Montrose Inmate's Death Unnoticed for Hours


MONTROSE (AP) – Montrose County officials say an inmate apparently died in his sleep over the weekend, but no one realized it for up to 16 hours.

Authorities say 50-year-old Andrew “Shawn” Gibson was discovered dead in the work-release dormitory at about 5:40 p.m. on Saturday when another inmate tried to wake him.

Coroner Thomas Canfield says Gibson apparently died in his sleep 12 to 16 hours earlier.

Canfield hasn't determined the cause of death. Sheriff Rick Dunlap says it appears Gibson died of natural causes.

It's unclear why Gibson's death went undetected for so long. Dunlap says jail procedures will be reviewed.

Dunlap says Gibson had been in the jail since Aug. 13, but he did not mention what Gibson had been convicted of.

Solar Panels Stolen From Colo. Gas Well Sites

PARACHUTE (AP) – Deputies in western Colorado are investigating the theft of 22 solar panels from natural gas well sites.

The Garfield County Sheriff's Department said Monday Williams Production reported the panels were stolen from well pads near Parachute, about 170 miles west of Denver and 45 miles west of Glenwood Springs.

The panels are used to power processing and communication equipment. No cost estimate was immediately available.

It's at least the second theft of solar panels from western Colorado this year. In late May, 30 panels were taken from a recreation center in Carbondale, about 10 miles southeast of Glenwood Springs.

They were later found on a truck in Aspen, but no arrests have been made.

Pedestrian Struck, Killed in Grand Junction


GRAND JUNCTION (AP) – Grand Junction police say a man was struck and killed by a car while walking across a highway Sunday, Aug. 30.

The man was hit Sunday night while crossing U.S. 50 and was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Investigators say they don't believe the driver was under the influence of alcohol. No charges have been filed.

The names of the pedestrian and the victim haven't been released.


Coroner Says Opium Tea Killed Boulder man

BOULDER(AP) – A medical examiner says a 19-year-old Boulder man died from lethal levels of morphine after drinking “opium tea” brewed with poppy pods.

Boulder County Coroner Tom Faure released his findings this week in the July 21 death of Jeffrey Joseph Bohan. Faure ruled the death accidental.

Witnesses told police that Bohan and an older brother drank the tea early that morning, then fell asleep at about 4 a.m. after playing video games. Police say that when the older brother woke up a few hours later, the younger man wasn't breathing.

It's the second death blamed on poppy pod tea. Police say 20-year-old University of Colorado student Alex McGuiggan was found dead in February after drinking at least two cups.


Next Milestone in Christo Project Expected in June

CANON CITY (AP) – A draft statement of environmental impacts of two artists' proposal to suspend miles of fabric over the Arkansas River should be available for public review in June.

The Bureau of Land Management says the final environmental impact statement for the proposal by husband-and-wife artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude is scheduled for release in January 2011.

The artists say that means the earliest their “Over the River” project could be installed is 2013. They want to suspend about six miles of fabric over sections of the river, between Salida (suh-LY'-duh) and Canon (CAN'-yon) City.

The artists' previous projects include erecting thousands of fabric panels in Central Park in New York in 2005.

Equine West Nile Cases Reported in Colorado

LAKEWOOD (AP) Colorado agriculture officials say at least seven cases of West Nile virus have been diagnosed in horses so far this year.

State veterinarian Keith Roehr says there was only one reported equine case of West Nile virus in Colorado last year.

The latest positive tests were submitted from horses examined in north central, northeast and southeast Colorado.

The virus is carried by mosquitoes and can cause an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms in horses include head tilt, muscle tremors, stumbling, lack of coordination, weakness of the limbs or partial paralysis.

As of Aug. 21, state health officials were reporting 14 verified human cases of the virus in Colorado.

Eagle County Mulls Ballot Proposal on Energy Funds

EAGLE (AP) – The Eagle County commissioners are considering a ballot proposal that would create an improvement district to raise money for loans to property owners for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

The commissioners plan a public hearing on the proposal Tuesday. The county will decide whether to ask voters in November to approve a mechanism for issuing up to $10 million in special assessment bonds.

Loans to businesses and homeowners to add renewable energy systems or increase energy efficiency would be funded through the special assessment district that property owners could opt into.

Loans would be repaid through a special tax assessment on the property improvements.

Chapel at Fort Lewis College to Resume Services

DURANGO (AP) – The chapel at Fort Lewis College is resuming Sunday services this fall after 15 years.

The first service at the McPherson Chapel is planned for Sept. 13. The chapel overlooks the La Plata Mountains and has been host to weddings, but not regular Sunday services.

Nondenominational services will be led by the Rev. Nick Federspiel, a 1979 graduate of Fort Lewis College. He says he went to seminary after serving in the U.S. Air Force in Pakistan. Going back to his college, Federspiel tells The Durango Herald that his first sermon will be about the perceived conflict between science and religion.

More Pot Dispensaries Opening on Western Slope

ASPEN (AP) – The medical marijuana business is growing on the Western Slope.

Aspen saw its first two dispensaries open in less than a week.

A former dentist's office is the new home of Aspen L.E.A.F., which stands for Locals Emporium of Alternative Farms. That dispensary opened for appointments on Monday. The next day, Cooper Street Apothecary opened for business.

New dispensaries have also opened this summer in Basalt, Carbondale and Edwards. The town of Avon received its first application for a dispensary business license this month.

Colorado voters approved the dispensaries in 2000, but in the first few years of the medical marijuana law most dispensaries were located along the Front Range.

Poudre River Stretch Could Reopen by Labor Day

FORT COLLINS (AP) – A four-mile stretch of the Cache la Poudre (kash-luh-POO'-der) River where recreation has been suspended while crews clean up an asphalt spill is expected to reopen by Labor Day weekend.

About 5,000 gallons of asphalt spilled into the river Wednesday, seven miles west of the entrance to the Poudre Canyon, after a tanker truck overturned. The driver, who suffered minor injuries, was cited for careless driving.

The cleanup was more than halfway complete as of Sunday morning.

15 Doctors Behind Most Pot Referrals, quotes. 

DENVER (AP) – Two doctors are responsible for referring more than a third of the patients on Colorado's medical-marijuana registry, according to statistics from the state health department.

Of the roughly 10,000 medical-marijuana patients on the state's registry, 75 percent received their recommendations from one of 15 doctors, whose names weren't released because of state confidentiality laws, The Denver Post reported.

“It's a cause for concern,” said Jim Martin, executive director of the state Department of Public Health and Environment. “At least in any other area like this, we would want to be sure that the physicians are meeting the standards of care.”

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers suggested the state Board of Medical Examiners investigate the doctors recommending medical marijuana the most often.

“The health department can question whether it's proper medicine to issue hundreds of certifications in one day and perhaps make some referrals to the medical board,” Suthers said, referencing a statement by the state's chief medical officer during a recent hearing that one doctor signed for 200 patients in a single day.

An amendment approved by Colorado voters in 2000 allows patients with “debilitating” conditions, including HIV and chronic pain, to use marijuana if they get a doctor's approval and register with the state.

Suthers said the legal language of Amendment 20 restricts how much he can address the concerns.

“There's not much that can be done about it,” he said. “And frankly I think it's all by design.”

Cannabis advocates said the clustering of referrals is understandable, given that many doctors specialize in a particular area.

“A lot of doctors don't know anything about medical marijuana,” said Paul Stanford, the founder of The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation in Wheat Ridge.

Stanford said his clinic has turned away numerous patients who are not qualified. The clinic prescreens patients in phone calls and ensures they have medical documentation of their ailments. The clinic's doctor or other staff members also spend a couple of hours examining and counseling each patient.

Stanford said other clinics might not hold as high a standard.

Durango Considers Moratorium on Pot Dispensaries

DURANGO (AP) – The City Council is scheduled to consider an emergency ordinance Tuesday that would freeze permit applications for medical marijuana dispensaries until Oct. 31.

The ordinance would give the city time to plan for more licensed dispensaries in city limits.

An amendment approved by Colorado voters in 2000 allows marijuana use to treat certain illnesses, but the state doesn't license or regulate dispensaries. Police Chief David Felice has said that has him concerned.

The state health board last month declined to limit medical marijuana suppliers to helping only five patients at a time, allowing dispensaries to continue.

The owners of one Durango dispensary, Natures Medicine, say they welcome regulatory guidelines because of operations that they say claim to offer healing services but don't.

“We're firm believers that medicinal marijuana is an alternative way of healing,” co-owner Richard Present said. “We think that other things should be involved, like what we offer at our wellness centers. It shouldn't be a place where you just get medicine and leave.”

Other towns including Silverthorne and Breckenridge in Summit County and the Denver suburbs of Englewood and Northglenn also have frozen the application process for medical marijuana dispensaries as town officials consider drafting regulations for them.

Meanwhile Greenwood Village and Aurora are considering their cities off-limits to dispensaries, because the sale of marijuana is still illegal under federal law.

There are about 60 medical marijuana dispensaries in Colorado.




Aspen Skiing Boosts Marketing Dollars This Season

ASPEN (AP) – Aspen Skiing Co. plans to spend more on marketing this season than last season.

Vice President of Marketing Jeanne Mackowski said at the Aspen Chamber Resort Association's annual luncheon Thursday that companies that ramp up marketing in an economic downturn are successful in the long run. She wouldn't disclose Aspen Skiing Co.'s exact spending for this season.

Mackowski says new ads will spread the idea that people need to “reward” themselves during the recession. Aspen Skiing Co. also will promote discounts, including a package where kids ski and stay for free during March when adults book a vacation by Jan. 15.




Denver-Vail Rail Line Could Cost $15B

FRISCO (AP) – A draft report estimates it would cost about $15 billion to build a passenger rail route from Denver into the heart of Colorado ski country.

The Summit Daily News reported Tuesday the Rocky Mountain Rail Authority developed the cost estimate for a line connecting Denver International Airport with the Eagle County Airport west of Vail.

The route would parallel the heavily traveled Interstate 70 and have intermediate stops in Keystone and Frisco.

The draft report estimates it would cost another $5 billion to build a passenger rail route connecting Fort Collins on the north to Pueblo on the south, passing through Denver and Colorado Springs on the way.

The rail authority was created by 45 cities, counties and other groups along the two routes.

Swine Flu Vaccine Tests Planned in Colorado


DENVER (AP) – About 100 Colorado children are expected to participate in a clinical trial for a swine flu vaccine.

Dr. Isaac Melamed of IMMUNOe 1st International Research Centers in the Denver suburb of Thornton plans to begin trials this week for pharmaceutical manufacturer Novartis.

Children between ages 3 and 8 are eligible.

The Denver study is part of a larger clinical trial at about 30 sites in the U.S. and Mexico.

Other drug companies also plan trials using a “seed virus” from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Dr. Matthew F. Daley, a professor at the University of Colorado Denver and a pediatrician at The Children's Hospital, says the vaccine is expected to be safe.

State Businesses Hope Hunting Is Recession-Proof

CRAIG, Colo. (AP) – The recession might slightly slow the stream of hunters to northwest Colorado, but businesses don't expect a big drop-off.

Hunting season stretches from mid-August to January with the biggest influx of people coming from October to mid-November.

Western Colorado has some of the nation's largest deer and elk herds and people travel from across the country and other countries in search of a trophy buck or bull elk. Many businesses make a big chunk of their annual revenue during hunting season.

A 2004 report commissioned by the Colorado Division of Wildlife estimated that hunting and angling generate $1.5 billion in economic benefits for the state and support 20,000 full-time jobs.

Archery season is under way and Rick Harmon's archery store was crowded late last week. Still, he's a little worried about the economy hurting business.

But it's hard to slow down avid hunters, Harmon said.

“It's kind of like a religion here,” Harmon said. “That, and a lot of people here hunt to survive. It's the way they feed their families; they don't buy any other meat.”

Patrick Jennings at the Holiday Inn of Craig said most out-of-state hunters book their rooms for the following year before they check out. About 90 of his 152 rooms are already reserved for the main hunting seasons.

Randy Looper, who owns Elk Run Inn, had sold out for the peak times, but his waiting list for rooms is smaller than usual.

Aspen Pursuing Geothermal Energy

ASPEN (AP) – Aspen is looking into whether geothermal energy could heat and cool buildings and keep sidewalks free of snow.

The city has applied for water rights under the new Colorado Geothermal Act and is seeking a federal grant to pay for the project, estimated to cost $3.5 million.

The City Council last week commissioned a $33,000 report for state Water Court to determine the effects of the project on the Roaring Fork River.

A reconnaissance study last year found that warm water beneath Aspen may be sufficient to operate a geothermal system.

The city's goal is to find enough geothermal energy to heat 1 million square feet, the equivalent of 10 large hotels.

Warning on Possible Pot Growers Called Profiling

DENVER (AP) – A federal warning to beware of campers in national forests who eat tortillas, drink Tecate beer and play Spanish music because they could be armed marijuana growers is racial profiling, an advocate for Hispanic rights said Friday.

The warnings were issued Wednesday by the U.S. Forest Service, which is investigating how much marijuana is being illegally cultivated in Colorado's national forests following the recent discovery of more than 14,000 plants in Pike National Forest.

“That's discriminatory, and it puts Hispanic campers in danger,” said Polly Baca, co-chairwoman of the Colorado Latino Forum.

The U.S. Forest Service quickly retracted the warning.

“It is inexcusable and we regret that this insensitivity distracted attention from the real problem of illegal marijuana cultivation on federal land and the threats to human safety and environmental degradation it poses,” said Hank Kashdan, associate chief of the U.S. Forest Service.

Forest Service officials said they believe illegal immigrants are being brought to Colorado by Latin American drug cartels for mass cultivation of marijuana.

Michael Skinner, a law enforcement officer with the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado, said warning signs of possible drug trafficking include “tortilla packaging, beer cans, Spam, Tuna, Tecate beer cans,” and campers who play Spanish music. He said the warning includes people speaking Spanish.

The warning signs were included in a slide presentation put together for drug agents in Colorado and the public.

Skinner said this may or may not represent criminal activity, but are indicators and he urged any campers who encounter long-term campers meeting the profile to “hike out quickly” and call police.

“Our goal is to not allow organization using foreign nationals or any other persons involved in illegal drug production to take over our national forests,” the department warned.

Baca said there is no evidence that Hispanics are the only people involved in large-scale drug operations and said she was “appalled that anyone, especially someone from the federal government, would say something like that.”

Marvink Correa, spokesman for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, said federal officials are painting an unfair stereotype of Hispanics.

“When I go camping, I'll be sure to play nothing but Bruce Springsteen,” he said.

The recent discovery was the second large seizure this summer in Colorado. Two people were arrested, but federal officials refused to provide details, saying the investigation is continuing.

In July, authorities spent more than 24 hours clearing another marijuana growing operation in Pike National Forest. They say the plants' street value was about $2.5 million, but no arrests were made.