TANK AT ASPHALT PLANT EXPLODES
CITY» A storage tank COMMERCE at the United Asphalts plant in Commerce City caught fire late Monday morning, sending plumes of dark smoke into the air near the Suncor Energy refinery. Crews with South Adams County Fire Department responded to calls of a tank on fire at 11:25 a.m. They fought 15-foot flames before bringing the blaze under control, fire department spokeswoman Maria Carabajal said. No injuries were reported, she said. United Asphalts, founded in 1960 in Denver, produces roofing asphalt, including “no smell” products that use an odor suppressant.
Aspen increasing security at public buildings.
As mass shootings and attacks in public buildings are on officials’ minds, Aspen is making moves to secure its facilities better.
Staff members are assessing the city’s nearly two dozen buildings, and they’ve realized there are deficiencies in many places.
“Anyone can walk into our buildings at any time, and that’s not good,” said Jack Wheeler, the city’s capital asset director.
He added that as he and his team began planning a new municipal office building and looking at the design of the police department’s public safety facility, they found the city’s aging infrastructure has security breaches.
As a result, they are considering changes including a universal door-lock system for all cityowned buildings, cutting off public access to side and back doors, and putting a protective ballistic liner inside City Council’s table.
Man armed with kitchen knife had to be tased twice.
SPRINGS» A man wielding COLORADO a large kitchen knife threatened officers Sunday afternoon, saying he wanted police to shoot him. Originally called in as a domestic disturbance, the first officer arrived about 1 p.m. and saw the suspect leaving the apartment where the disturbance was reported — with a kitchen knife in hand.
The officer used a taser on the man immediately, but according to the police blotter it “had no effect on the suspect.”
Once additional officers arrived they surrounded the man and were able to convince him to toss down the knife. But compliance ended there because he then started to advance toward the officers, saying that he would fight them.
Police used a taser on the man a second time and took him into custody without further incident. He was arrested on suspicion of menacing, violation of a protection order, obstruction, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct.
Driver suspected of DUI in double-fatal crash in Denver.
A driver is suspected of DUI in a double-fatal crash in Denver on Sunday morning. Ernie Crawley, 39, is accused of being the driver at fault and is being held on suspicion of vehicular homicide, according to police.
The crash happened about 1:40 a.m. Sunday on eastbound I-70 at southbound I-225, police said. When officers arrived at the scene, Crawley smelled of alcohol, according to case documents, and his speech was slurred.
Three people were injured in the two-vehicle rollover, according to KMGH-TV.
Hiker finds body.
COUNTY» A hiker found a body during the weekend, and local and state authorities are investigating. The body of a female was found just after 10 a.m. Sunday in the area of County Road 42 and County Road Z, according to a Colorado Bureau of Investigation news release. An investigation into the identity of the deceased, as well as the cause and manner of her death, is ongoing. — Staff and wire reports