BUREAU URGES CONSENSUS ON RIVER USAGE
ARIZ.» The U.S. FLAGSTAFF,
Bureau of Reclamation has published a notice that would let Western governors weigh in on how to manage the shrinking Colorado River.
The public comment period will start March 4 unless all seven states that rely on the river approve drought contingency plans. Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman has said she prefers the states reach consensus, but the federal government will take over if that doesn’t happen soon.
She called out Arizona and California last week as missing a previous deadline she set to complete drought plans. Water managers in those states say they’re confident they’ll get the work needed done.
The river serves 40 million people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
Driver dies in crash.
A driver died Wednesday afternoon in Denver when the SUV he was driving crashed into a tree in the Platt Park neighborhood.
The crash happened during the noon hour in the 1700 block of South Downing Street, police said.
The driver, a man, and a passenger, a woman, were taken to a local hospital where the driver was pronounced dead, police said. The woman suffered serious injuries.
Several intersections in the area were closed off as emergency vehicles responded to the scene.
The couple was not identified Wednesday. An investigation is ongoing.
Construction firm settles with government.
Michael T. Vigil, a Colorado resident and owner of VMJ Construction, has agreed to pay the federal government $3.6 million to resolve allegations that he and his company defrauded the Small Business Administration.
Maryland-based Vigil Contracting Inc., and John J. Vigil, its operations manager, are also part of the agreement, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney office in Colorado.
The settlement resolves a federal fraud investigation involving the two companies and the SBA’s Minority Disadvantaged Business Development Program.
The government contended that VMJ made false statements to the SBA regarding its eligibility to participate in the program, according to the news release.
“VMJ relied almost exclusively upon Vigil Contracting to bid on and complete the work awarded to VMJ” under the program, according to the release. “Michael T. Vigil did not control VMJ, did not set the long-term policy, nor manage the dayto-day management of the business.”
Colorado eligible for 911 grants.
Colorado is eligible for $2.4 million federal grant to upgrade its statewide 911 network.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration on Feb. 1 declared Colorado eligible for the funding, according to a Department of Regulatory Agencies news release.
With an additional $1 million in matching funds approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, the state’s 911 call centers will be able to fund an 18-month transition to an IP-based core infrastructure, the release said, broadening network capabilities and making it more reliable.
Legalization effort moves ahead in Nebraska.
NEB.» Backers LINCOLN, of an effort to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska have filed formal paperwork for a statewide ballot campaign.
Nebraskans for Sensible Marijuana Laws submitted their proposed constitutional amendment Tuesday to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office.
State Sen. Anna Wishart has introduced a bill that would allow lawmakers to legalize the drug for medicinal purposes, but it faces stiff opposition from state and local law enforcement, Gov. Pete Ricketts and prominent Nebraskans including former Husker football coach Tom Osborne.