Local Briefs LAWSUIT FILED OVER FATAL GAS RIG EXPLOSION IN OKLAHOMA

OKLA.» A MCALESTER, wrongful-death lawsuit has been filed over a natural gas rig explosion in southeastern Oklahoma that killed five men — one from Colorado, three from Oklahoma and one from Texas. The lawsuit by Dianna Waldridge, the widow of 60-year-old Parker Waldridge of Crescent, Okla., alleges negligence by Red Mountain Energy and Red Mountain Operating, both of Oklahoma City, and PattersonUTI Drilling and Patterson-UTI Energy, both of Houston. The Jan. 23 explosion near Quinton killed Waldridge, Matt Smith of McAlester and Roger Cunningham of Seminole; Cody Risk of Wellington; and Josh Ray of Fort Worth, Texas. Three men accused of stealing almost $20,000 of batteries from oil and gas sites. COUNTY» WELD A trio of Evans men could face theft charges after police say they stole almost $20,000 of batteries from oil and gas sites east of Greeley. Affidavits for the arrests of Joshua Perry, 28, James Carpenter, 49, and Benjamin Bingham, 35, indicate police believe the thefts happened last month. Perry and Carpenter said they stole nine batteries from a site near Platteville, according to the reports.

Carpenter and Perry told deputies they stole the batteries from “the solar panel locations at that site.” After that, they took the stolen batteries to Evans, where they prepared to sell them to a salvage yard. Perry later said they “stole so many batteries he would not be able to give even a rough estimate of how many total batteries were stolen.”

State unable to determine what caused fatal fall at park.

GRAND JUNCTION» Colorado officials have been unable to determine exactly what caused a fatal fall at an indoor recreation park in January.

The Daily Sentinel reported Tuesday that 20year-old Ciara Romero fell to her death after she jumped from a nearly 80-foot-tall platform at Get Air at the Silo.

Mahesh Albuquerque, director of the state’s Division of Oil and Public Safety, which oversees amusement attractions, said the accident was unprecedented for the state.

Albuquerque says the division’s findings did not include a reason as to why the carabiner-and-harness system employed by the ride failed.

Six rides in Colorado use the QUICKJump XL free fall device, and all six have been closed in the wake of the investigation.

Attorneys reach plea deal for man accused of chaining woman.

GRAND

JUNCTION» Attorneys have agreed to a plea deal in the case of a man accused of keeping a woman chained in his basement and treating her as a sex slave over several months. Claude Lee Wilkerson pleaded guilty Tuesday to counts of second-degree assault and false imprisonment. The deal calls for six years in prison and three years on parole. Man froze to death under bridge. FOUNTAIN» A man whose body was found under a bridge froze to death while high on methamphetamine. The Gazette reports 43year-old Marshall Reed was found dead on New Year’s Day. Investigators say he got wet trying to cross a creek and had taken off some of his clothes. The temperatures dropped to the single digits on New Year’s Day.