“Northern Colorado and the Western Slope will claim larger shares of Colorado’s population as the state adds 3 million new residents over the next three and a half decades, according to state forecasts,” reports The Denver Post. “Greeley and Fort Collins will more than double in population and the Western Slope will grow by two-thirds by 2050, the State Demography Office predicts, while Denver, Boulder, Pueblo and the central mountain resorts will grow at slower rates. Also, Colorado Springs will overtake a built-out Denver as the state’s largest city. Between 2015 and 2050, Colorado will add the equivalent of another metro Denver, on its way to 8.46 million residents. Though it’s a lot of people, the state’s rate of growth actually is predicted to slow during that period as the baby boomer generation moves on. State and local officials use the forecasts to plan for growth, a hot topic as Colorado’s roads, housing market and environment strain from an influx of out-of-state migrants.”
“Devin Patrick Kelley, the gunman who killed 26 people Sunday at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, had purchased two firearms in Colorado, a federal law enforcement official said at a news conference Monday,” reports The Gazette in Colorado Springs. “Kelley, 26, who was linked to four guns in the aftermath of the church massacre, also had purchased two in Texas. The gunman bought guns in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, said Fred Milanowski, special agent in charge with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Milanowski said law enforcement officials recovered three firearms after the shooting: the Ruger AR-556 rifle recovered at the church and two handguns – a Glock 9mm and a Ruger .22-caliber.”
“Police in Hayden were able to get a 20-year-old man the help he needed after he made some alarming statements and threats on Saturday,” reports The Steamboat Pilot. “Police Chief Greg Tuliszewski said the man was with friends when he made the statements, which involved using guns. “They were fantasy-filled discussion,” Tuliszewski said. “We do not believe there was an actual threat.” There were also statements related to the zombie apocalypse. Tuliszewski said the man was fascinated by the idea of walking dead.”
“Lafayette will have the next six months to overhaul its oil and gas regulations as it prepares for what may prove to be a 30-year-long drilling boom slated for the region,” reports The Boulder Daily Camera. “The City Council approved its controversial fracking moratorium by a vote of 6-1, on second reading, Monday night. Amended down from a year, the stay will now bar new oil and gas development within city limits until May. Monday’s decision comes only hours ahead of an election that could see four of the city’s seven-member council replaced. City Councilwomen Chelsea Behanna and Merrily Mazza — the latter was Monday’s sole “no” vote — and Councilman Gustavo Reyna are running for reelection (Brad Wiesley is term limited, so one new face is guaranteed).”
“If there was any question that Alferd Packer thought his Christian name should be spelled that way, then the invitation to his hanging should dispel any doubt,” reports The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. “‘You are respectfully invited to the execution of Alferd Packer,’ says the invitation given to officials after Packer was arrested, tried and sentenced for the killing and devouring of his ill-fated party of miners who never reached the gold country on the east side of the Rockies. Hinsdale County Sheriff Clair Smith “wanted him to have the name he preferred on his execution invitation,” said David Bailey, curator of history at the Museum of the West. The invitation, as well as a photo of Packer himself in a 1903 photo depicting his self-defense killing of a homicidal companion, are among several morsels in the ever-growing menu of Packer-related tidbits now on display at the Museum of the West, “Alferd Packer: Solving One of the West’s Great Murder Mysteries.” Packer never was hanged — his death sentence was overturned, but he was sentenced to prison and eventually was paroled — and he maintained throughout that while he was a cannibal, he was no murderer.”
“Making friends came easy to Eric Dube,” reports Summit Daily. “When he met someone, he usually opted for a bear hug instead of handshake, and those who knew him best said it took just minutes to know he was special. Some called him the unofficial “mayor of Breckenridge,” a guy who could barely get around town because he bumped into so many people he knew. On Monday, Dube’s friends and family were still mourning his unexpected death last Friday, caused by an undiagnosed heart condition during a mountain bike ride near Moab. He was 30 years old.”
“The prospect of permanently welcoming an asphalt and concrete plant to the neighborhood near Colo. 257 and Weld County Road 80.5 brought about 100 people to a Board of Weld County Commissioners meeting Monday,” reports The Greeley Tribune. “Most of them will have to come back Wednesday, as commissioners ran out of time after the meeting stretched nearly all day — with a two-hour break for lunch. Simon Contractors, an asphalt and concrete producer, has applied for a use by special review permit to expand operations and become a permanent fixture at the southeast corner of Weld County Road 80.5 and Colo. 257.”
“Loveland police Sgt. Justin Chase failed to appear in court Monday for a pre-trial readiness conference in an excessive-use-of-force case against him stemming from an arrest in November 2016,” reports The Loveland Reporter-Herald. “The judge will issue a warrant for Chase’s arrest if he does not report to her before 3 p.m. Tuesday. Chase, a member of the Loveland Police Department for 19 years, is scheduled for a three-day trial on misdemeanor harassment and assault allegations starting Nov. 14. His failure to appear for Monday’s readiness conference means the trial could be vacated if Chase does not report to Larimer County Judge Mary Joan Berenato by 3 p.m. Tuesday. Deputy District Attorney Shaun Reinhart asked Berenato to issue the warrant immediately due to Chase’s failure to appear, instead of waiting until Tuesday.”
“Loveland resident Taylor Summer knows missing the bus can be a costly mistake. Running just a few minutes behind schedule will leave her stuck at a bus stop for a full 60 minutes, the time it takes for the next bus to arrive,” reports The Coloradoan in Fort Collins. “As Loveland’s transit system begins to feel the effects of a nearly 15 percent jump in population over the past six years, city leaders are looking to rework its service to help alleviate congestion and provide more reliable transportation. The city’s plan is twofold: Revamp paratransit service in an effort to save costs and free up staff and then use that savings to add a commuter route on one of Loveland’s major thoroughfares starting in 2018.”
“A proposed ordinance that would grant Black Hills Energy an electric franchise for Florence customers was part of a difficult discussion at Monday night’s Florence City Council meeting,” reports The Cañon City Daily Record. “The ordinance, as proposed, would grant Black Hills, “the authority to construct, operate, maintain, and extend an electric distribution plant and system.” The ordinance also would grant Black Hills the right to use streets, alleys and other public places within Florence’s city limits to operate. According to the ordinance, Florence was proposing to enter into a 25-year agreement with the utility company. Communities in Black Hills Energy’s service territory include Brookside, Cañon City, Coal Creek, Florence, Rockvale and Williamsburg. Pueblo consists of about 50 percent of Black Hills service territory.”
