Lawsuits Galore in Chaffee County
BUENA VISTA – Former Buena Vista mayor and current candidate for Chaffee County Clerk Cara Russell has filed a lawsuit against the B.V. town government and its board of trustees over an attempt to remove her from office in November 2008.
A notice of removal was prepared against Russell by the trustees after a column appeared in the Chaffee County Times in which she allegedly wrote unfavorably about them and about an upcoming vote on the annexation of the Villages at Cottonwood Meadows subdivision.
She is seeking unspecified monetary damages for contended anguish, humiliation, loss of sleep and attorney fees. She also hopes to punish the five trustees over their actions against her.
Another lawsuit was filed on April 21 by a former Chaffee County Sheriff candidate, Jon White, related to the 2008 election.
White is seeking damages against six defendants claiming harassment by Chaffee County authorities, false arrest and physical and emotional damages suffered as a result of incidences that occurred regarding a lease on land in Chaffee County to graze his cattle.
White claims violations of his First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth and Fourteenth amendment rights as well as violations of his civil rights, according to the Mountain Mail.
Cattle Found Dead in Park County
HARTZEL – Almost 300 head of cattle have been seized by Colorado state officials from a Park County rancher after nearly 100 cows were found dead on his ranch.
Charges are still pending against rancher Vernon E. Wagner, whose ranch is near Hartzel. He claims he is good to his livestock and claims the investigation is related to an ongoing land dispute with some of his neighbors.
The Park County sheriff’s department is conducting a criminal investigation. There are an estimated 800 to 1,400 cattle on Wagner’s ranch according to the Associated Press.
Gravel Pit Application Withdrawn
SALIDA – A controversial application for a gravel pit in Chaffee County was withdrawn after public opposition and charges of favoritism were leveled.
ACA Products and Chaffee County Commissioner Frank Holman withdrew the special land use application to operate a gravel pit on Holman’s land off County Road 140.
Holman had recused himself in the commissioner’s vote on May 11 which resulted in a 1-1 split. This was after the planning commission had approved the special land permit, with conditions, on a vote of 5-1.
Area residents were concerned with noise, dust, truck traffic and a decrease in property values if the pit was approved.
Transmission Line on Hold
DENVER – A hearing has been delayed until late June or early July over the proposed transmission line proposed for the San Luis Valley.
Xcel Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association want to build the transmission line to access photovoltaic solar power stations being constructed in the San Luis Valley.
Area residents as well as owners of the Trinchera Ranch subdivision near Fort Garland have voiced opposition to the transmission line.
Knife-Wielding Man Shot in Westcliffe
WESTCLIFFE- A Texas man was shot and killed by a Custer County deputy in downtown Westcliffe after an altercation on April 17.
57-year-old Sixto Rodriguez was causing a disturbance in a downtown restaurant and drove away after Officer Boyd Rafferty arrived.
When the officer pulled in behind him with emergency lights on, Rodriguez drove off stopping his GMC Yukon several blocks away. When asked to place his hands on his vehicle by Rafferty, Rodriguez refused and a scuffle ensued. Rodriguez then pulled a knife and walked towards the officer brandishing the weapon. After refusing to stop or drop the knife he was shot in the chest twice with a .40 caliber gun and died immediately.
The deputy is currently on administrative leave pending an investigation.
Jailer Going to Jail
GUNNISON – A former Gunnison County jail captain was found guilty of all counts against her in early May.
Michelle Zadra was charged with felony perjury, official misconduct and false reporting after it was discovered she secretly listened to phone conversations between an inmate and his attorney.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation launched a probe into activities at the jail in 2008. The trial lasted three days and Zadra was found guilty after three hours of deliberation. She is scheduled for sentencing June 9 and said she plans to appeal the conviction, according to the Gunnison Country Times.
Bike Swap brings Felony Charges
LEADVILLE – Two bike racers are facing felony charges after it was discovered they switched identities in the 2009 Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race.
Wendy Lyall, 36, of Golden supposedly entered the race using the entry number of Katie Brazelton, 40, Vail, with her knowledge.
Lyall came in second in the race and one of the two women stood on the podium and accepted the award and trophy. It is unclear which one it was.
Race founder and former state senator Ken Choubler received an anonymous tip that the switch may have occurred. After being contacted, the women confessed and returned the awards and trophy.
Both women have been charged with criminal impersonation, a Class 6 felony.
Big Stink in Cloud City
LEADVILLE – Also in Leadville, a rash of “stink bombings” at local bars occurred in late April. It appears the culprit was having fun with glass vials filled with ammonium sulfide by tossing them into the bars where they would break and emit a smell like “sewer gas,” according to The Leadville Herald-Democrat.
Police charged 35-year-old Gerald Glen Gutierrez of Leadville with criminal use of a toxic substance. The bars estimated lost revenue of about $350 due to the stinky conditions of their respective establishments.
Caddisfly Loses Out
A petition asking for protection for the Susan’s purse-making caddisfly was rejected by federal officials. The insect is found in only three sites in the United States: Trout Creek Spring in Chaffee, High Park Fen in Park County and in Valles Caldera Nation Preserve in New Mexico. Conservation groups fear it may become extinct. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did a study and determined it did not warrant protection. Conservation groups believe the insect is an indicator of watershed health and is under threat from grazing, logging and development.
Uranium Cleanup Bill Moves to House
DENVER – The state senate has passed a bill requiring uranium mines and mills to clean up existing nuclear waste before they can accept additional radioactive material.
The bill leaves the future of the Cotter Corporation’ uranium mill in Cañon City uncertain according to company officials.
Citizen groups pushed for the changes after the federal government began talking more about employing nuclear power to meet energy needs. The bill is now headed to the House.
Salida-based artist Joshua Been, whose artwork graced our December 2009 cover, was featured in an eight-page article in the May 2010 issue of American Artist Magazine. The title of the article is Using Right Practices to Paint Better.
Notable Quotes:
“The project is entirely on Bureau of Land Management land, with entirely man-made grades on both sides of the river … for much of the 19th century people have blasted the north bank for the rail line and blasted the south bank to create a highway.” – Artist Christo addressing the accessibility to his proposed project, “Over the River” at a meeting in Salida, May 18. The Mountain Mail, May 19, 2010.
“My intention is to get the thugs and the knuckleheads out of the business,” Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, co-sponsor of House Bill 1284, which will seeks to add additional regulations for marijuana dispensaries in the state. – Associated Press
“This project represents the first battle of the ‘New Energy Economy’ in Colorado. Unfortunately, there are significant consequences when needed transmission projects are unreasonably delayed.” – Tri-State Generation spokesman Brad Jones regarding the special hearing on the proposed San Luis Valley transmission line. The Mountain Mail, May 6, 2010.
