DRIVER’S LICENSE BILL ADVANCES
A bill seeking fixes for Colorado’s embattled program that provides driver’s licenses to people living in the country illegally narrowly passed the House on Monday.
House Bill 1274 would expand the existing immigrant licensing program from three offices to nine and hire 20 more employees to help resolve the backlog of applicants. It was approved 34-31 over Republican opposition.
The bill faces almost certain doom in the Republican-controlled Senate, however, as GOP lawmakers strongly have opposed efforts to expand and improve the program.
Also Monday, the state Senate approved a bipartisan measure to crack down on fraud in the program. That bill now goes to the governor.
Man charged with using pipe bomb to explode mailbox. Federal prosecutors
have charged a 45year-old man with using a pipe bomb to explode a Postal Service mailbox in Arvada last week.
John Bowman of Arvada was arrested Friday and appeared in court Monday afternoon.
He was ordered held, pending a detention hearing this week.
Bowman admitted to making the pipe bomb and exploding the mailbox, according to arrest documents filed in federal court. He allegedly told investigators he was trying to impress his girlfriend.
“She wanted to hear a ‘loud boom,’ ” the criminal complaint says.
Aurora police seek help identifying suspect.
The Aurora Police Department is asking for help in identifying a man who attempted to kidnap and sexually assault a 15-year-old girl on April 7 in Aurora.
Police say the victim was walking south on Sable Boulevard around noon when a driver in a silver SUV forced her into the back seat, according to a Metro Denver Crime Stoppers Facebook post on Monday.
The man drove to a parking lot, where he got into the back seat and attempted to remove the girl’s clothing and sexually assault her. The girl struggled and escaped, and the man drove away, police said.
The victim described the man as black and in his late 20s or early 30s. He has a shaved head and a goatee and was wearing a dark blue short-sleeved shirt and matching pants.
The man identified himself to the victim as Chris, according to police.
Police ask anyone with information to contact Aurora police or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
Waterline project could delay traffic. A waterline
improvement project could produce minor traffic delays on Bear Lake Road starting Tuesday in Rocky Mountain National Park.
The work will affect traffic between the intersection of Bear Lake Road and Trail Ridge Road and Moraine Park Discovery Center on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. through May 25. Delays should be less than 15 minutes, the park announced in a news release.
Burnt Mountain trails closed to protect elk
B aspen» Burnt Mountain trails between Two Creeks and West Buttermilk will be closed through June 21 to protect calving elk.
Trails affected include Tom Blake and Anaerobic Nightmare. The Sequel/ Governmental Trail #1980 closes May 15.