“As a longtime physical education teacher, a coach of several girls sports and an athletic director, Longmont Christian’s Kami Puchino didn’t even give pause to the idea that she couldn’t handle coaching the baseball team this spring,” reports The Longmont Times-Call. “Not only is the national pastime a family affair, for sure, being at a small K-12 Christian school has offered Puchino a chance to get to know many of the student athletes and their families for years now. Thus, the idea that she could be making history — she is believed to be the first female high school baseball coach in Colorado — didn’t create any game of a pickle in her mind when the job came open.”
“Just months after its groundbreaking, investigators from the Weld District Attorney’s Office are investigating the project dubbed the world’s largest sports park. Krista Henery, spokeswoman for the office, confirmed there is an ongoing investigation into Rocky Mountain Sports Park that it is in its preliminary stages,” reports The Greeley Tribune. “She declined to provide further details, such as why the office is investigating or who is at the center of that investigation.”
“A day filled with rumors and panic, fueled by unfounded reports of threats to two Fruita schools, began at 8:20 a.m,” reports The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. “That’s when the call came into the 911 dispatch center: A man had pointed a gun at the caller’s friend at the Maverik convenience store, then walked across the street toward Fruita Monument High School.”
“Two Pueblo Police officers are on paid administrative leave after shooting and killing a man who allegedly produced a handgun during a brief chase Tuesday evening,” reports The Pueblo Chieftain. “Police came in contact with the suspect, who was later identified by Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter as 55-year-old Steven Peters, while responding to a report of a restraining violation order on the 900 block of East Ninth Street. A female caller had told police that Peters was refusing to leave her home and was in possession of a firearm.”
“City officials say they have some tough choices to make this month as they decide how to reconstruct 11th Street in downtown Steamboat Springs,” reports The Steamboat Pilot. “The city wants to add brand new bike lanes and sidewalks to the street where it runs from Yampa to Oak Street. But the addition of the bike lanes would result in the elimination of about 40 percent, or 26, of the available parking spaces on the downtown street.”
“Of the four people who spoke against it Tuesday, a man from Breckenridge had the strongest language for the town’s efforts to build a new parking garage downtown, delivered just moments before planning commissioners recommended town council green-light the project,” reports Summit Daily. “‘I’m going to be brusque, I’m going to be rude, I’m going to be inappropriate,’ Lee Edwards told commissioners after calling the proposed parking garage ‘a turd in a punch bowl.'”
“About 50 Berthoud students left their classrooms and marched through town Wednesday morning in solidarity with the students killed in Parkland, Fla., and asked the school district to find the money for mental health counselors for the schools,” reports The Loveland Reporter-Herald. “They carried signs with messages such as “Enough is Enough,” “Never Again” and “Thoughts and Prayers Are Not Enough,” earning many honks and thumbs-up from passersby as well as a couple of middle fingers from classmates who thought the students were marching for gun control.”
“There are generally a couple of sure things that take place after Vail Mountain closes: It will probably snow at some point in May, and parking is free in Vail’s parking structures. One of those things is going to change — sort of,” reports Vail Daily. “The Vail Town Council at its Tuesday, March 6, meeting approved a set of recommendations from the town’s parking task force. The recommendations cover a number of topics, particularly regarding public transit. The big one, though, is about parking.”
“Retirement ceremonies tend to be similar: There are speeches, there’s cake and there are probably a few tears,” reports The Coloradoan in Fort Collins. “A celebration at the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday was no different, except the guests of honor showed their excitement a little differently: They barked and played with squeaky toys. Two K-9 deputies celebrated their retirement on Wednesday, and three more will soon join the unit.”
“Second reading of an amended ordinance to raise stormwater fees will be presented to the Cañon City Council during its March 19 meeting, but the council will consider a proposed 40 percent hike rather than doubling the fees as was initially approved,” reports The Cañon City Daily Record. “The increase will cover current operations and maintenance of the stormwater utility fund but will not provide for any future capital improvements. The General Government Committee on Wednesday agreed to the recommend the amendment based on citizen input, most of whom have said they feel the cost should be shared by all residents who impact the local stormwater basins, not just those within city limits.”
“Emanuel Doll, a Broomfield man accused of killing his 4-year-old nephew with an ax, has been found incompetent to stand [trial]. District Judge Michael Goodbee ordered that Doll be committed to the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo,” reports The Boulder Daily Camera. “The criminal case is stayed until he is restored to competency. The written ruling was issued by Broomfield County District Judge Michael Goodbee on Sunday after a hearing on competency was held in the 17th Judicial District court last month. A review hearing is set for 9 a.m. March 19. Doll, 26, is charged with one count of first-degree murder after deliberation and one count of first-degree murder of a child by a person in a position of trust.”
“Margaret Sabin said Wednesday she will resign March 16 as CEO of Penrose-St. Francis Health Services after nearly 10 years of transforming the company from a financially struggling also-ran into a major local health care player and launching an ambitious restructuring of its two-hospital system. Sabin plans to ‘remain very active in the Colorado Springs community and her next adventure will involve pursuing her passion for population health management,’ says a Penrose-St. Francis news release,” reports The Gazette in Colorado Springs.
“Denver firefighters worked through the night putting out hot spots leftover from a massive Wednesday afternoon fire at a construction site in the North Capitol Hill neighborhood that killed one person, left at least one person missing and injured others,” reports The Denver Post. “Denver Fire Captain Greg Pixley was checking early Thursday morning whether there were any further updates on unaccounted for people. Pixley announced one person was missing Wednesday, but KDVR-Channel 31 reported a Denver family is searching for another construction worker.”
“Erik Soliván worked his last day with the city of Denver last week after just more than a year as a top housing adviser to Mayor Michael Hancock,” reports Denverite. “As he finished, he warned that the effects of displacement and gentrification run far deeper than many people expect, and he pointed to the Ink Coffee furor as a prime example. In a recent interview, he declined to comment on the reason for his exit, which came as the city reorganized its housing efforts, but he spoke extensively on the housing crises in Denver and other cities. ‘I traditionally don’t speak about resignations and personnel decisions. I support the Office of Economic Development reorganization,’ he told Denverite.”
“Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Nancy E. Rice has announced her retirement effective June 30,” reports ColoradoPolitics. “She has served on the high court nearly 20 years, the last four as chief justice. She was appointed to the Supreme Court by Democratic former Gov. Roy Romer.”
