rental business in western Montana, the fires mean business.
"It's a great way to upgrade your fleet," said Byrnes, who used some of the cash he made during the 2003 season to buy new equipment.

As government land managers across the West prepare for another summer wildfire season, private contractors like Christiaens and Byrnes are lining up for a share of the work. Full Story
02.29.04 @ 03:39 PM MST [link]