El Paso County

Marijuana: High Times will likely sue if treat-pot-mags-like-porn provision goes forward

Last week, in a post about some of the more unusual aspects of the main bill to regulate Amendment 64, which allows adults 21 and over in Colorado to use and possess small amounts of cannabis, we highlighted a passage that would require marijuana magazines to be kept behind the counter of general re ... More >>

Pinon Canyon expansion battle: Will troop reductions help or hurt?

As the Pentagon contemplates different ways to achieve reductions in force in the ramp-down from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, business leaders in Colorado Springs are pushing for a plan that would actually bring more troops to Fort Carson -- while ranchers battling expansion of a maneuver site in s ... More >>

Fetus = person? District court judges have come to different conclusions

This week's cover story, "The Meaning of Life," tells the story behind a seemingly contradictory legal argument being made by Englewood-based Catholic Health Initiatives: that a fetus is not a person. The court case in which it asserts that claim has now been appealed to the Colorado Supreme Court. ... More >>

Juvenile lifers: Who are the 51 in Colorado?

This week's feature, "The Old Boys," explores an emerging quandary in the criminal justice arena. Colorado has 51 state inmates serving life without parole for crimes committed when they were under eighteen -- and thanks to a recent Supreme Court decision declaring such sentences unconstitutional, t ... More >>

Medical marijuana dispensaries: 266 licensed MMCs in Colorado, 272 pending

As of last week, there were 266 licensed dispensaries in Colorado, with the possibility for almost double that number by the time the state Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division finishes licensing. But there's no real telling when that will be.

Video: Romney campaign volunteer claims to work for county clerk in clip going viral

The young woman seen outside a Colorado Springs Safeway in a video going viral (see it below) is up-front with the person capturing footage of her: She's interested in registering voters who'll mark their ballot for Mitt Romney. Problem is, she subsequently claims to be in the employ of the county c ... More >>

Paul Weissmann will continue to serve the public as Boulder trustee

In the latest installment of a long-running saga, yesterday Governor John Hickenlooper reappointed five of the ten public trustees who resigned last month -- at his request. And he appointed three new trustees in three counties, including one who really puts the "public" in public trustee: sometime ... More >>

Colorado Springs Police bust of Steven Woods first under urban camping ban ordinance

At approximately 9:50 a.m. yesterday, the Colorado Springs Police Department made its first arrest for the city's public camping ban, which officers began enforcing ordinance in 2010. During an investigation of unlawful camps that had been set up in the area, members of the city's Homeless Outreach ... More >>

Photos, videos: Waldo Canyon fire finally 100 percent contained

Update: At long last comes the announcement residents of Colorado Springs have been awaiting since June 23, when the Waldo Canyon fire flared to life. The blaze, which destroyed 346 homes and took the lives of Barbara and William Everett, age 73 and 74, respectively, is finally 100 percent containe ... More >>

Waldo Canyon fire update: One death, 347 homes destroyed, 20K threatened

Update:Firefighters made progress against the Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs yesterday -- enough to get a better sense of the destruction that took place the previous day. The number of homes destroyed had been estimated at north of 300, and that proved all too accurate. Thus far, 347 homes ... More >>

Doug Lamborn touts his record -- a real reign of error!

Voters "like having someone with a proven record," Representative Doug Lamborn said after winning yesterday's primary. And what a record! Hell would have to freeze over in El Paso County -- which doesn't look likely, given the Waldo Canyon fire raging there -- before voters would skip sending this s ... More >>

Terrell Griswold: Mother questions inmate's "natural" death in private prison

On October 28, 2010, a 26-year-old inmate named Terrell Griswold was found slumped over and unresponsive in his cell in the Bent County Correctional Facility, a private prison in southeastern Colorado. The official cause of death is listed as cardiac hypertrophy, or an enlarged heart. But Lagalia Af ... More >>

Ten infamous 2011 crimes with Colorado connections

And you thought you had a crazy year. Getting jiggy with a student at a Baptist school, driving a scooter without a license in Miami, possessing four grams of cocaine in Aspen, threatening to shoot out a Best Buy in Aurora over a video game and literally getting shit on in Boulder -- these are all s ... More >>

Gay soldiers attacked in CO Springs, mayor rejects resolution denouncing hate crimes

​According to Charles Irwin, executive director of Colorado Springs Pride Center, two of the five gay people recently attacked at a fast-food restaurant in the city were soldiers. Nonetheless, neither the mayor nor the city council will sign a hate-crime-denouncing resolution prompted by the a ... More >>

Dog the Bounty Hunter: Did Duane Chapman make false report about CO Springs shooting?

Duane Chapman.​You might recall the hubbub back in 2009 when news broke that Duane "Dog" Chapman and his Dog the Bounty Hunter crew had apparently been shot at while attempting to apprehend a bail jumper in Colorado Springs. But now, the man arrested following the April 21, 2009 incident is su ... More >>

The War Next Door

Rich in history and imperiled species, Pinon Canyon isn't like any other place on earth. Locals fear that the Army wants to tear the hell out of it.

Medical marijuana: Council's new grow rules will push ops out of Denver, attorney predicts

​Despite a threatened lawsuit aimed at councilwoman Judy Montero and developer Mickey Zeppelin, the Denver City Council approved new medical marijuana grow operation regulations last night with no changes. But MMJ attorney Warren Edson predicts that the bill on view below will backfire, with b ... More >>

Colorado's GOP hopes to strike while the irony is hot

Over $1 million in damages from copper thefts? Michael Evans, others busted for alleged scheme

Large pics below.​The still-bad economy has inspired a number of small-time metal thieves -- like Richard Goodface and Duane Brown, who allegedly swiped Denver storm grates in October. But according to the Colorado Springs Police Department, they're pikers in comparison with several suspects a ... More >>

Marijuana and driving impairment: Rep. Claire Levy on setting a standard in Colorado

Claire Levy.​Over the past year, we've intermittently heard about arrests for allegedly driving under the influence of medical marijuana, with the most sensational being Joshua Wittig's involvement in a crash that took the life of John Paul Hines in October. Against this backdrop, Boulder Repr ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Colorado Springs zoning rule would force closure of 69 MMJ centers

Tanya Garduno.​While members of the Colorado Springs Medical Cannabis Council are celebrating results showing that an El Paso County measure to ban medical marijuana businesses officially lost at the polls, they're already facing another potential crisis. According to CSMCC president Tanya Ga ... More >>

Medical marijuana dispensary bans pass in Aurora, Dougco: Fuel for legalization fight?

Brian Vicente.​Update: The Sensible Colorado staff has been hard at work trying to determine if any of the community or county attempts to ban medical marijuana dispensaries were unsuccessful -- and they've found seven bright spots amid the disappointments in places like Aurora and Douglas Cou ... More >>

Glenn Beck lovers better not shoot each other at Colorado Springs gun event...

Glenn Beck.​You've stumbled upon a new feature: Comment of the Day, in which we highlight one of the most amusing, most interesting or most something comments to pop up of late. We kick things off with a take from Eric about Glenn Beck's upcoming appearance as a keynote speaker at the October ... More >>

Rene Ogden killed twins Chase and Olivia, then committed suicide, says El Paso County coroner

Rene Ogden.​Earlier this week, Rene Ogden and twins Chase and Olivia were found dead in their Colorado Springs area home. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, police declined to rule out any possible causes for their deaths even as reports surfaced that Rene had recently seemed depressed ... More >>

Carl Martin: Phony cop allegedly confiscates weed -- and eats it

Carl Martin.​Although marijuana is included in many edible products these days, few people choose to eat it in the form of a joint. That's one of many ways Carl Martin allegedly stands apart. Note that he's accused of confiscating said joint while pretending to be a cop -- and then after gulp ... More >>

Josh Penry-John Morse idea to give university boards more leeway potentially dangerous

"Gee, I wish I could afford college."​Senate Majority Leader John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, and Minority Leader Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, are brainstorming ways to keep Colorado's colleges from suffocating amid crippling losses in revenue from the state. Atop the mount of potential soluti ... More >>

David Sirota-Sean Paige cage match scheduled -- with honor of Colorado Springs on the line!

And in this corner...​On Monday, we told you about the rhetorical battle between AM 760 host/columnist David Sirota, who thinks Colorado Springs' conservative fiscal policies are largely responsible for the community's sizable economic woes, and Springs councilman Sean Paige, who sees Sirota's ... More >>

Frank Azar Loses Lawsuit Against Own Client

Shmuck

Bruce on the Loose

Robert Charles Browne is a Killer Con Man

No Tell Hotel

Holtzman Halts

Clowns to the Left of Me

Marc Holtzman's got a feeling that something in the Grand Old Party ain't right.

Springs Forward

The venerable Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center is getting a thoughtful addition.

Scratching the Bitch

Joseph Paiva was born defective, but prosecutors stamped him a habitual criminal.

Off Limits

Jet-set fret

Storme Watch

An update on a model prisoner.

Shades of Black

Defense attorneys fight to save their clients by comparing them to current residents of death row.

Mange Rovers

The Colorado Springs Airport hopes to keep coyotes off the runways.

What We Have Here...Is a Failure to Rehabilitate

The youthful offender system was supposed to save gang kids. Now it’s about snitching, fronting—and growing numbers of teens headed for adult prison.

Broken Records

More bad news from Secretary of State Vikki Buckley's office.

Hard Lessons

Ten years ago, Colorado began to force batterers into treatment programs. but do they work?

He's a Real Pistol

Is that a banana in your pocket, or was Bob Silva elected sheriff?

Final Analysis

Just because state senator Charles Duke may be paranoid doesn't mean Newt Gingrich didn't steal his pocketknife. Does it?

The Hits Keep on Coming

Already in jail awaiting trial in a murder-for-hire case, James Darnell allegedly can't stop plotting.

Gasoline Alley

Diamond Shamrock's pipeline isn't built yet, but it's already brought a flammable mixture to Elbert County politics.

OFF LIMITS

COLORADO SPRINGS TAKES A HIT

MAKING A CASE FOR MURDER

THE CIPRIANI BROTHERS WILL TRY TO PROVE IN CIVIL COURT THAT TROOPER BOB BENEFIEL KILLED THEIR SISTER.