The Home Front: A fire, a plane crash, and plummeting taxes from the oil and gas slump

The Fort Collins Coloradoan has a story today about how partiers in Old Town are shaking up patrols for the local police. “The 11 o’clock hour starts with an alcohol-fueled sucker punch outside Illegal Pete’s.”

The Greeley Tribune fronts a story about state severance taxes dropping a whopping 69 percent because of a slump in the oil-and-gas industry. “The taxes and royalties are important in that they help communities that are impacted by oil and gas development rebuild infrastructure.”

The Pueblo Chieftain has a story of a slain resident named Isaiah Vialpando who died a year ago today. His parents want to know who killed him. Police believe it to have been a case of mistaken identity. “The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the person or people involved in the incident. The FBI’s Southern Colorado Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force is assisting police in investigating the homicide.”

The Loveland Reporter-Herald has a front page story and photo of a Fort Collins house engulfed in flames. “The fire sent a plume of smoke into the air visible throughout Northern Colorado.”

The Longmont Times-Call proves the JonBenet Ramsey case can still make front-page fodder 20 years later. “…in response to numerous requests from programs that are using September to highlight the event that made Dec. 26, 1996, a date of infamy — at least locally — the department today issued a video statement by Boulder Police Chief Greg Testa addressing the state of the case nearly two decades later.”

The Durango Herald writes about how marijuana contributed to a plane crash two years ago. That’s according to the National Transportation Safety Board, anyway. The pilot tested positive, the paper reports.

The Denver Post fronts a big photo about harvest time for Colorado’s 36,000 farmers and ranchers. “Palisade, Colorado is enjoying the biggest bumper crop of peaches in about 40 years.”

The Boulder Daily Camera reports about local support for a three-story building on the Pearl Street Mall.

Staff at Colorado Springs retirement homes are likely gearing up for a rough day. The Gazette put the upcoming release of Ronald Reagan shooter John Hinckley on the front page.

The word “trial” appears in three separate front-page stories of The Cañon City Daily Record this morning.